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Rowlett panel recommends approval of expanded Zipline drone hub, sets November deadline for permanent work
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5–2 April 14 to recommend the City Council approve a revised SUP for Zipline’s 5408 Kenwood Drive hub with conditions requiring concrete paving, a wrought‑iron fence and a permanent structure by November 2026 (commission shortened a 12‑month timetable to seven months).
The Rowlett Planning and Zoning Commission on April 14 recommended City Council approval of a revised special use permit for an unmanned aircraft systems hub at 5408 Kenwood Drive, approving additional docking towers and site conditions while tightening the compliance timetable.
Senior Planner Michael King told the commission the applicant seeks to replace the existing SUP and expand the hub footprint on the roughly 2.85‑acre site. The application requests authorization for 11 dock towers (the prior SUP allowed 10; the applicant has installed eight) and temporary flexibility on paving and landscaping so the site can operate while final site work is completed.
Zipline representative Reagan Catanzaro (S10) said the company’s aircraft operate from docking hubs, fly to about 300 feet and return to dock — a model designed to keep aircraft out of people’s immediate space. Catanzaro said gravel surfacing and temporary fencing allowed the company to mobilize quickly, pull utilities and begin serving partners while permanent work is scheduled.
Several commissioners questioned why the company needed extended temporary allowances now that the hub is operational. Commissioner Pollard (S5) moved to recommend approval consistent with staff’s written recommendations but to change the previously discussed 12‑month compliance period to a seven‑month deadline. Pollard read conditions requiring concrete paving, installation of an 8‑foot wrought‑iron fence and replacement of the temporary container with a permanent building by November 2026. The motion passed 5–2.
Commissioners in favor said supply chain and staging concerns can justify some flexibility but that existing, on‑site elements installed under earlier approvals should be brought into full code compliance promptly. Commissioners opposed argued the hub has proved its concept and should meet permanent code requirements without extended grace periods.
Catanzaro said Zipline intended to comply and that staggered tower installation and permit timelines made a strictly fixed timetable difficult, but the company was open to the commission’s conditions. The recommendation now moves to City Council for final action.
Key site details from the record: the SUP covers roughly 2.85 acres at 5408 Kenwood Drive; the applicant requested gravel paving for up to 18 months in the application and asked for an 8‑foot rubber‑coated chain‑link fence with later replacement; the commission’s motion required concrete paving and wrought‑iron fencing by November 2026 and removal/replacement of the temporary container by that date.
