Planning commissioners approve Plano ISD zoning changes for new CTE campus; concerns on parking, noise addressed

The Plano Planning & Zoning Commission voted 7–0 on Nov. 4 to approve zoning changes that would let the Plano Independent School District develop a centralized career and technical education (CTE) campus on roughly 19.8 acres at Alma Drive and Park Boulevard.

Staff planner Destiny Woods told the commission the amendment would expand PD 109 and remove an attached concept plan to allow a public CTE facility offering programs such as robotics, welding, radiology and culinary arts. Staff said amended stipulations would require a 50-foot landscape buffer, a 150-foot generator setback and an 8-foot masonry screening wall; parking would be set at one space per 400 square feet of floor area rather than the standard student-ratio calculation. Staff recommended approval of the rezoning (item 4A) and recommended 4B for approval pending city council action.

Architect Ken Kessler, representing the applicant, said the campus’ peak concurrent capacity would be about 750 students but that classes would be staggered so the site would not see all students arriving at once. "We're not going to have 590 drivers driving to school," Kessler said, describing bus staging and staggered class blocks to limit car congestion. He said the district plans for roughly eight buses on site at a time during peak windows and that many students will arrive by bus from the district’s three high schools.

Commissioners raised questions about noise, deliveries and the placement of open storage and the generator near Columbia Place. Woods said the amended stipulations were designed to protect adjacent single-family neighborhoods and that a traffic-impact analysis will be completed at the site-plan stage. Kessler said large truck deliveries would be infrequent, that most service areas are below surrounding grade and that masonry walls and grading would reduce audible impacts to nearby houses.

Several commissioners expressed support for the educational purpose of the facility. Commissioner Bronski, who moved approval, said the staggered schedule and bus emphasis reduced parking concerns and that the proposed landscape buffer and screening would limit neighborhood impacts.

Staff noted two responses opposed to the zoning within the 200-foot notification buffer and three opposed citywide; one citywide respondent supported the request. After discussion, the commission voted to approve item 4A and separately approved item 4B, both by unanimous votes.

Next steps: the zoning change now proceeds to City Council (for the portions noted as requiring council action) and the applicant will submit a site plan and traffic analysis for further review.