Planning commission approves Shepherd’s Garden retail redevelopment; sign structure to be preserved if feasible

The Houston Planning Commission on Feb. 20 approved a variance and plat for the Shepherd’s Garden redevelopment (Item 114), allowing a 10-foot building line along North Shepherd Drive to accommodate a large retail project on the former Sears site and placing a condition that the existing Sears sign structure be preserved “if feasible.”

Staff told the commission that strict application of Chapter 42’s 25-foot building-line requirement would make the bulk-retail redevelopment invisible from North Shepherd Drive and that the applicant is proposing compensating pedestrian improvements, including a 19-foot unobstructed sidewalk and a 4-foot safety buffer between sidewalk and traffic. Planning staff recommended granting the variance and approving the plat subject to standard CPC‑101 form conditions.

Commissioners debated the redevelopment after several community speakers supported the developer’s plan to keep the sign structure and asked the developer to try to preserve a large oak tree on the property. Emily Ardoin of Preservation Houston said, “It’s a relatively small thing. It’s not a building, and it would be very easy to just wipe away. But it holds outsized meaning, for the neighborhood and for the community.” Betty Hecker, a nearby merchant who owns Wabash Feed and Garden, urged the developer to save the oak and noted the developer’s trade-off: “To save this tree is going to cost about 10 parking spaces my guess is that the cost for that to the developer would be a loss of 70 or $80,000.”

Developer representatives and the applicant’s consultant, Crystal Casey of Unicorn, told the commission they were committed to keeping the sign structure and would consider options for the tree. When asked, Casey said the ownership and development team “will do our best to try to save the tree,” but also noted they could not yet guarantee success.

Commissioner Robbins asked that any condition to preserve the sign include a feasibility qualification so the developer would not be “hamstrung” if saving the structure proved impossible; commissioners agreed. The maker of the motion, Commissioner Tahir, amended his motion to state the sign structure would be saved “if feasible.” Commissioner Adrian Garcia seconded the motion as amended. The commission voted in favor and the motion carried by voice vote.

The commission’s approval requires the applicant to meet the listed CPC‑101 conditions at plat recordation; commissioners also discussed, but did not require, further commitments on tree preservation. The applicant said the project will provide enhanced landscaping and screening, and the sign’s lettering will be donated to the North Shepherd district, per remarks made at the meeting.

The commission closed the item with the added condition that the sign structure be preserved to the extent feasible; no specific timeline for a final decision on the tree was required in the approval.

Looking ahead, the developer may return to the commission or permitting review for final site-plan details, parking calculations and any required permits tied to the building construction and landscape/tree preservation work.