Council approves Redwood LLC second and third phases with conservation easement, waives some tree requirements

Powell City Council on March 18 voted to adopt Ordinance 2025‑O‑2, authorizing text deviations and a final development plan for the second and third phases of a residential development on roughly 33.77 acres at 3041 Home Road. The ordinance passed on an emergency basis to allow tree clearing work to proceed before April 1 due to seasonal environmental protections.

Planning staff and the applicant said the approval includes waivers for a tree survey and tree replacement requirements tied to the specific approval. The applicant told council the site contains two stream corridors and an additional 4.8 acres of wetlands and wooded area that will be preserved under a conservation covenant. The applicant said the development will add 895 trees across the phases. “Altogether, it's over 10 acres of woodlands, streams, and preserved areas,” the applicant said during the meeting.

City planning staff noted the Tree City USA designation would not be affected by tree removals on a single development site because the designation is tied to programmatic budget and policy thresholds, not individual site removals. Staff also cited applicable environmental setback regulations and said protections will remain for riparian areas on the site.

Council adopted the ordinance as an emergency and approved the final development plan by roll call. A staff timetable presented by the applicant projected earthwork beginning in June, construction of an emergency access to the park in September–October, and the first certificates of occupancy for phase 1 in July (with phase 1 completion anticipated in summer 2026), with phases 2 and 3 to follow.

The ordinance was opened for public comment; none was offered. The meeting record shows a motion to adopt, a second, and a unanimous roll‑call vote in favor.