The overview
By the time a development makes it to planning and zoning commission members for their recommendation, city staff have already been discussing the project for weeks, Celina Planning Director Madhuri Mohan said.
“There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes before it goes to [planning and zoning],” Mohan said.
Development applicants must get in touch with city staff before submitting anything through the city, according to Celina’s planning checklists. Those “predevelopment” meetings can be fairly straightforward depending on the property’s zoning, Mohan said.
Celina is split into multiple zoned districts, which allow certain uses. If an applicant is looking to build a development with uses not included in its current zoning, the city will have to approve both the project and rezoning the land.
Projects in Prosper follow a similar process—it typically takes a planned development 75-90 business days to make it to Town Council members once plans are first submitted, according to the town’s planning website. That includes a recommendation and any notes from Prosper’s Planning and Zoning Commission members, according to the town’s website.
Zooming out
There is no difference for developments with multifamily components, although larger projects can involve more coordination between the applicant and city staff, Mohan said.
Project applicants are also required to inform their potential neighbors of the incoming changes, Mohan said. This usually means informing local homeowners associations, publishing a notice in a weekly newspaper or informing any residents or business owners within 200 feet.
Some of Celina’s projects received approval years in advance through existing entitlements and older development plans, Mohan said.
“Even from a city's perspective, we don't know how long the developers or applicants or owners have been working on that one specific property,” Mohan said.
Going forward
Residents can check out what projects are on their respective councils’ upcoming agendas here:
