Planning and Zoning Commission recommends HDR rezoning for Tech Terrace site amid heavy resident opposition over parking and traffic

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7 to 1 on Feb. 6 to recommend rezoning a block west of University Avenue and south of 19th Street from Single‑Family 2 (SF‑2) and Heavy Commercial (HC) to High Density Residential (HDR), clearing the way for a proposed Pinecrest student housing development to advance to City Council.

The rezoning would allow a five‑story, mixed‑use student housing project the developer said is tailored for Texas Tech students and the surrounding Tech Terrace neighborhood. The commission’s recommendation does not approve construction plans; future site development and permitting still require administrative review and council action.

The rezoning drew the largest public turnout of the evening. About a dozen residents spoke in opposition, telling commissioners they fear increased traffic on Twentieth Street and surrounding blocks, insufficient parking for hundreds of new beds, noise, damage to property values and strain on water and sewer infrastructure. Don Richards of 3105 Twentieth Street said the project would “take nearly 600 students and locate them in a half‑block area,” raising parking and traffic concerns. Lauren Prather, a longtime Tech Terrace resident, said the neighborhood already faces heavy event parking during games and described worries about everyday congestion.

Developer Tyler Perlmutter, introduced as owner and principal of Pinecrest, and engineer Corey Doolin of AMD Engineering presented the project and said the design responds to neighborhood concerns. “We create communities that keep residents in school,” Perlmutter told the commission, describing the developer’s focus on student living and on‑site amenities. Architect Joseph Amari said the plan routes resident vehicle entry and exit to 19th Street, with no public entrance on 20th Street; a gated surface lot tied to the garage will be keyed so alley users cannot open it from the alley. The development team said the design would include a reduced, screened rooftop pool, internalized trash, 24/7 on‑site staff and security, and about 315 parking spaces — roughly three times the city’s minimum requirement for the proposed configuration.

Commissioners pressed the developer on parking methodology and neighborhood compatibility. Staff noted that much of the block to the north and adjacent parcels already carry HDR zoning; the requested rezoning removes a small HC strip and brings the property into a single zoning category. Several commissioners and the applicant emphasized that future detailed site plans and a traffic study — required by city permitting — will test access and circulation plans and determine needed street or alley improvements.

Public commenters repeatedly urged delay or denial. Residents asked how enforcement of gated access would prevent cut‑throughs to 20th Street, who would pay for alley or utility upgrades, and whether the city’s Uniform Development Code (UDC) provides adequate limits once HDR is in place. Opponents argued HDR zoning could allow different, more intensive development in the future if the site is sold.

After discussion, the commission voted to recommend the HDR rezoning to City Council; the public hearing record will go to council for a decision scheduled at a subsequent hearing. Commissioners and staff repeatedly noted that the rezoning is a land‑use decision, not final site approval, and that building permits, traffic studies and utility plans remain to be reviewed.

The City Council hearing on the rezoning was scheduled for Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. — the next formal decision point.

For transparency: the staff presentation cited the city’s zoning ordinance, the city’s Master Thoroughfare Plan (2018) and the Uniform Development Code. The applicant-provided parking figures were stated in the presentation and during the public hearing; the commission made no technical changes to those counts during the meeting.