Heath council approves Planned Development zoning for 11-acre site near high school

The Heath City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance to rezone an 11-acre tract south of the high school from agricultural to Planned Development (PD) LR, clearing the way for a PNC bank with a drive-through and multiple retail and office pads. The motion to approve passed 6–1, with Mayor Jeremiah McClure the lone no vote.

The PD application, presented by city planning staff and the applicant team, would subdivide the property into 10 lots — nine buildable pads of about one acre each and a detention/amenity area — and allow a mix of neighborhood services, medical offices and a daycare. Planning staff told the council the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval after the applicant revised the concept plan and added design standards to reflect the nearby Town Center overlay.

"They are recommending approval of this application," Planning staff member David Gonzales said during his presentation. The concept plan included a front-facing PNC bank with a drive-through; the draft PD ordinance requires any drive-through to obtain a conditional use permit (CUP) and meet stacking and circulation requirements before construction.

Applicant Grant Keller said PNC will anchor phase 1 of development and that much of the site infrastructure (access points, parking and initial landscaping) would be installed with the bank. "We kind of have curated kind of a class development that kind of does the best to adhere to the feel of Heath," Keller said, describing the developer’s intent to use materials and massing that reflect the town’s character.

Council members pressed the applicant and staff on traffic, pedestrian connections, and design. Civil engineer Michael Mazzola said a comprehensive traffic impact analysis (TIA) will be submitted at site plan and will be reviewed by both the city and TxDOT; turn lanes or left-turn pockets will be provided if the traffic warrants them. "Our traffic engineer will look at the data and based on those warrants, we'll provide a left turn lane, a right turn lane — whatever comes to be," Mazzola said.

Several council members asked for stronger assurances about walkability and architectural detail. Councilman Dodson and others said they wanted elevations and pedestrian corridors before final site-plan approval; Dodson moved for conditional approval that included adherence to the Town Center design standards, increased uniqueness in layout, a traffic study and student safety evaluation, landscaping/berm buffering and compliance with the city’s lighting ordinance. Dodson's motion, as amended on the record, carried.

What happens next: The PD approval establishes the allowable land uses and development standards; it does not authorize construction. Individual buildings and the bank drive-through must return as a site plan and, where applicable, a CUP. The council and staff said they expect the applicant to provide building elevations, a final TIA, tree mitigation and a more detailed pedestrian plan during the site-plan review.