City Council unanimously approved a resolution for the contract at the Sept. 28 meeting. The civil engineering, planning and development firm McAdams is based in North Carolina but has branches in Lewisville and Roanoke.
The city will pay the firm $465,017 for its work.
Comprehensive and master plans are meant to act as long-term guides for city staff and usually focus on future growth, priorities, services and development.
City Manager Paul Stevens said the master planning documents, some of which haven’t been updated since the mid-’90s, are crucial to establishing the city’s long-term vision.
“We want to maximize the economic development of the city and make sure that development will enhance the quality of life of our citizens,” Stevens said.
According to city planning documents, there is only 78 acres of undeveloped land left in Highland Village.
“We need to make sure we determine what is the best use for [that land] moving forward,” Stevens said.
A large part of the firm’s work, he said, will focus on updating the FM 407 Corridor and Amenity Plan. The city hopes to enhance the street and public spaces in the corridor and create more accessibility in the area through additional pedestrian and bicycle trails.
The firm will also work on updating the city’s various parks and recreation master plans. Stevens said updated plans are more likely to receive funding for improvement projects.
To view the city’s various comprehensive planning documents, click here.
