Planning commission approves special-use permit for bank at former Wendy’s site

The Murphy Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a specific-use permit allowing a bank to occupy the former Wendy’s pad at 205 East FM 544.

Staff described the request as an SUP to convert the vacant fast-food building into a bank branch and recommended conditions including construction of a continuous connecting access/fire lane at the western property line and submission of a full site plan showing building elevations and landscaping. "The applicant is requesting a specific use permit to locate the site at the property at 205 East FM 544, known as the vacant Wendy's site," a staff member said during the presentation.

Tommy Mann, land-use counsel for 5th Third Bank, told the commission the plan is to reuse the existing building and reconfigure parking and the drive-through to accommodate a bank branch. "Our plan is to reuse the existing building," Mann said. He added that 5th Third expects branch hours to be primarily weekday business hours with limited Saturday service and that overall vehicle volume will be lower than for a drive-through restaurant.

Commissioners raised questions about the unbuilt fire-lane connection and whether adjacent businesses would be affected; staff said the pad is separately owned from the Walmart and that the city would need to coordinate any change in how the neighboring franchise uses the area. A commissioner pressed that the SUP "runs with the site" and staff confirmed the SUP is a zoning action that stays with the parcel, not the current applicant.

A motion to approve the SUP with staff conditions (completion of the connecting driveway and submission of a landscape/site plan) passed after a second and an "aye" vote with no opposition. Following the vote staff told the applicant the next step is to submit a formal site plan and landscape plan for review.

The commission then moved on to routine staff updates and scheduling matters.