Richardson City Council voted unanimously Jan. 24 to rezone 16.4 acres of undeveloped land from industrial to planned development to allow for the construction of a 590-unit mixed-residential community.

The proposed plan will include townhomes, live-work units, age-restricted independent living facilities and apartments on the northeast corner of North Glenville Drive and East Lookout Drive, according to a staff memo. The rezoning designates a maximum of 45 townhomes, five of which will be used as live-work units. The plan also includes 165 independent living multifamily units within four buildings and up to 380 general multifamily units divided into four buildings. All of the residential units will include parking, according to the plans.

Sam Chavez, the city's interim director of Development Services, said other amenities in the proposal include 10-foot landscaping along Lookout Drive and Glenville Drive, a 10-foot trail along Glenville Drive and an 8-foot trail along Lookout Drive. The developer must also set aside 25% of the required funds for a future traffic signal at the intersection of Glenville and Lookout drives, the memo stated.

Ben Breunig with Lennar Family Communities presented the proposal on behalf of the applicants during the meeting. One public commenter opposed the project, citing concerns about the high-density construction adding to the light pollution.

After deliberation, the council voted to approve the zoning change.