McKinney Planning & Zoning forwards UDC amendments and multiple rezones to City Council

The McKinney Planning & Zoning Commission on Feb. 10 reviewed proposed amendments to the city’s Unified Development Code and recommended several items for City Council consideration on March 3.

Caitlin Sheffield, the city’s chief planner, presented UDC amendments intended to correct editorial errors, improve usability and make procedural changes. The package includes updates to annexation/site‑plan exhibit requirements, expanded ability for the Historic Preservation Officer to forward commercial Certificates of Appropriateness (COA) to the Historic Preservation Advisory Board, an expiration provision for COAs (one year if no building permit is issued), clarifications on tree preservation and a proposed requirement that replacement trees be planted within 90 days of a notice of violation. "We did that massive code overhaul and that was adopted in November 2022... since then we have been continuing monitoring the trends and any of the language within the UDC and proposing amendments," Sheffield said. The commission closed the public hearing and voted unanimously to forward the amendments to City Council.

On site plans, the commission unanimously approved a design‑exception for two restaurant sites on West University Drive, permitting a 5‑foot reduction to the street landscape buffer so the applicant could provide a 20‑foot buffer consistent with adjacent properties.

The commission also considered several rezones. Araceli Oteo (planner) presented a rezone from PD (townhome) to PD (single‑family with attached hangars) for two tracts; the applicant said market demand favors detached hangar homes and staff recommended approval. The commission moved to approve and will forward the item to council.

Another request to rezone property at the southwest corner of Virginia Parkway and Jordan Road from AG/PD to C2 (local commercial) was presented by applicant Bob Manaus and recommended for approval by staff because the proposal fits the comprehensive plan’s neighborhood commercial designation. Nearby resident Gary Davis urged the commission to consider traffic and drainage impacts, asking whether a traffic study would be required. City staff said a full Traffic Impact Analysis is typically not required for a development of this size but engineering would look at right‑turn lanes and infrastructure impacts. The commission voted to forward the rezoning to City Council.

What was decided: The commission approved or forwarded multiple items — the UDC amendment package, a West University Drive design‑exception site plan (unanimous), a hangar‑homes PD rezone (unanimous), and the Virginia Parkway/Jordan Road rezoning (unanimous). Several items, including the contested drive‑thru SUP near US‑380, were also forwarded following commission votes. All forwarded items are scheduled for City Council consideration at the March 3 meeting.

Next steps: Council will review the commission’s recommendations on March 3. Staff expects to return with additional UDC refinements in a summer amendment package that will include more detailed tree‑preservation violation language and other clarifications.