A new development is coming to Plano after the recent approval of a zoning change that has been in dispute since September, Community Impact Newspaper reported.
The project will be built on one of Plano’s largest undeveloped pieces of land, owned by the Haggard family. They have owned land in Plano since the 1800s.
On Tuesday, December 7th, the Plano City Council held a meeting where they voted 5-3 in favor of the change in zoning. Council members Anthony Ricciardelli, Shelby Williams, and Rick Smith voted against the zoning change.
All three complimented the plan but ultimately pointed out issues related to high building density and lack of compliance with city planning documents.
Rutledge Haggard, the owner of Haggard Enterprises, had different sentiments towards the project.
“It’s the culmination of a lot of effort,” said Haggard about the zoning changes. “I think we got the best outcome, and [residents] will enjoy the project. It will be something they can be complimentary of.”
The project will have a rustic farm and include a restaurant that will serve locally sourced food. The development site is more than 2 million square feet, located between Spring Creek Parkway and Parkwood Boulevard.
It will also include townhomes, parking garages, high-end apartments, a boutique hotel, retail business spaces, outdoor event spaces, a park, offices, and a large pond.
According to developers, the project has been in the planning stages for over a year. It was first proposed publicly at the September 20th planning and zoning meeting. The commission tabled the plan multiple times to give the developers more time to hear and address residents’ concerns.
Some changes to the plan at those meetings were limitations to where retirement and multifamily housing units could be placed, changes to a pedestrian crosswalk, and more specific language on where commercial properties would be built. The addition of an extensive screening wall with landscaping to help conceal parking garages was also added as part of negotiations.
“We wanted to find a way to create a walkable, pedestrian-friendly, low-density development, which is what the Haggard family wants, and what we are proposing,” said Clay Roby, Managing Director at Stillwater Capital. Haggard Enterprises Limited is developing the project with Stillwater Capital.
A complete layout of the plan can be seen here.
