Government
785-acre mixed-use project gets zoning
Changes coming to downtown parking Plans are underway to remove 33 unmarked parking spaces in downtown McKinney in an attempt to improve vehicle circulation along select roads, Engineer- ing Director Gary Graham said. Council members agreed with the plan following a presentation at a March 31 work session. In a nutshell The proposed changes will result in the loss of 33 unmarked spaces that are actively used, according to a sta presentation: • Seven spaces on North Wood Street • Nine spaces on East Lamar Street • Eight spaces on South Church Street • Nine spaces on West Davis Street The roads were selected because they’re less than 30 feet wide, according to the sta presentation. No parking signs will be installed in areas with current active park- ing. Parking will still be allowed in marked spaces, Graham said.
BLOOMDALE RD.
Huntington Park
Plans are underway for a 785-acre mixed-used development in McKinney called Huntington Park. The new development plans for a mix of single-family homes, townhomes, commercial space and urban multifamily units. The project is proposed by Dallas-based development rm Billingsley Company. The big picture McKinney’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the zoning request during an April 8 meeting. If approved by City Council, the zoning will allow for devel- opment of multifamily residential, single-family residential and commercial on about 785 acres north of US 380. Lucy Billingsley, partner at the Billingsley Company, said the zoning change was requested in light of the adjacent US 380 bypass route. “The bypass naturally creates a huge barrier in the area and calls for commercial zoning next to it,” she said. A mix of single-family residential and commer- cial development is currently slated for develop- ment on the land. If approved, the new zoning
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Community farm initiative planned for Gray Branch Parkland McKinney o cials have the go-ahead to negotiate an agreement for developing a commu- nity farm on a portion of Gray Branch Parkland. Council members approved a resolution in support of the project at a March 31 meeting. The farm would be operated by McKinney Roots, a nonpro t organization currently based north of US 380, with the goal of expanding its educational and community engagement oppor- tunities. The nonpro t is seeking a long-term lease agreement to open and operate the farm on a patch of land purchased by the city in 2016. In a nutshell McKinney Roots is a food donation farm that distributes fresh produce to local nonpro ts and churches within Collin County, according to its would lower the acreage dedicated to single-fam- ily and increase the acreage dedicated to commer- cial. Development o cials are also planning to develop multifamily and open space. McKinney City Council is expected to vote on the zoning request at a May 6 meeting. The details The new zoning would split the land into various planned uses. Single-family residential homes would be built on the west and south sides of the proposed devel- opment, according to the sta presentation, and would include a mix of townhomes and detached houses. Urban multi-family will be developed near the center with commercial planned on the north and east sides.
City hires assistant city manager
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Land purchased by McKinney
Following a nation- wide search, Jennifer Arnold was promoted to serve as assistant city manager. The appointment
GRAY BRANCH PARKLAND
Site of existing barn
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comes following the departure of former Assistant City Manager Kim Flom, who left the role in early March. Arnold began in the role March 24. The speci cs Arnold has worked for the city of McKin- ney since 2007, and most recently served as the director of planning. In her prior director role, she oversaw daily planning activities and contributed to new construction e orts, a news release states. Jennifer Arnold
website. Expanding into Gray Branch can help McKinney Roots grow its educational opportu- nities in many di erent ways, McKinney Roots Director Rick Wells said. The farm would be located on a 62-acre patch of land acquired by the city in 2016 for $3.5 million, city documents state. Plans for the site include developing a center for educational purposes, as well as a catering kitchen and food processing room, a greenhouse, a half-acre community garden, a picnic area and other amenities.
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