Title
Conduct a Public Hearing to Consider/Discuss/Act on a Request to Rezone the Subject Property from “C2” - Local Commercial District to “PD” - Planned Development District, Located on the West Side of Trinity Falls Parkway and Approximately 3,400 feet North of the Intersection of the Trinity Falls Parkway and Laud Howell Parkway
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Direction for Strategic and Economic Growth
(1C: Provide a strong city economy by facilitating a balance between industrial, commercial, residential and open space)
MEETING DATE: July 08, 2025
DEPARTMENT: Development Services - Planning Department
CONTACT: Stewart Starry, Planner I
Caitlyn Strickland, AICP, Planning Manager
Hayley Angel, AICP, Interim Director of Planning
APPROVAL PROCESS: The recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission will be forwarded to the City Council for final action at the August 08, 2025 meeting.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends denial of the proposed zoning request due to lack of adequate mitigation from the proposed development standard deviations.
APPLICATION SUBMITTAL DATE: February 03, 2025 (Original Application)
March 17, 2025 (Revised Submittal)
May 21, 2025 (Revised Submittal)
ITEM SUMMARY: The applicant requests to zone approximately 1.697 acres of land, generally for commercial uses.
EXISTING ZONING AND LAND USES:
|
Location |
Zoning District (Permitted Land Uses) |
Existing Land Use |
|
Subject Property |
“C2” - Local Commercial District |
Undeveloped Land |
|
North |
“AG” - Agricultural District |
Single Family Residential |
|
South |
“AG” - Agricultural District |
Single Family Residential |
|
East |
“AG” - Agricultural District |
Undeveloped Land |
|
West |
“PD” - Planned Development District (Commercial and Residential Uses) |
Multi-tenant / Undeveloped |
PROPOSED ZONING:
The applicant is requesting to rezone the subject property from "C2" - Local Commercial District to "PD" - Planned Development District to permit the development of a high-rise telecommunication tower with modified development standards.
The site is located on the West Side of Trinity Falls Parkway and approximately 3,400 feet North of its Intersection with Laud Howell Parkway. The property is currently undeveloped and is surrounded by a mix of land uses: to the north and south are existing single-family residential properties; to the east is undeveloped land; and to the west is a partially developed commercial property which also allows for residential uses.
The proposed PD is written to permit uses that are typically found within the “C2” - Local Commercial zoning district with the following modifications requested:
• "Telecommunication Tower, High-Rise" as a permitted use by right
• Reduce the standard setback requirement for telecommunication towers to 24.5 feet from all property lines.
• Increase the maximum allowable height of the tower from 125 feet to 155 feet
• Provide three additional canopy trees along the southern enclosure boundary
• Increase the ground equipment Masonry enclosure minimum height to 8-feet
Staff does not have concerns over the typical uses found within the C2 District but we are unsupportive of the proposed development modifications for a High Rise Telecommunications Tower.
The proposed 155-foot height represents a 30-foot increase over the maximum height typically permitted for telecommunications structures in any commercial zoning district within the City of McKinney. This is coupled with the proposed reduction of the structure setback requirement from 155 feet to 24.5 feet from the property line. Staff has concerns with the current and future compatibility of uses with the proposed height and setbacks. These requests significantly deviate from established standards intended to protect public safety, preserve aesthetic quality, and ensure neighborhood compatibility.
Additionally, under the current C2 zoning, a high-rise telecommunication tower could be permitted with a Specific Use Permit (SUP). However, the proposed height and setback deviations do not meet the criteria for SUP approval, so the applicant submitted a “PD” - Planned Development District for their proposed regulations.
The intent of a “PD” - Planned Development District is to allow for flexibility in exchange for high-quality design and substantial public benefit. In this case, while the applicant proposes improvements to screening and landscaping, these measures do not adequately mitigate the impacts of the proposed deviations, particularly the increased height and reduced setbacks. Staff finds that the proposed PD does not meet the intent of the PD zoning district.
Staff finds that the proposed rezoning request does not adequately mitigate for the proposed height increase or setback reduction nor does it not meet the intent of the PD zoning district.
As such, staff recommends denial of the proposed rezoning.
CONFORMANCE TO THE ONE MCKINNEY 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: A key aspect of the ONE McKinney 2040 Comprehensive Plan is to provide direction related to desired development patterns in the city and to inform decisions related to the timing and phasing of future infrastructure investments. To assist in guiding these decisions, the plan includes a set of Guiding Principles that provide overall guidance and a Preferred Scenario and Land Use Diagram that illustrates the desired development patterns in the city. The Preferred Scenario and Land Use Diagram are built upon a series of distinctive districts, each with a specific purpose, focus and market. Each district consists of a mix of placetypes that identify the predominate land uses and desired pattern of development for the district.
• Guiding Principles:
The proposed zoning request is generally in conformance with the Guiding Principle of “Investments (Creating Lasting Value)” established by the Comprehensive Plan. In particular, the proposed request has the potential to provide “investments […] that are made when the life-cycle benefits to the public outweigh the life-cycle costs, and when the areas that these investments support are expected to remain vital and desirable until 2040 or longer.”
• Preferred Scenario and Land Use Diagram Characteristics: Per the Preferred Scenario and Land Use Diagram, the subject property is located in the Honey Creek Entertainment District and is designated as the Entertainment Center and Mixed Use Center placetype.
Entertainment Center are emerging commercial centers planned or developed with large-scale master plans. These centers include a horizontal mix of uses including destination retail, restaurants, employment opportunities, and commercial uses that serve a regional scale. Residential uses support these destination developments and offer a variety of urban housing products. The master plan for a regional entertainment center reinforces the interdependence of uses to create an experience for visitors in the development. The Entertainment Center may have a shopping center, lifestyle area, or something similar as a prominent feature.
Mixed-Use Center offers people the ability to live, shop, work, and play in one community. They include a mixture of housing types and multiple residential housing choices within close proximity to the goods and services residents need on a daily basis. This Placetype typically includes a higher intensity of uses developed in an urban style that are supported by nodes of activity. The design and scale of development in a mixed-use center encourages active living, with a complete and comprehensive network of walkable streets enhanced by a vertical style of development.
• Land Use Diagram Compatibility:
When considering land use decisions, the city should determine that a project aligns with the Land Use Diagram and/or meets a majority of the plan’s established criteria to be considered compatible with the Land Use Diagram. The proposed rezoning request aligns with the Entertainment Center and Mixed Use Center placetype and is in conformance with the Land Use Diagram
• Fiscal Model Analysis: The attached fiscal analysis shows a positive fiscal benefit of $101,842 for the 1.697-acre property, which should contribute to an overall fiscal balance in the city.
OPPOSITION TO OR SUPPORT OF REQUEST: Staff has received no letters of support to this request and no letters of opposition. This does not include emails or letters that may have been sent directly to members of the Council. Staff has not received any citizen comments through the online citizen portal.