Plano commission approves 16% parking reduction for Preston Park medical office
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Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a staff-recommended 16% parking reduction for a proposed medical office at the northeast corner of Old Shepherd Place and Preston Park Court, reducing required spaces from 31 to 26 amid commissioner concerns about potential parking spillover.
The City of Plano Planning and Zoning Commission on May 5 approved a 16% parking reduction for a proposed medical office in the Preston Park business center, lowering the required number of on-site spaces from 31 to 26.
Staff presented the preliminary site plan and recommended the reduction, saying the request met the zoning ordinance criteria. Miss Woods, planner with the Planning Department, told commissioners the lot was created in February 2004 and that an earlier site plan approved in February 2006 had proposed a subterranean parking garage that was never built.
The commission’s vote came after an extended discussion about whether the reduced parking would meet demand. Commissioner Brunoff said the commission had not been given information about projected staffing or patient volumes and warned that reducing spaces could force patients to park farther from the building, on neighboring property or on streets. “You may be dealing with people who are sick, people who are injured, people who may be an elderly population,” Brunoff said, arguing the ordinance-compliant 31 spaces provided a clearer safeguard.
Other commissioners said staff and the traffic department had reviewed the site and did not expect spillover to nearby properties because the parcel is largely ring‑fenced by walls and access easements. Miss Woods noted that the site’s small buildable footprint and the historical expectation of an underground garage made the requested reduction reasonable in staff’s view. “This request meets the criteria for a parking reduction based on our zoning ordinance,” she said.
Commissioner Bronski moved to approve the staff recommendation for a 16% parking reduction; Commissioner Ollie seconded. The motion passed 7–1. The applicant, listed in the agenda as KAR Development Group LLC, was not present at the meeting and did not provide projected employee or patient counts.
The preliminary site plan covers 0.8 acre at the northeast corner of Old Shepherd Place and Preston Park Court. Staff and several commissioners said the traffic review had no objections, and commissioners discussed limits in the ordinance (a 20% maximum reduction) and the alternatives the applicant could consider, including a smaller footprint or a different site. The commission did not direct staff to table the item for additional applicant data; it approved the variance as requested.
The commission’s approval authorizes the parking reduction for the preliminary site plan; any additional plan details, building permits or construction approvals remain subject to later reviews and applicable city processes.
