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A 250-unit Watermere independent living facility in Plano is set to move forward with development following approval from City Council.
The facility will be going in at the former site of Plano Athletic Club, a gym at 4600 W. Park Blvd. which closed last year.
What you need to know
Council unanimously approved plans for the complex April 13.
Integrated Real Estate Group, a senior housing company based in Southlake, wants to turn the 6.3-acre property into a five-story Watermere independent living and active adult facility, according to city documents.
The facility will feature a parking garage on the lower level and four floors of residential units on top. The building could be as tall as 65 feet. There will also be a 2,000-square-foot dog park.
The property is part of a 108-acre planned development district that encompasses most of the Preston Park Village shopping center and caps buildings at two stories. A change in zoning was needed in order to lift the height restrictions, Plano Planning Director Christina Day said.
Diving deeper
As part of the agreement, the building will require a 120-foot setback from Ohio Drive
Day said a developer could build an apartment complex by right at a 25-foot setback from Ohio Drive due to Senate Bill 840, which allows developers to build multifamily housing by right on property zoned for commercial use.
“I see this as an excellent utilization of the property when you consider the alternatives,” council member Bob Kehr. “Under SB 840, we could see a much denser community ... that I think it would be more objectionable than what is.”
Developers will also be required to replace landscaping at the edge of Ohio Drive, which was previously damaged by a storm in 2021.
The discussion
The city received 180 letters of feedback about the development: 170 were in opposition, nine in support and one was neutral.
Natasha Jamal, the owner and executive director of a Montessori school near the proposed facility, had previously raised safety concerns regarding construction at the site.
Trevor Armstrong, development manager for Integrated Real Estate Group, said that developers worked to mitigate concerns with screening and acoustic panels between sites during demolition, which is expected to last around four weeks.
The city had also received concerns about potential traffic added, and Day said that the independent living facility would be expected to generate less traffic than the fitness center previously at the location.
“Let's face it, traffic is becoming a big deal in Plano and will continue to be,” Kehr said. “I'm optimistic that a place that will have less than one car per apartment on average will have a minimal impact around that.”
