Prosper Planning and Zoning Commission approves ISD Lakewood campus site plan with conditions after debate over pump house and traffic analysis

The Prosper Planning and Zoning Commission on May 20 approved the site plan and final plat for the Prosper Independent School District’s Lakewood Campus, a roughly 53-acre development that includes three buildings totaling about 149,293 square feet, a three-story administration building with a basement, a two-story community center and a pavilion, and on-site parking and amenities.

Town staff said the approval is subject to relocating a pump house and irrigation storage tank away from Lakewood Drive, with the final location to be approved by the director of planning, and to completion of a traffic impact analysis (TIA) before construction begins on the proposed Richland Boulevard connection. The motions carried by a 6-0 vote.

Why it matters: The campus sits near existing single-family neighborhoods and a future lake and creek corridor. Commissioners and staff pressed the district and its consultants on visibility of utility structures from Lakewood Drive, headlights and circulation if Richland Boulevard is not completed, and whether the submitted TIA adequately contemplated the campus’s ultimate buildout and nearby future connections such as Wildcat Way.

Town staff presentation and key concerns Town planning staff described the site and the conditions recommended for approval. Staff said the original pump house and storage tank were placed roughly 93 feet from the roadway right-of-way and recommended moving those facilities deeper into the site—near a dry detention pond and away from the Lakewood Drive frontage—because of visibility and proximity to existing homes.

Dan Heichman, assistant director of engineering services, briefed the commission on traffic questions. He said the town has directed consultants to include likely future connections (including an eventual tie to Wildcat Way) in the TIA and that the study should evaluate whether the Richland Boulevard/Lakewood intersection will require a signal, roundabout or other improvements. He said the submitted TIA primarily contemplated the public administration building as an office-type use and did not fully analyze the ultimate campus or a proposed natatorium; staff provided comments and required resubmission.

Applicant response and landscaping proposals Mike Wilson of TMP, representing Prosper ISD, said the district began coordinating with town staff in April 2024 and that the preliminary site plan received action in March. Wilson said the district moved the pump house and tank after staff feedback: the pump house is now about 123 feet from the edge of pavement on Lakewood and the storage tank about 156 feet, both behind decorative fencing and proposed landscaping. He said the district will plant screening including Chinquapin oaks and about 32 Yaupon hollies set at 8 feet at installation that the applicant said are intended to grow to roughly 20–25 feet at maturity.

Todd Shirley, the district representative, told commissioners the school board approved the project the night before and that contractors are mobilizing; he said relocating the tank further from its proposed location would add cost and delay and that the district was willing to add additional landscaping.

Commissioner concerns and staff conditions Commissioners repeatedly asked whether additional screening would effectively hide a 16-foot storage tank and a roughly 13-foot-8-inch pump house from adjacent homeowners and from Lakewood Drive. Several commissioners said landscaping alone would not completely conceal the structures, questioned the proximity of the facilities to a high-quality neighborhood and emphasized the circulation risks if Richland Boulevard is not yet connected.

Given those concerns, the commission approved the site plan (item 3f) and the final plat (item 3g) with the following conditions recorded in the motion and staff recommendations: relocate storage tank and pump house to a location acceptable to the director of planning; require resubmission and town approval of a revised traffic impact analysis that contemplates the ultimate campus and adjacent development; and require that the TIA be approved prior to construction of Richland Boulevard. The commission voted 6-0 on each item.

What remains: The TIA resubmission must address the campus’s future phases and the likely Richland Boulevard connection. Staff and the applicant said they will coordinate with adjacent developers on the TIA. The district said it expects to begin earthwork soon after final approvals but acknowledged some site improvements depend on resolution of the TIA and Richland Boulevard design.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda (items 3a–3e, 3h): approved 6-0. - Item 3f (Lakewood Campus site plan): approved 6-0; conditions include relocation of storage tank/pump house to planning director satisfaction and TIA approval prior to Richland Boulevard construction. - Item 3g (final plat dedicating easements/right-of-way for Lakewood Campus and future Richland Boulevard): approved 6-0 (subject to the same staff recommendations).

Outlook Staff will review the tank/pump house relocation proposals and the revised TIA when submitted. The town and the district agreed to continue coordination on the campus’s future phases and the Richland Boulevard connection.