Design review panel approves McDonald’s preliminary site plan in Collierville, adds landscaping and screening conditions

The Collierville Design Review Commission on March 12 approved a preliminary site plan for a new 4,300‑square‑foot McDonald’s drive‑through on roughly 1.7 acres at the southeast corner of Shelby Drive and South Houston Levee, adding conditions requiring revisions to the landscape plan and additional screening.

Staff presented the project as Case 243874 and said the property—within the Price Farm Planned Development (Village Core South)—is zoned R‑1 with a PD overlay that allows drive‑through restaurants. Staff told the commission the plan meets minimum landscape requirements for the lot, but noted one or two trees in the adjacent buffer may be removed for a curb cut and that the applicant must obtain sign permits for menu boards and provide plantings around sign bases to meet the zoning ordinance.

"The site will be consistent with the zoning ordinance and the Price Farm PD," a staff member said, and staff recommended approval of the preliminary site plan with conditions. Staff also presented a sight‑line study showing rooftop mechanicals would be screened in most views and said the applicant lowered a rooftop turbine at the trash corral to improve screening. Staff estimated that in a narrow viewpoint a small portion of rooftop equipment—on the order of inches—might still be visible.

Commissioners focused much of their discussion on landscape details and material durability. One committee member raised multiple concerns after scaling the plan: shrub spacing appeared too wide for the small foundation shrubs shown, planting sizes were listed uniformly at 24 inches (a specification that may not match actual species), and a roughly 20‑foot splitter island between menu boards appeared as mulch with no planting notes. The member urged adding spacing and height entries on the plant schedule and diversifying species to avoid monoculture and future disease vulnerability.

The applicant’s civil engineer, Drew Stokes, said operators commonly plant seasonal annuals in small islands and agreed the design team could tighten spacing and identify planting zones for seasonal color. "We can show that and add spacing," Stokes said, and he committed to providing revised, stamped landscape plans in time for the next approval steps.

Architect Bill Stambaugh, the architect of record, addressed questions about metal accent panels and durability. He said the design keeps brick as the primary exterior material and uses 20‑gauge Kynar‑finished metal as a higher‑quality accent, mainly on rear elevations, to achieve a four‑sided architectural treatment. "The metal was added not because it's inexpensive," Stambaugh said. "It's actually more expensive than the brick... it's meant to add variety and will be long‑lasting."

Commissioners confirmed the project meets the 70% masonry requirement and pressed why the parapet could not be raised further to fully hide rooftop units. Stambaugh said structural limits, snow‑drift and wind‑load concerns constrained increasing the parapet height; he characterized any visibility of rooftop units as minimal and from a very limited viewpoint.

Before the vote, a committee member proposed Condition 8 to require (1) improved spacing specifications on the plant schedule and plant height entries, (2) delineated areas for additional perennials or seasonal color and planting in the menu‑board splitter island, and (3) more effective screening around the dumpster. Staff confirmed those items could be added as conditions of approval.

A committee member moved to approve the preliminary site plan with the added conditions; the motion carried on a roll‑call vote. The clerk recorded affirmative votes by Frasier, Lawhon, Jordan, Larimore, Robbins and Donhart. The commission approved the plan with the landscaping, planting‑spacing and screening conditions and instructed that final details (furniture, photometrics and sign permits) be reviewed at final plan/DRT or BMA stages.

Staff noted next steps: the applicant will submit a final site plan and, after required recording, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen will consider final approval on March 23. The commission closed the item, staff provided brief development updates about an AutoZone CUP in the area, and the meeting adjourned.

The commission’s approval is a preliminary site plan approval with conditions; final permits and BMA action remain required before construction begins.