Plano planning commissioners approve lot-line change and 20% parking reduction for Blue Chip shopping center; Chick‑fil‑A site plan also approved

Plano planning commissioners unanimously approved a lot-line adjustment and a 20% parking reduction for the Blue Chip Addition shopping center (Lot 2R) and separately approved a preliminary site plan for the adjacent Chick‑fil‑A (Lot 5) at their April 21 meeting.

The commission voted 8-0 to grant the administrative request to reduce required parking for Lot 2R by 20% and to approve the related preliminary site plans for both lots. Commissioners also approved the Chick‑fil‑A preliminary site plan, which depends on the lot-line adjustment, by an 8-0 vote.

The actions affect two parcels on the north side of Spring Creek Parkway east of Coit Road: Blue Chip Addition, Block A, Lot 2R, a shopping center owned by Chen's Emery Properties Partnership Ltd., and Lot 5, the Chick‑fil‑A parcel. Molly, a senior planner with the City of Plano planning department, told the commission the proposal would shift a “panhandle” portion of Lot 2R to Lot 5 so Chick‑fil‑A can redevelop its site and extend its drive‑thru lanes. The reconfiguration would leave shared cross‑access via existing fire lanes and recorded access easements.

Why it matters: The shopping center (Lot 2R) requested a P&Z‑approved parking reduction of 20% in addition to the 10% in‑line restaurant allowance provided by the zoning ordinance. Staff said the requested reduction meets the ordinance’s criteria and is supported by a parking study submitted by the applicant.

According to staff, the standard parking requirement for Lot 2R’s current mix of retail, office and restaurant uses is 355 spaces. The 10% in‑line restaurant allowance is permitted by the zoning ordinance; the additional 20% reduction under consideration would lower the required spaces by 67 to 267. Staff reported 260 existing spaces on Lot 2R before the proposed lot configuration; the applicant plans 10 new parking spaces and proposes an off‑site parking easement from Lot 5 to Lot 2R. Together, staff said the two lots would contain 327 spaces under the proposed layout, an increase of 17 spaces from the existing combined total.

Molly summarized the applicant’s parking memo, saying the highest observed parking demand in the shopping center area was 172 spaces on a Sunday and noting the Chick‑fil‑A is closed on Sundays, a factor staff cited in concluding demand would fit within the reduced requirement. "The highest observed parking demand was 172 spaces on a Sunday," Molly said.

Applicant representative Benjamin Garza, a civil engineer on the project, told commissioners the redesign aims to improve Chick‑fil‑A’s drive‑thru efficiency and maintain sufficient parking for both the restaurant and center. "Yes, sir. So we're trying to improve Chick‑fil‑A's customer service quality through the drive‑thru lane and then provide sufficient parking through tenants that come to visit the restaurant," Garza said.

Commissioners asked about ownership and access. Molly said Chick‑fil‑A currently owns Lot 5; the shopping center owner would sell a portion of Lot 2R to Chick‑fil‑A so the restaurant can expand its footprint. She clarified that Lot 2R is the parcel requesting the parking reduction and that any approved parking reduction would be tied to Lot 2R, not to Chick‑fil‑A’s operations on Lot 5. Commissioners also heard that both properties have multiple shared access easements and fire lanes; the redevelopment will reconfigure some fire lanes where the drive‑thru is extended.

During discussion, Commissioner Bernoff described the request as largely technical and noted he observed many empty parking spaces on site during recent visits. "All the parking spaces that are on‑site in both lots today are still going to be there in exactly the same place. They're adding 10 additional parking spaces," Bernoff said, and moved approval of item 1A. Commissioner Langenfeldt seconded the motion. The motion passed 8 to 0.

For the Chick‑fil‑A preliminary site plan (item 1B), Commissioner Pronsky moved approval as recommended by staff; Commissioner Alali seconded. That motion also passed 8 to 0. Staff had recommended approval of item 1A with the 20% parking reduction and approval of item 1B subject to approval of PSP‑2024‑030, the referenced preliminary site plan file.

Discussion vs. decisions: The meeting record shows commissioners asked clarifying questions (ownership, where easements run, which parcel the reduction attaches to) and that staff and the applicant provided clarifications. The formal decisions were the two unanimous approvals; commissioners did not add conditions beyond what staff recommended in the meeting record.

The commission thanked the applicants and noted they look forward to the project’s grand reopening.

Ending note: The approvals permit the lot‑line adjustment, the 20% parking reduction for Lot 2R, and the Chick‑fil‑A site plan to proceed to subsequent administrative steps required by the planning department.