Midland planning commission approves a slate of rezones and plats, including theater expansion and new subdivisions

The Midland Planning and Zoning Commission approved a series of rezoning requests and plats during its Jan. 21 meeting, voting to adopt staff recommendations on multiple items ranging from commercial rezonings to preliminary and final plats for new subdivisions.

The most prominent requests included a rezone for a mini‑storage proposal at 6405 North Highway 349 (from RR, Regional Retail, to C, Commercial), a rezone to permit an expanded theater and associated entertainment uses at 4915 West Loop 250 North (from PD, Planned Development for a shopping center, to RR, Regional Retail), and the reinstatement and final plat approval for Legacy Addition Section 11, a proposed 24.897‑acre subdivision with 121 lots for single‑family development.

Why it matters: the approvals clear the way for multiple near‑term commercial and residential projects across Midland, including an entertainment redevelopment along Loop 250 and new single‑family neighborhoods under the Tall City Tomorrow comprehensive plan framework. Several plats also include staff‑recommended conditions intended to address drainage, access and other engineering concerns before construction proceeds.

Staff presentations and findings Daniel Humbert, a city planner, told commissioners item 6 was a request by Maverick Engineering on behalf of Fierce Property Investment LLC to rezone lot 3, block 1, 349 Retail Addition (6405 N. Highway 349) to allow mini‑storage units. Humbert noted the site is vacant, bordered by industrial uses to the north and the Midland Country Club to the west, and that the future land use plan designates the parcel as urban residential, which staff found made the request inconsistent with the comprehensive plan even though the immediate surroundings are nonresidential. "Because of this, this zone change is not compatible with the comprehensive plan, but the storage units will be compatible with the nonresidential surrounding area," Humbert said.

Britt Murray, a planner, presented multiple items including the rezone at 411 S. Webster (MF‑22 to SF‑3) and the rezone at 4915 W. Loop 250 N. for Synergy 108 LLC. Murray said the Loop 250 site is currently a vacant movie theater and the applicant is proposing an expanded theater with a bowling alley and dining, and that the future land use plan designates the area as regional commercial. Murray said staff calculated parking requirements and that the applicant's plan proposes 591 parking spaces compared with a required 281 for the combined uses.

Len Ochoa, planning manager, presented a rezone request on South Dallas Street (items involving a change from mobile home / regional retail to SF‑3) and said the site is now vacant after demolition and that no objections were received during notice.

Beatriz Casada, a planner, presented preliminary plats in the extraterritorial jurisdiction and within the city, including Tres Gringos Uno (an 11.14‑acre preliminary plat in the ETJ, proposed for future industrial development) and Devon Addition Section 9 (0.92 acre, for a workshop), and recommended approval subject to standard staff conditions.

Commission action and vote summary The commission approved consent items 2–5 and then moved through public‑hearing items. No members of the public spoke in favor of or opposed to the contested items during the hearings. Motions generally followed staff recommendations and passed by unanimous recorded voice votes except where noted below.

Votes at a glance - Consent items 2–5: Approved (motion to approve consent items; outcome recorded as passed, 7–0). - Item 6 — Zone change (RR to C) at 6405 N. Highway 349 (Maverick Engineering / Fierce Property Investment LLC): Motion to approve moved by Commissioner Behar; seconded by Commissioner Sparks; outcome recorded as passed, 7–0. - Item 7 — Zone change (MF‑22 to SF‑3) at 411 S. Webster (Megreen Consulting / George Chavez): Motion to approve; outcome recorded as passed, 7–0. - Item 8 — Zone change (PD for shopping center to RR) at 4915 W. Loop 250 N. (Synergy 108 LLC / ID Studio 4 LLC): Motion to approve moved by Commissioner Behar; seconded by Commissioner Sparks; outcome recorded as passed, 7–0. Staff noted the applicant proposes 591 parking spaces versus a required 281 for the mix of theater, restaurant/bar and bowling alley. - Item 9 — Final plat (residential replat) of Hall Grama Addition Section 3 (803 Sinclair Ave.): Motion to approve; outcome recorded as passed, 7–0. - Item 10 — Zone change (C to SF‑1) at 2409–2411 W. Francis (Alonso Talamantes): Motion to approve; outcome recorded as passed, 7–0. - Item 11 — Zone change (MH and RR to SF‑3) at South Dallas Street (Megreen Consulting / Javier Soto): Motion to approve moved by Commissioner Sparks; seconded by Commissioner Berry; outcome recorded as passed, 7–0. - Item 12 — Final plat (Glen Arden Section 2) with staff‑recommended condition: Motion to approve; outcome recorded as passed, 7–0. - Item 13 — Preliminary plat reinstatement (Legacy Addition Section 11, 24.897 acres, 121 lots): Motion to approve reinstatement; outcome recorded as passed, 7–0. Planner said the preliminary plat had been approved June 5, 2023 and was reinstated after drainage issues were addressed. - Item 14 — Final plat (Legacy Addition Section 11): Motion to approve final plat with staff conditions; outcome recorded as passed, 7–0. - Item 15 — Preliminary plat (Tres Gringos Uno, 11.14 acres, ETJ): Motion to approve; the motion passed with commissioners voting in favor and at least one abstention recorded during the roll call; exact roll‑call names for the abstention were not specified in the record provided. - Item 16 — Preliminary plat (Devon Addition Section 9, 0.92 acres): Motion to approve; outcome recorded as passed, 7–0.

Discussion and conditions Commissioners asked a small number of technical questions about parking and traffic for the Loop 250 site and about drainage and reinstatement history for the Legacy Addition plat. Staff referred traffic questions to the city's traffic department for further detail and noted the Legacy Addition reinstatement followed resolution of drainage items the commission had previously identified.

Next steps and closing Approved plats and rezones will proceed through the normal administrative steps; several items were approved subject to staff‑recommended conditions that must be satisfied before final engineering or building permits are issued. The commission did not receive public testimony on these items during the hearing. The meeting concluded with a short discussion about nominating a vice chair at a future meeting and the session adjourned at approximately 4:16 p.m.