Council previews 12‑lot residential concept on Dayton River Road; staff asks for feedback on access, wells and trail easements

City staff and applicants presented a residential concept plan for property east of Brockton and south of Dayton River Road that proposes 11–12 single-family lots (minimum 1.5 net acres) on a roughly 119.5-acre site once prior dedicated easements are included.

Planning staff said the parcels are currently zoned A1/A2 and would require rezoning to A3 for the proposed low-density residential subdivision. The concept proposes connections to Brockton Lane and a possible road stub toward Shady View Lane to accommodate future subdivision if sewer and water become available. Staff and the Planning Commission discussed whether to extend Maria Avenue to the property line or preserve an outlot/easement so future extensions remain possible; the Planning Commission favored leaving an easement or outlot to retain flexibility.

Staff asked council for feedback on several items: whether the council would support a variance approach for an existing landlocked lot rather than forcing lot lines to extend to Dayton River Road now (the lot-lock issue arose in the household’s efforts to preserve an existing house site and well), whether lot lines should be brought out to provide direct public access, and whether certain unplatted well sites should be platted and dedicated to the city to secure future water-treatment or wellhead locations. Staff recommended reserving a 20-foot trail easement along Brockton Lane and Dayton River Road to protect future trail alignment shown in the comprehensive trails plan.

Staff also noted landscaping buffers (35 feet along collector/arterial roads), park‑dedication fees calculated per buildable lot (staff recommended the home with an existing house would also be assessed because it is an unplatted lot), and that outlots containing wetlands or ponding can be dedicated to the city by plat if the council chooses to accept them rather than have privately owned wetland buffers.

Applicants and some council members discussed using an outlot or dedicating land for a future well-treatment site in lieu of paying some park fees; staff said historically the city has accepted outlots for utility/well sites in other plats and that fee-crediting or negotiation is possible but should not be automatic. No formal votes were taken; staff and the applicants will proceed toward preliminary-plat, rezoning and related applications, and the council asked staff to work with the applicants on lot layout, the Maria Avenue/road-stub configuration and trail easement language before preliminary plat submittal.