Golf Ranch seeks more covered bays, a new lot and a Renner Road turn lane at its UTD-area range

The driving range at Renner Road and Waterview Parkway wants to grow, and its first fix would be for the cars.

Golf Ranch, which runs the range on University of Texas System property beside UT Dallas, is asking Richardson to amend the special permit for the roughly 31-acre site at 3570 Waterview Parkway. The City Plan Commission takes up the request at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at City Hall, 2360 Campbell Creek Blvd.

The public hearing opened Sept. 15 and was carried over so the property owner could review the plans and permit conditions, according to the staff report.

What would change

The range has 71 hitting bays today: 45 under an aluminum canopy with ball-tracking technology, six inside a building called the golf barn and 20 out in the open. The plan would replace the uncovered bays with a new covered structure of 28 bays, so every bay would have a roof and the tracking system.

Golf Ranch also proposes:

• a 109-space paved lot on the northeast part of the property, with its own Renner Road entrance;
• a median opening and left-turn lane on Renner so westbound drivers can turn into the existing lot;
• a new 1,500-square-foot food and drink building, possibly made from shipping containers, with a 5,000-square-foot patio, plus a 500-square-foot expansion of the existing food container;
• a small check-in building; and
• 40-foot netting on poles beside Waterview Parkway and Synergy Park Boulevard.

Parking comes first

The staff report says demand has outgrown the site. A gravel overflow lot at the northwest corner was allowed as a stopgap after customers parked over curbs and in the grass along Renner and Waterview.

Under the proposed conditions, at least 223 paved spaces must be built before the canopy for the 28 new bays goes up, the Renner turn lane must be finished before the new lot opens, and the gravel lot must be removed and landscaped within 90 days after that.

Because Richardson's zoning code has no parking ratio for driving ranges, staff and the applicant used the ratio for private recreation studios, one space per 100 square feet of activity area.

The permit would stay tied to the current operator, North Campus Practice Range LLC, doing business as Golf Ranch, and would end if the operator or ownership changes. Allowed hours would remain 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. In a letter to the city, the company said it bought out the previous operator's lease and has invested in the covered bays and food service.

Its lease with the UT System, with options, runs to 2035, and the staff report notes the land is part of UTD's holdings for future campus growth.

Staff had received no public comments as of the report. The commission makes a recommendation; the City Council has the final say.

Sources

cor.net

cor.net

cor.net