Richardson City Council approved the special development plan that would allow modified design standards during its Feb. 26 meeting. The wholesale business would utilize outdoor storage, which is allowable by right within the zoning district, albeit with changes to the existing property, including the addition of a connecting driveway between Bishop Avenue and the access road for North Central Expressway to allow for up to 60-foot semi trucks.
The overview
The property owner and manager at DRA Property Management David Arledge, said his plan is to lease out the site, which is located at 512 North Central Expressway, as a warehouse to prospective business tenants. The building will be used primarily to store building materials, such as lumber or steel, within the indoor and outdoor storage areas.
According to city documents, the updated site will have a more than 4,200-square-foot building that can store materials in addition to more than 7,800 square feet of outdoor storage space. The property will be enclosed by a security fence, two gates and 8-foot hedges that will provide screening, Director of Development Services Sam Chavez said.
“I think this is a tremendous enhancement to what’s there now,” Council member Jennifer Justice said. “This is an improvement to the area and is in the spirit of what was originally passed here, which allowed outdoor storage by right.”
The specifics
Per city documents, there are several site improvements that were included in the special development plan.
- An increase in the building height from 20 feet to 24 feet to accommodate the tenant’s indoor storage needs
- Upgrades to all building facades
- Aluminum storefront windows facing Central Expressway
- Installation of two new 16-foot-tall overhead dock doors
- Repair or replacement of damaged sidewalks along Central Expressway and Bishop Avenue
- Relocation and screening of the on-site dumpster.
