Planning commission approves Cross Country Freight site plan with landscaping and drainage conditions

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to approve a development plan for Cross Country Freight that would construct a 4,300-square-foot industrial warehouse with loading docks on Lots 11 and 12 of Opportunity Subdivision, near the intersection of Salt Creek Highway and MJB Road.

The approval, made during the commission’s public meeting, was conditioned on the applicant completing several planning considerations identified by staff, including submitting a finalized landscaping narrative, a final pavement design for parking and loading areas, entering an approved site-plan agreement, and obtaining building permits for construction, lighting and signage. Staff also noted that one address will be assigned to each lot and that one address will be finalized after site-plan approval.

Megan (planning staff) summarized the application as Case No. 25O2DEB and told commissioners the site spans two lots totaling just under 5 acres, with the developed lot about 1.8 acres. She said staff’s checklist and Section 4040 of the LDR require a minimum of 4 percent of the developed site be landscaped and recommended approval once planning considerations were complete. “Staff recommends approval of the development plan upon all planning considerations being completed,” Megan said.

Commissioners pressed for clarity on the landscaping percentage and landscaping documentation. Commissioners and staff calculated that the developed lot would need about 2,900 square feet of landscaped area to meet the 4 percent requirement for that lot; staff said the applicant’s most recent submission showed perimeter landscaping and a landscape triangle near the front entrance but that a narrative and an updated cover sheet checklist should be attached to the final site-plan agreement.

Jason Myers of WLC Engineering, representing the applicant, said the on-site stormwater detention pond will be vegetated with native grass and that the strip of landscaping behind the curb would be located on a roughly 4- to 5-foot flat area behind the curb, so plantings would not encroach into the detention area. “As far as the stormwater detention pond goes, we are anticipating that that’s gonna be vegetated with native grass,” Myers said.

Commissioners and staff confirmed the drainage report was in the meeting packet and that the city engineer, Mr. Williams, had reviewed and signed off on the detention-pond location and the submitted drainage study. Commissioners noted that much of the lot will be paved given industrial use and asked about truck types; the applicant said operations are expected to use mostly single-trailer trucks, which factored into the site’s larger paved areas and maneuvering requirements.

A commissioner moved to approve the development plan “with the planning considerations” and to add Megan’s request that the applicant include a narrative documenting the landscaping calculations; the motion was put to a voice vote and passed. No public comments were received during the public-comment portion of the meeting.

The commission and staff also discussed process changes to reduce incomplete submissions: staff said it will begin performing sufficiency reviews to confirm applications are complete before they are scheduled for the commission. Staff noted current internal timelines allow roughly two and a half weeks between submittal and the meeting packet distribution and said staff will consider extending the timeline so packets can be distributed a week in advance and applicants can respond to staff requests in a timely manner.

Next steps for Cross Country Freight include submitting the finalized landscaping narrative and pavement design, completing the site-plan checklist on the cover sheet, entering into the site-plan agreement, and obtaining required building permits and on-site signage permits. One lot address will be assigned after approval.