Frisco planners deny downtown lot split after recycling dumpster requirement stalls proposal

The Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to disapprove a preliminary site plan and open space plan for a downtown parcel owned by Amanda Embry Style LLC after staff said the submittal failed to meet city standards, including a requirement for a double dumpster enclosure for buildings over 2,000 square feet.

The applicant's representative, Hector Leon, told the commission the parcel behind a Main Street building is roughly half an acre and the existing building is about 2,400 square feet. He said the owner wants to subdivide the property to market a second small lot but cannot physically fit the double enclosure the code requires. "We can't physically fit it," Leon said, describing the space constraints and the difficulty of meeting the trash enclosure standard on the compact downtown parcel.

Jeremy Starett, assistant director of public works for environmental services, explained the city's rationale: the double enclosure requirement, adopted in 2002, is intended to ensure recycling access for current and future tenants. "We want to make sure that that is offered to everyone without having to go back and create a new dumpster enclosure when a new business moves onto this property," Starett said, adding that shared arrangements are possible but can create billing and management problems.

Commissioners debated possible workarounds. Several suggested the applicant pursue a recorded agreement, shared easement or deed restriction that would preserve recycling access while addressing utility‑billing and enforcement concerns. One commissioner urged staff to be creative in downtown cases, saying tighter sites should be evaluated case‑by‑case and that staff-level solutions could be preferable to a formal variance before the board of adjustment.

Staff recommended denial because the submittal did not meet subdivision ordinance and engineering standards. The motion to disapprove also delegated authority to staff to provide a written statement to the applicant explaining the reasons. The commission passed the motion 5-0. Chair Britney Kolberg thanked staff and said she hoped a workable solution could be found so the owner can return with an approvable plan.

What happens next: Staff will work with the applicant on options such as a recorded agreement or easement acceptable to environmental services and utility billing and the applicant may revise and resubmit the proposal at a future meeting.