A rendering of the Universal Studios park that may be coming to Frisco.
Courtesy/Universal Parks & Resorts

KERA
By Caroline Love
Published February 22, 2023 at 5:00 AM CST

The Frisco city council and planning and zoning committee were scheduled to vote on the permit Feb. 7 but postponed it to Tuesday. They then voted to postpone the meeting a second time to March 7 — a month after when the vote was first scheduled.

Frisco residents have spoken out against the theme park at multiple public hearings, citing concerns about crime and traffic. Melinda Preston said she doesn’t want Frisco to become a tourist destination.

“I do not want my city to become a destination city,” Preston said. “Can you name one city that is a destination city that does not have high crime?”

Several of the residents who spoke in opposition of the amusement park live in the Cobb Hill neighborhood, which is close to the park’s proposed location near the Dallas North Tollway.

Steve Cone is a member of Frisco’s planning and zoning commission. He also lives in Cobb Hill. Cone said it’s important to educate Frisco’s citizens about the theme park and listen to their concerns.

“Universal is asking us to do something really big, to be the research and development city for where they’re going to try this big, bold project,” he said.

Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said more information about the park will be available to the public during a presentation at the following city council meeting.

Caroline Love is a Report For America corps member for KERA News.