Denton planning commission rejects MN rezoning, recommends R‑7 for East McKinney parcel

The Denton Planning & Zoning Commission on Oct. 8 recommended that City Council rezone two subject parcels near East McKinney Street from their current mix of R‑4 and RR to R‑7, rejecting staff’s request to rezone the land to the Mixed‑Use Neighborhood (MN) district.

Senior planner Mia Hines told the commission the applicant requested MN across roughly 6.63 acres to create a single, marketable zoning for sale. “The proposal is generally consistent with the future land use map,” Hines said, noting MN’s pedestrian orientation and buffer/transition rules intended to limit impacts on adjacent single‑family areas. Staff recommended approval to the commission but warned the rezoning is a straight zoning case: no site plan, traffic study or detailed civil plans accompany the request.

Neighbors urged caution. Betty Keeley of Gaelic Court told commissioners she had not received clear notice of the project and said existing commercial activity nearby already creates safety and nuisance concerns. “I’m opposed to the change,” she said. Mike Keeley, also a nearby resident, described bright lights, overnight truck idling and increased traffic since a Dollar General opened at the corner. “We never ever wanna see another Dollar General in a residential neighborhood,” he said.

Commissioners raised related concerns about potential retail and apartment development backing up to single‑family yards, traffic at the Ryan High School crossing, on‑site lighting and stormwater. “The MN rezoning allows for multifamily construction, and that would mean apartments behind the neighborhood,” Commissioner McDuff said, adding she would be a “no vote on an MN zone motion.” Commissioner Dyer similarly urged caution and suggested a townhouse‑oriented district would better bridge single‑family lots and a planned transitional‑housing PD to the west.

After deliberation the commission took two actions. First, members voted to deny staff’s recommendation that both parcels be rezoned to MN. Then, on a subsequent motion the body recommended rezoning the subject parcels to R‑7, a residential district that still permits multifamily uses but typically requires a specific‑use permit (SUP) — giving the public and the commission an opportunity to review detailed site plans if a multifamily or retail use is proposed. The motion recommending R‑7 passed 6–0.

Chair Pruitt explained the procedural pathway: a straight rezoning to MN would allow a wider range of uses by right; by contrast, R‑7 limits some commercial uses and places higher‑impact developments on the SUP track, which requires notice and review. Staff noted the case is expected to go to City Council for final action on Nov. 18, 2025.

What happens next: If the council accepts the commission’s recommendation, any party planning apartments or retail on the subject parcels would generally need to submit an SUP and detailed site and civil plans showing traffic, stormwater and photometrics for staff and public review. If the council approves MN, by contrast, more uses could be built without an SUP, although site‑level engineering and landscape buffers would still be required at the development stage.

Key details from the record

• Location: Two parcels south of East McKinney Street, approximately 600 feet west of Glen Gary Way; total roughly 6.63 acres (0.93 acres + 5.75 acres).

• Applicant purpose: make the acreage uniformly zoned to simplify resale; no buyer or development plan currently filed.

• Staff position: recommended MN (mixed‑use neighborhood) because the request aligns with the comprehensive plan’s moderate residential designation and MN’s pedestrian‑oriented standards; emphasized that infrastructure and site impacts are handled at the site‑plan/civil stage.

• Commission recommendation: Deny MN; recommend R‑7 (vote 6–0).

• Public input summarized: Neighbors cited traffic safety near a school crossing, light and noise from nearby retail, limited stormwater infrastructure in the neighborhood, and dissatisfaction with prior retail impacts (Dollar General). Staff responded that stormwater, lighting and traffic impacts are evaluated at site plan/engineering review and that photometric plans and minimum landscape buffers are enforced at that stage.

The commission’s recommendation does not finalize zoning; it forwards a formal recommendation to City Council for final action. The record shows the commission favored a zoning path that preserves transition and provides further public review before higher‑impact commercial or multifamily development could proceed.