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Plan Commission recommends denial of proposal to require SUP for laundromats in Community Retail zoning
Summary
Plan Commission voted unanimously to recommend denial to City Council of a proposed amendment that would require a special-use permit for self-service laundromats in the Community Retail (CR) zoning district, after staff presented distribution data and commissioners raised economic-development and revitalization concerns.
The Garland Plan Commission on Feb. 10 voted unanimously to forward to City Council a recommendation of denial for a proposed amendment that would require special-use permits (SUPs) for self-service laundromats in the Community Retail (CR) zoning district.
Staff told commissioners the Development Services Committee had requested exploration of the amendment. The item would change the city's land-use matrix to require an SUP for self-service laundry in CR; currently the use is permitted by right in CR and by SUP in Neighborhood Services. Staff reported 34 existing laundromats in Garland, with most located in CR or in PDs with a CR base.
The presentation noted that an SUP could be written to grandfather existing laundromats so only new laundromats after an ordinance's effective date would require review. Economic Development staff, consulted by planning, said laundromats can appear to proliferate because they are easy to occupy and operate in small suites; they observed that laundromats can affect surrounding tenant mix in shopping centers.
Commissioners questioned whether a new SUP requirement would reduce reinvestment or leave lease spaces vacant, and whether the city had data on calls for police service tied to laundromats (staff indicated they had not checked police-call data). Commissioner Jenkins suggested further specification or alternative definitions (for example distinguishing larger "major" laundromats by square footage) before imposing a citywide SUP requirement. Commissioner Dalton and others said laundromats fill a community need and that restricting the use without strong evidence could harm property-level revitalization and tax base goals.
After discussion, Commissioner Jenkins moved that the item be referred with a recommendation of denial to City Council; Commissioner Dalton seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Staff said the item will go to council as a denial but that the commission's conversation about possible alternative approaches (grandfathering, square-footage thresholds, referral back to Development Services Committee) would be conveyed.
