Commission approves Planned Development rezoning on McCullough Road, residents raise drainage and character concerns

The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission voted to rezone roughly 3.6 acres at 3768 McCullough Road from Rural to a Planned Development District (PDD) with a Wellborn Commercial base, allowing commercial uses that the applicant says will operate as an extension of an adjacent PDD.

Planning staffer Jeff Howell outlined the concept plan and five requested modifications: additional allowed uses (wholesale, warehousing, self storage, educational facilities), prohibitions on day cares and restaurants, a waiver of certain nonresidential architectural requirements, a reduced minimum roof pitch (requested change to 3:12), and a modification to allow parking where the UDO normally requires it not be placed between buildings and adjacent residential uses. As community benefits, the applicant proposes a landscape buffer increased to 30 feet with specified tree plantings and a one-story cap not to exceed 25 feet at the highest point; Howell said staff received one phone call in support and three inquiries and recommended approval. "Staff is recommending approval of the rezoning request in the associated concept plan," Howell said.

During public comment, resident Jane Cohen of 3655 McCullough Road said the rezoning conflicts with the Welborn District Plan and raised multiple concerns about drainage along Welborn Church Road, excessive lighting, screening and whether nearby residents outside the notice radius were informed. "The request is not consistent with the Welborn District plan," Cohen said, and urged native plantings and careful drainage planning. Tom Marti, a member of Welborn Baptist Church's administrative team, said church members had approved the sale of the property and defended use of the church driveway for access: "60 members of the Welborn Baptist Church voted to approve the sale of this property for this development," Marti said.

Commissioners pressed staff on history and policy. Howell said that while the 2012 annexation plan did not mention self-storage, the current Welborn use table lists self-storage as a permitted use in Wellborn Commercial and that an adjacent PDD with similar allowed and prohibited uses was approved in 2020. He also said site-specific issues such as detention and drainage would be addressed in required site-plan review if the rezoning is approved.

Following discussion, a motion to approve the PDD rezoning passed on a voice vote with no recorded opposition. The commission noted the rezoning will be forwarded to City Council on November 13 for final consideration.