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Planning commission approves Lone Star Prairie Phase 1 final development plan and five deviations
Summary
The commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the final development plan for the first phase of Lone Star Prairie: 66 single‑family lots on about 15.83 acres, with five requested deviations granted by staff and accepted by commissioners subject to a lift‑station condition.
The City of Gardner Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval, 6–0, of the final development plan for phase 1 of Lone Star Prairie, a larger 187‑lot residential development. Phase 1 covers about 15.83 acres and would include 66 single‑family lots in an R‑2 zoning district.
Why it matters: The application advances a sizable new single‑family neighborhood and included multiple requested deviations from development code standards for building and lot design. Commissioners examined design tradeoffs for porches, garage widths and driveway treatments.
Plan details and deviations Staff said the first phase matches the previously approved final plat. The phase includes 50‑foot‑wide neighborhood lots, three tracts and a detention basin in the northeast corner. House plans presented include single‑story slab options and plans with basements ranging approximately from 1,300 to 2,300 square feet depending on selections.
The applicant requested five deviations, and staff recommended approval of each: - Allow 20‑foot‑wide driveways at the front property line/hardscape in the front yard. - Allow a 16‑foot‑wide front garage (minimum width for two cars). - Permit sidewalk connections from front door to driveway (rather than straight to the public sidewalk) with extended landscaping wrapping the sidewalk. - Approve reduced front entry feature dimensions (plans had unenclosed stoops smaller than the standard 8‑by‑8 requirement); staff found additional garage transparency and architectural detailing offset the smaller entry size. - Other minor driveway/building type clarifications were included in staff recommendation.
Commission discussion and conditions Commissioners questioned the reduced front entry size and referenced design guidelines that emphasize pedestrian appeal. Staff replied that elevations, rooflines and added transparency were considered in lieu of full‑sized entry features. The final approval included a condition addressing a lift station: if the lift station is built on Tract D it must be dedicated to the city; if it is built farther west as part of a different phase, dedication will not be required.
Vote and next steps Commissioner Combs moved approval with the staff conditions; Commissioner Mader seconded. The motion carried 6–0. The developer will record the final plat and submit public improvement and construction plans that reflect the conditions before building permits are issued.
