DRC reviews Wild Oaks text amendment to create Town Center Overlay for mixed‑use development

The Development Review Committee (DRC) on Feb. 19 reviewed a proposed text amendment to the city’s Land Development Code and a targeted amendment to the Future Land Use Element to accommodate Wild Oaks, a large mixed‑use project near the Route 429/Kelly Park interchange.

Consultants and the applicant presented a “Town Center Overlay District” intended to allow a single development to span multiple character zones, increase the required amount and quality of public open space, and require a regulating plan and tailored development standards. Jim Constantine of LRK, the project designer, described the overlay as applicable only to larger sites that can provide at least five character zones and a minimum project area (presented as 170 acres). Alex Stringfellow, the city’s consultant on form-based codes, said the overlay was crafted to preserve connectivity, walkability and a central open-space network, including a stand of heritage live oaks identified as a key public-open-space element.

The overlay package presented to the DRC would require submission of a regulating plan, development standards, design guidelines, a master parking plan and a master signage plan as part of any Town Center Overlay application. The proposal raises the open-space minimum across the five character zones from current minimums (described in the presentation as 10–20% depending on zone) to a uniform 20% minimum with a bonus threshold at 25%.

Members of the DRC raised public-safety and design concerns. A police representative referenced lessons learned from Baldwin Park, warning against reverting to narrow street dimensions and stressed maintaining larger on-street parking width so vehicle mirrors and doors are not damaged; he said alleys must have on-street lighting and that homes in rear-loaded product types should face a named street to ensure emergency response access. The Wild Oaks team acknowledged those concerns: Kimley‑Horn and project staff confirmed main streets will have lighting and said the only product with alleys will include alley lighting; the project team agreed to add clarifying code language or a note reinforcing alley lighting and orientation requirements.

The consultants said the overlay would allow creative street sections (including shared, textured paving treated as plazas), curbside cafés, and a network of public spaces intended to make the mixed‑use core walkable to surrounding neighborhoods. Staff noted the text amendment is proposed specifically for Wild Oaks and is not intended to automatically rewrite the citywide comprehensive plan.

No formal action or vote was taken at the DRC meeting. Staff told the applicant the DRC’s requested edits would be incorporated and that the package will be forwarded to the planning commission and city council, likely in April, to be reviewed concurrently with the city’s comprehensive-plan update.

Presenters: Jim Constantine (LRK) and Alex Stringfellow (city consultant). Project manager: June Son.

Next steps: DRC edits will be incorporated, and the city will move the text amendment and overlay proposal to planning commission and city council for subsequent hearings; staff indicated timing concurrent with the comprehensive-plan rewrite in April.