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Commission adds fence condition to special-use permit for Elam Road convenience store expansion
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a special-use permit allowing renovation and expansion of the convenience store at 11900 Elam Road to add two tenant suites (bakery and ice cream shop) while retaining fueling operations; approval included a condition to install a 6-foot wood privacy fence on the south side adjacent to residential lots.
The Balch Springs Planning and Zoning Commission approved Special Use Permit Application 002-2025 on Aug. 7 to allow the existing convenience store at 11900 Elam Road to become a legal, conforming use and to permit expansion and remodeling that will add two tenant suites while maintaining fuel sales.
Planning staff said the 0.6828-acre site (formerly used as a bank at one point) currently operates as a convenience store without an SUP. As proposed, the applicant will enclose an existing awning area, demolish an ATM kiosk, add two suites (intended for a bakery and an ice cream shop), reconfigure parking and install landscaping along Elam Road and Hickory Tree. Staff reported 45 postcards mailed to nearby property owners and said it received four phone calls and one email, all in support of the project. Staff recommended approval and noted the change brings the site into conformance with the city’s future land-use plan that calls for retail uses.
Project designer Jorge Baragon described the work as an effort to make the site “much better looking,” and confirmed the convenience-store and fueling operations will remain. Nearby resident Jorge Cortez spoke during public comment and said a wood privacy fence would be acceptable to adjacent homeowners. Commissioners discussed screening options, and staff advised that any screening condition included in the ordinance must be specific (for example, height and material) so the city can enforce it. Commissioner Watson moved to approve the SUP and specify a six-foot wood privacy fence on the south end of the property adjacent to residential lots; Commissioner Gordon seconded. Roll call votes (Ford, Gardner, Adams, Watson and King) were recorded and the motion passed.
The SUP approval requires the applicant to provide landscaping, add the approved parking reconfiguration and install the specified six-foot wood privacy fence on the south edge of the parcel where it adjoins residential property. The commission noted that if different screening is desired in the future (masonry vs. wood), that would require a separate amendment or condition change. The commission did not set building permit timelines; civil and building permits must follow the city’s standard review process before construction begins.
