Frisco City Council voted Thursday to change the open space standards for nonresidential developments, which would require a larger amount of open space and more amenities. The changes would amend the city's Zoning Ordinance. The changes include increasing the minimum amount of open space from 7 percent to 10 percent of the total net acreage. It also increases the minimum number of required amenities from five to eight. Some of the required amenities include outdoor furniture, a lawn, trees and an overlook if the development includes a retention or detention pond. Planning Manager Anthony Satarino said the reason for these changes is to keep up with the trends for commercial developments and to create developments that "age gracefully." The council members in general agreed that the changed standards would work well with larger developments, but some raised concerns about the unintended impact this updated ordinance would have on small businesses. Council Member Shona Huffman, who is also the Frisco Chamber of Commerce's director of governmental affairs, said she wants to make sure these standards would not out-price small business owners who want to build in Frisco. "Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy," Huffman said. "I want to make sure that they're taken care of." Council Member Brian Livingston, who owns several restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, voiced similar concerns. Satarino said city staff can work with small businesses to include as many of the open space standards in their developments as possible without creating an undue burden on the businesses. Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said these updated standards could help small businesses by attracting more people to their developments. "I certainly understand some of the concern with the unintended consequences every time we change an ordinance," he said. "However, with our current ordinance, we're seeing the full effect of the negative things that can happen ... that is the missed opportunities that we've had over and over and over again in the city of Frisco, and that's going to stop tonight." The new ordinance will come before Council at a later date to vote on.