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Council approves PD zoning to expand Apollo Junior High despite neighborhood traffic concerns
Summary
The council unanimously adopted an ordinance rezoning 18.16 acres around Apollo Junior High to a Planned Development allowing an expansion to convert the school to a middle school; staff and RISD said the plan adds on‑site queuing and traffic mitigation language, while neighbors raised concerns about light and pickup traffic.
The Richardson City Council on Feb. 16 adopted an ordinance rezoning an 18.16‑acre tract adjacent to Apollo Junior High to a Planned Development (PD) to accommodate a major renovation and expansion.
City senior planner Derek Peters outlined the proposal: the school footprint would grow from about 126,000 to 206,000 square feet; maximum building height was described as up to 42 feet (plus screening for rooftop equipment); the plan provides 169 on‑site parking spaces and a new shallow dry detention pond to meet stormwater requirements. RISD and the applicant said the work will include sprinklers, a storm shelter and phased construction through 2028.
Traffic was the central concern at the hearing. The revised circulation plan moves parent queuing onto the site to reduce on‑street stopping on Apollo Road and creates two Amherst Drive access points; the City Plan Commission recommended allowing both left and right turns onto Amherst and removing a previously proposed no‑parking restriction there. The project team and the district said the on‑site plan can queue up to 110 vehicles and that Driveway C on the north would be inbound only during peak times to discourage line‑cutting; James Watson, Richardson ISD’s senior executive director of operations, said the PD includes language requiring the district to update traffic management if queuing is observed on adjacent streets and obligates RISD to implement mitigation.
Several council members pressed for operational details — how pickup patterns would be enforced, whether staff/security would be present to direct traffic, and the specifics of off‑site mitigation such as a 100‑foot extension of a left‑turn lane on Apollo Road (the applicant said the district would pay for the recommended off‑site improvement). Resident Joy Adams, whose home is three houses from Apollo, said she opposed the project because of size, lighting and pickup impacts.
Councilmembers said the PD’s language allowing expedited follow‑up traffic mitigation was important; Councilmember Justice confirmed the ordinance includes the City Plan Commission’s traffic recommendations and the monitoring/mitigation requirements. With that understanding, the council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance.
What’s next: The district intends to begin preliminary site work as soon as pre‑construction items are approved and expects full construction through phased work until 2028; staff will monitor traffic and require further mitigation if the on‑site plan proves insufficient.
