The Planning & Zoning Commission on Jan. 9 approved a site plan for redevelopment at 405 Laurel in downtown Friendswood for APA Designs, a project that will build a 1,489-square-foot retail space (floral shop) with a 989-square-foot wine-bar area on a 0.16-acre lot.

Planning staff said the downtown district’s flexible design standards for small lots informed several elements of the proposal. Because the lot is narrow, the applicant proposes six head-in on-street parking spaces on the side street, supplemented by nine off-site spaces under a shared‑parking agreement; the downtown district allows shared parking if it is within 1,200 feet and supported by a written agreement between property owners. Staff said both a license agreement for use of the right of way and a recorded shared‑parking agreement must be executed before a certificate of occupancy is issued.

To improve pedestrian connectivity, the plan includes a six-foot sidewalk placed on the opposite side of Laurel (the school-district side) to allow safe passage between the two redeveloping properties. An alternate landscaping plan would preserve an existing 36-inch-diameter oak tree on the lot; staff recommended tree protection measures and additional plantings to meet intent of the ordinance.

Troy Kennedy of Kennedy Architecture confirmed the sidewalk length would be roughly 380 feet and said an arborist had reviewed the oak and raised no major concerns about construction impacts. "The canopy actually extends nearly to the other side of the property so and it sets up real well for that building," Kennedy said. Commissioners praised the oak preservation and the sidewalk proposal as compatible with downtown design goals.

Staff also noted the project would not rely on a commercial dumpster; solid waste would be handled with cans and a screened enclosure. The commission made approval contingent on completion of the license agreement and the shared-parking agreement before issuance of a certificate of occupancy; the motion to approve with staff comments passed by majority (no roll-call tally was recorded).