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Commission approves Amley/Treehouse PD amendments to allow 56 fee‑simple townhomes with targeted clarifications
Summary
The commission approved amendments to two planned‑development ordinances for the Amley/Treehouse project to permit 56 fee‑simple townhomes across two phases, align minimum floor‑area standards (applicant requested flexibility down to 1,800 sq ft), allow front or rear balconies, and permit alternate yard fencing materials (with a condition limiting a specific amendment to Buildings 19 and 20).
The Addison Planning & Zoning Commission approved amendments to two PD ordinances to allow a total of 56 fee‑simple townhomes in the Amley/Treehouse development across two phases.
Leslie Knapp, director of Development and Neighborhood Services, presented a combined report on Case 1940‑Z (Phase 1) and Case 1942‑Z (Phase 2). She said Phase 1 covers about 13.78 acres and Phase 2 about 8.02 acres (roughly 21.8 acres in total for the Treehouse project). The amendments propose adjustments to permitted uses and development standards: aligning restaurant use language with the new Unified Development Code (and the associated late‑night SUP requirement), permitting front or rear balconies on townhome units, allowing alternate fence materials for door‑yards, and adding administrative flexibility for ground‑floor patio conditions. Most notably, the applicant requested that the minimum floor area per dwelling be aligned to 1,800 square feet across both phases to allow market flexibility, although the builder says it expects to construct units of roughly 2,100–2,200 square feet.
Robert Lapp (vice president, development with Amley) said Amley obtained entitlements and intends to sell townhome lots to a third‑party builder. Bruno Pasquinelli, president of Cadence Homes (the builder), described three main requests: align the ordinances to permit the smaller 1,800 sq ft minimum for flexibility, clarify allowable balcony locations, and permit tubular steel or similar modern yard fencing rather than cast iron. "I'm requesting to align with the ordinance that has the smaller square footage," Pasquinelli said, adding that the company plans to honor the front‑elevation commitments previously approved.
Commissioners discussed technical issues including whether the 1,800‑sq‑ft minimum applies per dwelling (staff said it does), preservation of live oak trees near Buildings 19 and 20, lot widths (lots proposed at about 21 feet), preliminary plat status (preliminary plat approved; final plat not yet recorded), and how administrative approvals would be applied to minor interior or facade adjustments. Staff recommended approval and proposed clarifying language be added to condition 12(h) specific to Buildings 19 and 20 to address short lots.
A resident, Al Trafey, praised the trail and park improvements and urged careful enforcement of construction work‑hours, dust and trash controls, and caution about permitting any future late‑night entertainment uses on the site.
Commissioner (speaker 9) moved to approve the Phase 1 amendment and the motion passed unanimously. Commissioner (speaker 2) moved to approve the Phase 2 amendment including the staff‑recommended language limiting the H change to Buildings 19 and 20; that motion also passed unanimously. The approvals give Amley and Cadence the regulatory flexibility described, subject to any conditions the commission attached and standard permitting steps.
