Frisco residents living in neighborhoods butting up to the site of a newly announced family focused theme park from Universal Parks and Resorts met at Trent Middle School Wednesday night to ask questions and raise concerns about the potential impact on nearby families.
“We just want to make sure that our lives aren’t completely upended,” said Colin Berry.
Berry was among those interested in learning the expected traffic patterns and other impacts this latest development in the booming suburb will have on his family today and a decade from now.
“This is a community with a lot of young kids here. We want to make sure that the right people are attracted by it,” he said.
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Unlike any of its other properties, Wednesday Universal Parks and Resorts announced this new park will be geared at attracting young children with family friendly attractions, interactive shows and character meet and greets.
With the potential to span 97 acres east of the Dallas North Tollway and north of Panther Creek Parkway, officials stressed tonight that Frisco’s park will be just a quarter of the size of its Orlando property.
Still, many attending said their chief concern is the impact it, and a 300-room hotel, will have on already congested streets.
“We already have so much coming in here with the PGA and the Dallas Stars facility and stuff like that,” said Jeff Martinez.
With the help of consultants, both city and park officials stressed that projected patterns have been studied.
“Our guests are coming at a time when you have already left to go to your workplaces and is countercyclical with where the flows are to your community,” a park official told those at Wednesday’s meeting.
The city added that both new roadways and changeable lane assignments would be used to mitigate the impact.
For some, it was enough to focus on the potential benefits.
“I think the property values will definitely increase,” said Jeff Martinez.
“I’m excited about it,” said Alicia Chmielewski.
Others remained resolved to make their voices heard as the process moves forward.
Currently, there’s no timeline for the project.
Park officials said they’re still pursuing appropriate approvals.
Universal Parks & Resorts is owned by NBCUniversal, which also owns this station.
