The Coppell Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 20 approved PD‑323 HC (Coppell Entertainment Plaza), a plan development and companion minor plat for a 17,655‑square‑foot building to contain five indoor pickleball courts with speculative restaurant and retail space on a 1.62‑acre property north of State Highway 121. The commission also approved the minor plat required to create Lot 1, Block A for the project. Both votes were unanimous among commissioners present.

Staff presenter Matt Steer described the site plan, parking and landscape commitments. The plan proposes 73 parking spaces where 66 are required, allocates enhanced paving and a 25% landscape area plus 8% enhanced pavement, and proposes stucco, stone veneer and a standing‑seam roof to improve the building facade. Steer said TxDOT approval will be required for a drainage tie‑in and listed several staff conditions, including a requirement that a six‑foot masonry screening wall be built along the north property line adjacent to the Coppell Greens subdivision before building construction goes vertical, and that seven proposed Chinese pistache trees be verified and increased to a 3‑inch caliper size on the planting plans.

Developer Jason Chen described the business model: a hybrid membership and pay‑to‑play indoor pickleball facility that also includes a small coffee/food tenant. "We have been operating for 1 year now" in another location and are expanding to Coppell, Chen said.

Phil LaBerge, vice president of the Coppell Greens Homeowners Association, said the HOA’s primary concerns were lighting and access to the common area behind the site. LaBerge said a photometric plan addressed the HOA’s lighting concern and requested a locked gate in the rear wall so the HOA could maintain and access its common area. The applicant indicated willingness to work with the HOA on a gated access solution while acknowledging legal and liability details may require review.

Commissioner Ed Marr moved approval of PD‑323 HC subject to the staff conditions and an additional condition enabling a rear access point (gate) to the HOA common area; Marr also asked that the HOA and applicant finalize a signed access agreement. Commissioner Ken Hapeman seconded. The roll call was: Blankenship, Guerra, Patel, Haas, Marr and Hapeman — all aye; Commissioner Bishop had left the meeting before the vote. The minor plat passed on a separate motion with the same staff conditions.

Key staff conditions included: TxDOT approval for the stormwater tie‑in; adjustments identified during detailed engineering review; a requirement to file a plat of record prior to permitting; compliance of building signage with the sign ordinance; verification and sizing of the proposed Chinese pistache plantings; rectifying discrepancies between renderings and final elevations; construction of the six‑foot screening wall prior to vertical construction; and payment of tree mitigation fees at the time of tree removal permitting. Steer noted six protected trees are proposed for removal and staff identified $7,400 in combined on‑site and off‑site tree mitigation and improvements.

Staff said the applicant must address minor plan clarifications (five Chinese pistache trees missing from the plan graphic and caliper sizing adjustments). The project will proceed to City Council for review; staff indicated the plat and PD items will be scheduled for council consideration on March 11.