A master plan to address the growing need for green space and recreation has been passed by the Plano City Council.
The city launched a master review of land use, transportation, density, and growth management in 2019. It was replaced in 2021 and updated again this year.
“The Comprehensive Plan is a 20-to-30-year framework to guide the city’s future, providing policy and direction related to future growth and redevelopment, transportation, housing, city services, and other important aspects of the community,” the city said on its website.
“The Plan informs current and future decision-makers about where we’ve been, where we are today, where we want to go, and how we intend to get there.”
Changes in 2023 include the acquisition of greenbelts along Spring Creek Parkway between Windhaven and Midway Road and along White Rock Creek, the Plano Star Courier reported.
Plans to complete the Chisolm Trail between Park Boulevard and President George Bush Turnpike and incorporate the incoming Collin Creek Mall redevelopment are included, according to the Star Courier.
Beacon Square, another development located near Coit Road and President George Bush Turnpike, will also benefit from a new park and green space, and the city plans to acquire more land near Haggard Park downtown.
Kendall Howard, a consultant from Halff and Associates hired by the city, said the park master plan is updated every five years, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
“[It’s] just identifying the needs and vision going forward, implementation of all the actions found within the park system plan made with council approval, and funded with voter-approved costs,” Howard said.
Residents have told the city through multiple surveys that they want more community health and walkability options, the Star Courier reported. Plano’s Parks and Recreation Department has said it will provide more opportunities for walkers, cyclists, and other trail users.
The city also announced a deal to increase the availability of pickleball courts in conjunction with the Plano Sports Authority.
The master plan says future housing in Plano will depend on a reconfiguration of industrial or commercial sites. The city projects a population of 322,600 in 2050, up from 287,600 in 2021.
Only 500 acres in the city have been zoned for residential developments, and only 5% of land remains undeveloped.
“This makes accurately projecting Plano’s future population a challenge,” the master plan’s executive summary explained.