Council approves rezoning and site plans for Des Moines Christian’s Meredith Drive campus after debate over athletic-building materials and traffic

The Urbandale City Council on June 3 approved an amendment to the comprehensive plan, a first reading of an ordinance to rezone 102 acres for the Des Moines Christian School Meredith Drive campus, and multiple associated plats and site plans — while requiring clearer architectural standards for future athletic and ancillary buildings.

The actions moved the project forward after extended council discussion about building materials, a proposed tensile roof for a field house, traffic on Meredith Drive and Aurora Avenue, and stormwater management. Councilmembers approved the comprehensive-plan amendment (motion by Councilmember Kroll, second by Councilmember Cacciatore) and approved the ordinancefirst reading (Ordinance No. 2025-18) by the same motioners. The council also approved the preliminary plat, the final plat and two site plans: the high school site plan and the early education center site plan.

Why it matters: The campus is intended to host a 600-student high school as the first major academic building on the site and an early education center in a southwest parcel. The rezoning to Planned Unit Development (PUD) and the approved site plans establish the first phase of construction and set standards for later phases — including landscaping, setbacks and how future, still-undefined buildings will return to the council for review.

City staff presented the PUD master plan as a conceptual plan for the site. City staff member Steve introduced the zoning and master-plan requests and stressed the plan is conceptual and built in phases. Steve said the PUD covers an "initial building of the high school" in the center of the site and an "early education center down here in the Southwest Corner." He told the council "this is the master plan, for the 102 acres," and that future buildings shown in the concept plan are outlots that will require additional plats and site plans before construction.

Developer representative Nate Frangi, identified as the owner representative for Des Moines Christian, described the ancillary uses the PUD anticipates and noted concession buildings and restroom/concession support structures near ballfields. Frangi said those ancillary structures are smaller, purpose-built elements rather than the primary academic buildings.

Architectural materials and tensile roof debate: Council discussion focused on two paragraphs in the PUD's architectural requirements. Councilmember Bridget (last name not specified in the transcript) and others raised concern about a line that would allow a field house to be "constructed of a tensile roof covering consisting of PVC membrane over polyester woven backing." Councilmember Bridget called that language "suspicious" and asked for more specificity because it could allow a structure that looks nonpermanent from the road.

Sarah Herman, speaking from the podium and identified in the record with a street address, described tensile roof structures as a PVC fabric-like roofing product and likened them to the fabric roofs sometimes seen on collegiate field houses. She said a "bubble" is another type of fabric structure and distinguished that from other roofing systems.

In response to council concerns, the council instructed staff to revise the PUD language to treat the early education center and primary academic buildings separately from athletic and ancillary buildings. Staff proposed and the council adopted language directing that the field house, other future athletic facilities and ancillary buildings "shall be constructed of materials to be determined at a later date and approved by the City Council." Councilmembers said that would preserve council oversight when specific athletic buildings return as site plans.

Traffic, stormwater and landscaping: Multiple councilmembers pressed the applicant and staff on traffic on Meredith Drive and Aurora Avenue, asking whether traffic signals or turn lanes will be needed once athletic events and school arrivals/dismissals begin. Staff acknowledged Meredith is expected to handle initial traffic for the first phase and said future phases with athletic fields would trigger a fresh traffic review and any needed signals or intersection improvements at that time.

On stormwater, councilmembers asked that the future site-plan reviews consider native plantings, modern stormwater-management practices and drainage-tile impacts. Steve and staff said detention and stormwater for the first phase must meet code and that each future phase and site plan will include engineering to manage impervious area and detention. Councilmembers asked staff to encourage Iowa State stormwater-management best practices and native landscaping as the project advances.

Project scale and timing: The council received details in the site-plan packet: the high school site plan shows a two-story building approximately 136,000 square feet with an ultimate capacity of 600 students and about 797 parking spaces across three lots. Staff cited an initial high-school enrollment estimate of about 450 students at opening and the developer indicated the high school is intended to be completed and serving students in 2027; the early education center is intended to open in August 2026 and is sized for about 180 children in multiple classrooms.

Procedure and next steps: The PUD rezoning and master-plan amendment were approved by motions and voice votes. Planning & Zoning recommended approval subject to conditions in the staff report; councilmembers will see any future plats and site plans for the outlots before additional construction. As staff repeatedly noted, the outlots are not buildable until final plats and site plans are submitted and approved, giving the council multiple future opportunities to weigh in on materials, traffic mitigation and stormwater measures.

Quotes from the meeting: "This is the master plan, for the 102 acres," City staff member Steve said when introducing the application. Owner representative Nate Frangi described the ancillary buildings and concessions on the site as "concession stands, some restrooms," clarifying their scale. Councilmember Bridget said she did not "like the uncertain nature" of allowing unspecified nonpermanent materials and pressed for council approval of those future materials.

What the council approved (summary of formal actions): The council voted to: (1) amend the comprehensive plan for the Des Moines Christian Meredith Drive campus (motion by Councilmember Kroll; second by Councilmember Cacciatore; passed); (2) approve first reading of Ordinance No. 2025-18 rezoning the site to PUD (motion by Kroll; second by Cacciatore; passed); (3) approve Des Moines Christian School Plat 1 preliminary plat (motion by Cacciatore; second by Kroll; passed); (4) approve Plat 1 final plat (motion by Kroll; second by Bodie; passed); (5) approve the Phase 1 high school site plan (motion by Kroll; second by Bodie; passed); and (6) approve the Early Education Center site plan for the southwest parcel (motion by Bodie; second by Cacciatore; passed).

Council and staff said the approvals permit the applicant to proceed with Phase 1 construction and require the developer to return with subsequent plats and site plans for additional buildings, where the council will review materials, traffic mitigation and stormwater details. The council also directed staff to revise the PUD language so athletic facilities and ancillary buildings are approved by the council on a later site-plan basis.

Provenance: First relevant discussion: "All right. I'm going to move into item 7.2. This is a public hearing for the Des Moines Christian School Meredith Drive Campus, amendment to the comprehensive plan and rezoning from A-one, Agriculture Reserve District to PUD, planned unit development district." (transcript excerpt). Final related action: "Yes. That item passes. Thank you for bearing with us." (transcript excerpt).

Ending: With formal approvals in hand for the initial phase, the developer may begin work on the high school and the early education center; council oversight remains tied to future plats and site plans for athletic and ancillary buildings, and staff said traffic, stormwater and landscaping will be revisited as each component comes forward.