Council approves rezoning for large student housing project near Texas Tech after concessions to neighbors

The Lubbock City Council voted unanimously on March 11 to rezone a tract west of University Avenue and south of 19th Street to High Density Residential (HDR), clearing the way for a proposed large student housing project after the developer made concessions on design and parking.

Tyler Perlmutter, representing the developer, said the project was revised after community input: the parking deck increased from four stories to five, raising total spaces from 315 to 421, and the pool originally planned on the rooftop was moved into the building's interior courtyard. "We view this as a benefit ... the pool will now be more interior," Perlmutter said.

Nut graf: The rezoning prompted sustained public comment and neighborhood opposition focused on pedestrian safety, traffic and scale; council members and the developer negotiated design changes and neighborhood outreach commitments before the final vote.

The property sits on a corridor that serves Texas Tech University; opponents, speaking during the public comment period, said the site lacks safe pedestrian access and that adding hundreds of residents would worsen crossings on the multi‑lane 19th Street. "This is no tiny road. Please remember this is a 7 to 10 lane highway," said Sally Conroy, a neighborhood resident who described a prior pedestrian crash involving her son.

Residents and neighborhood leaders raised other concerns: parking spillover onto small residential streets, the project's massing and potential long‑term effects on neighborhood character. Roger Settler, president emeritus of an area association, cited the Unified Development Code and Plan Lubbock 2040 in arguing the project violated neighborhood preservation goals.

Council questions focused on specific commitments. Councilmember Rose said the project would be unacceptable if it operated as a generic HDR with no safeguards. Perlmutter said the developer will work with the neighborhood on design through permitting and that the current plan includes a 50‑foot stepback for upper floors, a five‑story garage, a 20‑foot rear setback and internalized amenities. "We've invited the neighborhood through Melissa to be involved with all of our meetings with design going forward to ensure that we're keeping in track with what we said we're gonna do," Perlmutter said.

Councilmember Patino summarized traffic and safety context, noting pedestrian signals and ADA‑compliant crossings at nearby intersections, and said some traffic controls (including speed and signal timing) fall under TxDOT until a future transfer to the city. Patino said the corridor will be transferred to city control in about three years, allowing city traffic staff to adjust timing and speed if needed.

The council's approval was conditioned only by the standard zoning process; no separate council motion established binding design modifications beyond the developer's public commitments. Several councilmembers said they preferred to secure written conditions at permitting but supported the rezoning because the developer addressed key neighborhood concerns and because the parcel has remained undeveloped for years.

Perlmutter and the developer team committed publicly to the design shown to council — including the added parking, the courtyard pool and the stated setbacks — and to continue neighborhood meetings during design and permitting. The council's vote rezoned the property to HDR; specific site plans, permits and any traffic mitigation will be considered during the city's permitting process.

No formal amendments to the Unified Development Code were made at the meeting.