Frisco commission to consider Trader Joe’s-anchored mixed-use development

The proposed development would be located at the southwest corner of Majestic Gardens Drive and Main Street, city documents state.

Trader Joe’s officials confirmed they were considering plans for a Frisco location in October.

The applicant has submitted several versions of the project over the last several years, previously proposing a mix of townhomes, senior living and commercial uses. City documents state the “constantly changing plans” did not focus on walkability and failed to emphasize the Majestic Gardens Drive frontage access.

The latest plan places Trader Joe’s at the corner of the site, with a senior living facility on the southern portion. While the current zoning allows the grocery store, the senior living component requires a zoning change.

Breaking it down

City staff outlined several reasons in their report for recommending denial of the zoning change, including:

• Fencing proposed within designated open space areas
• Failure to meet City Council’s open space standards for mixed-use developments
• Insufficient landscaping along Majestic Gardens Drive and a lack of screening of the proposed Trader Joe’s
• Lack of facade landscaping along the front of Trader Joe’s
• Not complying with the city’s required multifamily parking ratio
• Limited walkability and pedestrian connectivity
• Conflicts between site elements and quality control
• Failure to comply with the city’s comprehensive plan

Staff said in the report that there is “no valid reason why this development cannot be aligned” with the city’s comprehensive plan standards.

“The applicant has maintained using Trader Joe’s as a bargaining chip to ride rough shed [roughshod] over the city’s development standards for his personal financial gain,” the staff report states.

Zooming in

Travis Thompson, a representative for landowner SNS Frisco West Main Station LLC, said in a news release that they aim to create a destination that improves everyday life for residents.

“We have worked diligently for over a year with city staff and incorporated feedback from the community to provide a development that reflects the needs and values of local residents,” Thompson said.

The applicant has held several meetings with the nearby homeowners association over the last several months. City staff attended each meeting and said some residents were in support of a Trader Joe’s and additional senior housing, but others had concerns about the development’s potential impact on traffic and congestion.

City documents state the site plan graphic presented at the latest HOA meeting in April differed from the plan submitted with the zoning request, particularly in landscaping and facade design.

Next steps

The proposal will go before the Planning and Zoning Commission at 7:30 p.m. April 28. Meetings are held in the George A. Purefoy Municipal Center at 6101 Frisco Square Blvd., and can be streamed live on the city’s website.