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, landscaping and building improvements on both tracts would be enforceable.

Architect Michael Rogers, representing United Rentals, said the company—s proposal attempts to balance operational needs and overlay requirements. "We have an existing property, there at 5210, that is simply too small now. We are looking to expand an existing business that is there," Rogers said. He described negotiations with the adjacent landowner and said final design details on landscaping and other site features depend on later permitting with the city and TxDOT.

Planning staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended conditions the council adopted, including: a perimeter ornamental fence to create uniformity across both existing and expanded sites; retention or replacement of tree canopy (staff noted the applicant proposed replacing a removed 36-inch tree with multiple large-diameter trees); a 15% minimum landscaped area on the expanded tract; and a requirement that the remaining buildings on both tracts receive exterior improvements. City staff provided specific language to implement the —building improvements— request: painting the remaining buildings to match and adding a structural canopy over the primary office entrance.

The council accepted the Planning & Zoning Commission—s phased approach to outdoor equipment heights: limiting visible equipment to 15 feet tall in the front half of both tracts and allowing up to 30 feet in the rear half. The applicant had proposed a single limit across both properties; PNZ proposed the phased front/rear approach and the applicant and PNZ reached partial agreement during the hearing.

Council members also required a permanent irrigation solution for required landscape areas; during discussion council members said plants required irrigation to survive extended dry periods and to avoid ongoing code enforcement burdens. Chandler told the council the site plan already lists large-diameter replacement trees and that those plantings would be included in the binding agreement.

Chandler also reminded council members that TxDOT is designing a future I-35 widening in the corridor and that portions of the site could be impacted by that future project, a risk the applicant acknowledged.

Michael Rogers told the council that, if approvals proceed, design and permitting work with local civil engineers would likely take several weeks and that TxDOT permitting could be the longest element; he estimated construction work (placing compacted millings and preparing the yard) could take about eight weeks after permits are issued.

Council member Mike Pilkington made the motion to approve the rezoning and binding site plan with the Planning & Zoning Commission recommendations and the staff wording clarifying the building improvements; council member Grant seconded. The motion passed 5-0.

The ordinance and binding site plan will be recorded as conditioned; staff will monitor compliance with the site development standards, landscape plan, tree replacement and the paint/canopy improvements.