At the Dec. 6 Collin County Commissioners Court meeting, LifePath Systems CEO Tammy Mahan discussed a request from the nonprofit to acquire a property on the Collin County courthouse campus on about 12 acres at the southeast corner of Bloomdale Road and Community Avenue in McKinney.
“We have been actively seeking additional facilities to support our significant growth and plan to immediately design and build a 65,000-plus[-square-foot] multilevel facility on the land with adequate parking to accommodate our needs,” Mahan said in a proposal to the county for the land.
In her brief presentation to county commissioners, Mahan said LifePath Systems does “a lot of work with the county, especially the sheriff’s office.” The property in question would be visible to law enforcement and others driving toward the jail and allow LifePath Systems to design professional office space.
The intent would be to relocate all of LifePath’s crisis services to this facility, which would allow more room to be freed up at LifePath’s current facility on Heritage Drive in McKinney, Mahan said. LifePath Administration Offices would also be moved to this location.
Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner was asked to weigh in on this request. He said the county has a lack of “meaningful diversion.”
“If you allow [LifePath Systems] the purchase of this property, it will greatly enhance our ability to divert these folks who need their help. They don’t need my help,” Skinner said.
Commissioners Duncan Webb, Cheryl Williams and Darrell Hale agreed that this facility would be a public benefit; however, they all said they were hesitant to sell the property to LifePath Systems. Williams said she wanted LifePath Systems to spend fewer funds on the acquisition of the property and to spend its funds on its programs instead. Webb proposed that the county and LifePath Systems enter into a long-term lease. With the lease, the county also maintains ownership of the property should LifePath Systems decide to relocate in the future.
Mahan said this proposal should work, but she would have to double-check with the people she needed to report back to on the project.
County staff said an attorney could draw up a lease agreement and bring it back to commissioners and LifePath at a future date.
“Thank you for serving our community,” County Judge Chris Hill said to Mahan.
