Commission recommends rezoning for 343,624-sf Telecom Parkway warehouse; neighbors raise noise and tree-loss concerns

The Richardson Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended rezoning and a Planned Development (PD) for a new single-story flex warehouse at 2801 Telecom Parkway that would replace an existing three-story office building and include a request to exceed the city’s 25-foot single-story height limit.

City planning staff described the project as a 343,624-square-foot, single-story flex warehouse and office building with a proposed parapet height of up to 50 feet to accommodate interior clearances and rooftop screening. The developer presented architectural elevations intended to mimic a two-story office appearance, a truck-circulation plan that concentrates semi-trailer movements to the site’s south side, and a landscape-screening condition along Telecom Parkway and Research Drive.

Why it matters: The project is part of ongoing industrial and logistics reinvestment in the Telecom Parkway corridor. The commission’s approval allows flexibility for modern warehouse tenants that commonly require greater interior clear heights than older single-story office zoning anticipated.

Project details and staff findings - Location: 2801 Telecom Parkway; the site is currently IM-1 (Industrial) and was first zoned in 1971. Staff recommended PD rezoning to accommodate exceptions and site-specific conditions. - Proposed building: approximately 343,624 sq. ft., concrete tilt-wall construction, aluminum storefronts and canopy awnings; 74 loading docks shown on the concept plan; roof parapet up to 50 feet to allow for interior clear height and rooftop equipment screening. - Parking and landscaping: applicant proposed enhanced perimeter landscaping and a campus-wide shared-parking approach. The applicant initially requested reduced parking ratios (from code-required 2,042 to 1,444 required under their requested mix) but, during the hearing, withdrew the request to reduce the overall campus parking requirements and said it would retain sufficient parking or provide for future expansion if needed. - Traffic: staff required a truck circulation plan and trip generation memo. The trip memo projected fewer weekday peak-hour automobile trips under the warehouse redevelopment than under the site’s prior office configuration; the applicant committed to routing trucks to avoid residential streets and to a site circulation plan that keeps truck activity south of the building.

Public input and concerns - The commission heard five public comments in opposition and two neutral comments. Creeks Hollow residents and neighbors cited three primary concerns: potential truck noise (including vehicle beeping and overnight movements), loss of mature trees and a landscaped campus feel, and uncertainty about future high-volume truck activity despite the developer’s stated intent for lower-turnover, light-assembly or lab tenants. - Residents urged stricter enforceable limits on truck routes and hours; the applicant and staff said circulation routes and landscaping screening would be conditions of approval and that the site already contained industrial neighbors to the south and southeast.

Applicant presentation and changes during the hearing - Developer Dayton Street Partners said the demolition reflects changing market demand (office vacancies and demand for higher clear heights for manufacturing, lab and logistics). The applicant’s representatives described the building as speculative but noted active conversations with potential tenants including a major tenant (Celestica) interested in lab/assembly use. - On the parking issue the applicant initially sought a campus-wide reduction in required parking ratios but withdrew that reduction during the hearing and agreed to revisit counts and potential future parking expansion areas; staff confirmed trees in some future-parking areas would require mitigation if removed.

Commission action and conditions - Action: The commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the PD rezoning, including the 50-foot single-story exception and conditions that include the provided truck circulation plan, landscape screening, and other PD conditions as listed in the staff report. - Conditions of approval recorded in the staff report include rezoning IM-1 to PD, maximum building height to 50 feet for the single-story warehouse, enhanced landscape screening in designated areas, and truck circulation commitments. The applicant also committed to keeping truck movement south of the building and to on-site circulation measurements (130-foot to 185-foot truck courts) to accommodate semi-trailer maneuvering.

Clarifying details - Existing on-site building area before redevelopment: roughly 855,600 sq. ft. across the campus; proposed new single-story building 343,624 sq. ft. - Truck docks shown on concept plan: 74 (maximum shown for flexibility; applicant said actual usage would be tenant-dependent and not necessarily all active simultaneously). - Truck court depths: planned at 130 feet at most docks with some areas up to 185 feet including trailer parking. - Parking: staff noted a code requirement totaling approximately 2,042 spaces for the campus as presently configured; applicant’s detailed proposal showed approximately 1,998 spaces proposed under the redevelopment plan, and applicant agreed to withdraw a request to lower campus parking requirements during the hearing.

What’s next The Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final action. The applicant will continue design work required for development review including tree mitigation/landscape and building permit submittals.

Sources and attribution Presentation and staff analysis by Ms. Peters (City of Richardson planning staff). Applicant and project details presented by Michael Schack and representatives from Dayton Street Partners and project consultants (civil engineer Matthew Gardner and architect Tom Maxwell). Public comments recorded from Creek Hollow residents and others during the hearing.