Homeowners in McKinney are beginning their battle against the proposed U.S. Highway 380 bypass.
The city recently presented residents with three route options, each one north of the current Highway 380, but city officials said all routes are currently on the table.
Michael Quint, McKinney's director of development services, said 50,000 cars travel along Highway 380 every day – a number that is projected to double in the next 20 years.
"The time is now to get this road on the map and look to the future. The time is absolutely now," said Quint.
But the city knows there will be growing pains.
"At the end of the day, this road, this bypass will impact someone negatively," Quint said. "What we're trying to do is look at all the options and minimize the impact to property owners as much as we can."
Quint said there is no estimated number of homes that will be impacted because the route options will eventually need to be studied by the Texas Department of Transportation to determine feasibility and further planning.
But any of the three options will likely impact Janet and Tim Anders, whose home sits in a quiet neighborhood near the northeast corner of North Custer Road and Highway 380.
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The couple bought the home in 2005, which would turn out to be one of their most difficult years.
Janet Anders was battling breast cancer.
"This [home] was my solace. Walking these roads with the trees," she said. "If you drive the neighborhood, I can't imagine why anybody would want to take this away and turn it into a highway."
The home is just minutes away from the explosive growth in McKinney, but with 30 pecan trees on the property and two horses – named Angel and Lady – it feels hours away.
"We're going to fight and fight hard and hope the city realizes their slogan of 'unique by nature' is exactly what this is," Janet Anders added.
The Anderses are not alone.
A petition opposed to the proposed Highway 380 plans and pushing for an alternative route has garnered more than 450 signatures.
Residents plan to wear red and speak out at Tuesday evening's council meeting.
The city of McKinney hopes to choose a route by May 2017, following public hearings and residents' input. The plan will then be sent to the state for another analysis, which will likely wrap up by 2019.
McKinney's current population is about 170,000. City officials estimate the population will increase to 284,000 by the year 2040.
