Council reviews proposed zoning changes for special uses; staff to notify affected owners

City staff presented proposed amendments to Cedar Park's zoning chapter on special uses after a council subcommittee reviewed common issues tied to particular uses. The subcommittee's work led to proposed conditional standards and definition changes intended to reduce the number of special-use permit (SUP) requests and give staff clearer review criteria.

Amy Lang in Development Services told council that special-use permits allow certain higher-impact uses within zoning districts but that those approvals "run with the land" and can include conditional standards to address access, circulation and compatibility. The subcommittee focused on four uses: gasoline service stations, car washes, day care centers and private schools.

Key proposals the subcommittee forwarded to staff include: - Gasoline service stations: add a conditional standard requiring new standalone service stations to be spaced at least one-half mile from any other gasoline service station. Accessory stations (for example, a gas pump associated with a grocery store) would still require SUP review but would be exempt from the half-mile spacing rule; the grocery definition would be amended so accessory pumps are not permitted by right. - Car washes: a proposed half-mile spacing standard between car washes and a 300-foot buffer from single-family residential zoning where applicable. - Day care centers: propose changing the approval path in neighborhood business and local business districts from SUP-only to a conditional-use allowance if the applicant meets standards; add a required vehicle queuing analysis as a conditional standard to address pick-up/drop-off circulation. - Private schools: add a vehicle queuing analysis requirement and align where private schools are allowed with daycare rules; the subcommittee proposed prohibiting private schools in single-family and multifamily residential districts and allowing them by SUP in neighborhood/local/general business districts.

Lang told council the proposed amendments would affect roughly 118 existing business sites (not counting tenants) and staff proposes targeted outreach to property owners and tenants before statutory public-notice steps. Several council members cautioned the changes could provoke concern from owners and emphasized the need for clear, proactive notification and education to avoid misunderstanding of state-required public-notice language.

Council did not vote on ordinance language at the meeting; members provided initial comments and directed staff to proceed with outreach and return with formal drafts and public hearings in the summer.