Planning commission recommends renewal of Boyoung Buddhist Temple site plan at 105 Barnett Boulevard

The Highland Village Planning & Zoning Commission reviewed a site plan renewal for Lot 3B of the Barnett Subdivision, a proposal to build a 5,975-square-foot Boyoung Buddhist Temple and Zen Center at 105 Barnett Boulevard. Staff told commissioners the plan mirrors a site plan city council approved on April 11, 2023 but requires renewal because construction did not commence within one year and the site plan therefore expired.

Autumn Amen, community development coordinator, said the building permit has not been issued despite a preconstruction meeting with Public Works, and staff recommended conditions that include: no permits for future buildings until an amended site plan is approved; no building permit until the existing house on the property is demolished; and an exception to a masonry screening wall, relying instead on existing wooden fencing and preserved trees along the eastern property line.

Amen summarized key project details: the site package counted 168 trees and proposes removal of 22 trees with an additional 14 trees to be planted along Barnett Boulevard; the plan shows a 5-foot sidewalk along Barnett; parking calculations (one space per four seats) yielded a requirement of 15 spaces based on an estimated 60 seats in the sanctuary, while the plan shows 18 spaces.

Song Il Choi, representing Boyoung Buddhist Temple, described delays in starting construction tied to difficulty finding a general contractor and last-minute price increases. "We had a hard time to find the right GC... And then the last minute they raised the price so, you know, it's canceled," he said, adding the temple has now signed a contract with a new general contractor and was preparing to begin work when staff found the plan had expired.

Commissioner Missy Esling asked about the condition of existing residential fences that would serve as alternate screening and whether they met the ordinance's intent for a visual and protective barrier; staff said the temple's fencing is the temple's responsibility and that any additional tree removal beyond the plan requires arborist documentation and city manager approval. Amen also confirmed that at this time the temple is not anticipating any signage on the building and that future signage would return to Planning & Zoning and city council for approval.

A commissioner moved that the commission recommend the site plan to city council for approval. The motion was seconded and the commission voted unanimously to pass the recommendation. The recommendation advances the existing, substantively unchanged site plan to the city council with the conditions outlined in the resolution.

Next procedural steps noted by staff include scheduling: the next regular P&Z meeting is Nov. 19 (when a site-plan amendment is expected), a city council workshop on Nov. 7 at 5:30 p.m. will include a presentation on wing drone delivery, and boards-and-commissions training will be offered Nov. 14.

The commission adjourned at about 7:14 p.m.