In a nutshell
City officials voted 7-0 to approve Landscape System’s request to expand its business by 17.52 with attached conditions. The business is a Keller-based garden center with native Texas and seasonal plants.
Landscape Systems has two phases of construction planned. Phase 1 will involve painting already constructed property and landscaping efforts, which is required to be completed within six months of council approval unless an extension is requested.
Phase 2 of the company’s plan includes the construction of a parking lot, two elevated fuel tanks, the demolition of an existing home, and the construction of a walking trail along the business side of a creek near Keller Parkway. The second phase must be completed within 18 months of council approval, and a flood study must be completed within that time.
Council Member Karen Brennan said there is a flood plain by the proposed rezoning land and some nearby residents experience several feet of water elevation during flash floods.
“We’re proposing to not start with Phase 2 until that [flood] study is done. I do believe that’s a risk for the city, due to the presence of the fuel tanks nearby and what that could mean in a flash flood situation,” Brennan said.
A handful of Keller residents spoke in opposition to rezoning land. Residents were concerned about lighting, noise from machinery, a trail that may not be constructed to completion, and drainage and flooding that could potentially be exacerbated by the expansion.
Diving in deeper
To address resident concerns, Landscape Systems implemented various revisions to their construction plans with the guidance of City Council:
- Exterior lighting on the property will utilize shields or optics to prevent spillage onto nearby homes
- The number of external fuel tanks were reduced from their original request of three tanks to two tanks
- Evergreen trees will be installed and maintained to create a buffer from residential properties
- Construction for the walking trail will be postponed until all legal rights or permissions needed for the trail to be constructed to completion are acquired
Also of note
The city has previously approved Special Use Permits for Landscape Systems for nursery use and for light manufacturing of live-edge furniture, which often incorporates an uneven tree slab into the design. A similar request for zoning was denied in December 2022.
Landscape Systems submitted a zoning change and future land use plan amendment in February 2024, but withdrew the application before council consideration.
