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Council hears first reading on rezoning request for 0.76-acre Whitestone parcel; neighbors raise access, drainage concerns
Summary
An applicant sought a future land use amendment and rezoning of a 0.76-acre tract on West Whitestone from Suburban Residential to General Business; planning staff and the applicant discussed a conditional overlay to limit access to Lone Star Drive and neighbors urged a lower-intensity Local Business designation.
Cedar Park — The council held a first reading and public hearing Wednesday on a request to amend the future land use map and rezone a roughly 0.76-acre parcel at 918 West Whitestone from Suburban Residential to General Business.
Development Services planner Andreina Davila summarized the request and noted the northern portion of a larger parent tract faces Whitestone Boulevard and is currently zoned urban residential; the applicant seeks a future land use amendment from Local Office/Retail Commercial to Regional Office/Retail Commercial and rezoning of the northern portion to General Business to create uniform zoning across the parent tract and improve marketability. The Planning and Zoning Commission had unanimously recommended denial at its Feb. 18 hearing.
Applicant Bailey Morris (Commercial Market Exchange) and the property owner described plans to rezone the Whitestone-facing portion to match surrounding commercial zoning and said they would consider a conditional overlay limiting direct access from the front tract to Lone Star Drive to “emergency access only” and would work with engineers on drainage mitigation such as a retention pond at the southeast corner.
Residents and the Planning and Zoning Commission raised repeated concerns about Lone Star Drive’s width and drainage, the parcel’s narrow, elongated shape, and the appropriateness of a General Business designation. Multiple council members questioned whether Local Business (a lower-intensity commercial district) would better fit the physical constraints of the property and encouraged the applicant to consider that option or to return with a combined petition addressing the entire parent tract. The applicant indicated willingness to pursue Local Business zoning instead of General Business and to continue working with staff; the council took no final vote on the request at first reading.
One resident who lives nearby advised the council that, absent owner-initiated changes on the southern parcel, neighbors feared the northern rezoning could permit development that increases traffic and drainage impacts on Lone Star. The public hearing was closed; the applicant was advised to consider options and return with any revised petition.
