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City leaders have signed off on a zoning request for a proposed senior living community north of US 380.
What happened?
McKinney City Council members unanimously approved new zoning for nearly 10.5 acres near the northeast corner of Lake Forest Drive and US 380 during a May 19 meeting. The new zoning will accommodate a 222-unit senior living community called Forest View Senior Housing.
The property would be developed by Storm Guard Franchise Systems, according to a letter of intent. Development would consist of 222 residential units across three buildings, and 7,853 square feet of commercial space that could accommodate medical offices, restaurants, retail or offices.
City staff recommended approval of the zoning request since it will expand housing options for future residents, according to a city document. The action comes after McKinney’s Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval in April.
The details
The new zoning splits the land up into three different tracts:
Developers intend to give the third tract to the single-family owners that border the property to the north, Planning Director Lucas Raley said.
Tract 1 will be located along the development’s west side and will feature a multifamily building with a first floor dedicated to stand-alone businesses. Storm Guard CEO Glenn Lynch said they are looking for doctor’s offices that can fill that commercial space and serve the area.
Medical offices, restaurants, personal services, retail and offices will be permitted in those spaces, according to the city document.
Tract 2 will feature two multifamily buildings that border a single-family neighborhood. Those buildings are expected to be two stories tall. Developers will also be required to add a landscape buffer and a masonry wall between Forest View and the existing single-family homes, according to city documents.
Forest View will offer one- and two-bedroom floor plans for households making between 30%-80% of the area median income, Lynch said. The residential component would be limited to those 55 years or older, but the minimum age may increase to 62 years old if developers seek financing from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, he said.
What they’re saying
During public comment, Elvin Turner, who lives near the proposed development, said he was in support of the project but he requested that a traffic study be completed to understand the potential impact to the intersection of Lake Forest Drive and US 380.
“That intersection is already extremely busy, and there’s really two narrow entrances and exits,” he said.
Raley said developers will work with the city’s engineering team to understand potential traffic impacts during the site planning stage.
“That’s when they would look at all the entrances and they'd have to meet our criteria for number of access points and all those things,” he said.
