Parks and recreation department updates master plan

The gems concept refers to parks that will be placed away from greenbelts and will eventually be on a trail but not on the main, connected trail, Kowski said.

The second priority is creating an “Integrated Trail Network” both within the city of McKinney and connecting to adjacent cities such as Allen.

These trails and bikeways are planned to align with the “String of Pearls and Gems” and will tie together community assets ranging from open space to business districts, neighborhoods and schools.

The third priority, “City Gateways,” will place monuments at various intersections throughout McKinney.

According to the master plan, the monuments will “aid in establishing visual continuity …linking together different sectors of a city.”

The master plan also proposes entry gateways located at city boundaries, including points along US 75, US 380 and SH 121.

“Theming for these gateways revolves around the city’s concept of ‘Unique by Nature,’ with the idea being to make nature the first thing one associates with McKinney,” according to the plan.

To further this point, the city plans to plant shade trees along the freeways at city limits and use dynamic lighting on the bridge structures to highlight architectural features of the roadway.

Kowski said there is no specific timing and budget for these projects but said the city of McKinney is aiming to contribute $9.5 million annually toward master plan developments.

Funding is contingent on final direction from City Council, input from stakeholders and the health of the development community, Kowski said.