Some businesses in the Main Street and Central Expressway district in Richardson will now be allowed to place accessory buildings in the rear of their properties after City Council unanimously approved new regulations July 27. The new regulations will allow businesses to place accessory buildings at the rear of their property if it is adjacent to an alley, senior planner Derica Peters said.

The gist: Often associated with restaurants, Peters said these can include storage buildings, patio covers, walk-in coolers and dumpster enclosures. Outdoor storage does not qualify as an accessory building.

Peters said city staff have received multiple requests from business owners in the Main Street area asking the city to allow them to place accessory buildings adjacent to an alley on the rear or side of their properties.

A closer look: Peters said the city will reduce rear setback regulations to zero feet for businesses that back up to an alley on the rear side of their property.

Village Collective Texas is opening Aug. 1 in Richardson, bringing close to 15 small businesses under one roof in Campbell Road Village Shopping Center. Each business will operate its own booth, offering clothing, gifts, art, decor and more.

The details: The collective includes second locations for several established Richardson businesses, including boutiques Beaucoup and Chérie Lane, as well as the first physical locations for a number of other small businesses.

Village Collective is also hosting a donation drive on Aug. 1 to celebrate its grand opening. In partnership with Network of Community Ministries, Village Collective and Beaucoup’s neighboring location are collecting hygiene items for local families in need, including shampoo, soap, toothbrushes and deodorant.

• 635 W. Campbell Road, Ste. 234, Richardson

The Second Annual North Texas Bookstore Crawl runs throughout August and features 33 independently owned bookstores.

This year’s event runs Aug. 1-31 and includes bookstores from Grapevine, Plano, McKinney, Denton and Fort Worth.

The overview: The North Texas Bookstore Crawl was inspired by similar events that take place in Austin and Houston, and is meant to encourage readers to check out local independent bookstores throughout North Texas, per the news release. 

Throughout August, individuals can pick up a passport from participating bookstores or download one online and collect stamps across North Texas. 

Quote of note: "We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm for last year's inaugural Crawl," said Katy Lemieux, co-owner of Talking Animals Books, in a news release. "We chose August because it is relatively slow for sales at the end of summer, and we all saw huge increases in revenue during August 2025. Independent bookstores aren't competitors, we're truly collaborators.”