Commission recommends changing land use and zoning at 1300 North Meadows Drive to allow multifamily; city cites senior tax-credit opportunity

The Planning & Zoning Commission on Monday recommended approval of a future-land-use amendment and a rezoning request for the property addressed as 1300 North Meadows Drive, moving the site from low-density residential to high-density residential and from R-8.4 single-family zoning to multifamily zoning.

Cody (city staff) explained the property is unplatted and that staff recommends the change to allow future multifamily development. City Manager Coughlin told the commission the city initiated the rezoning request to help a potential applicant meet Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs application requirements for a tax-credit senior (55+) multifamily project that the city considers a high-priority opportunity. Coughlin said the city’s involvement was intended to reduce applicant costs and timeline uncertainty; he stressed there is not yet a finalized development agreement and that zoning alone does not guarantee the grant award.

The proposed project described by city staff would place about 52 tax-credit-eligible units on roughly five acres of a larger 10-acre tract; staff described the proposed first phase as low-density multifamily (quadplex-style units) intended for 55+ occupancy under a tax-credit application. Coughlin said the developer had scored “very high” in preliminary review for a multi-county tax-credit award and that the city brought the zoning request forward due to application timing.

Several neighbors and organizations testified in opposition or with concerns, focusing primarily on drainage and traffic near adjacent schools. Hayden Lemaster, speaking on behalf of Master Holdings LLC (owner of nearby multifamily properties), urged additional drainage analysis, noting historical drainage studies and prior incidents in which vehicles were swept off Meadow Drive. David Hewitt, representing Our Savior Lutheran Church at 1440 Meadows, described recurring flooding at the corner of Misty Meadows and Meadows and said the church’s property has required pumps and other mitigation for recent storms.

Lou James and other speakers questioned the timing of rezoning before a concrete development plan was presented and suggested a planned-development overlay might allow the city to impose more specific restrictions. City staff said that any future development would still require submittal of civil engineering, platting and a final site plan, which would be reviewed for drainage and other technical requirements before permitting; staff also noted state law protections that require mitigation if a new development would cause additional flooding to an existing property.

Commissioner Hallman moved to recommend approval of the comprehensive-plan amendment; Commissioner Hayes seconded. The motion carried. Commissioners then moved to recommend approval of the zoning change from R-8.4 to multifamily; that motion also carried on voice votes with no roll-call tallies recorded.

Next steps: the recommendation advances both the future-land-use amendment and the rezoning to City Council. Any proposed development would require platting, engineering review and site-plan approval, including drainage calculations and coordination with the city’s outsourced hydrology engineers and the fire marshal.