At their Aug. 5 meeting, Prosper Planning and Zoning commissioners unanimously recommended denial of amendments to the Gates of Prosper development, citing concerns about lot sizes, density and a lack of details regarding the future lifestyle center.
What happened
The Gates is a mixed-use development split into four subdistricts, spanning more than 250 acres near Preston Road and First Street.
The proposed amendments—submitted by Blue Star Land—would add 600 multi-family units to Subdistrict 2, totaling 1,200 units, and allow 150 single-family homes on 55-foot-wide lots in Subdistrict 3, replacing previously planned office and vertical mixed-use space.
Subdistrict 2 is designated as the residential lifestyle center of the development, while Subdistrict 3 was initially envisioned as the downtown center with offices and mixed-use buildings.
Scott Shipp, director of engineering for Blue Star Land, said Subdistrict 3 was originally planned nearly 15 years ago to be geared towards medical and business offices, but demand shifted as Prosper developed.
“Those hospitals and medical offices have moved out to the major roads,” Shipp said. “We don’t need more retail in this town ... [we’re] trying to get what we’ve got filled and get this next stage set for the town center lifestyle center, and so the residential made a lot of sense.”
According to town documents, 344 multi-family units have already been built in Subdistrict 2, with 256 new units currently under construction.
The discussion
In 2024, Town Council members and commissioners held a joint work session to review potential changes to Subdistricts 2 and 3. Since then, developers have worked with town staff over the past year to finalize the proposal, according to town documents.
Commissioner Matt Furray said more meaningful concessions in Subdistrict 3 would help justify the additional apartments but did not see enough in the current plan.
“I think the addition of multi-family units is a major request that we need to take seriously,” Furray said. “I just don’t feel like there’s enough here to warrant the additional multi-family.”
Commissioners Josh Carson and Glen Blanscet said the 55-foot-lot sizes proposed for the single-family portion of Subdistrict 3 are too small.
“I just can’t get to 55-foot lots for single-family detached, so that is my main problem with this,” Blanscet said.
The other side
Shipp said Blue Star had already made adjustments from the originally proposed 40- to 50-foot-wide lots, based on earlier town feedback.
“We gave in to what we heard that they would accept, which was 55-foot lots,” Shipp said. “If that’s something that many of y’all can’t give on, then there’s not a reason to prolong this.”
Shipp said the need for a variety of housing sizes and types is necessary to compete with similar mixed-use developments in the North Texas area.
“They have to have a multifamily component or they’re not being built,” Shipp said.
However, commissioners said they still needed more clarity to approve the changes, specifically on the timeline and details for the proposed lifestyle center.
“I think we’re close,” Carson said. “I don’t think we’re there [yet].”
Some context
The Gates is expected to wrap up Phase 3 of construction, including Barnes and Noble, REI, Total Wine and Carhartt, later this year.
Development details for Phase 4, which includes Subdistrict 2 and 3 and the town center with retail, restaurant and park areas, have not been yet announced.
What’s next?
The amendments are scheduled to go before Prosper Town Council Aug. 26 for consideration.
