For the past several months, the City of Collinsville and its Economic Development Corporation (EDC) have been working with the Institute of Urban Studies to develop a comprehensive plan. The plan is meant to help shape and guide development decisions for the city’s future over the next 20-30 years.
Public policies driven by the comprehensive plan include areas like future land use, neighborhoods and housing, parks and recreation and economic development. A team of city leaders, business owners and community members has been working to identify existing needs of the community and creating goals to address such needs.
The main objectives of the plan are to:
1.) Assess what Collinsville has.
2.) Express what Collinsville wants.
3.) Decide how to achieve what it wants.
4.) Implement those decisions.
Through a comprehensive plan, a city can brand itself, distinguishing itself from other communities. It can capture and attract housing, commercial and other infrastructure, and it can prepare and position itself to draw on the region’s growth potential and maximize the benefits therein.
In a series of committee and community meetings, the comprehensive plan steering committee was able to determine Collinsville’s strengths (safety, education, sense of community), weaknesses (transportation infrastructure, stagnation, no grocery store), opportunities (growth of surrounding areas, job opportunities) and threats (aging infrastructure, disconnection in community, lack of buy-in for community vision).
As a result, the steering committee identified five main key values important to residents, which were safety, sense of community, encourage and accommodate responsible growth, walkability and activity in downtown and infrastructure enhancement.
An online survey revealed that most residents were happy with the quality of current housing. They were concerned about affordable housing for elderly residents, and preferred single-family dwellings over large apartment complexes.
The survey also revealed that citizens’ biggest concerns were the need for drainage system improvements and quality of roads in town. Beyond that, respondents mentioned the desire for more amenities in town, like a grocery store, healthcare and the development of downtown as a destination and city center.
With an understanding of citizens’ perceived needs for the city, the comprehensive plan could then dive into topics like land use and infrastructure.
Future Land Use
A city’s growth and development is linked to land use, which affects transportation patterns, open space and environmental concerns as well as the need for infrastructure and public service. Land-use regulation and management play a critical role in ensuring the well-being of residents.
Current land use within Collinsville city limits is primarily single-family residential development. While some pockets of duplexes or lower-density multifamily dwellings exist, most existing neighborhoods are detached single family homes.
Because the Union Pacific rail line that closely aligns with Highway 377 forms a barrier between the larger portion of Collinsville to the east of the rail line and the smaller portion to the west, traffic flow between east and west is problematic. Additionally, the west side of the highway frontage is too narrow to support activity of any sort.
Although Collinsville is facing some development pressure as the Dallas suburban area creeps north, the city is located away from the tollways and Preston Road. Therefore, Collinsville has time to establish the kind of growth regulation its citizens want.
In 2024, Collinsville’s population was just over 2,000. It’s projected to reach 4,750 by 2050. That would mean the need for an additional 120 acres of residential land. As a result, the Institute of Urban Studies provided a land use map with suggestions for outdoor recreation, commercial and retail development, a historic downtown, residential and public and institutional community facilities.
The goals of the land use plan are to:
1. Preserve and promote Collinsville’s rural image and character to foster a distinctive and appealing place to work and live.
2. Attract appropriate investment and opportunities to diversify the tax base.
3. Preserve and enhance a historic downtown that promotes community gathering, entertainment and celebrations.
4. Strengthen Collinsville’s image, identity and character to foster a distinctive and appealing place to live.
Transportation
Planning is already underway for a potential realignment of FM 902 to move the road south of Collinsville. The comprehensive plan aims to ensure the City undertakes regular communication with Grayson County to address any concerns or desired changes in this and other arterial and highway future alignments and capacity enhancements.
A comprehensive transportation and thoroughfare plan will address traffic volumes, street and highway functional classifications, projected growth and accessibility needs, and active transportation such as bike lanes, trails and sidewalks.
This includes the need for complete streets - roads that enable safe access for all people who need to use them, like pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. This might look like well-maintained sidewalks with shade for pedestrians and safe street crossings in residential areas.
Parks and Trails
Parks are vital public places for recreation and social and civic engagement and are essential to a city. As a small, general law city, Collinsville should actively seek means of enhancing its own ability to directly finance parkland purchases and park facilities development.
There are several ways to achieve this, such as interlocal agreements with state and local governments; partnerships with neighborhood groups and associations; or internal funding like utility fees, grants or bonds.
Economic Development and Downtown Plan
The development of a robust and resilient economy goes hand-in-hand with future growth for Collinsville. A comprehensive economic development strategy is important because it can lead to job creation, higher incomes, improved quality of life, higher tax revenue and stronger businesses.
An economic development plan should include the reinvigoration of historic downtown and potential economic niches like outdoor recreation areas and agrotourism.
Next Steps
Now that the comprehensive plan has been completed and presented to the city, it must be maintained as a vital, up-to-date document. It is up to the City to revise the plan as changes occur and new issues become apparent. Annual reviews can help assess the City’s progress of plan implementation; changes in conditions; updates to city regulations or programs; adjustment of city priorities or changes in state laws.
By checking in and making adjustments as needed, the plan will remain current and effective in meeting the City’s decision-making needs. Plan amendments should be made after thorough analysis of immediate needs, as well as consideration for the long-term effects of proposed amendments. The City Council and other City officials should consider each proposed amendment carefully to determine whether or not it is consistent with the plan’s intent and whether it will be beneficial for the long-term health and vitality of the city.
Additionally, public input should be sought for any proposed revision.
To read the comprehensive plan in its entirety and to see the proposed land use map and suggestions for plan implementation strategies, visit www.collinsvilletexas.org > Government > Comprehensive Planning