The last time the city of Frisco adopted a master plan for downtown Frisco was in 1998. Nearly 20 years later, the plan is receiving an update. On Sept. 19, Frisco City Council approved a $332,700 contract with consulting firm Gateway Planning to update the nearly 20-year-old plan. The update to the plan will include re-evaluating land uses and an update to current traffic and parking conditions. The update is expected to be complete in August. One of the top priorities that came out of City Council’s winter work session in January was creating an update to the downtown master plan. In the past two years, downtown Frisco has received more attention and interest with the opening of new businesses and recent announcements of upcoming developments. This attention has caused issues with traffic congestion on Main Street as well as parking for residents and downtown merchants. Frisco Director of Development Services John Lettelleir said Council had discussed if the city should focus solely on fixing transportation in downtown; however, Lettelleir told council members they needed to look at the whole area for the plan update. “Traffic and land use go hand-in-hand, and too many times cities across this nation have expanded roadways in their downtown to facilitate traffic to the detriment of their downtown,” Lettelleir said. “You have to be very careful—downtown is a neighborhood, and I don’t think anybody would want to increase traffic in any neighborhood.” Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said the city typically updates its master plans every five to seven years and would almost never allow a master plan to go more than 10 years before being updated. “The reason why we’re almost [at] 20 years for downtown is because the last 10 years, it probably would have been pointless to update because we didn’t [have a] direction,” Cheney said. “I think right now, it’s the first time that we’re starting to see what downtown Frisco can and will become. And so I think it’s absolutely critical for us to get that vision down on paper.” The 1998 master plan In 1998, Frisco City Council adopted a downtown master plan that would preserve both the cultural and structural heritage of Frisco and facilitate development in the area, Lettelleir said. Downtown Frisco is centered along Main Street and extends from First Street to North and South County Road. Lettelleir said all of the items in the 1998 plan have been implemented. “We have the bones there, and we need to improve the bones to keep [downtown] vibrant,” Lettelleir said. The main item that came out of the 1998 master plan was creating two zoning districts for downtown known as Original Town Commercial and Original Town Residential. The reason for this was to include more commercial areas within downtown, Lettelleir said. Commercial and residential buildings in those districts must follow specific architectural standards that are historically sensitive. The master plan also amended the zoning ordinance to allow for land uses that were conducive to downtown and served the population. For example, the plan does not allow for a car rental business or a boat retailer. Another objective of the 1998 plan was to focus on transportation. The plan lays out an action plan for the city to keep the stretch of Main Street between the railroad line and County Road at two lanes, expand Main Street between North County Road to Preston Road to four lanes, and add a traffic light at Fifth Street and Main Street. These all have been implemented by the city. Updating the plan At the time the 1998 master plan was adopted, Frisco's population was 25,000 residents. In August this year, the population reached just over 168,000 people—a nearly 600 percent increase. Lettelleir said the update could continue to keep downtown Frisco vibrant and unique, especially when attracting companies to the city. “When you have big companies such as Amazon that are looking for a new location, they’re looking for areas that have a ‘wow’ factor,” Lettelleir said. “So you want to have a unique downtown. [Attracting companies is] not the sole purpose [for the update], but you got to have these areas that are vibrant for the community.” The update will feature several objectives, such as re-evaluating land uses, developing a strategy for parking and transportation, recommending a pedestrian plaza and preserving the architectural heritage. “The update will take an in-depth look at parking, open spaces, public improvements and the overall walkability of downtown,” Lettelleir said. Lettelleir said he does not expect the zoning to change with the update, but some standards may be amended. As part of the plan, a committee was created to work with the consultant firm throughout the process. There will be a total of 10 committee members made up of members of city boards and commissions as well as downtown residents and merchants. The process will include soliciting community input. What is happening now In a recent Council work session, the Downtown Advisory Board presented a proposal to rebrand downtown The Rail District with support from City Council. “Frisco has this quaint area with a small number of historic buildings and residences compared to places like McKinney,” Downtown Advisory Board member Mark Piper said. “With new development coming in, including the Patios at The Rail and Towers at The Rail, we bring a different vibe that takes us beyond historic and creates synergies between old and new that lend themselves to the creation of that destination without giving up our city’s historic roots.” The Patios at The Rail and the Tower at The Rail are projects by Nack Development and are expected to soon begin construction in downtown. “Our downtown Frisco was overlooked and almost a forgotten area of the city, and it deserves attention and revitalization,” Nack Development President Donny Churchman said. “When you look at other areas that are getting a lot of attention right now, such as The Star [in Frisco], they had to build a destination, where we already have a place, and what we’re doing is intentional.” Both projects have had overwhelming support from downtown merchants, residents and city leaders. However, some concerns have been expressed about transportation as well as parking—items that are expected to be addressed with the master plan update. The update to the plan should have no effect on the projects Churchman has planned, Lettelleir said. During the process of working on the update, Lettelleir said zoning procedures will remain the same. If a developer submits plans for a piece of property that is already zoned for the desired use, then Council must approve the project as long as it meets the minimum required standards. If a developer is looking to rezone a property for a particular project, then council has discretion to approve or deny the project. Churchman said he has more plans for downtown, such as a development called the Block at The Rail that will be for residential use. No plans have been submitted to the city.