http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/lewisville/stories/DN-masterplan_04wes.ART0.North.Edition2.4257a93.html
Small city has a big vision for its future The Colony: Master plan calls for a retail, entertainment mecca 12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, September 4, 2005 By KEVIN KRAUSE / The Dallas Morning News The Colony sits between Frisco's booming retail stores and Lewisville's highly developed Interstate 35E corridor. As a result, the city of about 36,450 people on the southeastern shores of Lewisville Lake has missed out on potential development. But city officials have big plans, and they're carving out an identity of their own. Officials are taking advantage of continuing improvements to State Highway 121 to try to bring in large family-oriented entertainment and recreation venues that would attract visitors from across the region. In other words, they want The Colony to be a destination city. "We're trying to take hold of our destiny," Mayor John Dillard said. "We want to have our own image and develop our own identity." He said the city has been criticized for not using zoning rules to plan for the future. The 121 Corridor Master Plan is a vision for how the city wants land along the state highway to be developed. It envisions a "thriving, successful, destination-oriented corridor," according to the plan, which a city consultant worked on. Council member Scott Ward said he sees it as a "weekend draw." "I think it'll give developers some possibilities. It'll show them we're serious," he said. About 67 percent of property facing Highway 121 in the city is undeveloped. But that will change. The state is widening the highway and converting it to a toll road. Construction is expected to be complete by late 2007 or early 2008. City officials plan to create an entertainment and recreational zoning district on about 1,043 acres on the north and south sides of Highway 121. The idea is to build on features such as the city's more than 20 parks and two golf courses, its Five Star sports complex and the Hawaiian Falls Water Park. The city's proximity to Lewisville Lake also plays a role, officials said. Although the focus is on entertainment and recreation, other desirable uses include office, retail, hotels, restaurants, corporate headquarters, theaters and other cultural developments, according to the master plan "something that will bring us jobs and tax base," Mr. Dillard said. Two tracts the city identified as ideal for entertainment or recreation uses are the 300-acre Maharishi Global Development Fund land south of Highway 121 and east of Plano Parkway and about 109 acres owned by Trammell Crow west of Main Street. In coming months, city officials will consider zoning changes to implement the plan. Another possibility listed in the master plan is to create a public improvement district that would raise money for improvements with assessments. Mr. Dillard said the zoning changes would take time. Once the plan is in place, the city will begin talking to the landowners, he said. Donna Bateman, director of development services, said the corridor includes about 60 landowners. She said officials have spoken to "a couple of individuals" but have received no development applications. Development of the corridor has been slow, despite many attempts by the city to attract recreation and entertainment venues. "It's been discussed as long as I can remember," Mr. Dillard said. The Maharishi fund bought its land in 2000 and announced plans to build the world's tallest skyscraper in The Colony. When those plans fell through, the company wanted to build a large mixed-use retail center instead. At the time, the company was involved in a legal fight with the state over the value of 21 acres the state needed to widen Highway 121 for the toll road. The fund ended up receiving $14 million for the right of way in a settlement. Shortly after, in early 2003, the company put the land up for sale for $108 million. The group planned to use proceeds from the sale to build the first 108 of 200 planned peace palaces in the U.S.. The land has sat vacant ever since. The fund is part of a global empire led by the Indian mystic Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who pioneered Transcendental Meditation in the 1960s. Since then, his companies have amassed a real estate portfolio with holdings around the world. E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] ______________________________________________________ Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. http://store.yahoo.com/redcross-donate3/ ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. 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