The Coppell Planning and Zoning Commission on May 15 approved a site plan for an O'Neil Painting office‑warehouse and a companion minor plat that divides the property into two lots on South Freeport Parkway, roughly 1,350 feet south of West Sandy Lake Road. The commission voted unanimously to approve both the site plan and the minor plat, with a motion to approve the site plan by Commissioner Freddy Guerra and a second by Vice Chair Blankenship.

Staff said the project proposes a single‑story, roughly 10,000‑square‑foot office‑warehouse on the front portion of a roughly 2.8‑acre property, leaving the rear area in a natural state and preserving trees. Mary Boswell, the city staff presenter, said the site plan shows 24 parking spaces (the ordinance requires 21) and a fire lane encircling the building. "They are providing 24 parking spaces, which exceeds the ordinance requirements," Boswell said during the presentation.

The commission approved two variances tied to the plat. One is to a subdivision ordinance provision that normally requires nonresidential lots on divided thoroughfares to have direct or indirect access to a median opening; staff supported a variance because the development is expected to generate low traffic and a new median opening would trigger separation‑distance requirements. The applicant also requested a variance from the requirement that lots be adjacent to a dedicated street; staff said the plat meets the ordinance's spirit by providing an access easement from Lot 1 to Lot 2 at the rear.

Staff recommended multiple conditions of approval to be satisfied before or at permitting, including detailed engineering review comments, compliance with the sign and lighting ordinances, and a required tree removal permit before any trees are removed. The commission also required a six‑foot masonry screening wall be constructed along the north and east sides that border residential zoning and ordered that the masonry wall be in place before vertical construction begins; staff asked for gravel to be placed on the east side of that screening wall to ease maintenance and prevent vehicles from contacting the wall. Additional staff conditions include updating the plans to show the fire lane with distances and bearings and providing lighting cutoff and shielding information with the building permit.

Boswell said about 49 percent of the site area will be landscaped, with 22 overstory trees proposed; staff calculated a tree mitigation payment of about $74,750. The presentation noted the building facade would be about 22 feet tall with vertically oriented windows, canopies over the front windows and entrance, painted concrete walls with accent textures, and two aluminum roll‑up doors at the rear for material storage.

The commission discussion included questions about hours and operations. Applicant representative Greg Franca of GPF Architects told the commission the business expects typical daytime hours. "They're roughly 8 to 5 operation, 5 days a week," Franca said. Staff said the applicant described a staffing pattern of approximately six office employees and three superintendents, with superintendents arriving in the early afternoon before leaving later the same day.

The minor plat establishes Lots 1 and 2 (totaling about 2.808 acres) and records the mutual access and utility easements and fire lane that will serve the front building and preserve access to the rear lot should it develop later. Staff noted Lot 2 has no development plans at this time and could be consolidated into adjacent parcels in the future; the access easement ensures Lot 2 would not become landlocked if developed.

Commissioners asked staff to confirm that any future work that requires cutting trees in the access easement would require a separate tree‑removal permit and mitigation; staff confirmed that tree removal and mitigation processes apply even if the access crosses a different parcel. The application is an administrative site plan approval (not a public hearing), and staff said it meets applicable ordinance standards for a light‑industrial use in that location.

The commission approved the site plan by unanimous roll call and then approved the companion minor plat, again by unanimous vote. The approvals are subject to the staff conditions and to the two variances described in the staff report. The applicant must satisfy engineering, building‑permit, tree‑removal, signage and lighting requirements before commencing construction.