During its regular meeting on Tuesday, Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission approved on a 4-2 vote a request to rezone 89 acres to allow for retail and residential on a new development called The Railhead. The development is located on the west side of Dallas Parkway, just south of Wakeland High School in Frisco.
Frisco City Council will have final approval and will vote on the request during its Nov. 7 meeting.
According to the request, “the plan envisions an urban environment that will serve as a destination for Frisco residents as well provide a walkable community for those that reside and work within the development.”
The plans for the development show office, retail, restaurant, hotel and urban living focused around a central park in the heart of the development. There is a maximum number of 1,280 living units proposed for this project.
According to the developer, the living units will be one-bedroom apartments aimed toward millennials and young couples.
According to city staff, the developer met with surrounding Home Owners Associations in which residents raised questions about traffic, number of urban living units, access to Legacy Drive and trail system connection. According to city staff, after meeting with the developer attendees expressed a general support for the development.
There were several residents of the Shaddock Creek Estates, adjacent of the proposed development, present at the meeting who shared some concern about the inclusion of apartments within the project.
Residents said they feared that the apartments would add to the traffic and perhaps even have potential impact to the school district.
Kimley-Horn Associates, the engineering consultant of the project, conducted a traffic study that showed that the development would have a low impact to traffic since the purpose of the development is to live, work and play in one place.
Frisco’s Development Services Director John Lettelleir also said that research has shown that urban living units have low impact to school districts.
Proposed development, The Railhead, will be located just south of Frisco's Wakeland High School.[/caption]
