The Prosper Town Council will decide the fate of a 39.2-acre commercial and light industrial development at the northeast corner of University Drive and Lovers Lane when it meets Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 6:15 p.m. at Town Hall.
The vote is the final approval step for the project, which would bring a Rooms To Go furniture store, office and warehouse space, and small-scale "cottage logistics" units to the U.S. 380 corridor in Collin County. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 7-0 at its Tuesday, Aug. 4 meeting after developers negotiated concessions with the adjacent Willow Ridge neighborhood.
What the rezoning changes
The property is currently zoned Planned Development-27, which permits Commercial Corridor and Retail District uses. The new zoning would allow cottage logistics, light industrial and retail uses, according to town planning documents.
The site breaks into three tracts: Tract One for retail anchored by Rooms To Go at the corner; Tract Two for offices, showrooms and warehouses serving businesses that need 5,000 to 20,000 square feet; and Tract Three for cottage logistics units of roughly 1,000 to 2,000 square feet, directly adjacent to Willow Ridge.
A project representative told the P&Z Commission on Aug. 4 that Tract Three tenants would be "growing businesses" such as pool cleaning companies and art framing shops. Town documents define cottage logistics as small-scale, individualized production that explicitly excludes mass manufacturing.
Willow Ridge concerns and developer concessions
The rezoning was originally tabled at the July 21 P&Z meeting after Willow Ridge residents spoke against the project, citing noise, light pollution and traffic. Developers then met with the Willow Ridge Homeowners Association before returning to the commission on Aug. 4.
Three concessions came out of those talks. The developer committed to a "living screen" of existing and new trees along the property line bordering the neighborhood, adjusted building heights to reduce light visibility from adjacent homes, and will build a Richland Boulevard extension through the development connecting to Lovers Lane to manage traffic flow.
"Overall, we've made a lot of progress," Willow Ridge resident Katie Chatfield told the commission on Aug. 4.
The commission agreed. P&Z Secretary Glen Blanscet praised both sides at the meeting: "We don't often see developers be as open and amenable to comments. There's some compromise that has to be made, and I'm grateful to the homeowners that seemed to recognize that as well."
How residents can weigh in
The council's vote on Aug. 25 is binding. Residents who want to comment can contact Michelle Crowe at [email protected] or 972-569-1086. Public Comment Request Forms are available on the town's website or in Council Chambers at 250 W. First St.; online forms must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Aug. 25. The meeting can be watched live at prospertx.gov/livemeetings.
