Addison, Texas, has created a program that proactively guides developers and business owners through the development process to ensure they meet the town’s regulatory standards. At the helm is Addison Development Relations Project Manager Charles Mazarakes.

Mazarakes serves as the primary point of contact for developers and businesses, helping them navigate the development process, resolve issues and keep projects moving efficiently. From the city manager’s office, he coordinates with Addison’s economic development and development and neighborhood services departments to provide service at a high level while upholding Addison’s regulations.

Developers begin with a preapplication conference, where they present their site plans or project concepts to Mazarakes and representatives from the town’s fire, building, parks, planning, engineering and health departments. During the meeting, each department identifies applicable requirements and potential challenges upfront. 

Mazarakes serves as the project advocate, facilitating collaboration across departments and working with the development team to identify practical solutions and alternative approaches that meet Addison’s standards while keeping the project moving.

“Maintaining the high standards Addison is known for while ensuring developers and businesses have a positive experience and continue to see the town as a business-friendly community is a balancing act,” he said.

Addison Director of Economic Development Wayne Emerson said having Mazarakes at the table helps Addison learn from challenges on previous projects to better guide future ones. Developers, businesses and property owners can also avoid costs associated with delays or rework if they understand the requirements from the jump, rather than reacting when an issue arises.

Mazarakes said one of the biggest challenges for developers and businesses is the uncertainty that can arise as they navigate the development process. In addition to infrastructure requirements and permitting timelines that can affect project schedules, applicants must coordinate with reviewers from multiple departments and sometimes reconcile conflicting feedback.

Addison maintains its own development and beautification standards in addition to standard zoning requirements. As many planned developments were established in the 1980s, '90s or early 2000s, it may be specific to their allowed usage, Mazarakes said. Also, a “change of use,” such as replacing an old restaurant with a retail space or office buildings putting coffee shops in their lobbies, can trigger additional requirements.

What makes Addison unique, however, is its nimbleness, Emerson said. As a town of just 80,000 business residents and 17,000 residents, Addison schedules twice-weekly meetings with businesses to gain insight into how they’re doing and discuss their plans and projects. If they have something coming up, they can be connected with Mazarakes, who will help guide the process. 

“There could be 10 or 11 people in the room that these applicants need to get information to, and if they send it to the wrong person, it can cause confusion and delays,” Emerson said. “Charles is one person they can always include in their correspondence, and he’s there to guide them and help them meet their deadlines.”

Mazarakes’ duties include creating a summary of requirements and feedback from multiple departments following the preapplication meeting and developing solutions to help the businesses meet those in a feasible and timely way. 

He helped get Addison’s Hotel Dax project over the finish line by coordinating with the different town departments and keeping track of a multitude of permits. 

The hotel needed to separate and loop its fire and water lines, per the town’s updated requirements. It also needed to be open by a particular date to qualify for FIFA’s list of available hotels ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Mazarakes worked with multiple departments to create an agreement that required the hotel to complete all safety-related work before opening and the remaining infrastructure work by the end of July. 

Because the infrastructure work required an easement from an adjacent property owner and coordination with the town on plans for looping the lines, the hotel needed additional time to complete it, he said. Mazarakes also visited the site to monitor progress and help keep the work on track for the end-of-July deadline.

In another case, one restaurant owner was granted a temporary certificate of occupancy that enabled them to open in time for Thanksgiving, following an agreement with Mazarakes and Addison staff. Under the agreement, the restaurant could open after addressing all safety issues but had to complete the town’s remaining requirements within a specified time frame to receive a final certificate of occupancy. Mazarakes guided the business as it crossed off each item, which helped it meet the deadline.

Rather than beginning with citations or fines, Addison prioritizes a collaborative approach that helps businesses understand and address issues, Mazarakes said.

“The goal isn’t simply to enforce regulations,” he said. “It’s to bring everyone together, explain the reasoning behind Addison’s requirements and help businesses find practical solutions that keep projects moving while maintaining the town’s high standards.”

Having positive relationships with applicants can resolve issues involving both new developments and improvements to existing businesses, Emerson said.

“When developers and businesses understand the process and feel supported throughout it, not only do projects move along more efficiently, but also our relationships are stronger,” Mazarakes said. “We end up with buildings that meet the applicant’s goal as well as the long-term vision for Addison.”

This article was produced in collaboration between the town of Addison and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

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