The Harrisville City Planning Commission on Aug. 13 granted preliminary site plan approval for the Harrisville Commercial Development, located roughly at 2550 North 750 West, subject to the conditions listed in the city engineer’s memo dated June 5, 2025.

Commission documents and the developer’s representative described drainage and coordination issues as the primary outstanding items. Developer representative Cecil Satterford said the team proposes an underground storm retention system to preserve parking and because the site’s clay soils limit infiltration. Satterford said engineers designed the system to meet geotechnical recommendations and that it will be "detain[ed] in that system underneath and release, the controlled rate to the storm drain system."

Satterford and staff said the site fronts 2550 North (Pleasant View Road) on the Pleasant View side and also has frontage on 750 West in Harrisville; Pleasant View City must accept certain road and storm improvements. Staff noted they had received a memo from Pleasant View and other agency letters for nearby well sites; Satterford said one required agency letter was still pending at the time of the meeting.

Sarah Wickerin and City engineering staff discussed required technical items in the June 5 memo; the commission’s preliminary approval is conditioned on addressing those engineer and planning comments before final site plan approval. Staff said the project team will work with Pleasant View and Harrisville engineers on pipe connections, potential road cuts for overflow/control release structures, and final design details. One house on the site is scheduled for demolition the following day for fire department training, the developer said.

The commission approved the motion to grant preliminary site plan approval by voice vote with conditions listed in the engineer’s memo. Staff reminded commissioners that final site plan approval returns to the Planning Commission for review after the outstanding technical items are resolved.

Next steps: the developer and city staff will complete the items in the engineer’s memo, secure pending agency letters and return to the Planning Commission for final site plan approval.