A plan to redevelop the site of a vacant Fry's Electronics building in south Plano with a combination of residential, office and hotel uses was denied by the Plano Planning and Zoning Commission during its May 1 meeting.

The overview

The 19.1-acre plot of land at the southwest corner of Plano Parkway and Executive Drive would have been developed with the following uses:

• 501 mid-rise residential units;
• 33 single-family residence attached units;
• 123,600 square feet of office space and; and
• 100 hotel rooms.

With a 4-3 vote on each, the commission denied both a request by Onalp Property Owner to rezone the property and the concept plan. Concerns were raised that the project did not fully align with Plano's Comprehensive Plan, along with environmental concerns related to noise.



What they're saying

Bryon Wolf, partner at Bay West Development, said the project would help in the city’s goal of redeveloping the US 75 corridor.

“What we’re trying to do is to simply fill in the gap in the center of this neighborhood,” Wolf said.

He also noted that the site is surrounded by large office buildings, “flex space” retail and an apartment complex.

Commissioner Michael Bronsky said he the project does not “look at the long-term vision for our community.”

“I think there are plenty of reasons that this does not fit for the city of Plano,” he said.

Planning and Zoning Commission Chair David Downs said he believes the surrounding retail would benefit from the project because the residential aspect would bring more people to the area.

“I see lots of good opportunities with this, personally,” he said, adding that he sees it as a good fit for the entire corner.

What's next?

The city’s zoning process allows an applicant 30 days to appeal a denial.

The entire presentation and discussion is available online.