Plano North | November 2023

Government

BY SAMANTHA DOUTY & CONNOR PITTMAN

Collin County voters show favor for bond propositions

Plano considering revitalization grants Plano staff are seeking to move forward with a retail rehabilitation program in the form of various grants to help commerce centers across the city. The gist If created, the program would allow the city to provide funding assistance to different retail areas within Plano. It could also func- tion as an economic incentive for attracting companies into the city, Plano Director of Special Projects Peter Braster said. If a formal retail rehabilitation grant pro- gram is created, city staff will look for input on which areas are used as trial locations. Braster said the rehabilitation grant process could work similarly to other Plano economic development grants that include a committee review, data analysis and council approval. City officials also plan to create a set of criteria to define eligibility for the grants. Breaking it down Several categories of grant could be included in a future program, including: • Location, which is typically paid to a retail center tenant • Lease buy down • Facade improvement • Demolition • Landscaping

Election results show voters are in favor of all five Collin County bond propositions, according to Collin County voting results. The details Proposition A, which includes $261.86 million for justice facility projects such as expanding the Russel A. Steindam Courts Building and expanding the juvenile justice facility, garnered 53% of votes cast in favor. Proposition B, which includes $5.7 million for the county’s animal shelter, received nearly 65% of votes for the item. The funds will be used to add a one-story, 10,000-square-foot expansion at the animal shelter. Proposition C includes $13.36 million for the construction of a new one-story, 20,000-square-foot medical examiner’s office. The item received over 55% of votes cast in favor. Proposition D, which encompasses $22.45 million for parks and open spaces throughout the county, earned about 63% of votes. Proposition E includes $380 million for various road projects such as the development of regional corridor roadways and the Outer Loop. The item received over 70,000 votes for it, representing nearly 75% of votes cast. What else? There were 98,262 ballots cast countywide, which represents 13.9% of Collin County’s 706,388 voters. Nearly half the ballots cast, totaling 46,907, were cast during early voting. All results are unofficial until canvassed. The context County officials are looking to make infra- structure and facility improvements due to their

Results breakdown

For

Against

49,873 44,152 Proposition A: Justice facility expansion projects 61,271 33,272 Proposition B: County animal shelter expansion 51,791 41,338 Proposition C: New medical examiner's office 59,525 34,492 Proposition D: Parks and open spaces 70,742 24,099 Proposition E: Roadway infrastructure projects

SOURCE: COLLIN COUNTY ELECTIONS/COMMUNITY IMPACT

increased use by the growing population. “Growth is the big issue,” county Engineering Director Clarence Daugherty said. “Collin County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, and that just puts a strain on all the services in the county.” Collin County’s population is set to nearly triple to 3.4 million people near 2070, Daugherty said.

• Lighting • Signage • Paving

390 apartments, restaurant approved for mixed-use project in downtown Plano A rezoning request for redeveloping a tract of land downtown with a mixed-use development containing apartments and a restaurant with outdoor pickleball courts received approval from Plano City Council. The project called Railside Lofts and Courts, What you need to know The development proposal includes 390 mul- tifamily units, a restaurant, six indoor pickleball courts and a game lawn area in downtown Plano, according to city documents. 14TH ST. 13TH ST.

Per the documents, the apartment building will be five stories tall and will also include a proposed dog park and a five-story parking garage.

located at the corner of 13th Street and Municipal Avenue near the future site of the Silver Line’s 12th Street Station, was approved during the Oct. 9 meeting.

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