Staff ReportITEM # 6
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CITY OF COPPELL
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
CASE NO.: S-1244R-LI, Rolling Oaks Memorial Center
P&Z HEARING DATE: April 18, 2019
C.C. HEARING DATE: May 14, 2019
STAFF REP.: Mary Paron-Boswell, Sr. Planner
LOCATION: 400 Freeport Parkway
SIZE OF AREA: 27.698 acres of property
CURRENT ZONING: S-1244-LI (Special Use Permit-1244 -Light Industrial)
REQUEST: A zoning change request to S-1244R-LI (Special Use Permit-1244 Revised -Light
Industrial), to approve a revised site and landscape plans and building elevations
for the expansion of the Rolling Oaks Memorial Center, including buildings, plots
and Mausoleum, on approximately 27.698 acres of property located at the northeast
quadrant of Freeport Parkway and Ruby Road (400 Freeport Parkway), at the
request of the City of Coppell.
APPLICANT: Owner: Engineer:
City of Coppell Bryce Barkus
255 Parkway Blvd. MKEC Engineering Inc.
Coppell, TX 75019 411 N. Webb St.
Attn: John Elias Wichita, KS 67206
972-462-5115 316-684-9600
Email: jelias@Coppelltx.gov bbarkus@mkec.com
HISTORY: The City of Coppell acquired this property in the year 2000 and a Feasibility Study
for this site was originally conducted in 2004. In 2008, the site was rezoned to S-
1244-LI to allow the development of a Municipal Cemetery and ancillary uses. In
the first phase of development a mortuary, columbarium, pavilion and burial areas
were established. The property was platted originally in 2008 into one lot that
encompassed approximately 16 acres. It was then replatted in 2009, creating three
lots; Lot 1R for the existing cemetery, Lot 2 for the funeral home and Lot 3 for a
columbarium. In 2016, it was recommended that the entire site be reevaluated, and
from that reevaluation a new conceptual master plan was created. This new master
plan addressed future phases and took into consideration appropriate amenities and
ultimate buildout of the entire property. The resulting conceptual Master Plan was
considered and endorsed by the City Council at the May 9, 2017 meeting.
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HISTORIC COMMENT: We have found nothing of historic significance attached to this property.
TRANSPORTATION: Freeport Parkway is a four-lane divided thoroughfare.
Ruby Road is a two-lane undivided thoroughfare.
SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING:
North: Single-family home use & Alford Media; LI (Light Industrial)
South: The Container Store – PD-186R5- LI (Light Industrial)
East: Oak Park Village & Golden Triangle Mobile Home Parks; 2F-9 (Two-Family-
Nine)
West: Wagon Wheel Park; LI (Light Industrial)
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Community Wellness and Enrichment: Excellent and Well-Maintained City
Infrastructure and Facilities
DISCUSSION: When Phase 1 of this property was originally developed it was thought that the
4,700 spaces would accommodate 10 years of service before another phase would
be required. However, based on the average number of spaces being sold per year,
more area is required to fill the need and requests of the consumer. Sheet C-2 is
the fully developed site plan and identifies Phase 1 elements as “existing”; Phase 2
elements as “proposed”; and future phases as “future.”
Phase 2 includes the replatting Lots 1R and 3, together with the remaining unplatted
property east of the existing cemetery that the City of Coppell owns, for a total of
approximately 27.698 acres of property. The Site Plan for Phase 2 (sheet C-4)
includes the following elements proposed to be constructed with this phase:
• Crypts
• Mausoleum
• Family Estates
• Children’s garden expansion
• Three shelter/pavilion areas
• Office and maintenance shop area
• Lake area
• Extension of the fire lane
The proposed buildings and building material will match and complement the
existing buildings. The pavilion/ shelter areas will be constructed of brick and stone
with cast stone accents and have a standing seam metal roof with gutters and
downspouts. The mausoleum will also be constructed with those same materials;
however, the entombment or crypt area will have a granite crypt front (tombstone)
where an inscription can be placed. The mausoleum will be outward facing,
meaning that there is no “inside” of the building for visitors to walk into. All of the
crypts will be visible from the outside. The office and maintenance shop building
will also be constructed of the same brick and stone materials, with a standing seam
metal roof. This new building will allow staff to move out of their current location
in the columbarium and gives staff a more appropriate space to meet with customers
and run the operation.
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The site is heavily wooded, and most of the Phase 2 development will occur in the
middle section of the property, leaving a good majority of the site in its natural
state. Sheet L-0 gives a good visual of the proposed landscaping and what is being
preserved. In the areas where trees are proposed to be removed in order to prepare
the site for the burial grounds or buildings, landscaping is proposed. For example,
along the northern portion of the site a dense evergreen hedge of Nellie R. Stevens
Holly is proposed. The ground will be hydromulched or have sod laid down. Where
possible some of the larger existing trees will be kept. Along the proposed access
easement, a variety of street trees are proposed along the edges of the pavement to
create a tree lined street feel. The Children’s Garden will be expanded to include
stepping stones, boulders, a gravel walk, more trees and groundcover. Areas
around all of the proposed elements have incorporated landscaping in the form of
trees, bushes, shrubs, sod and groundcover.
The new office and maintenance shop area will have a gated driveway onto Ruby
Road. This will only be accessible for the staff of the cemetery. An eight-foot tall
cedar fence is proposed to be constructed to screen the maintenance yard and
dumpster from Ruby Road. In addition to the solid wood fence, a live screen of
evergreens is proposed both for aesthetics and for additional screening.
The northern and eastern perimeters of the site currently have a chain link fence in
place. These fences will be repaired where necessary but are not proposed to be
replaced with this phase of construction. While typically the development of
property adjacent to residential zoning requires a masonry screening wall (in this
instance the eastern perimeter abuts the mobile home communities of Oak Park
Village and Golden Triangle), the existing treed eastern perimeter acts as a more
effective screen then a brick wall would. The majority of the wooded area along
the eastern perimeter not being developed and will remain undisturbed. The
southeastern corner of the site will have a lake feature constructed, which will be
more than 50-feet from the property line. The area around the lake will by
landscaped and sodded as well.
RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION:
Staff is recommending APPROVAL of S-1244R-LI, Rolling Oaks Memorial Center, subject to:
1. There may additional comments generated during detail engineering review.
2. Add “Phase 2” to the title block
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Recommend approval of the request
2. Recommend disapproval of the request
3. Recommend modification of the request
4. Take under advisement for reconsideration at a later date
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Fully Developed Site Plan
2. Site Plan
3. Overall Planting Plan
4. Building Elevations and Perspective View (12 pages)