From
Chris Hartmann
Title
TA180701C - Amendment to Appendix X, "Industrial Development Standards" of the Unified Development Code of the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, to comply with recently adopted state legislation governing the regulation of building materials and construction methods. (On September 9, 2019, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of this request by a vote of 7-0).
Presenter
David P. Jones, AICP, Chief City Planner
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
In response to HB 2437, which prohibits cities from passing an ordinance prohibiting or requiring developers use certain materials, staff proposes the following changes to Appendix X - Industrial Development Standards:
Square Footage Threshold: Since the ordinance has passed, staff has found that the existing 20,000 square foot threshold has an adverse impact on smaller, local businesses looking to construct purpose-built industrial buildings, and that spec buildings which are constructed without a tentant and often sit vacant for long periods of time tend to be larger than 50,000 square feet. In response, staff proposes that the threshold for a development falling under Appendix X be increased from 20,000 square feet or greater to 50,000 square feet or greater.
Tree Preservation: Change tree preservation approach from incentive for tree preservation to requirement for tree preservation. Under the current ordinance, an industrial developer can receive credit towards architectural and building materials requirements by preserving existing trees on the site. This has proven popular with developers, particularly on sites that are adjacent to waterways with thick tree canopies. With the city's ability to require materials and architectural methods restricted, the incentive for tree perservation is also lost. One of the primary intents of the industrial standards is the mitigation of harmful airborne pollutants and noise often created by large warehouses and trucking ope...
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