McKinney City Council met Oct. 19 to discuss and take action on a zoning request to allow additional uses on 54 acres generally located at 3403 County Road 317 in McKinney. The request details included a rock, concrete and construction materials recycling center with dirt and topsoil storage.
During the Oct. 4 council meeting, it was pointed out that the original letter of intent for the project included a request for heavy industrial zoning. However, after working with staff, the applicant instead requested a planned development zoning with the proposed standards to include light industrial. This removes the item of concrete batch plants from being used on the property, which was permitted with heavy industrial, but is not permitted with the requested zoning, staff said.
Mayor George Fuller also said that the way the requests were being presented gave the city more leverage than they may otherwise have had. This specific piece of property comes with a development agreement that allows the council to make specific requests, such as removing the concrete batch plant use and a proposed pugmill mixer.
“When we're making this decision up here, we're making the decision not just on whether there's a facility or not, it's far more complicated than that,” Fuller said. “We're thinking in terms of what alternatives there are and could be.”
On behalf of the applicant, Bob Roeder addressed the council and pointed out that most of the roads in McKinney are built with concrete. These roads will need to be replaced over time as they deteriorate, giving additional use to a concrete recycling facility in the city, he said.
“I just want you to understand that there's a benefit to the city long term of having this type of facility,” Roeder said.
During the Oct. 4 meeting, public comment on this item had been closed and the item had been tabled at the request of council member Geré Feltus, a motion that carried into the Oct. 18 meeting. However, additional comments were made at the beginning of the meeting. Most residents who spoke were concerned with the project and the dust and traffic it would generate, but a resident did speak in favor of the project.
During council discussion on the project, the mayor pointed out that while the council visited a concrete recycling facility in Frisco, the proposed facility in McKinney would have some enhancements, such as the 6-foot berm surrounding the property, as well as a paved road leading to the entrance.
Feltus said she was grateful for the extra time afforded to her to study the concerns that were presented at the last meeting and “look at the science.” She said after speaking with experts she found no reason for concern with the distance and limits the project had in place, and that traffic studies would be done to accommodate the development that would take place in the area.
“I know that this council is dedicated to making sure that this is not going to be a business that's going to cause a huge issue in this area,” she said. “I think if any one of us felt like this was remotely going to have a huge negative impact on that area, on property values, on your health and your safety, we would not move for this.”
Feltus made a motion to move forward with the annexation and zoning of this area. The vote to approve the requests was unanimous.
