Denton planning commission approves Zapata Addition variance, grants extensions for two plats

The Denton City Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday approved a subdivision variance for the Zapata Addition that allows more than three residential lots to take access from an existing private drive and granted date-certain extensions for two plats.

Assistant planner Matt Bodine told the commission the variance (V260008) applies to an approximately 15-acre property in the extraterritorial jurisdiction north of Loop 288 and would let the property be divided into two single-family lots that rely on Indian Wells Road, a private access drive established around 1982. "Staff is recommending approval of the subdivision variance request," Bodine said, citing development-code considerations including that the existing lot pattern and private drives predate the 2019 code and that the request would preserve right-of-way reservations in the mobility plan.

Commissioner McDuff moved to approve the variance and Commissioner Ketcher seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0.

The commission also considered two plats that staff said had not yet met all approval criteria. Senior planner Sean Jacobson told the commission staff could not recommend approval of FP26-14A (Lot 1, Block A, Affordable Estates) or FP26-15A (Lehi Business Park) but had no objection to the applicants' requests for extensions to a date certain of July 1, 2026. "We have no objection to their requested extension to a date certain of July 1," Jacobson said regarding FP26-14A, and repeated that position for FP26-15A. Motions to grant the extensions were moved and seconded and both passed 5-0.

A noticed public hearing on the agenda was withdrawn after staff identified a posting error. "We did notice it and post notification identified an error, hence the withdrawal," a staff member said; the chair said the item will be re-noticed and returned to the commission later.

In a review of the commission's project matrix, staff said no new items had been added since the last meeting and noted lingering items under review. Staff also told the commission that City Council recently approved an S.U.P. for a cell-tower request the commission had considered on April 29.

The commission approved its May 27 meeting minutes and the consent agenda earlier in the meeting; both votes were unanimous. The meeting was adjourned at 6:42 p.m.

Next steps: the variance is approved and will proceed under the city's administrative process; the plats will return to the commission after applicants address outstanding criteria or after the date-certain extension if they remain incomplete. The withdrawn public hearing will be re-noticed at a later date.