Council grants specific‑use permit to Palladium for 120‑unit mixed‑income multifamily near Evers Park

The City Council approved a specific‑use permit (SUP) July 15 to allow a 120‑unit multifamily development on approximately 4.1 acres east of Fall Meadows Street, where the zoning (R‑7) allows multifamily only by SUP.

Palladium USA presented the project as the first to use Denton’s recently adopted affordable‑housing incentives. The developer committed 81 of 120 units as income‑restricted units and therefore qualified for three discretionary incentives under the city’s program. Key elements of the approved site plan:

• Building and site: A three‑story building with a maximum proposed height near 47 feet (an incentive relieved the normal 40‑foot limit for additional architectural/ceiling height), 169 parking spaces (including one parking space per unit on the affordable units), and one row of on‑street‑facing parking to reduce visual massing. • Open space and amenities: Exceeds the 8% open‑space minimum and includes a playground, pool, dog park and community spaces. • Landscape and pedestrian design: Staff and the applicant designed a street‑front landscape alternative and additional sidewalk connections to match pedestrian patterns to the south; parking‑lot island requirements were adjusted where easements prevented standard placement.

Staff findings and public outreach

Planner Sean Jacobson told council the project complies with the comprehensive plan’s moderate‑density future land use for the site and aligns with the city’s affordable‑housing goals to avoid clustering low‑cost housing in a small number of neighborhoods. The project also benefits from proximity to Evers Park Elementary, Evers Park and the North Branch Library within short walking distances, staff noted.

Staff said the project met all SUP criteria and exceeded landscape and open‑space minimums. Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 6–0; staff recommended approval with conditions spelled out in the draft SUP ordinance. The applicant held neighbor meetings and conducted outreach; staff reported one property owner submitted comments in opposition.

Council discussion and outcome

Council members asked about pedestrian access, fencing and on‑site management. The developer confirmed a staffed on‑site management office and multiple pedestrian access points to adjacent sidewalks and the street. Council approved the SUP 7–0.

Why it matters

The project is the first to use Denton’s new affordable‑housing incentives; Palladium’s on‑site mix of rent‑restricted and market units is intended to deliver mixed‑income housing near services. The approved plan also shows how staff applied zoning flexibility and landscape alternatives to fit a larger building into an established neighborhood context.

Next steps

Palladium will proceed with civil engineering and building permit submittals and must meet SUP conditions and any required plan review steps before construction begins.