Revised Staff ReportITEM 5
Page 1 of 5
CITY OF COPPELL
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
PD-292-SF-12, Coppell Middle School East
P&Z HEARING DATE: December 21, 2017 January 18, 2018
C.C. HEARING DATE: January 9, 2018 February 13, 2018
STAFF REP.: Marcie Diamond, Assistant Director of Community Development/Planning
LOCATION: 400 Mockingbird Lane
SIZE OF AREA: 24.7 acres of property
CURRENT ZONING: SF-12 (Single Family-12)
REQUEST: PD-292-SF-12 (Planned Development 292-SF-12) to allow the construction of a
concession and restroom facility, bleachers, press box, parking and the addition of
lighting for the existing track and football field.
APPLICANT: Coppell Independent School District
Louis Macias
1303 Wrangler Circle
Coppell, Texas 75019
(214) 496-8056
Email: lmacias@coppellisd.com
HISTORY: Coppell Middle School East (CMSE) was constructed in 1986, and Mockingbird
Elementary in 1990.
On December 21, 2017, the Planning and Zoning Commission held this case
under advisement until January 18, 2018, to allow the applicant time to
address outstanding conditions and to meet with the neighborhood. CISD
held a Town Hall meeting at the Coppell Middle School cafeteria on January
11th. A summary of the meeting and proposed revisions to the application are
noted in bold below.
HISTORIC COMMENT: This property has no historic significance.
TRANSPORTATION: Mockingbird and Falcon Lanes, adjacent to the schools, are residential collector
streets built within 60’ right-of-way.
SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING:
North- single family; SF-7
ITEM 5
Page 2 of 5
South – single family; SF-9
East – single family; SF-9 and SF-7
West – single family; SF-9
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
Coppell 2030, A Comprehensive Master Plan, shows this property as Residential
Neighborhood with two schools designated.
DISCUSSION:
As noted above, these school facilities were constructed approximately 30 years ago and
have not had significant changes to the exterior of the building or the athletic facilities since
that time. However, earlier this year, CISD improved the field with artificial turf, added
new goal posts and resurfaced the track. As part of that improvement project, the existing
chain link fence was replaced with an 8’ ornamental fence encircling the track and field.
The second phase of this project will be to provide additional parking, bleachers, press box,
concession/restroom facility and field lighting like Coppell Middle School North and West.
Similar to the other two middle school fields, it is anticipated that the City of Coppell will
partner with the School District to allow for a joint use of the fields for youth sports such
as football, soccer and lacrosse. The proposed Interlocal Agreement for CMSE was
discussed at a City Council work session in April, and the formal agreement is tentatively
scheduled to be considered in conjunction with this PD Zoning at City Council on January
9, 2018.
Bleachers/Press Box
The site plan indicates one set of bleachers, 140 feet wide, with 11 rows, and a height of
11.5 feet. These bleachers are proposed to be located along the west side of the track, facing
east, approximately 330 feet from the property line. On top of the bleachers will be a 74-
square foot, 9-foot tall press box with balcony surrounded by a 4-foot chain link fence with
a guard rail. The speaker system for this facility will be placed on the east side of the field
and will be attached to the new light poles. The speakers will be facing west, away from
the existing homes.
Concession/Restroom Building
Just south of the track, a 1,620-square foot concession stand/restroom facility is proposed.
This structure will be bricked to match the main buildings, with entrances on the south side
facing the track. The 8-foot tall ornamental fencing will also encircle this structure with
gates on the north and south sides. There are several drafting issues with this exhibit (brick
colors not defined, elevation directions not correct, etc.) which will need to be addressed.
The property will need to be graded to assure that the access to this building is ADA
complaint.
Parking
Between the existing parking lot and the tennis courts, a 46-space parking lot is proposed
along Falcon Lane. The existing open drainage area will be filled and underground
drainage system installed to accommodate this parking area. There will not be additional
lighting of these parking spaces. Staff is recommending that three parking spaces closest
to Falcon Lane be eliminated. This would provide a slightly larger buffer from the
residential as well as to comply with the Landscape Regulations which permit a maximum
ITEM 5
Page 3 of 5
of 15 parking spaces between landscape islands (there are 18 spaces in this row). A
landscaped hedgerow is required to buffer this parking area from Falcon Lane.
Lighting
The final changes to this athletic field is the inclusion of lighting to allow for usage after
dark. CISD does not anticipate activities extending past 9:00 in the evening, and the city’s
use of the field generally should not extend past that same time frame.
Although these four light poles (two on each side of the field) are 70 feet tall, the LED type
fixtures are designed so that there will not be spillover lighting into the abutting homes, to
be complaint with the City’s Glare and Lighting Standards of the Zoning Ordinance. This
provision, in part, regulates that the allowable maximum intensity measured at the property
line of a residential use in a residential district shall be 0.25 foot candles. The Photometric
Study submitted with this request indicates compliance with this ordinance. Once installed,
staff will measure the intensity of light along the east, north and southern property lines.
Finally, the Glare and Lighting Standards also regulate the following:
“Any use shall be operated so as not to produce obnoxious and intense glare or
direct illumination across the bounding property line from a visible source of
illumination of such intensity as to create a nuisance or detract from the use or
enjoyment of adjacent property. All outside lights shall be made up of a light source
and reflector so selected that acting together the light beam is controlled and not
directed across any bounding property line above a height of three feet”
Consideration may need to be given to additional shielding to insure compliance with this
regulation.
In summary, these improvements will enhance the amenities at this athletic facility to be
comparable with the other middle schools in Coppell.
On December 21, 2017, the Planning and Zoning Commission with a vote of (4-1) held
this case under advisement until January 18, 2018, to allow the applicant time to
address outstanding conditions and to meet with the neighborhood.
CISD held a Town Hall meeting at the Coppell Middle School East cafeteria on
January 11th. There were approximately 150 citizens in attendance. CISD’s
presentation noted that they had met with representatives of the neighborhood and
based on those discussions, they are revising the proposal as follows:
• Lower profile of bleachers & press box (remove film deck); seating not to exceed
300.
• No Sunday activities for CISD or City use.
• No lights or sound system after 9:00 PM.
• Sound system at or less than 50 decibels at school property lines.
• Parking expansion moved from Falcon Lane to area between Mockingbird
Elementary and CMSE.
• Restrooms & concession stand locked when not in use by CISD or City.
• Allow for community use of track when not in use by CISD or City; could be
restricted if property is damaged.
• All of these restrictions will be detailed in the inter-local agreement between CISD
and City.
ITEM 5
Page 4 of 5
The hand-outs from the CISD meeting are included in this packet.
The applicant revised exhibits and provided them to staff today. The revisions to the
exhibits includes:
the deletion of the proposed parking on Falcon Lane (Revised Site Plan)
the reconfiguration and expansion of the existing parking lot north of the
middle school to have a net increase in of 43 parking spaces, (Revised Site
Plan)
the revisions to the size of the bleachers to reflect 300 seats, and reduction of
the height to 8’4”, and (Revised Site Plan and Bleachers Plan View and
Sections)
the revised elevations of the press box to delete the fenced in film deck,
reducing the overall height of bleachers and the press box to less than 20 feet.
(Revised Press Box)
Staff may have additional technical comments on the revised exhibits at the P&Z
meeting on Thursday.
Attached to this staff report is a map indicating the written responses received to this
PD. As of 11:00 a.m. on January 12, 2018, the following written responses have been
received:
37 in opposition within the 200-foot notification area
4 in favor within the 200-foot notification area
1 undecided
8 in opposition between 201-800 feet
0 in favor between 201 and 800 feet
4 in favor outside of 800 feet
Finally, attached are two e-mails from neighborhood representatives received after
last night’s town hall meeting and responds to the compromises offered by CISD.
REVISED ATTACHMENTS:
1. Handouts from the January 11th CISD meeting
2. Response Map as of 1.12.18
3. E-Mail from Mrs. Downing
4. E-Mail from Mr. Warner
5. Revised Site Plan (C-3)
6. Revised Section of Bleachers (C-4)
7. Revised Plan View of Bleachers (C-4a)
8. Revised Press Box (C-5)
9. Exhibits from December Planning and Zoning Meeting
10. Photometric Study
ITEM 5
Page 5 of 5
RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION:
Staff is recommending APPROVAL of PD-292-SF-12, Coppell Middle School East subject to the following
conditions:
1. Additional comments will be generated at the time detail engineering review of the grading, drainage,
utility and paving plans.
2. Sheet C-6 being revised to define brick colors, correct the elevation directions, etc.
3. Insuring access to the concession/restroom facility are ADA complaint.
4. Revising the proposed parking lot layout to reduce the number of spaces on the south side to 15, and
including a landscape buffer/hedgerow parallel to Falcon Lane.
5. Correct the height of the light fixtures to 70’ on Sheets C-3 and C3a to reflect the height as specified on
the Photometric Study.
6. Correct the size of the concession/restroom facility in the table on Sheets C-3, C-3a and C-3b.
7. Include the location, size, height, etc. of the electronic score board.
8. Include additional information on the speaker system, type location, etc.
9. The additional details of the press box will be required at the time of permitting.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Recommend approval of the request
2. Recommend disapproval of the request
3. Recommend modification of the request
4. Recommend holding this case under advisement until a later date.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Site Plan (C-3)
2. Enlarged Site Plans (C-3a and C-3b)
3. Bleachers (C-4)
4. Press Box (C-5)
5. Concessions Building Elevations (C-6)
6. Field Lighting (C-7)
7. Photometric Study