A proposed Planned Zoning District for about 49.2 acres on North Raven Lane prompted detailed planning and engineering scrutiny on Wednesday, with staff expressing reservations about replacing public street connections with private streets and asking for more information to justify any master street plan amendment.

Connor (Crafton Tull) presented the PZD for rezoning of the site. The planner told the applicant that "the big question really for planning is still just the private streets, and whether that's really something that staff can ultimately support," adding that staff did not yet have adequate evidence to recommend the removal of a master street plan alignment from the city's Master Street Plan map.

Staff said the density and lot sizes in the submission were generally compatible and not themselves problematic, but that the applicant must provide strong justification and potential conditions if the master‑street alignment were to be removed. A planner suggested the master street plan amendment could be made buyer‑specific or otherwise conditioned so that a change would revert if the proposed development did not proceed, but she recommended coordinating with legal on the precise conditioning language.

Engineering and public‑works reviewers raised long‑term concerns over private streets. One engineering commenter warned that when private streets were used in other projects, problems sometimes emerged years later and the city received complaints it could not address; that experience informed staff reservations about supporting a wholesale shift from public to private streets in the master plan. Utilities and drainage reviewers asked for details on sewer easement access, meter sizing and stormwater routing. Forestry requested buffers adjacent to riparian areas and tree preservation easements.

Fire noted that any roadway and access arrangement must meet the city's remoteness and access standards. Fire staff reiterated the importance of two access points and reminded the applicant that occupancy will be limited until adequate infrastructure and emergency access are provided.

Planning advised the applicant to submit additional exhibits — including an overlay of existing zoning and the proposed PZD — to clarify which areas would change and to show alternatives that preserve the master street linkage if feasible. Staff also said variance requests may be necessary for driveway radii and other dimensional items, and that variances would affect scheduling for planning commission and council hearings.

Speakers quoted in this article spoke during the North Raven Lane PZD item at the June 18 tech plat meeting and are cited from the meeting record.