Richardson City Plan Commission Meeting March 7th, 2023

Four of the five current regular commissioners are present, Chairman Marsh, (Newly promoted) Vice-Chair Southard, Commissioner Walraven, and Commissioner Costantino. Alternates Nate Roberts and Gary Beach are also present and will participate. Commissioner Keller is absent.

Minutes of the previous meeting are approved unanimously.

The first item is a public hearing on ZF 23-02, a request to allow outdoor amenities at an existing apartment complex. Most of the “proposed” amenities already exist. The reason this is before the CPC is due to the unique regulatory requirements for this planned development. The applicant introduces himself and mentions some of the existing amenities. One of those current amenities is an after-school daycare service provided free to residents. (JN: That’s the stuff we need more of. Increased amenities for families with children can attract more of those families to Richardson. Ideally, this leads to increased enrollment and funding for public schools.) Though it doesn’t pertain to the zoning case, Vice-Chair Southard asks about the after-school program out of curiosity. The applicant answers that they partner with a Dallas-based nonprofit, Kid’s U. (JN: After checking out Kid’s U’s website, I’m really glad the applicant highlighted the program. This is cool stuff. I hope we find a way to encourage more apartment complexes to utilize their services. Richardson’s future would greatly benefit from it.) One public speaker expresses concern over the current parking situation in the area surrounding the apartment complex. She states that parking is spilling over into the surrounding neighborhoods. The applicant states that adding parking would require another zoning case for “major modifications”, so that is currently not in the plans. The CPC votes unanimously to recommend approval.

The last item is a public hearing on ZF 23-03, a request for a special permit for Galen Nursing School. The current zoning for this land is for office buildings, so this is a continuation of the pattern of office buildings being converted to another use. Galen Nursing School is now majority-owned by HCA Healthcare, who have their fair share of controversies, most recently stemming from the response to nurses asking for increased protections and working conditions during the pandemic. These controversies are linked with the parent company’s hospital network however, not with Galen Nursing School. Due to the potential impact of additional traffic generated, staff recommends the applicant be limited to a maximum of 300 onsite students at any given time. The applicant cites the national nursing shortage and their student demographics as reasons this university will have a positive impact on the community. The CPC votes unanimously to recommend approval, and the meeting adjourns.