Baxter Well Apartments Annexation And Zoning Approved

McKinney City Council voted 4-2 on Sept. 1 to approve annexation and MF36 zoning for about 17.32 acres on the south side of Baxter Well Road, about 1,200 feet west of FM 1461. The applicant said the project, titled Baxter Well Apartments, would include 540 market-rate apartment units.

Planning staff said the property sits in northwest McKinney next to two recently annexed and zoned properties, including one with MF36 zoning. Staff also said the site is north of the future 380 bypass and near future Lake Forest Drive, and argued the request fits the city’s comprehensive plan because of its proximity to what officials expect to become a major intersection in the area.

A nearby resident asked council to deny or at least table the case, citing density and infrastructure concerns. She pointed to water pressure problems to the west and said the area could not handle the scale of development being discussed. Council members echoed some of those concerns, with two voting no after saying the project felt too large for the area right now and that infrastructure is not yet in place.

Supporters on council argued that growth in the area is already being driven by outside factors, especially the future 380 bypass and other nearby city projects. They said annexing the property into McKinney would require the development to pay roadway impact fees and parkland dedication fees, which they described as important tools for helping the city manage growth and offset costs.

During discussion, council members also said the developer would be responsible for bringing infrastructure to the site. One member noted that city facilities planned nearby include a public works campus, a water facility and a future Apex center, arguing that people will be drawn to the area regardless of whether this tract is inside city limits.