Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Conditional Use Automotive Dealership topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves conditional use permit for Mercedes-Benz dealership parking expansion in Houston Levy Business Center
Summary
The board approved a conditional use permit to add 308 dealer parking spaces at the Houston Levy Business Center for Higginbotham Automotive'owned Mercedes-Benz operations; staff attached conditions to prevent overflow parking on adjacent lanes and to add signage and controls for fire-lane clearance.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved a conditional use permit to allow additional dealership parking for the Mercedes-Benz dealership within the Houston Levy Business Center, town planner Jamie Gross told the board.
The permit applies to a 3.36-acre tract north of Shelby Drive and west of Summit Chase Lane that the applicant acquired to expand campus parking. Gross said the applicant, Township Development Services acting for Higginbotham Automotive of East Memphis (operator of the Mercedes-Benz franchise), plans a site plan for 308 parking spaces; approval of the conditional use permit allows staff to continue technical review of the site plan and to require town standards such as paving, curb and gutter, landscaping and lighting.
Staff identified concerns about vehicles parking on Summit Chase Lane and Shelby Drive that were narrowing emergency access and compromising fire-lane width. As conditions of approval, the town requires measures to prevent parking that blocks the fire lane and additional signage along Summit Chase Lane; staff said the applicant agreed to those conditions. The permit also notes that if a building is proposed later the applicant will need to address water, sewer, detention and parking impacts as part of the site-plan review.
Jamie Gross said the requested use is allowed in this specific area of the planned development only through the conditional-use process; the board's approval was unanimous on roll call. Applicant representative Grayson Vaughn told the board he had discussed the parking demand with the dealership and that the planned expansion should reduce overflow parking on adjacent streets.
The board paused other related zoning matters and deferred discussion of unrelated rezoning (Ordinance 2025-O4) to the next meeting. Staff will continue review of stormwater detention and any fence or gate permits required for the site.
