Consideration of The Marco, a 143-acre proposed mixed-use development designed to mimic the feel of an Italian village on the northeast corner of Dallas North Tollway and US 380, has been rescheduled to Oct. 27.
Prosper Town Council postponed consideration of the project at a Sept. 22 meeting, the date council was originally scheduled to review the project, after some council members submitted feedback to town staff.
“We did receive some comments, some questions, earlier today from Town Council,” Town Manager Mario Canizares said. “It’s going to take some time to work through.”
In case you missed it
Conceptual plans for The Marco include a public square, retail, single-family and multifamily housing, a performing arts venue and a hotel, all centered around a lagoon with canals big enough to navigate by boat.
The lagoon is encircled by a passeggiata, a continuous 26-foot wide walkway with limited access to cars, while traffic and parking are concentrated along the outer ring of the development, according to The Marco’s conceptual layout plan.
The Marco will also include an office component, according to town documents.
Tentative plans feature one or two larger corporate campuses alongside office condos for smaller companies, developer Jeffory D. Blackard said.
The background
The Marco received a recommendation of approval from the Prosper Planning and Zoning Commission at an Aug. 18 meeting.
The commission voted 4-2 in favor of approval with Chairman Damon Jackson and Commissioner Josh Carson in opposition.
The application for the planned development relies on both a written proposal and artistic renderings of the project, which Commissioner Glen Blanscet referred to as “zoning via picture.”
Carson wanted to table the application and hold a work session to get additional details on multiple aspects of The Marco, including:
Permitted uses
Building materials
Open space
Minimum unit size
“I feel like we’ve done less with [The Marco] than we’ve done with much less significant projects,” Carson said.
Following the commission’s recommendation, council met with Blackard to discuss plans for The Marco at a Sept. 8 work session.
At the September work session, council members had questions regarding multifamily, phasing and potential safeguards to ensure the project would be completed as planned.
Changes were already made to address many of the concerns raised during the work session, and future changes will largely focus on refining the language in the proposal, Director of Development Services David Hoover said.
“It’s just matching up the pictures with the words,” he said.
What they’re saying
Blackard agreed with council’s decision to postpone consideration, he said.
“This is a hard project,” Blackard said. “We want to make sure it’s secured for the people of Prosper. Nothing they asked for is unreasonable.”
According to Blackard, addressing the comments and questions from council will not materially alter his vision for The Marco.
“Not really any changes, per se,” he said. “Just clarification on some things.”
