Richardson planners approve Willowbray Child Care Academy at 500 N. Coit Road amid neighbor traffic concerns

The Richardson City Planning Commission voted 5‑0 to approve Zoning File 25‑20, a special permit that will allow Willowbray Child Care Academy to operate a childcare center at 500 North Coit Road.

Miss Peters, planning staff, told the commission the site is a 1.1‑acre former retail building of roughly 12,400–12,500 square feet and that the proposal would serve infants through age 6 with a maximum enrollment of 220 children and 25–27 teachers and staff. Peters said the site plan includes a 7,700‑square‑foot outdoor playground, 46 on‑site parking spaces (the zoning ratio requires 42), and hours of operation from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. She described a traffic circulation scheme and a traffic impact analysis that direct parents to use the signalized intersection at Coit Road and Round Rock Road for ingress and egress.

Buck Wheeler, the property's owner, said he bought the shopping center about 18 months ago and argued the childcare use is a better fit for the site than the existing retail mix. "We're super excited about this use," Wheeler said, adding that the operator and landowner worked with staff and a traffic engineer to reduce neighborhood impacts.

Dr. Taylor Davis, introduced as U.S. operations manager for Willowbrae Academy, described the operator's footprint and said the program serves very young children. "We do serve infants as young as 6 weeks old up until school age," Davis said, explaining the operator has U.S. and Canadian locations and has studied traffic patterns when locating new sites.

A nearby resident, Elise Doherty of 701 North Cottonwood Drive, told the commission she and other neighbors are worried about cut‑through traffic and the blockages pickup queues could create for local businesses. "The traffic is a major issue there," Doherty said, and she asked staff to provide the traffic study and to clarify how long cone‑based enforcement or other measures would remain in place. She also raised a question about a possible conflict of interest because the applicant has a child who might attend the center.

Commissioners focused their deliberations on traffic mitigation and outreach to the homeowners association. Several commissioners praised the applicant's outreach and noted that the proposed cones, a designated circulation pattern and staff presence during peak times are intended to limit turns into the adjacent neighborhood. The vice chair said the proposal addresses community needs for childcare while offering a reuse of under‑utilized commercial space.

A commissioner moved to approve Zoning File 25‑20 with the special conditions presented by staff; Commissioner Beach seconded the motion. The commission voted five‑zero to recommend approval. The approval includes the enrollment cap of 220 children, the requirement to obtain a building permit in accordance with the comprehensive zoning ordinance, and the requirement that the use be limited to the applicant, Willowbray Child Care Academy.

Next steps: the file will move to City Council for final consideration under the normal review process.