Plano Commission Considers UMU-1 Expansion Adding 751 Units, Raising Traffic Concerns

A proposed expansion of Plano’s Urban Mixed-Use-1 (UMU-1) zoning district would add 751 housing units and shift the land use mix sharply toward residential, sparking concern among neighbors and commissioners about traffic and infrastructure impacts. The Planning & Zoning Commission considered Zoning Case 2025-003 at its Jan. 20, 2026 meeting.

The applicant seeks to expand UMU-1 across roughly 160.4 acres at the southeast corner of Plano Parkway and Custer Road, covering property in the William Beverly Survey and the Samuel Klepper Survey. The request would rezone 4.1 acres from Light Industrial-1 into UMU-1 and would change the UMU-1 required mix of uses to permit 700 multifamily units plus 51 single-family attached units. Under the applicant’s plan, non-residential uses would account for roughly 12 percent of gross floor area. The application also requests permissions for additional uses such as outdoor commercial amusement on certain blocks and asks for altered development standards including building heights, lot coverage, phasing and block configurations.

City staff and the applicant reviewed UMU-1’s regulatory history, noting the district’s original adoption in 2014 and subsequent revisions in 2017 and 2021. Staff recommended support for the geographic expansion of UMU-1 but urged denial of the broader package of changes unless the applicant provided additional findings and concrete phasing commitments. Staff emphasized the need for phasing requirements and protections for open space and non-residential commitments to balance the large increase in residential density.

Members of the public attending the meeting expressed concerns about traffic, density and impacts on adjacent neighborhoods. Commissioners focused their discussion on potential phasing and mitigation measures that could address traffic and infrastructure strain resulting from a 751-unit increase in housing on the corridor. The public meeting video and transcript are posted on the City of Plano’s meeting video site for residents who want the full record of testimony and deliberations.

For local residents, the proposal signals a potential change in travel patterns and neighborhood character along the Plano Parkway and Custer Road corridor. Traffic mitigation, open space protections and firm non-residential commitments emerged as the key leverage points in staff and commissioner scrutiny. Those who want to influence the outcome should review the meeting record, monitor subsequent public hearings and follow any required submittals that clarify phasing, infrastructure funding and use commitments. The commission’s recommendations and any additional conditions will determine whether the proposal moves forward in its current form.