Commission splits on warehouse and self‑storage rezoning; staff cites deed‑restriction option

Two separate hearings on warehouse and storage uses prompted lengthy debate Thursday as the Planning Commission weighed land‑use compatibility, traffic and neighborhood plans.

A proposed rezoning to allow a CS commercial district for a warehouse on Data Drive (Z234-297) drew staff concerns about the long‑term permissiveness of CS zoning. Staff recommended denial because CS allows a broader range of customer‑intensive uses that could be incompatible with nearby multifamily neighborhoods if an owner later sold the land. Xcel Electric, the applicant, described the intended use as a low‑impact storage facility to hold electrical materials and said the site would improve security and reduce theft from employee vehicles parked at homes. Company representative Reyes Gamino told the commission the facility would power only basic lighting and dock doors and would “be a passive storage solution.” Commissioners asked whether a deed restriction limiting allowed uses could resolve staff’s concern; staff said deed restrictions or a narrowed list of permitted uses could be a workable compromise and suggested the applicant work with staff and return to a future hearing. The commission held that case under advisement to allow staff and the applicant time to produce deed‑restriction language.

A separate request (Z234-277) to allow a mini‑warehouse (self‑storage) behind new retail on South Belt Line Road drew stronger neighborhood opposition and a denial. The applicant proposed rezoning a 4.13‑acre, heavily wooded site and using the rear for climate‑controlled storage buildings and the street frontage for retail; staff recommended approval of an MU‑1 district plus an SUP for mini‑warehouse use, but neighbors objected and the commission denied the rezoning without prejudice. Commissioners cited Forward Dallas 2 place‑type guidance favoring walkable residential and mixed‑use outcomes on that corridor and said the mini‑warehouse use would be incongruent with the neighborhood’s small‑town residential vision.

Commissioners repeatedly returned to two practical themes: 1) zoning determines what future owners can do with a site long after an initial operator leaves, and 2) deed restrictions or narrower districts can be tools to ensure a long‑term use profile that matches neighborhood plans. Staff told the commission deed restrictions are an available mechanism and that sites can also be tailored by choosing a different base district (for example MU‑1 instead of CS) and then using SUP conditions to regulate operations.