Poly America seeks new manufacturing building, variances for equipment height and parking on Marshall Drive campus

City planning staff on July 28 reviewed a site plan for a new industrial building at the existing Poly America campus on Marshall Drive and recommended the Planning and Zoning Commission forward the proposal with conditions.

Staff said the proposal (STP2505015) would demolish a small existing building and use the cleared area for a new tilt-wall manufacturing building and associated parking. The main building would be 40 feet tall for the occupied areas, with equipment “silos” and other rooftop equipment requiring up to 70 feet of clearance. Staff said the applicant will screen taller equipment with metal finishes to match the campus appearance.

Staff identified five variance requests: (1) increased height for the equipment portion up to 70 feet; (2) a reduced landscape buffer to preserve existing plantings rather than reconfigure a 30-foot buffer; (3) fewer required trees while retaining existing on-site trees; (4) exceeding the zoning maximum for parking by providing 284 spaces (the staff presentation stated the zoning maximum as 233, making the requested supply 51 spaces over the maximum); and (5) relief from typical elevation/architectural enhancements to maintain consistency with the existing campus finishes.

Staff said the campus is gated, set back from Marshall Drive, and adjacent primarily to Lockheed Martin to the south, and that the campus context reduces visibility from public rights-of-way. Staff noted the project includes a proposed intersection improvement — adding a left-turn lane and a new traffic signal — and recommended conditions tied to that work.

Staff recommended approval subject to conditions including: transportation and mobility approval and construction of the intersection improvement prior to operation; dedication of any right-of-way required to maintain parkway width; submittal of a drainage impact study or other means to demonstrate post-project runoff management; and installation of the open-space/landscape elements before a certificate of occupancy is issued. Staff noted routine civil plan review will address stormwater and right-of-way requirements.

The presentation was informational; no action was taken during the briefing. Staff said public hearings and any formal votes will occur during the regular Planning and Zoning meeting that begins no earlier than 6:30 p.m.