November 2024 Newsletter
Next Meeting November 14th
In this newsletter:
- Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Rewrite (President’s Message)
- John Sullivan’s Opinion on Proposed Zoning Ordinance
- Next General Meeting - Don Huffines, ‘Best Options for School Choice’
- Community Development Needs
- Collin College Report
- Collin County Passport Office Reopening
- City Council Meeting and Recap Information
- Join Plano Citizens’ Coalition
President’s Message
In the most recently released issue from the City of Plano News released online this week, this blurb was included:
“Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Rewrite”
The Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance Rewrite project is underway! The Rewrite aims to align the ordinances with the comprehensive plan to ensure that the regulations support the intent of the plan; simplify the ordinances where possible to streamline review for staff, city leaders, residents, and developers; and improve development regulations with additional guidance on redevelopment.
The scope of the 2-year project includes a designated Rewrite Advisory Committee and regular meetings with the Planning & Zoning Commission throughout the project. Once drafted, the new regulations will be considered at public hearings by the Commission and City Council, expected in spring 2026."
At the conclusion of the most recent Planning & Zoning Commission meeting, one of the commissioners voiced the idea that the Comprehensive Plan may already be out of date, and it may be an opportune time to revisit that entire process; however, there seemed to be no concurrence across the group for such a process to be initiated. This conclusion was not discussed at length and was dealt with at the conclusion of an approval on zoning matter 2024-#3 for the request to permit construction of two high-rise apartment buildings on the corporate business campus of the former J.C. Penney headquarters location on Legacy in West Plano. In spite of the fact that City Staff had not recommended passage of the plan due to non-compliance with the Comprehensive Plan, P&Z approved it with a majority vote (5-3). Many members of P&Z appear to be happy to move right on over the Comprehensive Plan work achieved by members of our community and have made a mockery of completing the variance analysis documents commissioners and council members are required to do in these types of cases. So now the intent is to complete a Subdivision and Zoning Ordinance re-write committee to more successfully implement the Comprehensive Plan over the next two years which will probably also be ignored?
The J.C. Penney zoning case will be presented at the 11-11-2024 City Council meeting. Are you in favor of ignoring a well-developed commercial corporate campus in a strategic commercial part of the city to become another hub for high-rise, high-density apartment construction? Make your voice heard. Although, the P&Z and Council are making it harder for citizens to speak up - you now can’t speak until the end of the meeting - but you can write in your objections to your specific council members and other elected leaders to advise them of your opinion.
Pat Greer, President
Zoning Case 2024-#3, Development of the Previous JCPenney Complex
Opinion by John Sullivan
Further development on 107 acres in Plano’s Legacy Business Park, which includes the former JCPenney headquarters building, could soon be coming.
A mixed-use development received a recommendation of approval from the planning and zoning commission during its Oct 21 meeting. Commissioners voted to recommend approval in a 5-3 vote with commissioners Michael Bronsky, J. Michael Brounoff, and Gary Cary voting against.
The mixed-use development will include up to 750 residential units, including five townhomes, which are restricted to lots 7R and 10R. According to City Documents, the two proposed residential towers must be at least 15 stories tall, located at least 1,000 feet away from the intersection of Legacy Drive and Headquarters Drive, and at least 600 feet away from the centerline of Legacy.
Developers have promised other key elements of this project that will add to the open element of the property, and provide ample area for outdoor activity for residents, and expand and improve retail space:
An added 21 acres of open space
3 miles of trails, some including waterways
2 separate dog parks
400,000 sq ft of the old Penney’s building will be leased out to new tenants
30 million dollars will be invested to improve the old Penney’s office space
Plano City Council is scheduled to hear this case at its November 11th meeting. If approved, interested citizens must stay involved to make sure the many details promised by the developers are carried out.
The PCC November 14th Program
Community Development Needs
by Pat Greer, President
The City is seeking feedback from its citizens in connection with federal funds. The following information is taken from the city’s NEWS in an online posting this week. We are encouraged to give our feedback through either an online Survey or in-person meetings to be held in November. You will note that the information requested will be matched with your zip code and other demographic information to help the City compile an overall response from citizens. Please remember that this ties the City of Plano to Federal Dollars which ties the city to all that entangles it by the Federal Government. You should be able to complete the survey from the information we have captured and added below:
The City of Plano is developing its 2025-2029 Federal Consolidated Plan of Housing and Community Development Needs. Help us identify top priorities for using approximately $10 million in federal funds for housing, community development and supportive services for low-to-moderate income residents.
Your feedback will:
Identify unmet needs in the community.
Assist the City in setting priorities and designing effective strategies.
Help prioritize activities, programs and services for federal funding.
Attend one of these Community Meetings to provide feedback:
Monday, Nov. 11, 6 pm - Schimelpfenig Library, 5024 Custer Rd.
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 6 pm - Neighborhood Services building, 777 E. 15th St.
Thursday, Nov. 21, 6 pm - Plano Municipal Center, 1520 K Ave.
Federal Consolidated Plan Regulatory Requirement
The Consolidated Plan is designed to help states and local jurisdictions assess their affordable housing and community development needs and market conditions, and to make data-driven, place-based investment decisions.
The Consolidated Plan is carried out through Annual Action Plans. The Action Plan is a concise summary of the actions, activities, and federal and non-federal resources used each year to address the needs and goals identified by the Consolidated Plan.
View the City's 2024-25 Annual Action Plan and the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan.
Take the Consolidated Plan Survey and MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
Collin College Report
by Cathie Alexander, Collin College Board of Trustees
Did you know that Collin College is in the business of saving lives. Here are only two examples.
The Trustees toured the Collin College Public Safety Training Center. One building holds both training facilities for Public Safety (law enforcement) and Fire Safety and Rescue Training. They are both impressive.
Departments throughout Texas send members of their fire departments to train with Collin College. We were taken out to the various training buildings where fires of various types (gas, wood, chemical combustibles …) or rescue scenarios could be planned for hands-on training drills. The ropes and rescue sessions were like something out of a movie. Impressive!
The Safety Training half of the building was set up to train officers in the classroom and to provide hands-on experiences in “active shooter” scenarios. They practice skills that they may face in their communities. Collin College’s training is becoming recognized throughout the US. While we were there, a group from San Diego was training.
The hands-on skills labs are amazing. As you would expect, the facility has a normal, indoor, handgun range but it also has a 100-yard, indoor, rifle range: the only one of very few available for officers’ training. The instructor shared with us that the Officer that stopped the Allen Outlet Mall active shooter had just completed the training at the Collin College Public Safety Training Center.
Following the training session the officer traveled to Allen to visit the Mall. He heard the shots, went back to his car, retrieved the AR that he used in the training exercises and ran toward the sound of gun fire.
Remembering the training he had just completed on the 100-yard rifle range, he took aim… landing two shots to the shooters central body mass. When the shooter remained upright, the Officer realized body armor must be preventing the shots from stopping the shooter. The next shot was precise, and the danger ended.
It was later learned that the shooter had a great deal of ammunition he could have used that day. He was stopped by three shots from an Officer trained, most recently, at Collin College Public Safety Training Center.
I am proud to represent you on the Collin College Board of Trustees and, after hearing this account, you might just bust a couple of buttons being proud of Collin College too.
Collin County Passport Office to Reopen November 4
District Clerk Mike Gould brings Passport Office back to Collin County
OCTOBER 23, 2024
McKinney, Texas - The Collin County District Clerk's Office is excited to announce the reopening of the passport acceptance office in the Collin County Courthouse, located at 2100 Bloomdale Road, McKinney, Texas 75071. The office will officially open to the public on November 4, 2024, offering a much-needed service to Collin County residents. The new office will be conveniently situated next to the District Clerk's existing front counter windows on the first floor of the courthouse.
This reopening comes after a collaborative effort led by Collin County District Clerk Mike Gould, who has worked diligently since taking office in 2023 to restore passport services for the county. "We made a trip to Washington, D.C., in March 2023 to meet with our Collin County congressional delegation to seek their assistance in opening doors at the State Department for reinstatement into the program. We stayed hopeful and finally received word in February 2024 that we were approved by Passport Services management to again operate a facility," said Mr. Gould.
"I'm extremely proud of the work of District Clerk Mike Gould in bringing the passport office back to Collin County," said County Judge Chris Hill. "This fulfills a significant campaign promise made by Mr. Gould during his election. He has been committed to this project from day one and he has kept his promise to our community. It has been a pleasure working with him on this endeavor, and I’m grateful for the support of our Collin County congressional delegation. This passport office will be a tremendous blessing and resource for the people of Collin County."
Congressman Keith Self (CD-3) said, "I extend my congratulations to Collin County District Clerk Mike Gould for his tenacity in securing the reopening of the passport acceptance facility inside the Collin County District Clerk's office. Along with my colleagues, Rep. Fallon and Rep. Allred, I began advocating to the Department of State last June on behalf of the county's proposal. After months of engagement with the State Department, the Dallas Passport Agency, and the County, the Clerk's office will soon begin processing passport applications. This new acceptance facility will be a boon to county residents. Our efforts have paid off."
Congressman Pat Fallon (CD-4) expressed his enthusiasm for the reopening, stating, "This is great for our constituents and a win for Collin County. I am glad our office helped achieve this goal for the citizens of Collin and surrounding counties."
Congressman Colin Allred (CD-32) added, "North Texas is a hub for international travel, and Collin County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Texas. Securing a passport will now be much more convenient with this new Collin County acceptance facility, which will offer additional passport services, including walk-up services. I was proud to work with Collin County and my colleagues Congressman Self and Congressman Fallon to help get this done."
The U.S. Department of State closed the Collin County passport office in 2019 following an investigation into fraudulent passports under the previous District Clerk, Lynne Finley. In preparation for the reopening, District Clerk Gould has implemented new procedures and auditing measures to ensure the highest level of accountability and customer service.
The new passport acceptance facility will initially operate by appointment only, with bookings available through the District Clerk's website. Plans are underway to introduce same-day, walkup services in the near future to better serve the rapidly growing population of Collin County.
About the Collin County District Clerk’s Office
The Collin County District Clerk's Office is committed to providing exceptional service to the citizens of Collin County. The office is responsible for maintaining the official court records for the district courts, issuing jury summons, and managing passport application services, among other duties.
Plano City Council Recap - October 28, 2024
Click here for full recap of the City Council meeting by Councilman Shelby Williams.
Plano City Council meetings are live streamed on PlanoTV.org and City of Plano Facebook page. Next meeting: November 11, 2024.
Plano City Council meetings are temporarily being held at Davis Library (7501 Independence Pkwy.) as of April 8, 2024, during renovation of the council chambers.
Get Involved
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Policy Committees
These committees are responsible for overseeing policy research and position formulation for our organization for both City of Plano issues as well as PISD.
Leadership Development Committee
This committee seeks to identify, train, and support future City of Plano and PISD leaders.
If you would like to serve on either of these, please contact Plano Citizens’ Coalition.
Submit an Opinion Article
PCC is open to guest writers. Send an article to PCC and the appropriate Committee at Plano Citizens’ Coalition for review. Your work could be featured in our next newsletter.
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Plano Citizens' Coalition
2701 W. 15th Street #249
Plano, TX 75075
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