The McKinney City Council is set to take a second look on Sept. 5 at changes to the Adriatica planned development at Stonebridge Ranch after being weighed down by a number of issues and heavy public scrutiny.

Support and opposition were expressed at the planning and zoning commission meeting on July 25 and at the city council meeting on Aug. 15. Additionally, numerous e-mails have been exchanged between Stonebridge residents and the city council.


Controversy surrounding the new proposals echos the larger confrontation that accompanied the unanimous passage of Adriatica’s development plan in the city council meeting on Feb. 1 last year. Eighteen members of the public spoke on the issue at that meeting and 58 people submitted written statments, mostly in favor.


At issue this year are requests to raise the maximum height of a number of the buildings, including the large bell tower meant to serve as the community’s most conspicuous element. The developer, Jeff Blackard, also wants to construct a replica of a 16th century galleon ship to add authenticity to his harbor.



The Issues
Construction Changes. After all the hours and work that went into developing and passing the development plan last year, a number of residents spoke out at the Aug. 15 meeting in anger that Blackard would try to change the plan after construction had already begun.


Blackard countered in an interview last week that he was clear when the plans were approved a year ago that he would have to come back with changes. He said in forming the plan last year, he had to make approximations on building heights and other details because the development was still in planning. And he said the changes merely reflect a refinement of those plans. And they are purely aesthetic, he said, providing him no additional income.




Submitted PhotoThe Ship. A large number of the comments also revolved around the ship, a replica of the galleon Dubrovnik that would sit up to 90 feet tall in the harbor of Stonebridge Lake. It would be zoned as a restaurant, serving mainly as a coffee bar and ice cream parlor.

Residents and members of the city council expressed concern about how maintenance of the ship would be accomplished and how waste would be removed. Blackard emphasized that the ship would be constructed in such a way that boards could be replaced while the ship is in the water. The ship is to be constructed of ironwood, which needs no major maintenance for at least 10 years, and maybe 20 or more, according to Blackard. The ship would not require chemicals in the construction that could possibly pollute the lake. Also, in response to concerns, he explained that restrooms would all be on land, so there would be no sewage issues to deal with on the ship.

Building Heights. Some residents have also taken issue with the proposal to increase the maximum height of a number of the buildings, saying the tall structures would look out of place in the community and wouldn’t accurately reflect the look of an authentic Croatian village. Blackard said the increases in height would not add any space to the buildings; they would only make the roof-tops more elaborate and attractive. As an artist, he said, he’s not focusing on the money.


“Everything I’m doing is costing me more money with no commercial benefit,” he said. “I’ve already made all the money I can make from this.”

Nancie Poppema, a local homeowner who voiced a number of objections at both the the July 25 and Sept. 15 meetings, was out of town and unavailable for comment for this story. Reached by e-mail, she referred back to comments made in the public meetings.





Beyond choosing battles
As of this writing, wording for the proposal is being reworked to ensure that concerns about the development are addressed.


“The hope from the council is to get as much worked out as possible before the meeting, then have a vote,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Brian Loughmiller, who is the city council representative for District 4, which includes the development.




Submitted PhotoElements of the structure could hinge on the new wording. Blackard said that he is past the point of choosing his battles, and if the city council chooses to restrict what he can do, he will opt instead to forgo construction.


“If they won’t let me build a bell tower 120 feet tall, why would I build a 90-foot one that would look squatty?” he said, later adding, “If they make me change the harbor, I’ll walk away.”

When asked about the issue, Loughmiller said he wasn’t concerned.


“The goal isn’t to drive him away,” he said. He went on to concede, though, that, “what he is trying to do is different from other projects. The land he’s working on is different. There’s just got to be an understanding that it’s going to be looked at carefully and we’re going to try to make things happen. In 15 years, we want what we planned to match what we’ve got.


"All I’ve ever asked of developers is, to the extent you can, to get with the homeowners and make sure concerns are addressed. That doesn’t mean you have to give in, but at least address them as best you can."