In February, the first reading for an ordinance to rezone approximately 25 acres of land in the area to a planned development district with a base zoning of townhome district was approved.
Since that meeting, residents of the area have been pushing for alternative development for that area, such as a public improvement district.
At the March 7 City Council meeting the applicant requested the item be postponed until the April 4 City Council meeting. City Council unanimously approved to postpone the item.
During the April 4 meeting, the applicant requested the item be postponed again until the April 25 meeting.
According to the applicant, this postponement request is to give the developer more time to work on possible solutions with the residents of the area.
The applicant said there was consideration to reduce the density by transitioning the project from a townhome development to a development that utilizes duplexes, which would reduce the density to approximately 174 units.
As with other meetings that had the ordinance on the agenda, many residents of the area spoke against the development, pushing for the City Council to deny the rezoning.
Concerns residents expressed include traffic congestion, child safety and other issues that a dense development would bring.
Council Member Michael Dahle said he appreciates the effort of the developer to try meeting community concerns and that he is happy to give the developer extra time in trying to come to a consensus with residents.
“I spent eight years on Planning and Zoning [Commission] before I got on council, and this is coming up on my fourth year, and I have yet to see any other developer go to such effort to try to meet the concerns of the community,” Dahle said.
The full meeting can be viewed here.
