Bedford commission approves driving-school permit with on-site driving banned

The Bedford Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 14 recommended that the City Council approve a specific-use permit for a driving school at 2901 Martin Drive, Suite D, with a condition barring on-site driving instruction and testing.

The permit, filed as SUP25-10 for a driving school proposed in a 1,180-square-foot suite at Harwood Oaks Shopping Center, was approved with the condition that the location be used only for classroom instruction and indoor testing. The motion passed unanimously.

City planner Enrique (staff) told commissioners the applicant proposed two employees, classroom hours Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a small parallel-parking area on the southern portion of the lot. He said the proposed use is typical for the strip center and that no exterior building changes were planned.

Applicant MD Rahman said his business model relies primarily on classroom instruction and on-road training. “My name is MD Rahman,” he told the commission; he said he operates a second school in Irving and that much of the behind-the-wheel instruction would be conducted off-site in quieter areas. He said the on-site parallel parking would be used largely for brief, state-required test maneuvers.

Commissioners raised safety concerns about the proposed parallel-parking area between two entrances on Harwood Road and about overlapping school pick-up and drop-off times at the nearby Meadow Creek Elementary School. Commissioner Tom Jacobson pressed the applicant on whether classes and driving could be scheduled to avoid school traffic; the applicant said he would schedule road tests during lower-traffic windows and that instructors maintain dual controls in training vehicles.

Several commissioners noted enforcement challenges if the commission allowed on-site training in the tight lot. Chair Bruce Emery said the commission could approve the SUP with a stipulation that no driving training or testing be performed on the property; commissioners discussed that classroom use and indoor testing could continue.

A motion to approve SUP25-10 limited the site to classroom instruction and indoor testing; the motion carried with all commissioners voting in favor. The commission recorded no votes against or abstentions and will forward the recommendation to the City Council for final action.

The commission’s approval leaves operational details to city administrative processes and to any state testing rules; staff noted that off-site driving practice and testing locations must meet state requirements and that scheduling will be used to reduce overlap with school traffic.