Council approves 4‑story Polk Street apartment project after hours of debate, adds retail-ready condition

Richardson City Council narrowly approved a special development plan for the Polk Street residences — a proposed 279‑unit apartment project on three acres south of Polk Street between Texas Street and Greenville Avenue — after lengthy public comment and follow‑up meetings between the developer and neighbors.

The project by Trammell Crow/High Street Residential would wrap a five‑level parking structure with apartments and provide 279 units in a mix of studio, one‑ and two‑bedroom floor plans; the developer told council it expects the units to average about 846 square feet. Brian McNally of Legacy Partners (presenting for a different project earlier) described a similar project type as “a high‑end apartment community,” and Joel Varens of Trammell Crow told the council the team is “excited to be here.”

City staff and the applicants framed the request as a special development plan under the Main Street / Central Expressway form‑based code, meaning the developer sought exceptions to several development standards so the site could be redeveloped as a single, coordinated project rather than smaller, separate blocks. The applicant asked the council to allow: a fourth story (an increase of roughly nine feet above the three‑story limit for the subdistrict), a block‑length exception that would combine two blocks into one approximately 580‑foot block, reduced on‑site open space (the plan proposes roughly 12.1% combined private/public open area versus 15% required), and a parking approach that counts 419 structured spaces but counts only 1.25 resident spaces per unit because one parking level will be publicly accessible (the plan also reserves about 70 covered public spaces).

Why it mattered: supporters said the additional housing and covered public parking would bring more customers and foot traffic to downtown shops and restaurants; several business owners and a representative from the nearby Nest wellness village said the added parking and residents would help sustain existing retailers. Opponents — including a block of homeowners on Kaufman and Kaufman‑side residents — said the combined block would create a “superblock” that reduces walkability, demolishes a long‑standing neighborhood coffee shop (Staycation), and places a four‑story mass directly across single‑story houses. Dozens of residents spoke at the public hearing; speakers included Jordan Connolly, Carrie Jutner and Pat Kinder, who said the scale and loss of the street grid would harm the neighborhood’s character.

What the council required: Council approved the request 5–2 with a motion that included two explicit conditions: (1) the applicant will provide an east–west pedestrian Paseo that connects Polk Street to Kaufman Street through the development (a gated/pass‑through route will be accessible and lit for pedestrians), and (2) the developer will deliver a minimum of 3,000 square feet of ground‑floor “retail‑ready” space at the Polk/ Texas corner; the ordinance language and plan are to be updated to reflect those conditions and to exempt those retail‑ready areas from residential stoop requirements that would conflict with future storefronts. The council also required the developer to construct streetscape improvements on Polk, Texas, Kaufman and Greenville consistent with the Main Street standards.

Public safety, design and parking: The developer said a traffic study found the multifamily use would generate less peak hour traffic than the property’s prior office use; the applicant also committed to work with the city and neighborhood on crosswalks, lighting, and trash and loading operations (the design includes an enclosed compactor and internal loading area so collection vehicles do not stage in the public right‑of‑way). Council members and several residents pressed the developer on mature trees along Arapahoe and Grove (a related earlier zoning item) and on ensuring sidewalks, ramps and ADA access meet current standards; the applicant said it wants to preserve mature trees where feasible while upgrading ADA ramps and repairing trip hazards.

Vote and next steps: Motion to approve passed 5–2. The motion directed staff to draft the ordinance reflecting the conditions and return it for enrollment. The project team will advance final design and permitting; the council’s action was on the rezoning/special development plan ordinance only.

Who spoke on the record: Joel Varens, Trammell Crow Company (developer representative); Kevin Hickman, Trammell Crow Company (developer); Geo Lingcone, Trammell Crow Company (team); Erica (city senior planner, presenting staff analysis); Jordan Connolly (resident); Carrie Jutner (homeowner); Pat Kinder (homeowner); Jason Hughes (resident/business owner); Megan Santon Nicola (Partinope owner); David Harrell (Nest representative); Jerry Harkins (Tavern on Main owner); and more. Quotes used in this article are from those speakers as recorded in the public hearing transcript.

Why it matters to Richardson: The council adopted the Envision Richardson comprehensive plan last year and the Main Street / Central Expressway form‑based code previously; that framework envisions higher‑density, mixed‑use investment in the core district. Supporters said the project will accelerate downtown activation and add public parking; critics said the special exceptions and combined block undercut the small‑block, pedestrian‑oriented character the city sought when it adopted the form‑based rules.

What the approval does not do: The vote approved a special development plan and instructed staff to finalize ordinance language. It does not authorize construction permits; design and permitting remain subject to later site‑plan and building reviews.

Ending note: Council members who supported the project said they expect the developer to continue community outreach during design and construction; members who opposed the measure cited long‑term concerns about block size, massing and retail viability. The ordinance will be finalized for enrollment with the conditions the council imposed.