Planning commission approves Cedar Tree site plan, grants most variances and rejects sidewalk buyout

The city planning commission approved the site plan for Cedar Tree, a 326.4-acre nonresidential development on Lebanon Road in Ward 6, and granted most of the variances the applicant sought while denying a payment-in-lieu of sidewalks request, commissioners decided at the meeting.

Staff told the commission the applicant submitted a development agreement tied to trail connectivity and that the draft agreement must be approved before final site-plan approval. The city—s planning staff also noted the applicant requested payment in lieu of constructing 6,288 linear feet of sidewalks; under that request the fee due would have been $302,208. Staff recommended denial of the payment-in-lieu request and recommended approval of variances 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 while recommending denial of variances 2 and 4.

Joshua Denton, representative for the applicant Exeter 109 Lebanon LLC, said the team had worked with staff on a development agreement and on connectivity, and that the request for some variances was driven by industrial building…