To: Planning & Zoning Commission
From: Sarah Hensley, Director of Development Services
Subject:
Title
Consider a request for a Site Plan amendment with one variance for a proposed 7,010 square-foot bank building, on the property legally described as Lot 1, Block A of the Bomac Addition being 1.24-acres, located on the north side of Keller Parkway at the Keller Parkway and Country Brook Drive intersection, zoned Town Center (TC) and addressed as 1231 Keller Parkway. Priya Acharya, Wier & Associates, Inc., Applicant. Bomac Keller 1709, LLC, Owner. (SITE-2510-0017)
Background:
On December 3, 2024, City Council approved the following Specific Use Permit (SUP) requests for the future development of the lots now addressed as 1231 and 1241 Keller Parkway:
1231 Keller Parkway (Lot 1)
-An SUP to allow a building footprint of less than 6,000 square-feet in the Town Center Zoning District.
-An SUP to allow a restaurant with a drive-thru.
-An SUP to allow a bank.
-An SUP to allow a one-story building.
1241 Keller Parkway (Lot 2)
- An SUP to allow a one-story building.
- An SUP to allow a restaurant with a drive-thru.
On April 1, 2025, City Council approved an additional SUP for Lot 2 to allow a dental office to occupy one of the lease spaces. A multitenant building with four lease spaces is now under construction on Lot 2.
On April 15, 2025, City Council approved a site plan for both lots with variances related to the orientation of the dumpster enclosure on Lot 1, landscaping, and parking. At the time, the Applicant intended for Lot 1 to include a restaurant and bank, but now proposes an approximately 7,000 square-foot Frost Bank building as the only user on the property.
The purpose of this item is to review the request for a Site Plan Amendment with one variance for the subject property. Per Unified Development Code (UDC) Section 4.15(D), all site plans within the Town Center zoning district must be considered by City Council after a recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The Applicant is also requesting a two-year extension for the SUP allowing a bank and a one-story building on Lot 1. That request is on the agenda as a separate item.
Site Layout: Variance Requested
The proposed structure is approximately 7,000 square-feet and includes four drive-thru lanes for ATM and teller service on the north side of the building.
UDC Section 9.02(D)(7)(a) states “The following stacking requirements may be used as a guide but may be modified at the time of site plan review based on use and design of this facility:” (1) For financial institutions with drive-through facilities, each teller window or station, human or mechanical five (5) stacking spaces.
1. The Applicant requests to provide four (4) stacking spaces per drive-through lane.
Elevations:
The proposed elevations show a combination of beige stone and stucco on all elevations with a silver standing seam roof. The south elevation (facing Keller Parkway) is proposed to be 92% stone, 6.4% Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC)/cast stone and 1.6% metal. A full breakdown of the materials used on each elevation is included in the agenda packet.
Landscaping/Buffers:
The Applicant provided a detailed landscape plan that meets Town Center and basic UDC landscape requirements for non-residential developments. A 30’ landscape buffer with existing trees plus two new trees is provided along the northern property line adjacent to the single-family residential neighborhood. A 30’ landscape buffer is also provided along the southern property line adjacent to Keller Parkway with five large canopy and ornamental trees, as required by the UDC.
Landscape plans include all required parking lot landscaping, and two - 100 square-feet planting areas with Mexican Feather Grass and Berkeley sedge grass at the front of the structure in lieu of foundation planting. The planting areas were approved as a variance with the original site plan on April 15, 2025.
Parking:
UDC Section 9.02(G)(4) states the parking ratio for a “Bank, Savings and Loan, or similar institution” is one space per 300 square-feet of gross floor area, which brings the parking requirement for this development to 24 regular spaces. The site plan includes 34 regular and 2 accessible spaces.
The original site plan was approved with a variance to be under parked by 24 spaces for both Lots 1 and 2 combined. With the change in plans for Lot 1, the parking shortage has been reduced to 6 spaces with shared parking across both lots.
Roadway Access:
The Applicant intends to utilize the existing driveway access off Keller Parkway that currently runs through the lot to serve the Braum’s restaurant on the adjacent lot to the west.
Drainage and Utilities:
The applicant has submitted preliminary drainage and utility plans for this development and has met the requirements of the UDC for this development.
Zoning:
The subject property is zoned Town Center. Surrounding zoning is as follows:
North: Single-Family Residential 8,400 square-foot lots (Saddlebrook Estates)
South: Town Center
East: Town Center
West: Town Center
Land Use:
The subject property is designated Mixed-Use (MU) on the city’s Future Land Use Plan (FLUP). Surrounding land use designations are as follows:
North: High-Density Single Family Residential
South: MU
East: MU
West: MU
Variances Requested:
1. A variance to allow four stacking spaces in each of the bank drive-thru lanes.
Summary:
Section 2.07(A)(2) of the UDC lists criteria for approval of a variance, the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council shall consider the following factors:
a. That there are special circumstances or conditions affecting the land involved such that the strict application of the provisions of this Code would deprive the applicant of the reasonable use of his land.
b. That the granting of the variance will not be detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare, or injurious to other properties in the area.
c. That the granting of the variance will not have the effect of preventing the orderly subdivision of other lands in the area in accordance with the provisions of this Code.
d. That the granting of the variance will not constitute a violation of any other valid ordinance of the City of Keller.
e. That strict compliance with the regulations, and/or that the purpose of the regulations will be served to a greater extent by the alternative proposal.
Citizen Input:
A Site Plan application, even with variances, does not require a public hearing, so no public hearing notifications were sent out to the surrounding property owners for this request. The public will have an opportunity to speak on this agenda item during “Persons To Be Heard.”
Alternatives:
The Planning and Zoning Commission has the following options when considering a site plan with variances:
• Recommend approval as submitted.
• Recommend approval with modified or additional condition(s).
• Table the agenda item to a specific date with clarification of intent and purpose.
• Recommend denial.
City Council Action:
If the Planning and Zoning Commission takes action and makes a recommendation on this agenda item, then this Variance Request will be scheduled for City Council action on January 6, 2026.