\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA project that would develop an east Plano dairy farm into 215 acres of homes, apartments, parks and more is one step away from final approval.<\/p>\n
A zoning change for Lavon Farms was recommended for approval by Plano\u2019s Planning and Zoning Commission<\/a> on Nov. 17.<\/p>\n The big picture<\/p>\n Lavon Farms would feature 626 single-family residential units, 1,052 multifamily units and 37 acres of open space. The open space would include 10 acres of parks and a \u201cRural Preserve,\u201d which will allow a section of the development to function as a micro farm and ranch.<\/p>\n The project has been \u201cabout 25 years\u201d in the making, land owner Todd Moore said. Moore\u2019s family bought the land in 1936 and has been operating it as a dairy farm since.<\/p>\n Lavon Farms is a \u201ckey catalyst site\u201d for the Envision Oak Point Plan<\/a> which was initially adopted in 2018, Plano Assistant Director of Planning Michael Bell said.<\/p>\n The plan set out to \u201cunify northeast Plano,\u201d according to city documents, and lays out the city\u2019s vision for the area just west of Oak Point Park<\/a> which includes the Plano Event Center<\/a>, Plano Market Square Mall, Collin College Spring Creek Campus, Oak Point Recreation Center and Lavon Farms.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really used the vision from Envision Oak Point to shape and form our plans,\u201d Trammel Crow<\/a> Principal Kevin Hickman said. Trammel Crow Company is the developer overseeing the Lavon Farms project.<\/p>\n “><\/p>\n Diving in deeper<\/p>\n Lavon Farms will be split into three subdistricts.<\/p>\n Subdistrict A on the west side of the development is planned to feature a variety single-family residences, including:<\/p>\n Up to 298 detached single-family homes or duplexesUp to 232 townhome, manor homes or small-lot single family homesUp to 66 stacked townhomesSubdistrict B in the northeast section of the development just south of the event center would feature the 1,052 multifamily units through 2-, 3- and 4-story apartment buildings. Both subdistricts A and B would feature parks.<\/p>\n Subsection C, the southeast corner of the development, would be the Rural Preserve. Along with the micro farm, this section could include farmer\u2019s markets, food trucks, a garden center, retail and more meant to maintain Lavon Farm\u2019s \u201cagrarian character,\u201d Plano Assistant Director of Planning Michael Bell said.<\/p>\n At least half of the original farmstead structures in subdistrict C are required to be preserved, including stone entrance features, the silo and windmill, Bell added.<\/p>\n Four-lane roadways connecting K Avenue, Jupiter Road and Spring Creek Parkway with a roundabout will also be constructed as part of the development.<\/p>\n The change would zone the area from Agricultural to Residential Community Design<\/a>\u2014a zoning designation created with the Envision Oak Point Plan. Residential Community Design zoning is meant to \u201creinforce surrounding neighborhood character, provide appropriate transitions in use and building scale, ensure appropriate allocation and design of open space, and achieve a well-connected street and pedestrian network,\u201d according to city documents.<\/p>\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n The city received 76 responses to the zoning case from Plano residents, with 66 writing in opposition to the project, eight writing in support and two neutral, according to city documents<\/a>. Two speakers also spoke against the development at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.<\/p>\n Several responses opposed to the project cited the additional housing density and the projects multifamily aspect.<\/p>\n Another thing<\/p>\n