The Plano Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan... (Dallas, Richardson: sales, apartment complexes, new home)

[Beardown91737]

Nothing new. There are plenty of townhouses and apartments east of Preston in addition to Legacy shops. There is also a concentration of apartments in Frisco within 1 mile of the(?) SRT/DNT junction. Plano gets nothing from that.

Most of what was being objected to was either on the edges of town, or surrounding the expressway, just like Legacy Business Park borders Friscoa. Does everyone expect premium single family housing on top of that road? An expressway isn't a country club.

There will be impact on traffic but a lot will be getting right on the roads, while the local problem would be residents along 75 crossing town to work at Legacy. Not everyone who lives there will work in Plano, and plenty of those who work in Plano will be living elsewhere, just like now.

PISD probably should back the plan since it will bring revenue, but probably not a lot of demand for school infrastructure. The new high density may wind up being heavily tilted toward singles, empty nesters, andyounger couples who will move to SFR when they do have kids in school. Another challenge for Plano would be to have something affordable for those residents who outgrew the multi-housing.

Likewise, you won't go through much water trying to keep a concrete jungle green.

Plano's plan will keep it relevant in a market where there is demand for this kind of housing and lifestyle. The SFR will continue to exist and the jobs will stay in Plano instead of leaving for parts of Dallas that offer the housing that has become popular these days.

[biafra4life]

I think people need to be honest here. The issue is not over crowded schools, or traffic congestion. The REAL concern is that these apartments will start out high end, but eventually deteriorate into section 8 ghetto hell holes with "those people" running rampant right next door to the subdivisions. End of story. I can assure you that if instead of building apartments they were building half million dollar single family homes, no one would bat an eyelid about traffic or overcrowded schools. I just want to say there is nothing wrong with having these concerns but just be honest about it.

[DallasG]

They are building 300K-million $ luxury condos so going ghetto isn't a concern.

[EDS_]

Plano wants to avoid becoming an uber employer in which too many of it's workers live elsewhere. Most older important business centers, like Dallas, have evolved into places where many workers live outside the city or county limits..........therefore they become economic freeloaders in many ways. These people use city service every single day and pay no or far too little taxes to Dallas. Examples include water, sewer, sanitation, police, fire, EMS, streets and more. Collin and Denton county being serial abusers of Parkland Hospital is an issue unto itself. However, Dallas County spends huge unreimbursed amounts caring for those who work here but live elsewhere who were hurt/got sick working in Dallas.

Plano is poised to be a key Texas employment center for the next century. A way to avoid most of the pitfalls faced by Dallas is for Plano to increase density now rather than try to force it later. Increased density will allow Plano to strike a better balance between population, daily out of town commuters and employment.

As they age, assuming they also stay relevant, employment center communities alway gentrify, densify, and cater to more renters. It always happens - given those realities why not plan those changes well in advance?

[Aceraceae]

Originally Posted by DallasG

They are building 300K-million $ luxury condos so going ghetto isn't a concern.

Those aren't but all the average apartments could. Stick apartments usually don't age well.

[TheOverdog]

Those aren't but all the average apartments could. Stick apartments usually don't age well.

Neither do stick houses. Houses depreciate in value unless they are regularly maintained.

The majority of the 'ghetto' people in Plano currently live in houses, not apartments. Mostly on the east side, but also the south central west, ie the oldest parts of town. If these places were well built and did age well, then you wouldn't have the prominent east/west divide. And the commercial properties in these areas are even worse. Parker and Alma has no apartments, but the commercial properties there are horrific.

Speaking of 'ghetto', watch the public comments against the plan. Not a lot of diversity in that room. Probably 75% plus old and white. The rest were younger and white. Also they continually commented that people are leaving Plano to go to Frisco and McKinney, both of which have major mixed use apartment blocks planned and currently in construction.

[DallasG]

DFW buyers look for affordable new housing. Once you run out of land then you go vertical to attract them. Once Frisco and McKinney will run out of land then you'll have a fair competition and you'll win because you have better location, schools and job opportunities. Think long term.

[Big G]

Originally Posted by biafra4life

I can assure you that if instead of building apartments they were building half million dollar single family homes, no one would bat an eyelid about traffic or overcrowded schools.

LOL so true.

Originally Posted by EDS_

Plano is poised to be a key Texas employment center for the next century.

Every single thing EDS_ wrote is spot-on. This is the key, though. If things go down as laid out in this plan, "DFW" will be known as "DFP" fifty years from now.

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

The majority of the 'ghetto' people in Plano currently live in houses, not apartments. ... If these places were well built and did age well, then you wouldn't have the prominent east/west divide. And the commercial properties in these areas are even worse.

Nailed it. A lot of the cheaply-made tract housing is approaching end-of-life. Don't even get me started on those strip malls.

Tearing down a strip mall and putting in 7-figure homes isn't in the cards - the location is no good for that. But bulldozing "Vapes R Us" and "Mr Cash" to put up a townhouse or apartment development is quite doable.

Speaking of 'ghetto', watch the public comments against the plan. Not a lot of diversity in that room. Probably 75% plus old and white.

Because these opponents are loud and seeking out the nearest TV camera, they are creating an illusion of massive opposition, as in the links the OP posted. But, as seen on the posts here, most people think this is a well-reasoned roadmap to the future. We just don't have any need or desire to go squawking about it or writing letters to the editor.

[DallasG]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

Speaking of 'ghetto', watch the public comments against the plan. Not a lot of diversity in that room. Probably 75% plus old and white. The rest were younger and white. Also they continually commented that people are leaving Plano to go to Frisco and McKinney, both of which have major mixed use apartment blocks planned and currently in construction.

To be fair, these same people volunteer and participate in most local interest, non profit and social activism causes. However, they are misguided in this case.

[DallasG]

Originally Posted by Big G

LOL so true.



Every single thing EDS_
Because these opponents are loud and seeking out the nearest TV camera, they are creating an illusion of massive opposition, as in the links the OP posted. But, as seen on the posts here, most people think this is a well-reasoned roadmap to the future. We just don't have any need or desire to go squawking about it or writing letters to the editor.

Exactly.