Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rowlett planners recommend approval for vehicle repair shop with outdoor storage, keep 10‑foot sidewalk separation
Summary
The Rowlett Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of a PD amendment to allow a Caliber Collision vehicle service and repair shop with outdoor storage at 2801 Main Street, subject to a condition preserving the 10‑foot separation between building and parking. Commissioners raised questions about outdoor storage, paint‑booth ventilation and after‑hours tow drops.
The Rowlett Planning & Zoning Commission on March 10 recommended approval of a planned‑development amendment to allow a vehicle service and repair shop with gated outdoor storage at 2801 Main Street, but required that the applicant keep a 10‑foot separation between building and parking rather than the 5‑foot reduction the developer requested.
The amendment, proposed by David Norris of Foresight Group LLC on behalf of RKDFW Rowlett LLC, would allow outdoor storage by right within a PD zoned C2 and would relax several development standards, including a proposed setback reduction. Liliana Moreno, Planner II, told commissioners that vehicle service and repair is a permitted use in the PD but that the open outdoor storage requested is not allowed by right under the current code and is the primary change under consideration.
Applicant representatives said the site will house a roughly 16,900‑square‑foot Caliber Collision with screening and landscaping to limit visibility of stored vehicles. "We're looking to build a beautiful building, here in Rowlett," said Carlos Swanson of Cross Development. Swanson and Austin Reed said the outdoor storage would be gated, screened with trees and slatted screening on fences, and that most vehicle work would occur inside an enclosed, insulated building.
Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on what the city's code classifies as "heavy" repair and on operations: Liliana Moreno explained that the RDC definition flags shops with lifts and more involved mechanical work as heavy repair, not tractor‑trailer service. Commissioners also questioned paint‑booth ventilation and whether tow trucks would leave vehicles after hours; the applicant said Caliber generally does not accept after‑hours drop‑offs and that modern paint booths discharge through roof stacks that meet state requirements.
Keith Hall, a nearby property owner, spoke in favor of the site's layout, saying he appreciated placing the building at the front and keeping stored vehicles to the rear.
Commissioner Pollard moved to approve the applicant's requests but amended his motion on the floor to retain the code's 10‑foot separation (declining the applicant's request to reduce it to 5 feet). White seconded the amended motion and the commission approved it 7–0.
The commission's action is a recommendation to the City Council; the council will consider final approval and any PD conditions at a later meeting.
