A proposed multifamily housing development could be heading to north McKinney in the near future.

McKinney’s Planning and Zoning Commission met on Tuesday to consider the next steps for “McDonald St. Multifamily,” a proposed 186-unit multifamily development project located at 3352 N. McDonald St. in northeast McKinney. The multifamily apartment complex is expected to include both one- and two-bedroom units, city documents show.

The proposed multifamily project would occupy roughly 12.6 acres of land in Northeast McKinney, according to city documents.

The development — which has already been zoned for multifamily uses — would include six two-story buildings with a combined 254,604 square feet, a swimming pool, a fitness room, and a combined library and business center, the site plan shows.

During the January 10 meeting, McKinney’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voted to request a variance for the property.

A variance request is a form of regulatory relief offered to developers and property owners whose projects face the strict application of zoning regulations to alleviate an unusual hardship for a particular property.

The McDonald St. Multifamily project raised some concerns from local residents regarding potential increased traffic, limited access to emergency services, and disruption of animal habitats and native plant species on the property, according to reporting on the meeting.

McKinney’s Planning and Zoning Commission will deliberate the variance request at its next scheduled meeting on February 7.

Residential and multifamily development projects have been popping up all around North Texas thanks to the sharp increase in demand for housing in the area. This is largely due to the surge of people relocating to the area from other states.

Although demand for North Texas real estate continues to grow relative to other cities in Texas, demand for Dallas continues to fall short, underperforming that of neighbors.

This is because neighboring cities like Plano and Frisco operate a more fine-tuned permitting system than that of Dallas, which has struggled to dig itself out of the hole it created following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In many cases, Dallas’ slow permitting process. overseen by City Manager T.C. Broadnax, along with the crises of crime, homelessness, and vagrancy, drive developers and potential residents to other cities in the region.