From
Rashad Jackson
Title
Proposed Master Thoroughfare Plan Amendment and associated development review of Cottages at Dechman.
Presenter
Rashad Jackson, Planning and Development Director
Recommended Action
Review and Provide Direction
Analysis
The Cottages at Dechman is a proposed hybrid housing development located at the northwest corner of Dechman Drive and the IH - 20 frontage road. The project will consist of 150 one-and two-bedroom rental homes. Access to the property will be via a full-access driveway to Dechman Drive. The City of Grand Prairie’s 2015 Transportation Thoroughfare Plan shows a collector roadway between Dechman Drive and the IH - 20 westbound frontage road that would run through the rear of this property. The proposed site plan does not show this collector. The applicant has proposed a revision to the thoroughfare plan to remove this proposed collector.
The City of Grand Prairie requires analysis of any Thoroughfare Plan amendment by the CCDC. The proposed amendment would eliminate a collector roadway directly north of the subject property. The review will examine the effects of the proposed hybrid housing development and thoroughfare revision on Dechman Drive.
Department of Transportation Analysis - Brett Huntsman, City of Grand Prairie Transportation Planner
The Master Thoroughfare Plan (MTP) identifies an unnamed Collector which creates an additional connection from Fish Creek Rd./ Dechman Dr. to the Interstate 20 WB Frontage Road. This segment is located along the border of the Dallas County floodway and a vacant lot within PD-20.
The Collector is being addressed due to developer interest in the vacant lot. The roadway is not necessary for the site’s operation and, therefore, is not being considered for construction by the developer. Moreover, the developer is not wishing to dedicate the required 70’ right-of-way necessary to build the roadway.
City staff recommends removing this section from the MTP.
As required by the Unified Development Code, the developer of the vacant lot has provided a traffic impact analysis (TIA) identifying operations of the site and nearby intersections at buildout of the property. The TIA found that there would be no significant impact to the existing roadways and intersections following construction of the new development without the unnamed Collector.
Data was collected for the TIA included detoured traffic from the ongoing I-20 frontage road construction. Once the intersections of the I-20 Frontage and Carrier Parkway are completed, traffic volumes are anticipated to be reduced.
The recommendation of the TIA is that the roadway be removed from the MTP and that the project moves forward. City staff agrees with the recommendation.
Staff does not believe that the unnamed Collector would create additional development potential in the area. The parcel on the opposite side of the proposed development is Dallas County-owned floodway. There would be a considerable cost to acquire and develop this land with potentially significant impact to the existing floodway.