Rowlett — On Oct. 14, 2025, the Rowlett City Council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance amending the comprehensive zoning ordinance and map for an approximately 94.48‑acre portion of the Lakeview Business District (PD‑008‑22) to allow colleges, universities and commercial/trade schools as permitted uses in Subdistrict 1 and to amend landscaping requirements for certain converted truck courts.

The change was prompted by a tenant agreement to locate a Lincoln Tech campus in Building 3 of the development. Derek Hall, director of community development, told the council the request would make vocational and technical programs a by‑right use in the PD for the subdistrict and described the site plan changes the applicant proposes. "This project will be familiar to some," Hall said during staff remarks, summarizing the site's zoning history and the request to convert truck parking to automobile parking and to seek a deviation from the landscape‑island requirement for existing truck courts.

The ordinance approval followed a public hearing and several council questions about process and impacts. Planning & Zoning voted Sept. 23 to deny allowing the school by right (preferring that such uses come forward through a special‑use permit) but did approve the parking deviation. Council members who supported the change said the subdistrict was designed as an employment hub and that the vocational campus fits that objective.

Mike Cooling, president of Lincoln Tech's Grand Prairie campus, spoke for the tenant and described program scale at the chain's existing campus: "My population as of this morning is 1,386," Cooling said, and he listed large enrollments in the chain's automotive, welding, electrical and HVAC programs. Council discussion referenced anticipated local impacts; one council member summarized outside estimates that the campus could have three shifts and roughly 1,200 students at maximum capacity and tens of faculty, but the council did not state a different enrollment cap in the ordinance.

The amendment specifically applies to Building 3 (approximately 87,000 square feet) and allows the owner to restripe existing truck courts for automobile parking while exempting those retrofitted areas from the landscape‑island requirement otherwise required by Section 77‑504(d)(3) of the Rowlett development code. The developer noted additional parking will be provided east of the building and asked the ordinance to reflect the associated spaces.

Councilmembers discussed a compromise that would have limited a by‑right allowance to Building 3 only; the applicant indicated no objection to such a restriction but ultimately the council approved the broader amendment for the subdistrict after an amended motion that incorporated the vocational/trade language. The city attorney reminded the council that amending the PD through ordinance is a standard approach to keep all property regulations consolidated in the PD document.

Votes and next steps: Council moved, amended and passed the ordinance unanimously. With the zoning in place, the applicant may proceed with site improvements and building work subject to any applicable building permits and inspections. The record shows no public letters in favor or opposition within the 200‑foot or 500‑foot notice areas at the time of the hearing.

Why it matters: The change opens a major employment‑oriented site to institutional educational uses that could bring hundreds of students and dozens of faculty to the area, with ancillary effects on traffic, parking and nearby businesses. The vote also clarifies the city's approach to conversions of existing industrial truck courts to automotive parking in this PD.

Provenance: topicintro — Derek Hall presentation and project background (transcript time 3155.84–3186.09): "Thank you, mister mayor, members of council. This project will be familiar to some." topfinish — Vote and motion to adopt ordinance (transcript time 4676.21–4685.36): "All right. And that item carries unanimously."