Commission approves preliminary site plan for four‑lot Preston/Frontier commercial project

The commission unanimously approved a preliminary site plan (consent item 3d) for a four‑lot commercial development at the southeast corner of Preston and Frontier Parkway.

Staff described the project as a preliminary plan for four lots with a maximum of nine commercial buildings totaling approximately 138,733 square feet (staff recited a slightly different number during the presentation and then corrected). Proposed uses include a grocery store paired with a convenience store and gas pumps on Lot 2, bank, restaurant and retail space on Lot 3, and additional restaurant/retail buildings on Lot 4. Several conditions were recommended by staff and incorporated into the approval:

- Drive‑through restaurants shown on the preliminary site plan are subject to approval through a separate specific‑use‑permit (SUP) process. - The grocery store and convenience store with fuel pumps are tied together; under the approved condition each use would be required to be associated with the other rather than permitting either use independently. - Creation of a property owners association (POA) is required prior to recordation of any plat that subdivides the property.

Commissioners asked procedural questions about whether changes in use (for example substituting retail for restaurant) would require further review; staff said substantial changes that affect parking or open‑space layout could trigger a new preliminary site‑plan review. One commissioner sought and received clarification that the SUP requirement applies to the drive‑through feature, not to restaurants generally—the zoning district prohibits restaurants by right in some cases and drive‑throughs require SUP approval.

A motion to approve item 3d (with staff clarifications) passed 4‑0 (mover: Commissioner Bluntzat; second: Commissioner Furey).