Council approves rezone at Custer Road and FM 1461 to allow mixed commercial, single‑family and multifamily development

The McKinney City Council voted March 4 to rezone approximately 124 acres at the southeast and southwest corners of FM 1461 and Custer Road to an updated planned development district that retains roughly 34 acres of C-2 commercial, adds multifamily in a new area and revises single-family designations.

Jennifer Arnold, director of planning, presented the request and said staff found the proposal consistent with the comprehensive plan and that the planning and zoning commission recommended approval. David Palmer, representing the applicant, described a proposed 25‑acre grocery‑anchored retail center on the southeast corner and additional commercial pads on the southwest corner, with the remaining acreage designated for single‑family and multifamily development per McKinney ordinances.

Several nearby residents and property owners — including speakers identifying themselves as residents of Christie Farms and Prosper — registered opposition at the public hearing and spoke to concerns about traffic at the intersection of Custer and FM 1461, density changes to single‑family lot sizes, proximity of multifamily development to existing neighborhoods and the timing of road improvements. Eric Agsine (identified as a former medical director for the city of McKinney and current medical director for Prosper Fire Department) said he opposed the multifamily allowance and voiced safety concerns at the intersection; other residents cited observed problems near multifamily properties and said the rezoning deviates from prior development expectations.

Planning staff and engineering staff responded to concerns in the meeting. Arnold explained the comprehensive plan provides a high‑level land‑use picture and decision‑making criteria used to evaluate the request. Gary Graham, director of engineering, said the city does not have sufficient water capacity today to support immediate apartment construction there and that the applicant will be restricted from building multifamily until a second water line is constructed — a delay he estimated at two to three years to allow time for TxDOT and other infrastructure projects. Graham also said the timing of TxDOT work on FM 1461 (Loud Howe Parkway) is not yet fixed.

Jennifer Arnold also noted the rezoning includes a unit cap for the single‑family blue area: up to 35 units in the R‑5 portion and an overall cap of no more than 300 total dwelling units for that blue area; the current zoning could allow about 232 single‑family units under older code assumptions. The council record shows staff and the applicant agreed on specific caps and development standards included in the PD exhibits.

Council members debated traffic and housing supply tradeoffs. Supporters on council argued the project brings commercial amenities (including a grocery) closer to the area and increases single‑family housing supply; opponents emphasized the neighborhood safety and traffic impacts and urged delay until road projects are finished.

Action: The council voted to close the public hearing and approve the rezoning as presented (agenda item 250075Z4). The transcript records the motion, a second, and that the motion passed; a roll‑call tally was not included in the meeting transcript.

Speakers and parties listed in the public record included planning staff, the applicant team, and multiple residents who registered opposition. The PD includes development standards, a unit cap for a portion of the single‑family area and an explicit limitation (per engineering staff) that multifamily construction will not commence until the city secures an additional water source for the northwest sector.

What to watch next: Site and engineering plans will be submitted by the developer and must satisfy city engineering, traffic and stormwater requirements. The multifamily portion will be constrained by the city’s water‑capacity requirement until the second water line is built, and TxDOT’s timetable for FM 1461 remains a factor for traffic mitigation and construction timing.