A 13.6-acre commercial development on the northwest corner of Preston Road and Prosper Trail is moving forward following pushback from nearby residents.
After 23 residents spoke in opposition to the project, the Prosper Planning and Zoning Commission modified the terms of the application and recommended approval 6-0. The commission tabled the project at a July 21 meeting so the applicant could meet with the Saddle Creek homeowners association and considered the application for a second time at an Aug. 18 meeting.
While the land is already zoned for commercial uses, residents of the adjacent Saddle Creek neighborhood opposed an application to create a new planned development with additional permitted uses.
Explained
The property was originally zoned for commercial mixed-use in 2006 as part of a planned development for the Saddle Creek neighborhood, according to a presentation by town staff.
The planned development from 2006 allows up to 6 acres of the property to be used for commercial or retail purposes, including restaurants, with the remaining land to be used for office space, town staff said.
A bank with a drive-thru and a dentist’s office have already been developed on the property.
The applicant wants to create a separate planned development for the commercial area with an expanded list of permitted uses within the office, restaurant and retail categories.
Preliminary plans feature five additional one-story buildings for stores or restaurants plus four two-story buildings with retail or restaurants on the ground floor and office space on the second floor, according to town documents.
Several lots on Clipston Drive and Packsaddle Trail abut the property along the north and west sides, per town documents.
Those homes would have a parking lot, masonry wall and landscape buffer separating them from the proposed buildings, per the preliminary plans.
The discussion
Over the course of two hours, residents of the nearby Saddle Creek neighborhood laid out their opposition to the proposed development.
Many of the residents shared similar concerns, including:
- Increased traffic
- Decreased property values
- Excessive noise and light
More than one resident was opposed to restaurants on the property because food waste created by the businesses could attract rats, they said.
Multiple residents said their builder or real estate agent told them the property near the neighborhood was zoned for medical offices, which is not consistent with the 2006 zoning.
“We all have the same sentiment, which is that this is not what we were sold on when we moved in,” resident Michael Villalva told the commission.
The action taken
The commissioners made a number of modifications to the applicant’s proposal before voting in favor.
The applicant proposed expanding the number of permitted uses on the property from 12 to 32, according to town documents.
Commissioners removed several of the proposed uses, including a potential drive-thru restaurant, bringing the number of permitted uses down to 23.
The commission also added stricter standards for building materials, prohibited balconies facing the adjacent neighborhood and increased the minimum distance between buildings and homes.
Next steps
Following the commission’s recommendation of approval, Prosper Town Council is scheduled to review the project on Sept. 8, according to town documents.
