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Council approves Willowbrook subdivision rezoning with traffic mitigation conditions after resident concerns
Summary
Council approved rezoning and a general-plan amendment for Willowbrook (SF-6, 91 lots) on a 5–2 vote and included required traffic-mitigation measures including vegetation trimming, signal timing adjustments and a downstream median U-turn option; staff will monitor intersection performance and perform a before-and-after gap analysis.
The Town Council voted 5–2 Oct. 14 to approve a rezoning and general-plan amendment for the Willowbrook subdivision (GP 25-01 / Z 25-02), a 26.4-acre proposal for 91 single-family lots (SF-6 PAD) near Riggs Road and 150th Street, conditioned on traffic-mitigation work and additional before-and-after studies.
Project and deviations: The applicant sought to rezone a former SF-43 parcel to SF-6 PAD and amend its general-plan designation to increase density from 0–1 to 2–3.5 dwelling units per acre. The plan shows minimum 6,600-square-foot lots, 18 percent open space, some single-story restricted lots on the southern boundary and several requested deviations including reduced side setbacks and changes to setback-staggering requirements. The developer increased lot depth and minimum lot sizes to mitigate concerns.
Traffic concerns and staff response: Residents, including speakers from nearby Marathon Ranch, voiced strong concern about left-turns out of the proposed subdivision onto Riggs Road and said delays can be severe at peak times (one resident reported an 11-minute left-turn delay earlier the same day). Town traffic engineers reviewed signal warrants and found the intersection did not meet standard signal criteria (the 4-hour left-turn volume warrant requires about 64 vehicles per hour; current counts were far lower). Staff nonetheless proposed an iterative mitigation package: remove vegetation blocking sight lines, adjust nearby signal timing to enlarge intersection gaps, install a downstream median U-turn storage arrangement and install no-u-turn signage at the immediate intersection. Staff said the developers have agreed to the proposed mitigation measures and to conduct a before-and-after intersection gap analysis for further signal-timing work.
Council action and conditions: Councilmember Yung Kaprowski moved approval with conditions K and L (the staff-recommended traffic measures among other PAD conditions); the motion passed 5–2 with Councilmembers Monte Lyons and Kenny Buckland recorded as the opposing votes. The record notes the developer agreed to the traffic mitigation measures and that some improvements will require additional right-of-way or coordination with the Roosevelt Water Conservation District if alternative routes are later considered.
Why it matters: The debate shows how subdivision approvals can hinge on traffic safety and circulation concerns, especially where regional roadway geometry and a nearby canal limit alternative access. Council and staff emphasized iterative monitoring: staff will continue to refine signal timing and other operational measures as the subdivision is built and traffic patterns evolve.
Ending: The approval allows the developer to proceed through final engineering and permitting if it meets the PAD conditions, while staff will monitor intersection performance and continue to coordinate mitigation if conditions do not deliver expected gap improvements.
