What happened: Midland’s Planning and Zoning Commission met Monday, Sept. 21, and unanimously approved a Polo Club Road replat after nearby homeowners raised concerns about potential future development on the property, even though the request before the commission only moved a lot line to accommodate a fence.

The commission also approved a West Griffin Avenue residential plat allowing narrower-than-standard lots and a zoning change that would replace the existing Taco Bell/KFC on North Midkiff Road with two separate drive-through restaurants.

Key points:

  • Polo Club neighbors object: Homeowners near 5100 and 5114 Polo Club Road spoke against a replat that simply shifts the property line between two existing lots. The applicant requested the change to build a fence along a shared driveway.

Three nearby homeowners said they did not oppose the lot-line change itself. Instead, they raised concerns about what the property owner could build in the future, including whether the owner might later seek different zoning.

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Commissioners and city staff explained that the current zoning requires a minimum two-acre lot size, meaning denser development could not occur without a future rezoning. Any rezoning request would go through a separate public process with notice to surrounding property owners. The commission approved the replat unanimously.

  • Taco Bell/KFC demolished: City staff said the combination Taco Bell and KFC restaurant on Midkiff Road north of Loop 250 will be demolished and replaced with two separate drive-through restaurants: a Taco Bell and a second, smaller restaurant specializing in sliders.

The property is being rezoned from Local Retail to Regional Retail to allow drive-through lanes, and the commission unanimously approved the request.

  • Griffin Avenue shotgun-style homes: The commission approved a preliminary plat dividing about one acre at 1711 W. Griffin Ave. into six lots for single-family homes on land currently zoned for manufactured housing. Manufactured-housing interior lots must be at least 50 feet wide, while the proposed lots would be 30 feet wide.

The applicant is seeking a special exception from City Council to allow the narrower lots, meaning the plat cannot take effect as proposed unless council approves the exception. The applicant’s representative described the proposed houses as “shotgun style,” long, deep, and narrow. City staff recommended approval of the plat. Commissioner Lucy Sisniega abstained from the vote.

  • Home addition draws objection: The commission unanimously approved a request to rezone a property on the north side of East New York Avenue from Regional Retail to Single-Family so the homeowners can build an addition to their existing house.

One objection came from a party planning a church on adjacent lots who had concerns that the residential rezoning could affect its future development. City staff said the change would not affect the church’s plans and recommended approval.