Planning commission approves special permit for proposed indoor playground at Lockwood District

The Richardson City Planning Commission unanimously approved a special permit March 3 for a proposed indoor playground at 506 Lockwood Drive in the Lockwood District, advancing the case to the City Council on March 23.

Planner Derek Peters introduced zoning file 26-01, describing a roughly 3,500-square-foot suite within a 10,000-square-foot building on a site staff described as approximately 0.5–0.56 acres. Peters said the site includes about 33–34 on-site parking spaces, with additional street parking and overflow in a public lot, and that the Central Place subdistrict does not impose a new parking ratio on existing buildings.

Applicant Tiffany Long, who said she and her husband will operate the business, told commissioners the facility is designed for children ages 0–5 and will offer open-play sessions, memberships and birthday parties. "We're bringing a thoughtfully designed indoor playground to the Lockwood area of Richardson, transforming the space into a vibrant family-centered destination," Long said. She told the commission the business expects a maximum of about 30 people at any one time and proposed hours of Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with weekend parties by appointment from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Commissioners asked about separation from nearby alcohol-serving establishments and about parking. Commissioner Beach said she was surprised a playground could be so close to a distillery and asked for clarification on separation rules. A staff speaker summarized the legal framework, saying, "There are protected land uses under the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code that prohibit establishments that serve or sell alcoholic beverages from locating within a certain distance of those protected land uses," and noted those protections typically apply to uses such as public schools and churches. Staff further explained that informal play spaces or parks are not treated the same as protected uses and that because the distillery predates the proposed playground, a minimum separation would not be required in this situation.

Commissioner Pointer asked whether the commission could seek a dedicated, coned-off parking space or signage for customer pick-up; staff replied that on-site parking enforcement is a private-property matter but that the commission could include a recommendation in its motion asking the property owner to consider a designated temporary loading/party pick-up space.

The commission made a motion to approve zoning file 26-01 as presented; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Staff said the case will move to City Council for consideration on March 23.

The applicant and staff noted that final building plans and an official occupancy limit have not yet been finalized; Peters said final occupancy calculations will be set when building plans are submitted to and approved by the building department. The special-permit approval includes conditions described in the staff report limiting outdoor operations and setting the advertised hours of operation.