Temporary buildings, sometimes referred to as portables or portable buildings, are allowed in Prosper as long as their permits are renewed every three years.
Prosper Town Council members discussed the policy while renewing the First Baptist Church’s permit for a temporary building during a March 12 meeting.
Two-minute impact
First Baptist Church has used the same temporary building as a child-care center since 2016, according to meeting documents.
“At some point it's no longer being used as a temporary building,” council member Amy Bartley said.
The permit was ultimately renewed with the condition the church expedite plans to build a permanent building. A representative for the church said during the meeting that they have site plans ready to be approved but are waiting on an emergency road to be finished.
Temporary buildings can typically be used for 12-15 years before they need to be replaced as long as they pass inspections, which the child care center has, Development Services Director David Hoover said.
“They're definitely right on the edge, so to speak, assuming [it was installed in] 2016,” he said.
Going forward
The discussion item is expected to be brought up at a future council meeting.
“We need to decide amongst ourselves what’s reasonable there for us to continue saying ‘Yes, yes, yes,’ to extensions,” Bartley said.
Prosper ISD has different provisions for its temporary building use and will be considered in the discussions, Bartley said.
A full list of upcoming town meetings can be found here.
