Council approves alternative architectural standard for Huffines auto-parts building

The Lewisville City Council on Monday approved an alternative architectural standard for a proposed 8,989-square-foot auto-parts storage building at the Huffines Chevrolet property near Bennett Lane, allowing split-face masonry block on portions of the exterior where the overlay district would otherwise require masonry brick.

The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the variance 6-1 after more than a year of review. The council's approval followed a brief exchange in which the architect described the material as an integrally colored, sealed split-face block intended to preserve appearance and resist weathering.

Nathaniel Tavares, the project architect with A Plus Design Group, told council members the block was chosen in part for cost savings compared with clay brick and that the front façade met the city's brick masonry requirement. "The block is not just a standard split face. It's integrally colored. It has block sealers to preserve its appearance and color with time," Tavares said.

Richard Luecky, the city's planning director, said the site is in the IH 35E Corridor overlay core subdistrict but is set back from the interstate and largely obscured by screening walls along the frontage road. The building will be located on a 1.13-acre tract and is zoned Light Industrial.

Council members asked about visibility, color, and why the alternative was requested; the architect described screening walls and said the block portions would be primarily on sides that are not visible from the interstate.

A motion "to approve the alternative standard as set forth in the caption" carried 5-0.

The council's action implements the Planning and Zoning recommendation and allows the applicant to proceed with final engineering and permitting under the approved alternative materials standard.