Council approves United Rentals expansion with conditions on landscaping, equipment height and building improvements

The Temple City Council on July 3 approved a rezoning and binding site plan to allow United Rentals to expand its existing equipment rental facility onto adjacent property at 5214 and 5300 South General Bruce Drive.

The council voted 5-0 to adopt the plan development that will permit the company to expand a legally nonconforming heavy-equipment storage and rental use into property that is currently zoned commercial but lies inside the city—s I-35 Corridor overlay.

City planning staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended conditions to mitigate the overlay's objective of improving the I-35 corridor—s appearance. Planning staff described the bind as: the existing United Rentals site is a grandfathered nonconforming use while the adjoining parcel has overlay restrictions that would otherwise prohibit the expansion. Brian Chandler, planning staff, told the council the applicant had worked with staff to include both existing and new parcels in a single binding site plan so that fencing,…