Encore Wire, which already runs a large manufacturing campus west of McKinney National Airport, is asking the city to loosen the zoning on about 200 undeveloped acres at the northeast corner of Industrial Boulevard and Airport Drive so it can build more of the tall structures its production lines need.
The Planning and Zoning Commission holds a public hearing on the request at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10. City staff recommend approval, and the commission's recommendation goes to the City Council for a final vote Dec. 1.
What would change
The land was zoned for Encore Wire's industrial use under a planned development ordinance in 2025. The amendment, according to the staff report and proposed regulations:
- Raises the number of "industrial manufacturing towers" allowed on the tract from two to six. The ordinance defines these as steel towers clad in metal panels that hold vertical processing equipment.
- Lifts the maximum tower height from 105 feet to 115 feet, and the combined tower footprint from 55,500 to 65,000 square feet. Towers would have to sit at least 300 feet from the property line.
- Caps other buildings at 55 feet.
- Drops the requirement to screen rooftop mechanical and air-conditioning equipment, and stops requiring loading bays to face away from homes.
In a letter dated Oct. 19, the company's representative wrote that the machinery requires the extra height and length, and that the buildings would expand production for Prysmian and Encore Wire as demand grows for facilities such as data centers.
The letter says Encore Wire intends to expand east of Airport Drive but that it is not yet known how many buildings will go up there.
Staff's view
Staff say the towers fit with the warehouses, manufacturing and aviation uses around the site, which include McKinney National Airport and an Amazon facility to the south. No homes border the property. The report acknowledges the plan does not strictly match the "aviation" placetype in the city's ONE McKinney 2040 plan, but says it fits the district's broader focus on business and jobs.
