Planning commission backs special-use permit for accessory dwelling at 9200 Martin Drive

The North Richland Hills Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-0 on Sept. 18 to recommend approval of ZC23-0064, a special-use permit for a detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at 9200 Martin Drive. The council will consider the application on Oct. 13, 2025.

Staff introduced the application and said the property consists of two lots combined into a roughly 22,500-square-foot parcel. The primary house is about 3,000 square feet; the accessory structure at the rear measures about 995 square feet. Staff told commissioners that because the structure is detached (about 40 feet from the main house) and larger than the 650-square-foot by-right ADU limit, the applicant requested modified standards via a special-use permit. The Development Review Committee recommended approval based on precedent in similar cases.

Applicant Jocelyn Pedrosa told the commission the unit is intended to house a family member. "My grandmother has Parkinson's," Pedrosa said, adding the unit allows her grandmother to maintain independence while living on the same property with family support. Pedrosa said the unit is connected to the main house for electricity and drainage, that interior upgrades were completed to meet code, and that the driveway and landscaping were improved.

After questions from commissioners and a staff recap reiterating the two modified standards (proximity and size), the commission moved and seconded the recommendation. The motion passed 7-0. The staff report and exhibits accompanying the file indicate the recommended conditions and modified standards will be included with the package forwarded to City Council.

The item will be heard by the City Council on Oct. 13, 2025. No members of the public spoke on the matter during P&Z's hearing.