Item 11 and 12 - Narrative and Variance Request letter
5950 Berkshire Lane, Suite 900, Dallas, TX 75225
Mayor Laura Hill
Southlake City Council
1400 Main Street,
Southlake, TX 76092
Dear Mayor Hill and Members of City Council:
We are pleased to present the following site plan and future development (Southlake Business Park)
which will meet a high standard of quality, sustainability, and design. Frontier Equity is the investment
subsidiary of Holt Lunsford Commercial. Based in Dallas, TX, Frontier focuses on industrial and office
acquisitions and development.
The new 182,129 square foot development will be comprised of 3 concrete tilt-wall buildings with
masonry accents. The building depths are 120’-180’ and clear heights will comply with the 35’ height
limitation per zoning (28’ inside the warehouse). The buildings are designed to demise into smaller
tenant suites that service the Southlake market and surrounding cities. The front elevations of these
buildings will include glass storefronts which accommodate a range of office/warehouse requirements.
The buildings are designed with approximately 245 parking spaces and can accommodate as much as
14% office per current city parking standards.
Frontier is also making an investment to buy a building on Commerce Street which is adjoining
Southlake Business Park. While currently being designed as a private access road we believe that this
Bank Street connector is the exact opportunity referenced in the Southlake 2030 Mobility Master Plan.
The Bank Street connector will provide the following improvements to our overall investment in
Southlake:
(1) increases the value of Southlake Business Park creating additional tax base
(2) critical for attracting and retaining businesses to Bank Street
(3) addresses ingress/egress issues at Bank Street and Southlake Boulevard
(4) motor vehicle safety improvement which eliminates illegal turns on Southlake Boulevard
(5) improved fire life safety by creating fire lane circulation as compared to a dead-end cul-de-sac
City staff has requested a common access easement be recorded on our private property, however, we
believe that the above referenced improvements can be accomplished with a private drive and we do
not believe the common access easement is necessary.
Frontier intends to request 4 variances which we believe are mutually beneficial and create a better
long-term project. Frontier is requesting the following variances:
(1) Tree canopy variance (see landscape plan) due to the overgrown Hackberry trees that exist on
the western property line. The variance request would include installing 9 new canopy trees
along the northern property line with visibility from Bank Street (front entrance).
5950 Berkshire Lane, Suite 900, Dallas, TX 75225
(2) Curb spacing variance along Commerce Street which would allow the construction of a 30’ wide
private drive connecting Bank Street and Commerce Street.
(3) Property line alignment variance to the alignment of the north property line of the new site
relative to the Bank Street right-of-way. As previously discussed with City staff, City code
requires property lines to either be perpendicular or radial from the Bank Street cul-de-sac. We
are requesting this requirement be waived in favor of the property boundary alignment shown
on the enclosed site plan.
(4) Stacking depth variance to Driveway Ord. No/ 634, as amended, Section 5.2.d requiring a
minimum stacking depth of 100’ to allow a stacking depth of approximately 86’
A couple of additional notes reflected on the site plan, given this is a speculative development we do not
know the exact locations of the dumpsters, but they will be in the truck court areas as needed by future
tenants and will have appropriate screening. In addition, the existing developed lots on the north end of
the site will remain in place. Lot lines for these sites have been altered slightly to better facilitate the
new development. However, parking spaces, loading spaces, and building setbacks for these two
properties will remain as currently operating and impervious coverage of each site will not increase.
Frontier is very excited about their overall $26M investment in Southlake and looks forward to a positive
working relationship.
Sincerely,
Todd Marchesani
Vice President – Development
Frontier Equity
972-421-1968
tmarchesani@frontierequity.com