The Johnson County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 14 approved the preliminary plat for Hidden Lakes, a proposed 50‑lot residential subdivision north of Lucina Drive Southwest, subject to three staff conditions before final plat approval.

PDS staff told the board the property—located between Naples Avenue Southwest and Dane Road Southwest about 600 feet north of Lucina Drive Southwest—has historically been farmland. Joe, PDS staff, described the proposal as a 50‑buildable‑lot subdivision and said the county’s vehicle-trip estimate uses 10 trips per day per lot: “So at 50, we're looking at 500 daily trips to be proposed to be generated by the subdivision.” County staff said the projected trips fall below road-performance thresholds for the affected roads and that the county engineer raised no objections. The planning and zoning commission recommended approval 5-0 at its July meeting.

PDS presented three conditions the developer must meet prior to final plat approval: 1) if the developer does not reach an agreement with the Lacina Meadows homeowners association to use and connect to the private road system (including a connection between Lucina Drive SW and the proposed Blackberry Lane SW), the final plat must show a temporary dead‑end turnaround conforming to UDO section 828(d)(3)(c); 2) the developer must provide proof of purchase for woodland‑mitigation credits prior to removing on‑site trees; and 3) the applicant must complete wetland mitigation and submit as‑built documentation to PDS before final plat approval.

The health department noted the applicant has entered a water‑service agreement with Iowa City and plans private wastewater systems on each lot. PDS staff indicated stormwater management facilities and sensitive‑area protections will be required and verified at final plat stage. Ronnie Amelon of MMS Consultants and Tiffany Meager, representing Coastal Reconstruction, were present for applicant questions.

The board adopted the preliminary‑plat resolution 5-0 with the three conditions memorialized in the resolution. Staff said phasing discussions anticipate starting construction on the chip‑seal portion of the project before work on the gravel Naples Avenue segment.

The board’s approval advances the project to the final‑plat stage, where staff will verify infrastructure, stormwater management, mitigation measures and any required legal documentation before a final decision.