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Commission adopts Ranchera PUD amendment to replace equestrian parcel with Village 8 and reduce total units
Summary
The Planning Commission adopted changes to the Ranchera planned unit development handbook and master plan, replacing the former equestrian center with a new Village 8 single‑family area, limiting Village 8 to 29 lots and reducing the PUD's total allowable units from 722 to 469.
The Planning Commission on April 2 voted to adopt an amendment to the Ranchera planned unit development handbook and master plan that replaces the former equestrian center parcel with a new Village 8 single‑family neighborhood and reduces the overall unit cap for Ranchera from 722 to 469.
Staff described the request as a technical cleanup and a response to changes on the ground: the equestrian center has been demolished and many portions of the PUD had been developed at lower densities than earlier approvals. "The equestrian center was always intended to allow residential development if discontinued," Associate Planner Leah Piccati told commissioners, noting a 2015 council condition that assigned underlying residential density to the combined equestrian/event center lands. Staff said the proposed master plan amendment (PGOS to Single‑Family for the 7.2‑acre parcel) brings the master plan into alignment with the PUD and reduces the overall Ranchera density from 5.1 units per acre to 3.3 units per acre.
Residents who spoke at the hearing urged the commission to preserve public open space, maintain historic ranch buildings such as the sales pavilion and protect tree buffers and the Evans Creek bank. Speakers also requested improved pedestrian connections and asked staff to re‑examine the project’s open‑space accounting.
The applicant and staff said the amendment preserves key open corridors, establishes a 50‑foot vegetation buffer and sets Village 8 to a 29‑unit cap that includes a standard 10% contingency built into PUD practice. Leah Piccati said the contingency and the reduction in total units were necessary to reflect actual build‑out: "As of March 2025, 292 units have been sold; reducing the total number of allowed units will allow residents to obtain majority control of their HOA board sooner," she told the commission.
Commissioners voted to adopt the master plan amendment and handbook revisions and forwarded the recommendation to City Council. The measure passed by the required supermajority at the Planning Commission and will appear before the council for final action; the file will also proceed to regional review as required by code.
