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Council approves SUP for EV chargers at Park Village with 100% screening, lease conditions
Summary
The Southlake City Council approved a specific-use permit allowing Electrify America to install electric-vehicle charging spaces at Park Village, tying the permit to the tenant's lease, requiring full screening of equipment and restoration of the site if the lease ends.
The Southlake City Council approved a specific-use permit on May 20 to allow electric-vehicle charging spaces at Park Village Shopping Center, 1035 E. Southlake Boulevard, subject to safety and lease-related conditions.
The permit was requested by Electrify America and presented by Dennis Killough, the city's planning director. Killough told the council the proposal would place charging equipment along the parking lot edge and that a re-striped space elsewhere in the lot would offset the parking removed for an ADA-compliant stall. He said staff had reviewed the proposal and that Planning and Zoning recommended approval after the applicant addressed screening and landscaping.
The council's approval ties the SUP to the tenant's charger lease and any extensions, requires conformance with the fire marshal's safety requirements, mandates removal of charging equipment and restoration of parking/landscaping if the lease is terminated, and requires the screening fence to provide 100% coverage of the equipment. Brian Powers, an engineer working for Electrify America, described the installation as "in a sense, it's basically an electric gas station, if you will," explaining that customers would pay at the charger dispenser or by app.
Council members asked practical questions about how the chargers would operate, whether non-EV vehicles could be towed from reserved spots and what local revenue or tax effects might be. Powers said chargers accept payment at a screen and/or app; the project team did not have immediate answers on property- or sales-tax effects. Killough said staff would enforce fire-safety measures and the SUP-term restoration requirement.
The vote carried 5-1. The motion was made by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Talley; the record does not identify an individual vote-by-name in the transcript. The resolution notes the SUP will remain in effect concurrently with the tenant's charger lease (including extensions and option periods), that the installation must meet the fire marshal's safety requirements, and that upon termination of the lease all equipment will be removed and the area restored.
Why it matters: The decision allows publicly available fast charging in a busy retail node while preserving the city's ability to require removal and site restoration if the tenant leaves. The screening and fire-safety conditions reflect council concern about visual impacts and equipment access.
What to watch next: The applicant will coordinate final equipment placement and fencing details with staff; any future lease termination triggers the restoration requirement.
