Richardson commission OKs 5 new units at Richland Park Apartments

The proposed new units include:

• Two 486-square-foot studio units
• One 640-square-foot, one-bedroom unit
• One 693-square-foot, one-bedroom unit
• One 740-square-foot, one-bedroom unit

The proposal included some additional site modifications to accommodate the new units, but no building expansions were proposed.

The new proposed zoning requires a minimum amount of recreational amenities to be provided on-site. The complex is home to many families with children, architect Eddie Cervantes said, so Richland Park plans to add a second playground in an open area near the pool in order to continue meeting those requirements after the replacement of the indoor sports room.

Richland Park also proposed some modified development standards in order to accommodate the planned additions, including allowing some of the new units to be under the 700-square-foot minimum, parking spaces to be placed in the front setback and more units per acre.

What they’re saying

The apartment complex also proposed replacing some landscaping with seven additional parking spaces in order to meet the minimum parking requirements, although Cervantes said that the current parking capacity would be sufficient to cover the additional units.

“I’m in favor of more green space,” commission Chair Bryan Marsh said. “I think that’s an amenity that makes it more attractive and I think that residents appreciate that. I don’t want to force more pavement on you if it's not being utilized.”

Cervantes said that Richland Park is also considering adding an outdoor workout space instead of the second playground. The commission agreed to reduce the minimum amenity requirement in order to allow the apartment flexibility in choosing which new amenity to add.

What’s next

After the commission unanimously recommended approval of the rezoning with the reduced parking and amenity requirements, City Council will consider the proposal at a later date.