Coppell planners approve temporary permit for Saint Constantine School at Church of the Apostles

The Coppell Planning and Zoning Commission on June 18 approved a special-use permit allowing Saint Constantine School to operate a private pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade campus at Church of the Apostles, 322 S. MacArthur Blvd., with a maximum enrollment of 100 students.

Staff said the school would first operate with about 60 students in year one and about 80 in year two, and that hours would be Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Matt Steer, the city’s development services administrator, told the commission the school provided a traffic circulation plan that keeps vehicle stacking internal to the site and shows a maximum queue of 36 vehicles and up to three simultaneous loading locations.

The circulation plan and a commitment to on-site staff directing drop-off led staff to recommend approval. “All in all, staff is in support of the request and feels it’s a good use of space that’s not currently occupied during the proposed hours,” Steer said.

Neighbors: one opposition letter, engineering study

Staff said notices were mailed as required by state law — 14 notices within 200 feet and 146 courtesy notices within 800 feet — and the city received one written opposition from a resident within the 800-foot courtesy area. The letter raised concerns about traffic and pedestrian safety at the StarLeaf–MacArthur intersection, signage, and congestion related to nearby Riverchase Elementary School. Steer said staff and engineering would include the intersection in a safety study; Aaron Tanner, the assistant director of public works–engineering, said past signal-warrant studies did not support a traffic signal but that staff is studying measures to improve safety there.

Applicant responses and operational controls

Catherine Clayton, representing Saint Constantine School, said the site would be a temporary campus for one to two years and reiterated that most families would not generate daily vehicle trips because some students attend two or three days per week. “On any given day, we might have 50 to 75% of the total enrollment on campus,” she said, and added the school’s pickup is internal to the site so she did not expect students to cross MacArthur. School representative Bond Palmore told commissioners the school will set a strict drop-off and pickup policy, allowing drop-off beginning at 7:30 a.m. and requiring students be picked up by 4 p.m.; he said the school will notify families and consider enforcement measures if queuing occurs.

City property next door

Commissioners and staff noted the city is in the process of purchasing an adjacent parking parcel to the east; staff said the current configuration is a walkway connection rather than a shared driveway and that any configuration could change once the city closes on the property.

Commission action and conditions

Commissioners moved and seconded a motion to approve Special Use Permit SDash1113R2DashSF7 with staff-recommended conditions, including that the school operate as a private school in compliance with applicable state requirements, that enrollment not exceed 100 students, and that engineering review may generate additional conditions. The commission’s roll call showed unanimous approval; the motion carried.

What happens next

The permit takes effect under the stated conditions, and staff said engineering will complete its review and may add conditions tied to safety or traffic measures at the StarLeaf–MacArthur intersection.