Council approves rezoning for multifamily project near McKinney Ranch Parkway over homeowner objections

The McKinney City Council voted Oct. 21 to approve a planned‑development (PD‑to‑PD) rezoning that will allow multifamily residential development on a narrow parcel north of McKinney Ranch Parkway, west of Collin McKinney Parkway. The council approved the request 5–2 after hearing developer presentations and opposition from nearby homeowners and the El Dorado Point homeowners association.

Endeavor Real Estate Group representative Zach Johnston described site constraints that, the developer says, make single‑family development impractical on the narrow lot. He said the project had gone through staff review, two public HOA meetings and a unanimous Planning & Zoning recommendation. Johnston said the proposal pulls denser units toward the site’s southern edge, adds an 8‑foot masonry wall and other buffers along the single‑family interface, and removes balconies facing adjacent homes.

Neighbors and HOA leaders urged the council to retain single‑family zoning. Megan Law of El Dorado Point said residents relied on the neighborhood’s single‑family designation when they bought their homes and said the community opposed the rezoning. El Dorado Point HOA president Christy Giles told council the community of roughly 150 homeowners did not see a demonstrated need to convert the parcel and requested the council preserve the single‑family designation.

Developer materials indicated the site’s narrow geometry, utility locations and access constraints limit standard single‑family layouts and make multifamily a more economical and feasible use. The developer also noted that nearby commercial or municipal parcels could be used for other higher-intensity development; the developer said the proposed multifamily would provide market-rate apartments near major employment centers and new regional projects.

Council members were split. Supporters said the parcel is constrained and surrounded by existing multifamily and municipal land uses to the west and south; they emphasized a citywide shortage of housing supply and the site’s proximity to employment centers and transportation arteries. Opponents argued that single‑family neighborhoods deserve stronger protection from zoning changes and that the city should not change homeowners’ expectations without a compelling need.

A motion to close the public hearing and approve the rezoning carried 5–2. Council members who opposed the rezoning cited concerns about preserving single‑family character and noted the recent state-level changes that allow some commercial properties to convert to multifamily without local rezoning; supporters said the change was appropriate for the constrained lot and the employment‑dense corridor.

Planning staff will finalize PD language and conditions, and the developer and staff said they will maintain screening and design elements promised at the hearing. The approved PD includes reduced landscape setbacks adjacent to commercial or municipal property (5 feet in designated areas) while retaining a 20‑foot buffer adjacent to single‑family lots and committing to walls, additional plantings and other mitigations.