ONA Meeting this Thursday!

Apartments Proposed at I-35W and Northside Drive

Legend Bank of Bowie, Texas, and the Tarrant Regional Water District have requested that property they own at the corner of I-35W and Northside Drive be rezoned to accommodate an apartment project. The property is currently zoned "O-1" Floodplain and "PD-399" Planned Development/Specific Use for all uses in "F" General Commercial except certain prohibited uses; the requested change is to zoning category "PD/D" Planned Development for all uses in "D" High Density Multifamily with a site plan included.  Ken Schaumburg is the architect on the project.

The applicant proposes a total of 500 apartments in two phases.  Phase one will consist of 300 units, four stories, with one level of parking below; phase two will consist of 200 units, 3 stories, with one level of parking below, plus surface parking.

ONA sought and received a 30-day continuance in the case at the January Zoning Commission meeting to allow time for the executive board and members to learn about it.  Schaumburg's staff will present information about the project at this week's monthly meeting.

The 13.878-acre site is within the FEMA floodplain, Federal Floodway Project footprint, and the Corridor Development Certificate review zone and must be reviewed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Tarrant Regional Water District.  According to the City Zoning staff report, the site plan as submitted would require waivers, including a waiver on density, from 24 units per acre allowed in "D" zoning to 40 units per acre, and a waiver for height to increase the height to five stories.  The staff report finds the requested zoning change compatible with land use but inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan.  See the Northside Economic Development plan, which includes the project area, for more details.  Finally, TPW requires a traffic impact study.

Schaumburg said he had owned the property in 2007 and sold it in 2008 after a proposal to build a hotel and restaurants did not work out.  The property has gone through foreclosure, and Schaumburg is interested in buying it back.  He said the project is aimed at young singles or married couples with no children who want to live near downtown in upscale units.  Eighty percent of the apartments would have views of downtown or the river.  Rent is projected to be about $1.30/SF, with the smallest units at 775 SF for a studio, 895 SF for a 1BR/1BA, and the larges at 1,400 SF for a 3BR/2BA configuration.  Schaumburg said the units would be all brick, metal, and/or stucco with no wood or manufactured siding.  At full build-out, the zoning would require 861 parking spaces onsite.  Click here for a look at the site plan.  The Zoning Commission will consider this at City Hall on February 13 at 10:00am.

Please plan to attend and learn more!

ONA Monthly Meeting
Thursday, February 7, 2013
7:00 p.m.
Calvary Christian Academy Library
1401 Oakhurst Scenic Drive