Weatherford council approves rezoning for dog-grooming and retail at 1501 Clear Lake Road

The Weatherford City Council on a 5–0 vote approved a zoning map amendment to reclassify a 0.759-acre tract at 1501 Clear Lake Road from AG (agriculture) to C-1 (general commercial), allowing an indoor dog-grooming business with a small retail area.

Planning staff told council the applicant had withdrawn a conditional use permit request and the proposal before the council is a straight rezoning. Planning staff said the business would perform grooming indoors, that there would be no outdoor kennel operations, and that portions of the property lie in the floodplain and must be addressed during site-plan review. "There will be no, outside this will all be done inside," planning staff said, noting that driveway improvements and railing repairs along the adjacent trail must be included in the forthcoming site plan.

During a public hearing the applicant, Kimberly Smith, said she was present to answer questions but offered no prepared statement. Council members pressed staff and the applicant on operational details: hours were described as tentatively 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; the applicant confirmed there will be no boarding and that animals taken outside would be on leashes. Council also asked whether a fence had been part of the earlier conditional-use packet; the applicant and staff confirmed the fencing element had been withdrawn with the CUP.

Planning staff reminded the council that the Planning and Zoning Commission had unanimously approved the zoning change at its June 8 meeting and said the zoning approval does not eliminate later site-plan and building-permit reviews. Staff said a widened driveway and site-triangle visibility improvements will be required to ensure safe ingress and egress where the property meets a high-use trail; those improvements must be completed and approved before a certificate of occupancy is issued.

The council closed the public hearing and, with a motion by Jeff Robinson and a second by Kevin Cleveland, approved the rezoning 5–0. The next steps are a site-plan submittal and review, required construction and safety improvements, then building-permit approval and final inspections before occupancy.