04-103 - OTOWN OF PROSPER, TEXAS ORDINANCE NO. 04-103
AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING PROSPER'S 2004 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN; PROVIDING
FOR SAVINGS, REPEALING AND SEVERABILITY CLAUSES; AND PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ORDINANCE.
WHEREAS, the Town Council of the Town of Prosper, Texas ("Town Council") has
investigated and determined that it would be advantageous and beneficial to the citizens of the
Town of Prosper, Texas ("Prosper") to adopt the 2004 Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council finds that all requisites relative to consideration and
adoption of this Ordinance have been complied with pursuant to Chapter 213, Local
Government Code; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council has conducted a public hearing at which the persons
interested in the 2004 Comprehensive Plan were given an opportunity to be heard and present
written evidence regarding the proposed 2004 Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council finds that the 2004 Comprehensive Plan shall not
constitute zoning regulations or establish zoning district boundaries, but shall be used as a
guide for the long-range development of Prosper.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF
PROSPER, TEXAS:
SECTION 1: Findings Incorporated. The findings set forth above are incorporated into the
body of this Ordinance as if fully set forth herein.
SECTION 2: Adoption of 2004 Comprehensive Plan. The 2004 Comprehensive Plan is
hereby adopted. A true and correct copy of the original 2004 Comprehensive Plan is attached
hereto as Exhibit "A" and incorporated herein for all purposes. An original copy of the 2004
Comprehensive Plan shall be maintained by the Town Secretary for public inspection during
regular business hours.
SECTION 3: Savincts/Repealing Clause. All provisions of any ordinance in conflict with
this Ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent they are in conflict; but such repeal shall not
abate any pending prosecution for violation of the repealed ordinance, nor shall the repeal
prevent a prosecution from being commenced for any violation if occurring prior to the repeal of
the ordinance. Any remaining portions of said ordinances shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 4: Severability. Should any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this
Ordinance be declared unconstitutional or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, it is
expressly provided that any and all remaining portions of this Ordinance shall remain in full force
and effect. Frisco hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance, and each section,
subsection, clause or phrase thereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections,
subsections, sentences, clauses and phrases be declared unconstitutional or invalid.
SECTION 5: Effective Date. This Ordinance shall become effective from and after its
passage and adoption.
PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF PROSPER, THIS
THE 26th day of October, 2004.
C arl s Nigganger, M or
ATTEST TO:
Ahanaelnnin own Secr ry
Town of Prosper, Texas.
Comprehensive Municipal.
Mister Plan
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Prepared y
MES sign Group
And
The Comprehensive Plan Advisory Group
Prosper, T x (EDQ
In Collaboration wit :
C
T2S2
ARCHITEXAS
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1. Introduction:................................................................................................................ 1
2. The Form of Prosper................................................................................................... 3
a. The Highlands:........................................................................................................ 8
b. The Ridge:............................................................................................................. 12
C. The Transition Zone:............................................................................................. 16
d. The Town Center: ................................................................................................. 21
e. The Blackland Flats: ............................................................................................. 24
f. Conclusion............................................................................................................ 27
3. The History of Prosper.............................................................................................. 28
4. The Economy of Prosper.......................................................................................... 34
a. Place and Proximity:............................................................................................. 34
b. Purpose—The County:.......................................................................................... 37
c. Purpose—The City: .............................................................................................. 38
d. Potential For Retail Development Within Prosper............................................... 44
e. Conclusions:.......................................................................................................... 46
f. Recommendations:................................................................................................ 46
g. Economic Goals Matrix........................................................................................ 48
5. The Population of Prosper........................................................................................ 49
6. Traffic & Transportation........................................................................................... 55
a. East-West Orientation........................................................................................... 55
b. Focal Point—Broadway & Coleman.................................................................... 56
c. Perimeter Corridors............................................................................................... 58
d. Roadway Characteristics....................................................................................... 60
e. Traffic Characteristics........................................................................................... 61
7. Planning Issues: ........................................................................................................ 63
a. Town-Wide Issues: ............................................................................................... 63
b. The Highland Zone: .............................................................................................. 63
C. The Ridge Zone: ................................................................................................... 64
d. The Transition Zone:............................................................................................. 64
e. The Town Center Zone:........................................................................................ 65
f. The Blackland Flats Zone:.................................................................................... 65
g. Historical Analysis Issues:.................................................................................... 66
h. Economic Analysis Issues: ................................................................................... 66
8. The Planning Process:............................................................................................... 67
a. Open Process:........................................................................................................ 68
i. Workshop 41: Goals and Objectives................................................................. 68
ii. Workshop 42: Envisioning ............................................................................... 69
iii. Workshop 43: Putting it all Together............................................................ 71
b. Special Target Group Sessions: ............................................................................ 72
i. Target Group Session 41: Group Session with the Town Council................... 72
ii. Target Group Session 42, 43:............................................................................ 73
C. Staff and Town Consultants Workshops: ............................................................. 73
d. Council Administered Public Hearings: ............................................................... 74
e. Jurisdictional Interface:......................................................................................... 74
f. Summary:.............................................................................................................. 75
9. Publicly Expressed Goals and Objectives Established by the Participatory Process 76
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a. Town-Wide Goals................................................................................................. 76
b. The Highlands Zone.............................................................................................. 77
C. The Ridge Zone: ................................................................................................... 77
d. Transition Zone:.................................................................................................... 78
e. The Town Center Zone......................................................................................... 79
f. The Blackland Flats Zone..................................................................................... 81
10. The Framework Plan:............................................................................................ 83
a. Matrix Analysis..................................................................................................... 83
b. Framework Plan.................................................................................................... 85
c. Verification........................................................................................................... 86
d. Conclusion............................................................................................................ 86
11. The Land Use Plan................................................................................................ 91
a. Introduction........................................................................................................... 91
b. Proposed Future Land Use and its Costs Implications ......................................... 96
c. Land Areas, Units, and Square Footage................................................................ 97
d. Future Land Use Plan............................................................................................ 98
d. Future Cost and Future Tax Base Analysis......................................................... 100
e. Comparison with the Present Land Use Plan...................................................... 103
f. Conclusions......................................................................................................... 105
12. Special Districts of the Land Use Plan: .............................................................. 108
g. Conclusion.......................................................................................................... 112
13. Thoroughfare Plan: ............................................................................................. 113
a. The Rural Loop:.................................................................................................. 115
b. The Coleman Couplet:........................................................................................ 116
c. Preston Road:...................................................................................................... 116
d. The Hillcrest Connection:................................................................................... 116
e. The Commercial Boulevard:............................................................................... 117
f. Approach Streets:................................................................................................ 117
g. Connection Streets: ............................................................................................. 117
h. The Perimeter Loop: ........................................................................................... 117
i. First Street:.......................................................................................................... 118
j. Conclusion.......................................................................................................... 121
14. Water and Waste Water...................................................................................... 123
a. Water................................................................................................................... 123
b. Wastewater.......................................................................................................... 124
C. Current Capability............................................................................................... 124
d. Projected Demand............................................................................................... 125
15. Goals and Objectives and Recommended Actions:............................................ 128
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1. Introduction:
The last Comprehensive Master Plan, prepared for the Town of Prosper, was written in
1975 by the firm of Farrington and Associates. Since then, Prosper has addressed its
need for comprehensive views of infrastructure and land use by commissioning the town
engineer to prepare separate graphic representations of thoroughfares, sewer/ water
services, and projected land use. These documents were prepared as an interim measure
intended to facilitate decisions facing the Town Council as a result of increasing
development pressures. These pressures stem from the outward expansion of a growing
Metroplex that is now pushing north of Highway 380, along the Dallas North Tollway/
Preston Road corridor. When the 1975 Comprehensive Plan was written, Prosper had a
population of 501 people and sat in a rural landscape, well north of major growth areas
along the newly constructed I.H. 635. However, the plan itself was farsighted and
presented an aggressive growth picture in which Prosper would see a significant
population increase to 15,000 people by year 2001. Although the population projections
were speculative, the characterization of Prosper as a growth center was indeed
insightful. Also insightful was the vision to see Prosper accommodate its future potential
in such a way that the Town maintained its inherent qualities of Township. These
qualities were preserved by two specific recommendations:
■ "To provide a major thoroughfare loop system to accentuate the
accessibility of the Central Business District to all living areas"
■ "To encourage growth of a central business district more centrally located
to the urbanizing area..."
The "Prosper" addressed in the 1975 Plan was small (only 3,571 acres) compared to the
present day Town (27 square miles, 17,200 acres). Yet the issues anticipated are the same
issues that face Prosper today. It is these issues of growth/ change and the extreme
pressures they are putting upon the Town that moved the Prosper Town Council to
embark upon a new Comprehensive Master Plan in the spring of 2002. However, the
plan desired by the Council was one that differed from the interim measures taken since
1975 in several specific ways:
■ A methodologically sound, broad, and inclusive process of citizen
involvement must guide the plan and its recommendations.
■ The unique qualities of Prosper must be maintained so that the future
Town can be differentiated in the suburban landscape of a Dallas
Metroplex.
These performance requirements imposed at the outset of Prosper's planning process
meant that the aspect of "vision" would be essential and in this way, the 2002
Comprehensive Master Plan would differ from all that came before. While vision was
definitely an element of the 1975 plan, the distant reality of growth did not require that
such vision be specifically translated into policy documents. In addition, the reality of a
small population and/ or the urgent need for interim infrastructure/ land use plans meant
that broad and inclusive citizen participation was not necessary or not able to be
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accommodated. Therefore, the 2002 Comprehensive Plan would be a citizen-influenced
document that sought to give form to the Town's goals and translate that form into those
standard instruments of policy normally associated with a Comprehensive Master Plan.
These documents, and the supporting research accompanying them, would give the Town
Council sufficient mandate to address the aspects of dramatic change now imposed by a
gathering demand for housing, shopping, employment, recreation, and municipal
services.
The Comprehensive Plan laid out in the following text is presented as it was developed in
conjunction with continuous resident and property owner involvement over a period of
1.5 years. This patience of the process and the efforts made to make certain that all
stakeholders were heard is unique and reflects a town leadership that is determined to see
that Prosper benefits from the economic reality of growth without loosing those aspects
of heart and soul that make Prosper truly different.
This Plan is a long-range plan that anticipates a built out condition, which will likely
occur by year 2043. It is intended for the use of Town Staff, Town Council, other
decision makers, and citizens as they direct and influence the physical growth and
development of the community. Therefore, the Comprehensive Plan establishes a
generalized pattern of Land Use and Thoroughfares. It also recommends strategies of
action required to implement the elements of vision contained in this document. The
Plan is a management tool that will provide a valuable reference in the decision-making
processes of municipal governance. For this reason, the recommendations of this Plan are
supported by resident and property owner generated goals and objectives which root the
Plan and the vision it articulates in the aspirations and concerns of the people who will
live and work in the town it influences.
This Comprehensive Plan will become the official policy of the Town of Prosper and
guide its decisions regarding development and capital expenditure. The Comprehensive
Plan is a guide and should not be construed as a rigid code. The Plan is an on-going
process that will, in time, necessitate another reassessment and update.
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2. The Form of Prosper
The Town of Prosper is situated on the northern edge of an outward expanding Dallas
Metroplex. Prosper's nearest neighbor to the south (Frisco) has seen significant growth in
recent years. This growth has brought dramatic physical change almost to the threshold
of Highway 380. Perhaps the greatest single increment of this growth is Stonebriar Mall
(located just 6 miles south of 380). This new regional retail shopping mall is surrounded
by commercial development and is indicative of the massive changes that have taken
place. Retail Center Absorption in Frisco took a dramatic jump in the 2nd and 3rd quarter
of 2000. Prior to those quarters, retail absorption was minimal. In the 2nd and 3rd quarter
of year 2000 it jumped to 1.4 million square feet. Year 2000 annual retail absorption was
2,265,227 sq. ft. Similarly, office absorption saw a dramatic increase in the 4th quarter of
2000 and the 1st quarter of 2001. During this period, office absorption peaked at 160,000
sq. ft. Year 2000 annual multi-tenant absorption was 219,885 sq. ft.
An overwhelming share of retail growth was IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIillillillillliillillillillillillilliillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliilillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliilillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliilillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillilI
classified as "regional retail", indicating that
Frisco had point a as emerged nt of confluence "
g p
supported by a widened Preston Road, Highway
121, and the Dallas North Tollway. Of these
Highway 121 is seemingly the most influential.
�.i�.nn �
ConnectingDFW Airport, Lewisville West J ` .. '
Plano (including Legacy), North Dallas, Allen n�ro kA °� �AIWI
and McKinney. Highway 121 is a major corridor
for cross-town movement between important ��
Nimw hµum'" 1 au � �"�'Ig tll NJi dw
destinations. At peak hours, 121 is crowded in „am n r�
both directions. This is unlike the north/ south
sin ;x d �war ✓1 1�� m
corridor, which sees directional movement ;��`
(movement in one direction in the morning and
the opposite direction in the evening) at peak travel hours. Directional movement
indicates a "home-place/ workplace" relationship that does not necessarily support
regional retail. Non-directional movement indicates a regional corridor that is most
attractive for regional retail. Therefore, Highway 121 (the east/ west corridor) is most
significant in the dramatic growth of Frisco. (Map 1)
With the onset of the significant growth described above, the Dallas North Tollway made
its push into Frisco. Growth of West Plano (more than 1 million sq. ft. annual office
absorption in both 1999 and 2000), created a volume of"up line" trip demand sufficient
to trigger further Tollway extension. The combination of 121, the Dallas North Tollway
and Preston Road creates an ideal development crescent. Such a relationship has been
historically seen at I.H. 635/Preston/ Tollway and Beltline/Preston/ Tollway. In each of
these cases the combined effect of regional east/west movement and directional north/
south movement precipitated a combined retail/ commercial explosion. The key
ingredients are east/ west and north/ south movement that when combined establish a
point of confluence.
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Frisco clearly lies within the triangle defined by Ift
i q �£A IN04llli
Dallas/ Denton/ McKinney. (Map 2) All areas �� „ m, UD
within this triangle have seen dramatic growth
g,�ivaro wuu „ ,p M'lIM raAnrt
over the past three years. Prosper lies on the
Em,
northern edge of the triangle and thereby facese
,ypyitrgawdll „ Q
some uncertainty regarding its actual retail/ W, r1eeY��
commercial growth. Unlike Frisco (which had
380 to the north), Prosper has no significantE011 �1,
�,e a�
1.1
development attractors (or development centers) �9
sphwi
AV ,9
"' Ne c F e ume�nm
north of it. Therefore, it is unlikely that they. „
v
volume of cars on Preston (south of 380) are
°n bn Uak Nawr4svilJ,rw GvY.F B.s6W IW1
doing much more than selecting 380 as their 01,a� .
route to destinations east and west of Prosper.
This is significant because it suggests that traffic
volumes, which support retail/ commercial development in Frisco, may not be evident in
Prosper to the same degree (except along Highway 380). Areas north of Prosper will
likely grow slower than areas south unless Sherman/ Denison was to emerge as a major
growth center. Without significant neighboring activity, Prosper will not emerge as a
zone of confluence; it will likely be an "edge" community defining the major
development zone. Note the sharp edge of aggressive urban growth illustrated by
lavender shading in the above map. Prosper will experience its growth as southern
development pushes north. "Push" growth by nature follows corridors of significance
and the power of Highway 380 will dominate the significance of Preston Road with out
destinations north of Prosper to energize it. As the dominant corridor, 380 will attract the
growth from the south at a disproportionate rate. As a result, commercialization of
Preston Road (north of 380)will most likely grow much slower than highway 380.
Therefore, land use policies for 380 must be established that promote nodal
commercial patterns (rather than strip commercial patterns).
As Preston Road and the Tollway continue to
a11113 extend north, it is generally held that
development is moving in a south-to-north
direction. However, it seems that the market
has moved from a south to north direction
1 and the response to that market
(development) has in-filled in an east to west
direction. This is unlike the US-75 corridor
_.
IN 1.01
m where development has a clear south to north
growth pattern. The difference can be
attributed to the importance of east/ west
streets between the regional corridors. Along
the US-75 corridor streets like Park Blvd.,
� kq��,� Parker, and McDermott connect north/ south
arterials that are relatively close together. As
a result, development advances in sectors defined by the combined east-west/north-south
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grid. In Frisco and Prosper, the situation is fundamentally different. The primary
corridor (Preston Road) stands alone as the framework upon which the market advances
until it encounters an east/west corridor(e.g. 121 or Highway 380) and is (at some point)
supported by a reciprocating extension of the Tollway. The great distance between east/
west regional corridors and the response timing of the Tollway extension means that
development along Preston must grow east and west of that primary corridor, along the
east/ west regional corridors it encounters, and be joined at a later time by development
moving east from the Tollway. The pattern of advancement is not linear, it is oscillating
in an east and west rhythm triggered in response to east/west influences. (Map 3)
Therefore, future east/west thoroughfares in Proper must anticipate the emergence
of a development response as the market advancing along Preston searches for
opportunities to laterally expand.
Photo 1 Photo 2
Wh11��e Prosper
s1�is on���� t �en����� �orfh edge of an expanding Metropl x it o1so sits on the
highest ground of Collin County. The ridge just east of Preston Road is the break point
between high rolling land (eastward) and flatter lower land (westward) (Photo 1). This
confluence of natural landforms provides many
dramatic vista views of the westward landscape.
These broad sweeping views reveal Prosper's
elevation in relation to its surroundings. (Photo 2)
Turning west on
r Broadway (from Photo 4
r- Preston Road)
H
one encounters
such a view. °
Looking down
on the Town �j
Center, the grain elevators are imposing. Photo 3
They are even more imposing when viewed from
M
lower elevations west of downtown. Here they are
an ever-present identifier of the downtown zone.
(Photo 4)
Therefore, the associations between the historic town and the landscape must be
reflected in the relationship between the newer town and the landscape.
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iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillilillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillilI
The high ridge east of Preston is also a drainage divide. Creek-ways flowing east form a
complex network of channels extending to the southeast over a rolling landscape and
shrouded in a verdant tree canopy. West of the drainage divide, the natural system is
simpler and less enriched with natural canopy. The more significant natural assets of
Prosper are located in this rolling landscape (Photo 5) and include:
j • Tree corridors
Photo 5 • Complex creekways
• Valleys
• Hills
As a result this area of Prosper has attracted all of
the recent residential development with the highest
income communities being located along the
significant creek channels.
Therefore, care must be given to preservation of the natural assets that make the
eastern areas of Prosper attractive to residential development and they must be
made a part of the public realm so that they are not lost to privatization.
West of the divide, water flows more southwest with the most significant channel being
Doe Creek. A significant outfall lies due south of
-Photo 6 the downtown area (between CR 73 and Coleman)
(Photo 6) with Preston Road cutting diagonally
across it. The heavy tree cover and flood plain
associated with this natural corridorrovides a
p
permanent separation between development south
and north of it. Future development of the
wintersection� at Preston Road and Highway 380 will be physically separated from development further
north on Preston Road.
Therefore, development of the Preston/ 380 intersection must provide a proper
portal and set up the visual entry sequence that includes the natural zone created at
the outfall.
The topographic form of Prosper has influenced the development of its built fabric and
remains the most powerful force on development of Prosper today. The natural form
zones of Prosper are defined by topographic relationships and contain distinctly different
built conditions. The natural (topographic) zones are:
• The Highland Zone: This is the area east of Preston Road and encompasses the
drainage divide as well as it natural corridors.
• The Ridge Zone: This is the corridor district, which encompasses Preston Road.
• The Transition Zone: This is the hillside area between Preston Road and
downtown.
�IIIIIJIMMTZS2
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• The Town Center Zone: This is the developed area between the bottom of the
Transition Zone hillside and the R.R. Tracks.
• The Lowlands Zone: This is the flat land spreading west of the R.R. Tracks.
In all there are five zones, which establish distinct natural areas and encompass distinctly
different built fabrics. This correlation between natural and built fabric makes Prosper
unique and is an essential component of Prosper's identity.
Therefore, the planning framework is structured around the five form zones that
comprise Prosper.
Large land holdings south of Highway 380 (the Brinkmann Ranch and the Twin
Creeks Ranch) create a distinctive separation between Prosper and the ubiquitous
development patterns now seizing control
of the Preston Road corridor. Preservation
of the rural roadway character north of
Frisco (and south of Prosper) is essential ;� w
to protecting Prosper's future from the
homogenizing influences of corridor �
driven development. (Photo 7) w
Therefore, the area of planning '
concern should extend to the edge of
Prosper's ETJ so that important visual
approach sequences can be preserved.
r�� r
Collin County Capital Improvement Plan
shows a widened Preston Road up
Highway 380, with no planned widening
beyond that point. 1999 traffic counts � w .
indicate the need for a 6 lane divided road
section up to Highway 380. Current
traffic counts beyond 380 do not support 4
such a road widening at this time.
I ma
Therefore, any road widening of
Preston north of 380 should be
carefully considered and the rural
character of the roadway preserved.
In the mid 1980's land adjacent to the proposed Tollway (in Frisco) sold for $ 43,000.00/
acre. Land prices and associated policies (zoning, subdivision, impact assessment, other
exactions) were driven by anticipation of improvements, which the Town was not able to
control. The Tollway did not actually arrive in Frisco until the late 1990's. By this time
land purchased at a speculative price had been held at a carrying cost added to that price
and (in many cases) retired to first lien holders for original loan amount plus carry. This
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
caused the City to grant
development rights
reflective of these values. w o
Fifteen years later, when M
value and market were
more properly in line
Frisco was unable to
impose form over growth
without imposing further
restrictions. Part of the
u�p
incentive to grant
development rights
centered around the
Township's desire to exact
major infrastructure
n
improvements from
i
private development
(which added cost to the ; �q
development pro-forma)
and an inability to make
infrastructure '
improvements through '
public funding
mechanisms. In that the
actual cost of construction
lay with the end user/
developer" the original speculator had no particular objection to cooperating with the
Town's desire (in exchange for sufficient density/ uses). Eventual (and inevitable)
discontinuities in the infrastructure caused clarification of a coherent development form
to languish. Only recent projects like Frisco Bridges (triggered by the close association of
the Tollway and Preston Road) have begun to create a clear structure but the historic
Town Center remains unsupported and weakened by regional/ ubiquitous development.
(Photo 8)
The pattern of events experienced in Frisco could well happen in Prosper with the
exception that the intense market demand in Frisco (which brought value and
development together) may not be repeated in Prosper. In that event, future development
will be seriously hampered by inflated land prices and the Town will remain in the
business of stimulating development, rather than managing development.
Therefore, formulate a plan that sets a priority on internally important patterns and
forms and discourages the overpowering presence of regional patterns and forms.
a. The Highlands:
�� ISM T2,S2
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Highlands Zone of the Prosper Planning Area
Photo 9 1 is a generally recognized zone, lying to the east of
Preston Ridge (parallels Preston Road). The
Highlands Zone boundary is the watershed
r drainage divide (Doe Creek and Wilson Creek),
FM 1461, FM 2478, and Highway 380. Within
this area lies a picturesque natural fabric of rolling
topography, lush tree corridors, complex creek-
ways, and distinctive vista views. (Photo 9) These
are the natural assets, which have attracted the
already significant amount of "high end" residential development. Custom home
developments have emerged in recent years adding a distinction of residential value to
this sector of the Town. Developments such as Willow Ridge, Amberwood, and Gentle
Creek have identified this section of Prosper as a custom home community. Many of the
developments (such as those listed above) have employed a development standard that
has a rural character. These standards include:
• No curb or lay down curb
• Minimal or no solid rear yard fencing
• Winding streets with fewer cul-de-sacs
• Preservation of existing topography
• Living screen edges
As a result, there is a continuity of character to residential development in the Highland
Zone. The "contained" nature of the development plan suggests the attraction of Prosper
and the Highlands Zone to residential
Photo 10 development. "Contained" means that the
developments are designed as autonomous
communities. They have a street system that starts
at and generally returns to one or two points of
ingress and egress. (Photo 10) These points are
given a distinct visual identity that is intended to
create a character for the community separate and
apart from the town of Prosper. These
developments could well be in another community
except for the distinctive landscape in which they
sit. Herein lies the primary market attraction. The attractors include:
• Large Lots
• Rural character
• Natural beauty
However, the qualities, which are attractive to custom home residential development
ultimately, become weakened by the development itself if the Town does not impose
residential design standards intended to preserve and amplify those assets. Privatization
of the creek-ways, infill of the agricultural pastures, consistent reduction of agricultural
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillilillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillilI
uses, widening of rural roadways, and erosion of the natural tree canopy will over time
destroy the qualities, which make the Highlands attractive.
Therefore, the Town must formulate residential development guidelines, which
preserve the inherent qualities of the Highlands Zone.
The lack of solid fencing in much of the residential
Photo 11 fabric is an important quality of the Highlands. It
is a result of the market's rural perception of
Prosper. Here it seems that property lines are less
1 important than the sense of space (associated with
country living). The reason these people move to
Prosper is not so much the "Town" but the ability
to have separation from the physical restraints of
town living. The incremental appearance of out
buildings in many forms and shapes expresses the
independence afforded to a context in which the individual can make such decisions
without expressions of consensus by others. (Photo 11)
Therefore, development guidelines, which
promoted overt architectural continuity, Photo 12
would be inconsistent with the rural imagery
of Prosper.
The County Roads, which still comprise much of
the collector roadway system, are also part of the
Highland's distinctive rural character. Narrow,
gravel roadways with barrow ditches for surface
drainage, sporadic street lighting, vista views
and rural fence right of way definition are key visual elements. These characteristics
stand in striking contrast to the short block conditions of the town center area (Transition
Zone). Future residential development will increase traffic demand on these roadways to
the point that road widening is necessary. (Photo 12)
Therefore, future road design must preserve the elements of rural character while
functionally serving the traffic demand of future development.
�t The rural fabric upon which current residential
Photo 13 development is taking place is one where the road
way is isolated (detached) from development.
These are secluded country lanes with a
contemplative character distant from built frontage.
(Photo 13) Some current residential projects are
preserving that separation by maintaining a spatial
/�� edge around the development project, which does
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not crowd the roadway. Loss of this "distance"between built fabric and roadscape would
significantly diminish the rural character so attractive to residential development.
Therefore, further residential development must � I
maintain a spatial separation between the rural roadv�
system, the internal road system and the built fabric,
which fronts the internal road system.
An increasingly significant part of the Highland landscape is
utility infrastructure. The current power line right of way,
which cuts across the zone in a southwest to northeast
direction, is already shaping the form of such developments
as The Villages of La Cima, and Willow Ridge. Open fields
dramatize its presence. Similarly, the water tower has !„
significant effect on the remaining visual character of the
Highlands. (Photo 14) J
Therefore, the design of future enhancement/
Photo 15 expansion of the utility infrastructure must
consider its impact on the remaining rural
fabric of the Highlands Zone.
Continued residential development which
physically reflects land ownership patterns by
contorting the street pattern to compensate for
irregular property lines, ultimately creates a Town
form with no physical references. It is the physical
assets, which give the Highlands its distinctive character and they must be the "form"
giving influences on development design. (Photo 15)
Therefore, land-planning determinants, which recognize the form-giving
significance of the natural features of the Highlands Zone, must be established for
this area.
�� ISM T2,S2
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The Highlands is a residential district in which the
residential presence in a rural landscape seeks to Photo 16
minimize any visual contradiction with the
passiveness of that landscape. However, as
development continues, opportunities for non-
residential development will occur. The visual
��. ��u:� mmnnu�uuuuVuu�miuuu�BV�,!�PVV00VVVimmup �I'mlll�llll IIQIII��IIIIV�,�N�o��
reference for non-residential development should be
taken from the simple/ picturesque qualities of
agricultural structures, which presently punctuate the
landscape. The spans and scale of such structures are
appropriate for non-residential development that
serves the residential fabric of the Highlands Zone. However, these structures are far
from the street, thereby preserving the street as a functional corridor visually subordinate
to the openness around it. Such structures are contained in small areas, suggesting that the
commitment to residential use (now apparent) in the Highlands Zone should be retained
and non-residential development limited to select opportunities, which do not change the
nature of the rural fabric. (Photo 16)
Therefore, future non-residential development in the Highlands Zone must derive
its visual character from the simple/ picturesque of agricultural archetypes and
preserve the natural openness of the streetscape.
b. The Ridge:
The Preston Ridge has had significant influence on
Photo 17 the growth and development of Prosper since the
beginning of its history. The ridge is a landform,
(Photo 17/18) which visually identifies the
transition between the "Blacklands" and the
"Highlands". This striking physical distinction
which bisects Prosper's geographic area, has been
a physical reference for its primary commercial
infrastructure (the Railroad and the original
Preston Road) as well as the source of civic
division (e.g. the 1902 feud between the Blackland Town Site Co. and the "Highlanders",
as described in the Historical Marker Application
for Prosper, by Judy Rucker). Originally Preston
Road ran along the bottom of the ridge (like the
Rail Road Track), at that point where the hillside
(later in this report called the Transition Zone)
"breaks" into the level Blackland prairie. Today,
the designated Preston Road runs along the edge of
the ridge itself, thereby bypassing downtown
Prosper. With the distinction of Preston Road as its
primary access, the Ridge Zone has become an
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
area for residential development. Unlike Preston
Road in Frisco, the northern portion of Preston
Road in Prosper is fairly well committed to
residential use. As a result, the commercial
corridor that has emerged in Frisco will unlikely
emerge in Prosper. The residential identity of
Preston includes developments such as Preston
Lakes, Stone Creek, Raewood on Preston, and
Willow Ridge (Photo 19) as well as single houses
such as the Sanders estate.
Therefore, retail uses along Preston that would be incompatible with the residential
character already emerging, would be inconsistent with the inherent form of the
existing Town.
In striking contrast to the openness of the general landscape and the open wrought iron
fencing of the Sanders Estate (Photo 20), the
Preston Lakes project has assumed a defensive
relationship with Preston by erecting a thin wall
brick fence. The utilitarian appearance of thin
walls and the visual message they impart are
significantly different than the quality of preserved
openness that other developments with low walls
or living screens attain. The northern portion of
Preston Road is emerging as a street of residential
entries. However, a defensive relationship between
residential development and the street has already
set in. Unlike the open relationship suggested by
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillilliillillillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillithe Sanders Estate, the defensive relationship
can be interpreted as an early sign of Town
fragmentation in anticipation of a Preston Road
corridor. (Photo 21)
a,
Therefore, guidelines for the edges of
residential developments must be developed
so that the identity of Prosper as seen from
Preston Road is preserved as the remaining
frontage is
.. . developed by
residential
uses.
The uphill climb of Preston (starting at 380),
extending through a wooded section (which flanks the
drainage outfall area) makes the presence of the ridge '`
both seen and felt (Photo 22). When this quality is
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combined with the angled alignment of Preston, there is a clear sense that one is entering
a different landscape. The anticipation created by the alignment flow and visual/ natural
changes which accompany it are never met with a sense of arrival...there is only a sense
of change. Consequently there is no real sense that one is in (or not in) Prosper...only the
road sign to downtown identifies the heart of the community. (Photo 23) However, to
create a town center presence along Preston would require the emergence of commercial
demand within a corridor that is primarily residential in identity and consequently not
able to compete with the commercial draw of Highway 380 and/ or Preston Road south of
380.
When the new Preston Road alignment was decided, its purpose was to bypass the
commercial areas of the town and in so doing avoid the traffic and right of way
hindrances it imposed. The lack of commercial
attractiveness was intentional and will remain an Photo 23
impediment to viable commercial development (of
sufficient scale to make a Town Center) unless
traffic was to significantly increase. In any case,
the regional uses (such as those seen in the �Y,�
Southlake Town Center) will most likely be
attracted to the regional corridors. A Town Center
along Preston (north of 380) would have to rely
upon anchor uses such as a grocery store. Any
strengthening of Preston along the ridge would
contribute to further weakening of the historic town center and be inconsistent with its
history of commercial activity (starting with the arrival of the railroad in 1902).
A sense of arrival requires a concluding experience along Preston. This arrival needs to
communicate that one is within the "shroud" of a distinct community. A gesture as
simple as a commercial center that identifies itself as a Town center will not accomplish
this. Instead, one must enter an area where every street is not a through street, meant to
"get across" or bypass Prosper. There must be an internal thoroughfare system that
provides a reference framework for the future development of Prosper. The sense of
arrival is accomplished by encountering this "local" thoroughfare system (not a grid of
Farm to Market roads). The Master Plan produced in 1975 was visionary in that it
suggested an internal loop road. Such a circulation form would result in internal streets
that did not simply connect with roadways unresponsive to the town center location or
other hierarchical distinctions. This circulation form would produce streets that
referenced the internal circulation system and thereby the hierarchies it implies.
Therefore, the arrival sequence created by Preston Road must conclude in a
recognizable street hierarchy that impacts the "bypass" function of Preston and
subordinates its "through way" dominance to that hierarchy.
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillilillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillililllillillillillillillilliillillillillillillilliillillillillillilI
If Preston Road north of Highway 380 were to be widened as is now planned for Preston
Road south of Highway 380, it would bisect Prosper in the manner is has bisected Frisco.
(Photo 24) The inability to identify a coherent form that is Frisco is the result of the
overpowering dominance of corridors that have (by virtue of the traffic volumes they
carry) defined themselves independent of the town. Areas east and west of the corridors
are disconnected by a regional road system. The ability to knit the community together
with a local serving road system that reinforces a town form and identity is forever lost.
At some point in the future, Preston Road north of Highway 380 will be widened.
Therefore, planning must be started today to identify a road alignment and design
that would prevent a widened Preston from bisecting a community knitting itself
together through east/west continuities in its local road network.
The Preston Road
overpass (at Highway 380)
is a landmark of identity
that clearly marks the
beginning of the Town.
Future commercial
development of this
intersection is certain and
its design will have
Via" �`��� tremendous bearing on the
continued association of
this overpass with Prosper
or with the regional
aspects of 380. Of
all development parcels,
the intersection of Preston
and Highway 380 is key.
Its importance lies not
only in its influence on the
visual identity of Preston
Road but also on the
visual identity of Coleman
Street and the perception
that the historic Town
Center has a visibility at
this point. The overpass is
a visual landmark (the threshold to Preston and Coleman), Preston is an identifying
corridor, and Coleman is the historic route into the existing commercial center (as well as
the historic Preston Road). All these important associations will be affected by
development at Preston and 380. Preston and 380 is in all ways a local intersection
(although it has regional significance)
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Therefore, a clear goal needs to be set for the development of Preston and Highway
380 that will establish a relationship to the future of Prosper and reinforce its Town
identity.
The absence of a clear commercial identity to Preston Road (north of East First Street)
has contributed to its significance as a residential address. Perhaps the Sanders Estate best
illustrates this. There are still several single properties, which front Preston and preserve
its rural character. The newness of the Sanders Estate illustrates that the market place has
decided that the future of Preston lies with its continued identity as a residential street.
This is the natural relationship of Preston to the Town of Prosper because it is the
relationship established in the absence of regional influences. The openness of the fence
wall at the Sanders Estate suggests a confidence that the future roadway will remain
conducive to the pastoral setting so carefully composed. (Photo 20)
Therefore, reinforce the continued
residential identity of Preston Road through
careful reconsideration of its continued
function as a State Highway.
Both the Highland Zone and the Ridge Zone
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are comprised of autonomous projects with
introverted street layouts that have no similarity
to the simple grid of the original town. The
grid form is a "town form" and the project
specific closed street design of newer projects
is an "estate" form. The former is collective and the latter is autonomous. The former is
city and the latter is country. If the pattern continues, the overwhelming majority of
residences will locate in autonomous projects with closed street layouts that serve only
the project and not the town. At a large scale such projects eliminate secondary traffic
circulation routes and throw all traffic onto the Farm to Market Roads which emerge as
collectors. This causes the widening of those roads and the loss of Prosper's
predevelopment character. (Photo 25)
Therefore, future connections between contiguous projects must be accomplished in
order to provide secondary routes that can function as a type of town grid and
preserve the rural identity of the Farm to Market roadways.
c. The Transition Zone:
The Transition Zone is generally that area lying west of Preston Road, east of (and
including) the railroad track, north of Highway 380, and south of FM 1461. This is the
most complex of all the zones because of its history, its diversity, and its land-form. The
Transition Zone is currently the "center of town" and it contains all of the town's civic
elements:
• Schools
• Historic Landmarks