Midway council approves tailored floodplain setback for Kosan Subdivision at 840 South Stringtown Road

The Midway City Council on a unanimous voice vote approved a second plat map amendment for the Kosan Subdivision at 840 South Stringtown Road that customizes the required floodplain setback so it is reduced only where a future home will be sited.

Council members adopted staff findings and additional site-specific findings that limit the amendment to this parcel because of its unusual topography and access constraints, and they asked staff to verify code applicability at building-permit review.

Planning staff explained the amendment was originally proposed to move a locally required 50-foot setback from the mapped floodplain down to 20–25 feet across the lot. Under the version the council approved, the 50-foot setback remains at the lot’s north and south ends but narrows to 25 feet only around the future home site, producing a tailored “wrap-around” setback rather than a uniform reduction across the parcel. The applicant, Glenn Lent, was present in the audience while staff walked the council through the reduced setback area and the proposed plat language.

Council members pressed staff and the applicant for details. Staff said the 50-foot figure is a local setback (not a FEMA regulation) and that building-permit review will determine which edition of the code applies to accessory structures such as a planned detached garage; setback requirements for such structures depend on structure height and vesting under earlier code versions. Staff also noted the culvert on the nearby drainage has been replaced and that future flood maps expected in the next two years may shrink the mapped floodplain for the lot.

Council discussion focused on limiting precedential effect. Members asked that council findings spell out the site’s unusual slope and constrained buildable area so the amendment cannot be read as a template for other lots. As drafted into the motion, the council added findings that (1) the lot has an abnormal amount of slope compared with surrounding properties, (2) a 50-foot setback from the existing mapped floodplain would render almost two‑thirds of the lot unbuildable, and (3) the site needs a minimum turnaround suitable for emergency vehicles because the cul‑de‑sac and driveway geometry are narrow. The council asked staff to include those points in the formal findings adopted with the plat amendment.

On procedure, staff reiterated that the plat amendment affects only the recorded plat and does not itself approve structures; any building permit will require separate review to determine applicable code and setback for garages or other accessory buildings. The council recorded a single motion to approve the second plat map amendment, to adopt staff findings, and to include the additional site‑specific findings; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Craig Hancock and carried on an affirmative roll call from the council members present.

Next steps: staff will update the plat documents to reflect the tailored setback language, record the adopted findings with the plat amendment approval, and apply normal building‑permit checks when an application for a house or accessory building is submitted. Staff also noted the possibility that updated flood maps (reflecting the new culvert) could change the mapped floodplain footprint in coming years.