Collin County commissioners opened a public hearing Monday, August 3, on proposed changes to three sets of regulations that control how land is developed in unincorporated areas across the county.
The rules apply to development outside city limits, including unincorporated land that borders Allen.
The updates touch subdivision platting, floodplain management, and manufactured home rental communities. They have not been adopted yet.
County staff will compile all public comments and hearing testimony, then return to the court with recommended revisions before a final vote.
Tracy Homfeld, assistant director of engineering for Collin County, wrote in a memo to the court that staff worked with consultant Kimley-Horn and the County Attorney's office to draft the proposed changes. A 30-day public comment period began Friday, July 3, with notice published in the Dallas Morning News and posted on the county's website and the Engineering Department's Land Development page.
Homfeld wrote that all comments received from stakeholders and testimony from the public hearing will be documented, evaluated, and considered for incorporation into the proposed regulations.
What would change
Subdivision rules: RV parks and single-family rental developments would be added to the types of projects that require platting. The minimum roadway setback along public rights-of-way would drop from 25 feet to 20 feet.
Residential lots could no longer front county thoroughfares without approval from the director of engineering. Plat applications would be accepted electronically, and the filing fee for variance requests would be eliminated.
Floodplain rules: Developments larger than 5 acres or 50 lots, whichever is less, would need a flood study even if no FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area is mapped on the property. Base flood elevation increases would be capped at 1 foot, and nonresidential construction would be banned inside a FEMA flood hazard area. The county would also auto-adopt updated FEMA maps.
Manufactured home communities: Minimum building setbacks would align with subdivision standards. A minimum separation between structures would be required, and pump-and-haul wastewater operations would be prohibited after a dwelling is occupied.
229-lot subdivision plat near Royse City
At the same meeting, the court considered conditional approval of the final plat for The Preserve of Collin County Phase 1 North, a 25.41-acre development near Royse City with 229 residential lots and four HOA lots.
The developer is Preserve at Royse City, LLC, and the project sits within The Preserve MUD of Collin County.
County engineering staff recommended conditional approval. Potable water will come from the Nevada Special Utility District, and sanitary sewer service will be provided by a TCEQ-permitted wastewater treatment facility. The development drains west into Bluff Creek.
How to weigh in
Residents and developers can submit written comments through collincountytx.gov or speak at a future Commissioners Court meeting by filling out a public comment form before the 1:30 p.m. start time. The court meets at the Jack Hatchell Administration Building in McKinney, presided over by County Judge Chris Hill.
No date has been announced for a final vote on the regulation updates.
