The McKinney Planning and Zoning Commission considered a site plan for the project and two associated requests for design exceptions at a Jan. 14 meeting. Commission members voted unanimously to approve the request.
The plan
The 45,000-square-foot passenger service terminal will include three gates with the ability to expand to five gates, a Jan. 8 news release from the city states.
The facility will also include a 1,500-spot parking lot, six aircraft parking positions for both commercial and general aviation uses, an aircraft de-icing facility, above-ground fuel storage tanks and other supportive infrastructure. The project also includes the addition of Taxiway C, a taxiway on the east side of the existing runway, and a roundabout off of FM 546 that will provide access to the airport.
Other planned features include:
- A quick-service concessions stand with food and beverage options
- Open hold rooms for passengers
- A rental car lot
- A ride-share drop off location
Diving in deeper
The site plan included some design exception requests, which required approval by the McKinney Planning and Zoning Commission.
The requested design exceptions included reducing the number of required tree plantings within the parking lot and in the street buffer area. The request is an effort to minimize attracting wildlife to the area near the existing airport runway, Jake Bennett, a member of the city’s planning staff, said at the Jan. 14 meeting.
The site plan does include preservation of some existing trees and additional landscaping features. City staff members recommended approval of the item, and McKinney City Council members also approved a resolution at a Jan. 7 meeting stating their support for the site plan and requested exceptions.
What they’re saying
Three community members spoke at the meeting, with some opposing the planned airport expansion.
Hank Johnston, a McKinney resident, expressed concern for the city moving forward with the airport expansion following the failure of the $200 million bond election that would have funded a larger version of the airport expansion in 2023.
“The mayor and council take the position that the citizens just didn’t want to fund it,” Johnston said of the airport expansion. “However, they are wrong ... Most were voting against passenger service.”
McKinney resident Richard Atkinson also expressed opposition to the expansion, similarly citing the results of the bond election.
McKinney Mayor George Fuller previously told Community Impact the outcome of the vote indicated a lack of support for the funding mechanism presented, which included bonds backed by property tax dollars, rather than opposition to the airport expansion initiative.
“It wasn't for the airport at all, it was about general obligation debt,” Fuller said of the vote. “This is something much, much different. We listened to voters ... we are not pursuing any of these items with property tax-backed bonds or financing of any kind.”
Looking ahead
Construction on the project is expected to begin in May and commercial service could begin in late 2026, the release states.
To learn more about McKinney National Airport, visit www.flytki.com.
