Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Leander council leans toward 10-year special-use permits for Hero Way employment centers
Summary
Staff presented two options for property owners in the Hero Way South Employment Center — a permanent heavy-commercial rezoning or temporary special-use permits — and council members said they prefer the 10-year special-use approach as an interim, flexible solution while the city updates its comprehensive plan.
Leander City Council members indicated on Feb. 10 they prefer using time-limited special-use permits to allow small, existing businesses in the Hero Way South Employment Center to expand while the city completes a comprehensive plan update.
Executive Director of Development Services Griffin told the council property owners near Hero Way and 183A are seeking more flexible rules to expand operations. "We have a lot of existing businesses that are pretty small right now, and they're seeking an expansion to their business," Griffin said, and staff offered two options: a heavier commercial zoning designation that would allow more intensive uses, or a property-specific special-use permit lasting 10 years with potential extensions.
Griffin cautioned that a wholesale move to a heavier commercial district would permit uses that may not reflect community expectations. He listed examples of potentially allowable uses under heavier zoning that concern staff, including "bingo, car title loan, contractor storage, gaming facilities, hookah lounge, [and] mini-warehouse," and said staff would prefer guiding applicants toward uses that match what they asked for.
Council members asked how many properties would be affected. Staff said roughly five or six landowners could be impacted and that two formal applications had already been filed. Place 2 asked how an area currently zoned interim single-family rural would transition if rezoned to heavy commercial; staff replied that a heavier district with a type 4 or 5 site component would permit unlimited storage and that such a zoning change would be permanent unless the council later rezoned the property.
Multiple council members said a special-use permit was the more practical interim approach, in part because it lets property owners expand without changing the permanent zoning map while the comprehensive plan — expected to take about a year to complete — is updated. One council member summarized the direction: a 10-year, renewable special-use permit would balance flexibility for businesses and protection of long-term land-use goals.
The council gave staff direction to proceed with the special-use-permit approach and to return with appropriate procedures and notice language for future cases.
