DTX-PLN: Impact 10/15/2025

Coit Marketplace is set to add more retail space following approval of a rezoning request.

The details: Plano City Council voted 7-1 to approve the request at an Oct. 14 meeting, with Mayor Pro Tem Maria Tu voting against the request. The decision came after the Planning and Zoning Commission split 3-3 on motions both to approve and deny the request at its Sept. 15 meeting, resulting in no recommendation to council.

Zooming in: City staff recommended denying the request, citing concerns that adding new retail space could worsen the city’s existing oversupply of retail space. Jackie Wolpert, a representative for applicant United Commercial Development, said the zoning change is needed to lease a vacant building on the site.

Quote of note: “We have a building that’s almost completely ready to be delivered to tenants, and we don’t have a lease signed yet,” Wolpert said. “Tenants that are interested in this ... fall under the regional commercial zoning, not under the regional employment zoning.”

Starting Oct. 16, for a limited time only, Dungeons & Dragons: The Immersive Quest will offer an interactive experience in Plano, a company news release states.

The experience will offer guests of all ages a variety of opportunities to immerse themselves in the universe of Dungeons and Dragons, including:

• Visit the Yawning Portal
• Protect the city of Waterdeep
• Explore ancient dungeons

Denton County election workers will track how many voters report to the incorrect polling locations during the Nov. 4 election, Denton County Elections Administrator Frank Phillips said. The elections department will also track how many redirected voters end up getting to vote.

The context: Denton County voters must vote at a specific polling location in their precinct of residence to vote on election day. Voters can cast their ballot at any location in the county during early voting for both primary and general elections.

In order to eliminate redirects and mitigate voter confusion, activists and the Denton County Democratic Party have advocated for the county to implement countywide election day polling, also called vote centers, which would allow voters to cast a ballot at any polling place in the county, just like early voting.

Texas Ramp Project, which builds free wheelchair ramps for those in need across the state, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, according to a Sept. 15 news release. Over its 40 years, the nonprofit has built ramps for over 30,000 recipients with the help of over 3,500 volunteers.

Some context: The organization began in 1985 as the Dallas Ramp Project before being incorporated as the Texas Ramp Project in 2006, according to the news release. Texas Ramp Project provides the ramps to recipients at no cost, according to the news release. Most ramps cost between $800-$900 to build.

What else: In 2024, Texas Ramp Project built 2,727 ramps in 145 counties, according to its Sept. 1 fact sheet. To get a ramp, recipients must be referred by a health care provider or qualified organization via the nonprofit’s website.