The details
The proposal was tabled until Aug. 19 with a recommendation to move the stations' location and change proposed signage in a 4-2 vote.
The EV charging stations would go on the southwestern side of the property along Rufe Snow Drive and would serve up to 10 electric vehicles at one time, according to city documents.
Regency Centers LP, the applicant and developer of Keller Town Center, submitted revisions to its original proposal to allow an additional parking spot to be a regular parking space and for two new spaces to be located on the property. The revisions were made to maintain the existing number of parking spaces, according to city documents.
Regency Centers has also proposed signage to indicate non-EV cars can park in these locations for a certain amount of time.
The context
Businesses along the strip where the charging stations would go spoke against the proposal because of the small number of regular parking spaces. Council member Karen Brennan spoke on behalf of the businesses during the Aug. 5 meeting.
“I don’t have a problem with having electric charging stations, the location is what I now have a problem with,” she said.
Regency Centers Vice President Lauren Bottonari said the company considered other locations within the town center, but said the angled parking in other parts of the shopping area would pose an issue.
“We would need to convert them into head-in parking, and that would cause us to have to widen the parking lanes for turn-radius purposes,” Botttonari said.
This would also violate the lease agreement for the nearby Tom Thumb grocery store, Bottonari said.
Council member Ross McMullin spoke against the proposal because the vague signage might deter non-EV car users from using the parking spaces. Council member Shannon Dubberly recommended the applicant try negotiating with the business owners.
“Speak with the business owners, maybe y’all come to a deal. And if not, a different location in that area,” Council member Shannon Dubberly said. “I really like the north, and I think we could get this done quick and it would be good for the city and for you guys.”
This is the second time the proposal has been tabled, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
