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…