Council unanimously approves Legacy Partners plan for 443‑unit Arapahoe multifamily project with limited flexibility to preserve trees

Richardson City Council voted unanimously to approve a special development plan and companion ordinance for the Legacy Arapahoe multifamily redevelopment on the southwest corner of East Arapahoe Road and North Grove Road.

Project summary: The applicant, Legacy Partners, proposed five residential buildings (4‑story and 3‑story types plus townhomes) totaling 443 dwelling units on roughly 10.4 acres at 250 East Arapahoe Road. The proposal includes a parking garage and other structured parking combined with tuck‑under and surface stalls; the applicant presented a site‑level average parking ratio of about 1.42 spaces per unit, reflecting the property’s transit‑oriented zoning. The plan shows a range of unit types and on‑site resident amenities and reserves areas intended to link to a future east–west trail connection along an abandoned rail spur identified in the Collins Arapahoe TOD plan.

Requested exceptions and staff analysis: Legacy Partners asked for a special development plan to allow exceptions to select development standards: relocation of the required mid‑block east–west pedestrian connection to the southern end of the property (to serve the identified “special site” or future trail connection), flexibility to retain the existing streetscape and mature trees along Arapahoe and Grove (rather than redoing sidewalk widths in a way that would remove those trees), relief from the building length/separation rule so the building frontage can be expressed using architectural articulation rather than mandatory 15‑foot separations, and limited flexibility on requiring primary building materials on walls that are not visible from the public street (interior courtyard elevations). Staff told council that the proposal meets the minimum density standard for the station subdistrict and that the plan commission recommended approval 7–0.

Neighbor and council questions: Council members probed how sidewalk widths, ADA ramps and tree preservation would be reconciled; the mayor pro tem and others asked whether retaining a 4‑foot existing sidewalk would meaningfully harm pedestrian comfort and accessibility. Staff and the applicant said they would repair and remove trip hazards and upgrade ramps while trying to preserve mature trees where possible. The applicant also committed to continuing work with staff on crosswalks, accessibility upgrades and coordination with the DART station‑area planning work ongoing for the Innovation District.

Why it matters: The site is inside the Collins Arapahoe TOD/Innovation District and the city’s recently adopted Envision Richardson plan, which designates the area for transit‑oriented, mid‑ to high‑density residential uses to support the DART Arapahoe Center Station. Supporters framed the project as a step toward realizing the station‑area vision; planners said the site’s density supports walkable retail and future trail connections.

Vote and next steps: Council approved the special development plan and instructed staff to prepare the ordinance; the motion included direction that the developer continue to coordinate with staff on sidewalk ADA improvements and tree preservation efforts and that design details be finalized during site plan review and permitting. The vote was unanimous; the ordinance will be updated and returned for enrollment in keeping with council direction.

Speakers on the record included Amber Fuller (senior planner), Matt Bridal and Brian McNally of Legacy Partners (project representatives), and a representative from the Highland Terrace Neighborhood Association who had earlier commented in favor or opposed depending on item. The Planning Commission vote was 7–0 to recommend approval.

Ending note: Council members emphasized balancing preservation of mature trees with accessibility upgrades and told staff to work with the developer to document ADA compliance and tree mitigation in the site plans.