A project that would develop an east Plano dairy farm into 215 acres of homes, apartments, parks and more is one step away from final approval.

A zoning change for Lavon Farms was recommended for approval by Plano’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 17.

The big picture: Lavon Farms would feature 626 single-family residential units, 1,052 multifamily units and 37 acres of open space. The open space would include 10 acres of parks and a “Rural Preserve,” which will allow a section of the development to function as a micro farm and ranch.

The background: The project has been “about 25 years” in the making, land owner Todd Moore said. Moore’s family bought the land in 1936 and has been operating it as a dairy farm since.

Lavon Farms is a “key catalyst site” for the Envision Oak Point Plan which was initially adopted in 2018, Plano Assistant Director of Planning Michael Bell said.
 

A new retail development is currently under construction in south Plano near the Richardson border across Renner Road from Methodist Richardson Medical Center, Suzy Murff, Stonewood Investments project leasing and sales representative said.

What’s happening: The development will be anchored by Dunkin’, Murff said.
 

The Federal Aviation Administration’s flight reduction emergency order was terminated as of 6 a.m. Nov. 17.

According to a press release, normal operations can resume across the country, including at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Love Field in Dallas.

Those were among 40 airports in the United States on the high-impact list for reductions, though international flights were not disrupted.

The details: The FAA safety team recommended the termination of the emergency reduction order following a detailed review of safety trends and the steady decline of staffing-trigger events in air traffic control facilities, according to a news release.

What they’re saying: “Our goal throughout this has remained unchanged: take care of our customers and limit disruption to their travel plans as much as possible,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said in a news release. “We’re ready for business and looking forward to serving customers with a full schedule, especially in advance of the Thanksgiving and year-end holidays.”

Texans began receiving full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits Nov. 14, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced. The renewed SNAP payments came after two weeks of delays due to the 43-day federal government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12.

The overview: SNAP is a federally funded program that provides low-income individuals and families with monthly stipends to spend on groceries. The food assistance program ran out of funding Nov. 1, one month after the government shut down amid disagreements over federal health insurance subsidies.

The details: Over 3.5 million Texans receive SNAP benefits each month, according to Feeding Texas, the statewide network of food banks. Payments are issued on a rolling basis throughout each month.

“For SNAP clients who receive benefits on or after the 14th of the month, full benefits will be issued on their normal issuance date,” the HHSC website states. “SNAP clients who already received partial benefits will receive the rest of their monthly amount on or after Nov. 14.”