Plan commission recommends approval for LaSosa Verde Taqueria modification at 1250 W. Spring Valley Rd.

The Richardson City Plan Commission on May 6, 2025, voted unanimously to recommend approval of a major modification that would allow LaSosa Verde Taqueria to be built as a one‑story, single‑tenant restaurant at 1250 West Spring Valley Road and forward the request to city council.

City planning staff said the request seeks deviations from the West Spring Valley Planned Development code, which generally requires two‑story mixed‑use buildings in this subarea. Ms. Peters, city planning staff, told the commission the applicant proposes a one‑story building with a partial mezzanine that is designed to appear two stories, and that the project otherwise meets the corridor's design requirements.

The subject site is approximately 0.4 acres. Staff said the proposed building would total about 4,100 square feet, with a 3,100‑square‑foot ground‑floor footprint and a roughly 994‑square‑foot mezzanine for overflow seating and special events. Parking requirements were listed at 17 spaces; the applicant plans to provide 30 spaces. The proposal includes 15.9% landscape coverage, a dedication of 13 feet of right‑of‑way to accommodate streetscape improvements, a 12‑foot sidewalk and a 10‑foot landscape amenity zone, and a single driveway on Spring Valley with a right‑in/right‑out configuration and a proposed no U‑turn sign at the median.

Ms. Peters said elevations approved administratively in 2021 are being reused; the exterior would use masonry, metal panels and ventilated metal cladding and would feature more than 60% ground‑floor glazing on the front elevation and 30% glazing on the second‑story face to maintain a two‑story appearance. Roofline and parapet heights cited by staff were about 30 feet to the roofline and 34.5 feet to the main parapet.

Edwin Brantley Smith, the project's architect, said the owner purchased the property before 2020 and that an earlier two‑story plan was approved but not built because market conditions changed. Smith said the design preserves the ability to add a second floor in the future and that the applicant is completing construction documents. "We're actually adding a mezzanine," Smith said, and said the owner expects to operate the restaurant between about 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.

During public comment, Gabriel Nunez, representing the Pediatric Clinic of Richardson to the west, urged a more permanent solution for the western mutual access that connects the properties, calling unrestricted circulation "a big safety hazard for our patients" and expressing concern about children walking through the shared parking areas. Nunez asked the commission to consider medians, pylons or other measures to prevent vehicles from cutting through the clinic's lot.

The commission discussed driveway spacing, parking and the corridor's intent to create a walkable, mixed‑use environment. Several commissioners noted the property previously had approvals for a two‑story building; the central questions for the commission were whether the one‑story building with a partial mezzanine meets the corridor intent and whether allowing a single tenant restaurant is acceptable given market conditions. Commissioners also noted staff had worked with the applicant on transportation safety measures, including a driveway divider and the no U‑turn sign.

Staff reported the city received three written pieces of correspondence opposed to the request; those respondents represent about 39% of the notified area, meaning a supermajority would be required for council approval. After discussion, Commissioner Beach moved to recommend approval "as presented," Commissioner Pointer seconded, and the commission voted to forward the modification to city council. The commission's recommendation was unanimous.

Next steps: the item will go to Richardson City Council for final consideration; council approval will require a supermajority because the opposition exceeded the 20% threshold in the notified area. The council hearing date and any additional conditions were not specified during the Plan Commission meeting.