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Fulshear board grants tree‑requirement waiver for commercial lot constrained by pipeline easement
Summary
SD Studio won a variance Jan. 29 to reduce required street trees at 27125 Fulshear Bend Drive after the architect said Williams pipeline easement prohibits tree planting across about one‑third of the 1.172‑acre site; the board voted 4–0 to allow shrubs and irrigation in the easement area.
The Fulshear Zoning Board of Adjustment on Jan. 29 approved a variance that reduces street‑tree requirements for a commercial parcel at 27125 Fulshear Bend Drive, allowing shrubs and irrigation in place of trees where a Williams pipeline easement bars planting.
Oliver Sanchez, owner of SD Studio, told the board roughly one‑third of the 1.172‑acre site falls inside a Williams pipeline easement and Williams' regulations prohibit planting trees in that area. "They came back and said, we have to remove the trees. We can have shrubs and we can have the irrigation," Sanchez said, describing the company's response to the utility's restriction. He said without the variance the parcel could not be developed to meet parking requirements.
Board members questioned whether the site could be subdivided to avoid the easement and whether other landscaping elements had been added. City staff and the applicant said shrubs and widened landscape islands were proposed where trees could not be planted. Ms. Peters moved to approve the variance to the landscape standards; Ms. Malaire seconded. The board voted unanimously, 4–0, to grant the exception.
The variance addresses the coordinated development ordinance's landscape (street‑tree) requirements for the general commercial district and permits the applicant to meet the spirit of the ordinance through shrubs, irrigation and on‑site plantings where trees are prohibited by the pipeline easement.
