From
Chris Hartmann
Title
TA180701B - Amendment to Article 4 ("Permissible Uses"), Article 6 ("Density and Dimensional Requirements"), Article 8 ("Landscaping and Screening"), and adopting Appendix X ("Industrial Development Standards") of the Unified Development Code of the City of Grand Prairie for the purpose of creating additional standards and revising existing standards for new industrial development and amending the zoning use charts to establish new definitions and uses related to industrial development. (On February 4, 2019, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of this request by a vote of 9-0).
Presenter
David P. Jones, AICP, Chief City Planner
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
Background
In response to the adoption of a moratorium on industrial development in November 2018, Council was presented with an analysis of the SH 161 north corridor at its January 22, 2019 meeting. One of the analysis recommendations involved the strengthening of development standards for industrial development. These amended standards are presented in the form an appendix to the Unified Development Code to be known as Appendix X (see attachment A).
The amendment is created with the goal of providing the highest industrial and warehouse design standards in the Metroplex by regulating building design, materials, landscaping, screening, and common area amenities. As with Appendix W residential standards adopted in March 2018, developers of industrial will be given flexibility in providing architectural detailing and amenities as long as base standards are met. Under Appendix X, base standards for industrial design are similar to standards for office and commercial development, with the goal of having equitable requirements for all non-residential development throughout the City and avoiding the monolithic look common to many large industrial developments with long stretches of featureless walls or truck docks. The standards were developed after reviewing requirements in our peer cities and determining how to improve upon the standards in those cities.
Along with adoption of Appendix X, staff is recommending updates to Article 4 of the Unified Development Code to create new categories of industrial uses and Article 30 to create definitions for these new categories per the recommendation of the Corridor Study.
Additional Industrial Categories
Article 4 changes include establishing the following uses (Article 30 definitions in underline):
-Freight Transfer Terminal (replaces Transfer and Storage Terminal): Means an establishment engaged in furnishing local and/or regional trucking and distribution services for non-hazardous goods, including general freight handling where the operator serves as an intermediate distribution point in a supply chain linking a producer and a receiving entity, typically a business. A Freight Transfer Terminal typically operates as a cross-dock facility and may also be utilized for long-term indoor storage services. Outside box trailer parking may be considered an ancillary use where such trailer parking does not occupy more than 50% of the overall site.
-Warehouse/Distribution Center: Means a physical building where materials, manufactured goods, or products are stocked and stored before redistribution to retailers, wholesalers, or consumers. Outside box trailer parking may be considered an ancillary use where such trailer parking does not occupy more than 20% of the overall site.
-Warehouse/e-Commerce Distribution Center: Means a physical warehouse location where incoming orders are received from an e-commerce online order point or equivalent, and then processed for direct shipping, typically to the consumer or end user. Outside box trailer parking may be considered an ancillary use where such trailer parking does not occupy more than 20% of the overall site.
- Light Manufacturing: Those manufacturing uses not otherwise defined in this Article or the Use Charts in Article 4 consisting primarily of product assembly and not involving the use of hazardous materials or chemicals.
-Advanced Manufacturing: Means a facility that makes use of computer, high precision, and other technologies integrated with a higher skilled workforce in a production system capable of furnishing a mix of products in an efficient and high-scale manner. Examples include facilities in the aerospace, medical device, pharmaceutical, and other high-tech industries.
- Flex Industrial: Means an industrial business park consisting of office and low intensity industrial activity involved with assembly and fabrication conducted wholly within an enclosed building that conforms to exceptionally high developmental, operational and environmental standards. This category is intended to encourage an office/employment identity which supports corporate headquarters, and general office developments.
Where allowed:
Freight Transfer Terminal and Warehouse/Distribution would be SUP only in Heavy Commercial and Light Industrial Districts and by-right in Heavy Industrial unless the location is within a Corridor Overlay or within 300 feet of a residential use, in which case an SUP would be required.
Warehouse/e-Commerce Distribution, Light Manufacturing, and Flex Industrial would be allowed by-right in Heavy Commercial and Light Industrial unless the location is within a Corridor Overlay or within 300 feet of a residential use, in which case an SUP would be required, and would be by-right in Heavy Industrial
Advanced Manufacturing would be by-right in Light and Heavy Industrial districts and SUP-only in Heavy Commercial.
Other changes to the Unified Development Code include updates of the use charts to remove industrial uses from the C, Commercial district and requiring SUPs for most industrial uses in the corridor overlay, along with updates to landscaping and screening standards and design requirements for industrial buildings under 20,000 square feet.
Body
Ordinance Attached
Draft Appendix X Industrial Standards Attached as Exhibit A