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Commission recommends River Rock 'Easy Living' 55+ community with 20‑foot vegetative buffer to future Publix site
Summary
The planning commission recommended the River Rock Easy Living initial master plan for a 55+ community but required a 20‑foot dense vegetative buffer between the residential site and the adjacent planned commercial (Publix) parcel.
City planners presented an initial master plan for River Rock Easy Living at East Argent — a 36‑acre independent living and attached cottage community proposed as a 55+ development. The applicant proposed 145 ranch‑style attached units (three‑to‑five units per building) and a 180‑unit, four‑story independent living building, for a maximum project density of 325 units.
Why it matters: the plan repurposes a parcel that previously had a smaller‑scale independent living approval (the Mansions initial master plan) into a larger, mixed product that the developer and staff said better fits current market demand for active adult housing. Developers and staff emphasized pedestrian connections to East Argent Parkway and planned trails and said traffic analysis did not require additional signal work at the nearby corridor intersection for the proposed use.
Public comment and commission concerns: commissioners and some attendees expressed concern about the massing and height of the four‑story independent living building and the proximity of residential units to a future commercial parcel on the site’s east edge (the future Publix area). Commissioners emphasized the need for sound and light attenuation between the residences and the commercial frontage and discussed appropriate exterior materials and accessible parking provisions for an older population.
Commission condition and action: the commission recommended approval and added a condition requiring a 20‑foot dense vegetative buffer between the River Rock site and the adjacent commercial parcel (future Publix/master plan). The commission also asked staff to ensure applicable building code, ADA and parking standards for senior housing are enforced during staff review committee and permit phases.
Next steps: the package will go to City Council for a workshop and final action; if council approves, staff review committee will check stormwater, landscaping, building code and ADA compliance during permitting.
