Collin County residents critical of Hwy 380 bypass options
McKinney city council members are getting an earful about the proposed Highway 380 expansion.
Groups of residents from different neighborhoods are lobbying to keep the expansion from affecting their homes.
Many were at a public hearing on the issue Tuesday night with a big, decisive vote possibly right around the corner.
Collin County Judge Keith Self says upgrading Highway 380 is the county's highest priority. But there is fierce disagreement over how TxDOT is to alleviate this traffic: either by expanding 380 in its current footprint or by constructing a bypass that would cut through neighborhoods and rural land.
It was easy to see who opposes TxDOT's proposed Highway 380 Bypass at the McKinney city council meeting. Many of the people who wore red shirts to the meeting live in about a dozen neighborhoods north of 380 between Custer and Highway 75, right where the bypass would cut through.
"We are here tonight as a community that will not sit idly by and let a bypass transform our neighborhood,” said McKinney resident Stephanie Wayenberg.
"My family did not buy a home on a state highway, nor are we in the market for one,” said McKinney resident Tara Voigt.
They would rather see 380 expanded near Custer. But people who live there along the highway in the Tucker Hill and Stonebridge Ranch neighborhoods don't like that TxDOT option either.
Another group with thousands of petition signatures would like to see the bypass instead move even farther west, pushing it into Prosper. One man wore a t-shirt with the words, "Yes to West".
"Do not allow the developers of Tucker Hill to push their bad decisions on Prosper and these other communities,” said Prosper resident Pat Justice. “Prosper planned for 380. We have plenty of room to expand 380. I can't help if McKinney didn't plan for 380."
"Many in this group are not residents of the City of McKinney,” said McKinney resident Jon Dell’Antonia. “You were elected by the taxpaying citizens of McKinney to represent them and make decisions that are in the best interest of the City of McKinney."
The Prosper town manager says this is a very important issue for the region and 380 needs to be expanded but did not say he'd support a bypass.
Prosper resident Ben Pruett is among those waiting for more information from TxDOT.
"We're going to try to help solve it, but solve it in a sensible way,” he said.
McKinney city leaders only listened Tuesday night during the public hearing. No formal decisions were made.
Mayor Pro Tem Tracy Rath says TxDOT is going to give them more information about the plans early next month. After that, the council will make a decision, possibly in late October.