Council approves two restaurant site plans and a PUD rezoning amid neighbor concerns about trees and lighting; denies sign variance

The Edmond City Council on Oct. 21 took multiple planning actions: it denied by a 3‑2 vote a sign‑variance request to add an extra tenant panel to the University Plaza ground sign; it approved site plans for a 2,300‑square‑foot Chipotle and a 9,800‑square‑foot Cooper's Hawk at Legacy at Covell; and it approved a planned unit development rezone (PUD) for a project branded Ostevar Plaza on the northwest corner of Memorial Road and Rhode Island Avenue.

Ken Bridal, director of planning, presented the site plans and PUD details. The Chipotle proposal would sit on roughly 1 acre with two access points and a request for reduced driveway separation; planning commission recommended approval 3‑0. The Cooper's Hawk site plan covers about 2.2 acres and similarly requested a reduced driveway spacing; planning commission recommended approval 3‑0. Council approved both site plans 5‑0.

For the PUD rezoning (Z25‑00005), the application included up to 10 residential units and up to 20,000 square feet of nonresidential uses, 35‑foot maximum building height, and design statements that sidewalk and landscape requirements would follow Edmond standards at time of development. Several neighbors attended; one adjacent property owner, Michael Schneider, told council he is directly north of the site and requested that existing trees be preserved, that lighting be mitigated, and that promises made by developers be included in enforceable documents.

Applicant representative Charles Allen said the next step is site‑plan submittal and that landscaping plans and lighting will be addressed at that time. Council members emphasized that site plan review will require tree resource evaluation and landscape compliance, and noted that a required site‑proof fence and utility work can limit what existing trees can be retained. One councilmember cautioned that if the applicant does not demonstrate tree preservation in the site‑plan phase, he would be prepared to vote against future approvals. The PUD ordinance passed 5‑0.

The council's actions mean design and landscape specifics will be resolved during subsequent site‑plan review, where staff said tree preservation, landscape buffers and lighting must meet code requirements and will be enforceable through the site plan and permit process.