Area homeowners packed McKinney Council Chambers for the June 23 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. Most were opposed to the development, which they said would result in more traffic and more noise and is the wrong fit for the surrounding neighborhoods.
“There is nothing to support it,” resident Asha Shetty said, pointing out that wedding event centers are usually in proximity to hotels and airports.
The proposed event center would be located on 14.01 acres at the southwest corner of Virginia Parkway and Lake Forest Drive. The development would have both indoor and outdoor uses and be able to seat about 800 people for events such as weddings, corporate events, receptions and various other ceremonies, according to meeting documents.
Outdoor uses would consist of small weddings, small dinners and photos, according to meeting documents. The development would include a pond area, a fountain and a gazebo. A 6-foot screening wall would surround the property.
The applicant for the event center had requested to rezone the site from planned development district to another planned development district that would allow for outdoor uses and for a larger building size.
In addition to the event center, the rezoning would also allow for retail and office to be developed on the site. The applicant suggested the retail element would be similar to a Walgreens or CVS Pharmacy.
The request for the development was ultimately denied by the P&Z Commissioners. Commissioners said they were OK with the event center there but had issues with the outdoor uses that would come with the requested zoning and the potential noise it could bring to the area.
The development request will be sent to the McKinney City Council on July 21 with a negative recommendation from commissioners.
