Plan Commission recommends rezoning for Richland Park Apartments with reduced amenity points and specified parking

The Richardson City Plan Commission voted unanimously on Jan. 6 to recommend approval of a planned-development rezoning for Richland Park Apartments, a three-acre complex at 951 Abrams Road, subject to amended Exhibit C establishing 60 recreational amenity points and requiring 166 on-site parking spaces.

City staff member Miss Peters presented zoning case 20-5-23, describing the site at the southeast corner of Abrams and Buckingham as an 82-unit multifamily development constructed in 2015. “The purpose of this request is to adopt a planned development to add 5 units to this existing multifamily development,” Miss Peters said, outlining proposed interior conversions and exceptions to minimum unit size. She said the project would increase density from 26.6 units per acre to about 28 units per acre and noted that the comprehensive zoning ordinance ties recreational amenity points to an itemized list administered by parks and recreation.

Applicant representative Eddie Cervantes of Schwartz Hansen Architects told commissioners the five proposed units are studio/one-bedroom efficiencies and said the property’s occupancy has recently been about 98%. “There are 123 existing bedrooms…so it'd be a 128 total,” Cervantes said when asked about bedroom counts, and explained the team would retrofit underutilized interior spaces to create the units while preserving the pool-area outdoor space and a large streetfront tree along Abrams.

Commissioners questioned whether additional parking or reserved spaces were in use and how amenity points would be scored. Staff clarified that amenity points are set by the zoning ordinance and that the director of parks and recreation determines point awards for nonstandard amenities. There was also discussion over differing parking counts in project materials: the staff report cited 170 existing spaces, the site plan and staff noted a figure of 166–167 (the applicant said one existing space would be removed to create an ADA-covered space, yielding 166).

Chairman Marsh moved to recommend approval as presented but amend Exhibit C to show recreation amenities total 60 points and to require 166 on-site parking spaces; Commissioner Cicek seconded. The commission voted in favor; the motion passed unanimously. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final action under the city’s normal review process.

Key procedural details recorded in the hearing include staff’s statement that no public comments were received in response to the hearing notification and that the applicant reserved the right to a brief rebuttal window; no public speakers appeared. The commission’s approval on Jan. 6 is a recommendation to City Council, not final zoning adoption.