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Planning commission unanimously backs special-use permit for NavTel USA at 5113 Commercial Drive
Summary
The North Richland Hills Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 19 recommended approval, by a 7–0 vote, of a special use permit for NavTel USA to operate an assembly (wire-harness) operation at 5113 Commercial Drive; City Council will consider the recommendation on March 9, 2026.
The North Richland Hills Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval of a special use permit Feb. 19 for NavTel USA to operate an assembly operation at 5113 Commercial Drive, sending the item to City Council on March 9, 2026.
Clayton Husband, a city planner, told the commission the application covers a 0.6-acre site with a 12,000-square-foot building in a commercially designated area and noted that assembly operations of this type require a special use permit in the property's C-2 zoning district. The Development Review Committee recommended approval, staff summarized, and no members of the public spoke for or against the request at the hearing.
Howard Wiles, vice president of engineering for NavTel USA, described the company as a "low-volume, high-mix contract manufacturer" that assembles wire harnesses under customer drawings. Wiles said the firm does not perform outdoor manufacturing or emit pollution from the site, that scrap wire is recycled, and that operations are indoor-only. "We don't have any belching smoke stacks," he said, asking the commission to consider the company's plans to recruit local talent.
Wiles said NavTel currently employs about 20 people at its Plano facility and expects to staff the Commercial Drive location with more than half of those workers plus new hires; he estimated the building would host up to about 30 employees when fully staffed. He told commissioners the company typically operates roughly 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and plans to arrange carpooling and shared parking agreements with an adjacent restaurant if needed.
Commissioners asked about residential adjacency, exterior lighting and parking; staff said the site is primarily surrounded by commercial or light-industrial uses and that any site improvements would have to meet current standards. The commission voted to recommend approval 7–0 after a motion to approve and a second were recorded. The item will be considered by City Council at its March 9 meeting.
The vote and staff recommendation do not authorize building permits or operational licenses; those remain subject to subsequent council action and permitting processes.
