Planning and Zoning Commission recommends special-use permit for optical transceiver factory at 900 Arthurs Lane

The Lewisville Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-0 Tuesday to recommend that the City Council approve a special-use permit (case 25-04-7SUP) allowing medium-intensity manufacturing at 900 Arthurs Lane in the Red River Business Park.

Planner Lily Sutton told commissioners the site is in Building 1 of a three‑building business park and that an SUP is required because the proposed work goes beyond light assembly into medium‑intensity manufacturing. "The business manufactures optical transceivers," Sutton said, and the manufacturing process includes automated glue dispensing, heat and UV curing, gold wire bonding, testing and inspection.

The applicant's representative, Angela Hunt, described the operation and said the work is done in a clean room with most steps automated. "There are 30 steps in the manufacturing process, 27 of which are automated," Hunt said. She told the commission Fast Photonics USA plans to begin production in September with an initial $12.5 million investment and 22 employees, producing about 25,000 transceivers per month. Hunt said the company expects to invest an additional $7.7 million within about 18 months and expand employment to about 188 people while increasing production to roughly 100,000 units per month.

Hunt told the commission the process uses adhesive and heat/UV for bonding and includes gold wire melting and bonding but said, "Throughout this process, there are no hazardous chemicals used or, dispensed into the environment. There's no, air particulates. There is no contamination to the water." She added that the site uses closed‑loop cooling water that is recirculated and carried off‑site for flushing about once per year.

There were no public speakers during the public hearing on the SUP. Commissioner Jack moved to recommend approval and Commissioner Joshua seconded; the motion carried 6-0. The commission packet lists the property owner as Arthur's Lane Business Park LLC and identifies the applicant tenant as Fast Photonics USA Incorporated. Staff recommended approval based on the site's existing building and an adjacent previously approved SUP for similar use.

The recommendation will go to the City Council, which will hold a second public hearing and make a final decision at a council meeting in July 2025 at 7:00 p.m.

This recommendation does not itself authorize construction or operation; final approval and any required building, fire or environmental permits remain subject to City Council action and applicable code requirements.