Commissioners voted 5-3 in favor of the zoning at the Nov. 15 meeting. Commissioners Michael Bronsky, Gary Cary and Arthur Stone voted against the proposal.
The zoning change and development plan next must appear before Plano City Council for final approval.
Stillwater Capital is developing the project in partnership with Haggard Enterprises Limited.
The more than 2 million-square-foot proposed development site is located near the Dallas North Tollway in between Spring Creek Parkway and Parkwood Boulevard.
It is one of the largest undeveloped tracts of land in Plano and the last large piece of unused land owned by the Haggard family, according to a city report. The family has owned land in Collin County since the mid-1800s.
Rutledge Haggard, owner of Haggard Enterprises, spoke to the commission in-support of the proposed development.
“This land was settled by my great-great-grandfather in 1856,” Haggard said. “We have waited a long, long time to put a development there that the city of Plano would be happy with and the residents would be happy with. We are here to please everybody that we can.”
The development would have a rustic farm theme and feature a restaurant called The Almanac that serves locally-sourced food, according to a presentation by Stillwater Capital. It would also include multiple outdoor event spaces, a park, offices, high-end apartments, a boutique hotel, space for various retail businesses, townhomes, parking garages and a large-pond.
The project has been proposed since Sept. 20, but was tabled by the commission during two previous meetings to give the developers time to address resident concerns associated with the development.
Residents of the The Avignon Windhaven Homeowners Association, a neighborhood adjacent to the proposed site, offered support after meeting several times with Stillwater officials to address issues with the project.
“The Stillwater folks have been more than flexible and accommodating to our concerns and wishes,” said Steve Lavine, a resident of the neighborhood. “We enthusiastically endorse the proposed development.”
Resident David Barch attended the meeting to ask the commission to deny the zoning request.
“We do not want to live in Chicago or San Francisco, that's why we are here in Plano,” Barch said. “We do not need more high density housing—it won't do anything to improve the quality of life in Plano.”
Clay Roby, Stillwater Capital managing director, said the project will not be like other mixed-use developments in Plano or North Texas.
“When you go to Legacy West, it’s a great shopping district,” Roby said. “But with little green space. This will be a very different project.”
Roby said the development is meant to be focused on outdoor spaces with walking trails, trees and artificial streams. He said the company wants the various restaurants and retail shops to be sourced from local businesses.
Stillwater Capital is also developing The Link in Frisco, a $1 billion mixed-use development in partnership with the PGA.
A presentation for the proposed development can be seen here.
