Arlington P&Z rejects apartment request on U.S. 287 site

by Lance Murray, Arlington Report
December 10, 2025

The Arlington Planning and Zoning Commission rejected a request to rezone a 14.65-acre property on U.S. Highway 287 that would have permitted construction of multifamily housing.

That development drew substantial opposition from nearby residents who voiced concerns about drainage issues and additional traffic in an already-congested area.

In a 3-4 vote on Dec. 3, the commissioners denied the request with Ignacio Nunez, Linda Finley, Derek Carter and Thomas Ware voting no. 

The site is at 6001 and 6041 U.S. 287 Highway and 6016 Myers Road. The property currently falls under three different zoning classifications — residential multifamily, neighborhood commercial and community commercial. Under a new state law, a developer can build apartments on sites zoned for commercial use in certain cases.

The applicant proposed building a four-story multifamily structure with two-story townhomes standing nearer to nearby single-family homes. The development plan included a 252-unit, gated-multifamily project consisting of three buildings with some tuck-under garages on the first floor.

Much of the discussion beyond traffic and drainage centered on the effect of the new law, SB 840, that allows multifamily residential or mixed-use residential development in any commercial zone or any commercial use building without requiring the approval of local authorities. 

That, some commissioners said, could allow for a development of less quality than the one before the commission.

“This happens to be, in my opinion, a good location for these apartments,” Commissioner Robert Blake said. “There’s not a whole lot of apartments like these in that area, and I think they’ll be a little bit more upscale in what they’re offering than potentially could be put in there.”

Area resident Rosa Orosco-Mitchell said her backyard backs up directly to the proposed project, and she feared a loss of privacy.

“The thought of a four-story building towering over that space is deeply distressing,” she said.

Orosco-Mitchell said the development would violate long-range city planning and the U.S. 287 strategic corridor plan adopted by the city.

“My husband and I chose the area because the city’s own planning documents said that 287 frontage would remain commercial and that the east side would stay low density,” she said. “Changing that now breaks our trust.”

Orosco-Mitchell said the project would introduce high-density housing directly behind single-family homes.

“This will increase noise, air pollution, environmental concerns, traffic hazards and decrease privacy, reducing the quality of life for existing and new residents,” she said, such as by affecting school bus arrival times for children because of increased traffic.

In announcing he would vote no, Nunez said many of the ideas in the long-term plans for that area are outdated and much of what that area needs for growth is not in place.

“The problem is that, from my perspective and the reason I’m going to vote no tonight — that’s the part you are going to like — is because the infrastructure is not going to be ready,” he said, speaking directly to opponents briefly. “I found out tonight during the work session that it’s going to be about a quarter of a million dollars to build lights at Myers.”

Nunez said he’s generally for multifamily development in the area but the proposed project would have lost a strip of frontage availability for commercial businesses.

“I just would rather save that commercial frontage road over there, because Commissioner Ware’s right, when that entry all of a sudden, anybody coming off can enter into that commercial property, get out and get back on the freeway,” Nunez said. “Because right now they can’t, they can get into some of it, but then they can’t, they can’t come backwards to get onto the freeway. So it’s coming, you’re going to get multifamily. But the timing for me on this particular project is not the best timing in the world.”

Nunez pointed out that the applicants could appeal the commission’s decision to the City Council. 

Land development consultant Nikki Moore, of Arlington-based MMA, told the Arlington Report that the decision would be appealed to the council in January.

Lance Murray is a freelance contributor covering business for the Arlington Report.

At the Arlington Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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