Commission recommends approval of drainage easement abandonments at Providence Christian Academy, contingent on replacement design and recording

The Planning Commission on April 9 recommended that City Council approve the abandonment of portions of a drainage easement that cross Providence Christian Academy’s campus, provided the applicant demonstrates replacement drainage capacity and records new public drainage easements.

Planning staff said the existing easement areas were largely unimproved when the site was originally subdivided and that as PCA developed its campus it relocated drainage and now seeks to formalize replacement drainage facilities. PCA’s current and planned work includes a new pre‑K addition, relocated playground and additional parking that will affect existing easement areas, staff said.

The city engineer reviewed the proposal and required that final stormwater calculations for the replacement drainage system be submitted and approved before any abandonment is recorded. Staff recommended that any new drainage easements be recorded as public easements because the drainage serves adjacent parcels as well as the PCA site. The applicant must submit a final plat that combines PCA’s two lots, show the abandonment and replacement easements on that plat, and record the documents simultaneously.

Commissioners noted some drain areas are proposed as underground storage replacing visible retention ponds; staff said PCA and its engineer were working through final TDAC items (technical drainage/approval components) and that fees would be the applicant’s responsibility.

A motion to recommend approval subject to staff and city engineer conditions passed unanimously. Staff recorded that the mandatory referral number should be listed as 2025‑703 in meeting minutes.

The recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final action; staff materials include the existing easement exhibit, proposed replacement easement exhibit, and city engineering comments.