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Planning and Zoning recommended an 11‑lot Ashley Grove PRD overlay; city council heard concerns about a proposed emergency gate vs. cul‑de‑sac
Summary
The council received the Planning and Zoning Commission’s favorable recommendation for a planned residential development overlay on a 5‑acre town‑center edge site (Ashley Grove) permitting 11 new homes; neighbors questioned the proposal’s removal of a T‑section cul‑de‑sac and the proposed emergency gate that would connect to Center Avenue.
The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that the City Council re‑approve a Planned Residential Development (PRD) overlay for a 5‑acre Ashley Grove site on the west side of Center Avenue, south of Manchester Road. The overlay limits new dwellings to 11 units and retains the existing house on the site.
At the April 14 public hearing several nearby residents from Stone Mill and Old Town Park spoke against elements of the plan, most notably the deletion of a planned T‑section cul‑de‑sac and a proposal to place an emergency gate on the east end of the new internal street to provide emergency access to Center Avenue. Neighbors asked how large delivery trucks, trash collection vehicles and snow plows would turn around if the cul‑de‑sac were replaced by a gated emergency access.
Staff said the overlay follows town‑center guidance, and that the intent was to increase street connectivity in the town‑center boundary while still balancing neighborhood impacts. Staff noted that town‑center streets are typically public and that the overlay includes conditions (minimum lot sizes of 12,000 square feet per the overlay language, 26.1‑foot street sections to permit parking on one side, and sidewalks) intended to match town‑center character.
Council members asked staff to develop practical turnaround and signage solutions and to prepare the overlay ordinance for second reading. Staff said the architectural review board would review home elevations and that fire‑district access requirements would be met. The council closed the public hearing and scheduled the overlay for future consideration and a second reading.
