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Planning commission recommends special‑use permit, approves parking variance for Lincoln Tech campus in Rowlett
Summary
The commission recommended that a vocational/trade school use be handled by Special Use Permit and approved a narrow variance to parking‑island requirements for Building 3 so Lincoln Technical Institute can occupy a warehouse building; the recommendation passed 6–0 and goes to council.
On the second major item of its Sept. 9 agenda, the Rowlett Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that a proposed vocational/trade tenant be reviewed via a Special Use Permit and approved a limited variance to the city's parking‑island requirement for an existing truck court.
Staff presented a text amendment and variance application affecting a large planned development off the President George Bush Turnpike. The applicant sought to allow "college or university" and "commercial school" (adult career education/vocational school) uses by right for Building 3 and requested relief from landscape‑island requirements for a portion of the existing concrete truck court where adding islands would require costly excavation. Senior Planner Michael King said the amendment would apply to the PD and that the variance request was narrowly tailored to existing truck‑dock areas.
Representatives for the ownership group said they had signed a lease with Lincoln Technical Institute. "We signed the lease today so we can announce it's Lincoln Tech," said Myles Terry of Jackson Shaw. Lincoln Technical Institute’s vice president of real estate and risk management, Kim Trignano, told the commission the school would offer programs such as automotive technician, welding, HVAC and electrical trades. Terry and the applicant estimated about $20 million in investment for the facility, 40–50 full‑time staff and roughly 1,200 students across multiple shifts.
Commissioners asked whether allowing the use "by right" would remove community oversight; staff acknowledged that moving the use to by‑right would reduce discretionary review and public input and confirmed that the applicant would not oppose proceeding via a Special Use Permit (SUP). The commission’s motion recommended the use be processed by SUP while granting the limited variance to restripe the existing truck court rather than construct new planted islands where plumbing and underslab work would be required.
The motion to recommend an SUP and to approve the variance passed 6–0 and will be forwarded to city council with the commission's recommendation and conditions.
Next steps: City council will consider the commission's recommendation and, if council approves, the applicant will proceed with tenant improvements under the conditions agreed in the SUP and variance.
