Prosper planning commission backs Bella Prosper mixed‑use planned development with design and phasing conditions

The Prosper Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-0 Monday to recommend rezoning 61.7 acres of land south of First Street — between Legacy Drive and the Dallas North Tollway — to a new planned development to allow a mixed‑use project known as Bella Prosper.

The rezoning recommendation (case ZON‑24‑0025) would allow a mix of assisted living, a full‑service hotel, retail and restaurants, office, multifamily and townhomes; the applicant and staff said the plan includes a central roughly four‑acre open space with an amphitheater and water features and is intended to meet the town’s Dallas North Tollway District land‑use goals.

Town staff and the applicant presented changes made after a May work session: multifamily was reduced from 550 units to 435; townhomes were reduced from 94 to 88; a second hotel was removed and replaced with retail and restaurant space around the amphitheater; and some building heights were revised. The applicant’s tax and development estimate for the site was described during the meeting as roughly a $300,000,000 project, with about $20–$25 million in horizontal infrastructure and roughly $290,000,000 in vertical construction, as presented by the applicant.

Staff said the planned development includes two subdistricts (a neighborhood/townhome area and a retail/multifamily area) and several deviations from standard zoning: townhome front setbacks would decrease from 25 to 20 feet (rear setbacks would increase to 25), townhome height increases by 5 feet (allowing three stories), multifamily maximum height drops from eight stories to five, and multifamily lot coverage would increase from 45% to 80% in the PD. Staff further described building‑material standards that require primary materials (brick, cementitious panel systems, glazing and stone) to constitute the majority of a façade, with secondary materials capped; the applicant later agreed to limit cementitious paneling to 35% of facades rather than 50%.

On phasing and development triggers, the PD requires the full construction of Maynard Parkway through the property when townhomes are built and requires a minimum of 50,000 square feet of commercial development to obtain a certificate of occupancy before the multifamily building can proceed with vertical construction. Staff clarified that the 50,000 square‑foot trigger may be met by retail shown in Phase 1; staff and the applicant agreed to adjust the PD language to remove ambiguous references to a “second” multifamily building so the trigger applies before multifamily vertical construction begins.

Applicant attorney Alexa Knight summarized the project, saying she was "here this evening on behalf of our client ... to discuss the Bella Prosper zoning case," and emphasized the planned connection of trails and the central open space. Architect Brian Moore described changes to the multifamily design and to the open‑space configuration; when asked about building materials he said that the applicant accepted the commission suggestion and "the client is accepting, going up to 35% only and not 50% as an accommodation."

Commissioners expressed support for the mixed‑use concept while pressing the applicant and staff for clarity on phasing, the retail trigger, the townhome setbacks and façade articulation. Commissioners repeatedly noted a desire to see retail delivered earlier in the buildout so the community benefits sooner from the project’s commercial amenities. Several commissioners asked the applicant to confirm whether corridor spaces in the multifamily buildings would be climate controlled; staff answered they would be.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda items 3a–3e: approved 5–0 (motion by Commissioner Sekou Harris; second by Commissioner Carson). - ZON‑24‑0025 (Bella Prosper planned development): approved 5–0 (motion by Commissioner Carson; second by Commissioner Blansett). The approval included two modifications recorded in the motion: (1) cap cementitious panel siding at 35% maximum across the development; (2) revise the PD trigger language so the required 50,000 square feet of commercial space must achieve a certificate of occupancy before multifamily vertical construction begins (language referencing a “second building” was removed).

What the approval means next The commission’s recommendation is advisory; the matter is scheduled for Town Council consideration. Chair and staff noted the item will proceed to the council workshop and a council hearing (staff referenced an October council workshop and an October council hearing date). If Council approves the PD with the same conditions, the PD will then govern development and future site‑plan and building permit reviews will be subject to the PD standards and the town’s usual site‑plan review process.

Context and community impact Staff identified the site as inside the Dallas North Tollway District future‑land‑use designation and said the comp plan encourages mixed‑use, higher‑intensity development in that district. The PD includes open‑space minimums: townhomes must provide a minimum 20% open space on their tract, multifamily must provide a minimum 30% open space, and each commercial lot a minimum 7% open space (with consolidation of open space allowed across the PD). The applicant said the overall retail program is about 127,000 square feet and office about 112,000 square feet; the multifamily total was described as 435 units.

Questions remaining from the hearing include the precise square footage breakdown of Phase 1 retail (to confirm whether it alone meets the 50,000‑square‑foot trigger), the timing and sequencing of phasing if market conditions change, and the final multifamily unit mix (1‑, 2‑ or 3‑bedroom breakdowns were left to future market analysis). Staff and commissioners said those details will be addressed during later site‑plan, plat and permitting reviews.

Commissioners and staff thanked applicant representatives for design revisions undertaken since a May work session and noted that final materials, façade and site‑plan details will return for administrative review as portions of the PD move through permitting. The commission recorded unanimous support for the rezoning recommendation and forwarded it to the Town Council for action.