Planning panel approves Fulgent Therapeutics storage addition and companion replat

The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a site-plan amendment and companion replat to allow a 10,020-square-foot, single-story addition to an existing two-story office building at 1111 South Freeport Parkway for Fulgent Therapeutics. Matt Steer, senior planner, said the existing building and the proposed addition lie in the highway-commercial zoning district; the new warehouse portion complies with the 20-percent maximum warehousing cap allowed in that district for office uses. The applicant said the added space will provide long-term storage of paraffin‑embedded tissue blocks and glass slides—records the lab is required to retain for 20 years—reducing the need for off-site storage. The proposed plan increases parking to 458 spaces, exceeding the required 346 spaces, and proposes tree replacement: 15 trees to be removed and new plantings with a tree‑mitigation fee of $20,700 payable at the time of tree‐removal permitting. Elevations show the addition will use materials and colors matching the existing building. The commission approved the site-plan amendment and the replat; staff conditions require a tree‑removal permit and that the replat be filed before a building permit is issued. The applicant said operations will be indoor, climate‑controlled storage and described the material as regulated pathology specimens and slides.