Planning commission backs Horizon Point rezoning, adds buffer, after neighbors press drainage and traffic concerns

The Gardner Planning Commission on May 27 recommended approval of a rezoning and preliminary development plan for Horizon Point, a proposed single‑family subdivision of 78.15 acres that would create 246 lots, but attached conditions after neighbors raised concerns about stormwater, sewer capacity and traffic.

City staff recommended rezoning the property from county rural residential to RP‑2, noting the parcel was annexed earlier this year under ordinance 2836 and that the site contains a stream corridor and 23 oil wells that must be removed and capped under Kansas Department of Health and Environment rules. Commissioners voted 7‑0 to recommend approval of the rezoning, preliminary development plan and preliminary plat with staff’s five conditions and an additional requirement that final plans show enhanced buffering and landscaping along Lots 78–97 adjacent to existing homes.

The developer, Arise Homes, represented by Matt Mabe, said the company will act as both developer and exclusive builder and showed elevations for homes ranging from roughly 1,600 to 2,600 square feet. Mabe said the project will use ‘‘real brick and real stone’’ exteriors and that the developer has coordinated with the Lone Star Prairie project so a permanent sanitary lift station would be placed on the Horizon Point site instead of installing a temporary station elsewhere.

Neighbors at the public hearing urged the commission to require stronger protections. ‘‘This plan, particularly as proposed at its proposed density, poses serious consequences for the rural character, safety, and livability of our neighborhood,’’ said Dr. Brandon Van Ann, a resident and business owner who spoke on behalf of several nearby families. Other speakers asked for assurances that erosion and sediment controls would be enforced during construction and that detention basins would be professionally maintained.

City staff and the applicant’s engineer, Matt Cross of Kaw Valley Engineering, addressed stormwater in detail. City staff said the developer submitted a stormwater study that will be reviewed by Public Works and noted Condition 5 requires preservation of the stream corridor and enforcement of erosion‑control standards during construction. Cross said the design includes three dry‑bottom detention basins and that ‘‘we have accounted for both water quantity and quality’’ and that the ponds are sized to reduce post‑development peak discharge. Cross also said the ponds will meet APWA 5600 and MARC BMP standards and that the developer plans annual inspections and certifications for the basins under HOA maintenance.

Commissioners discussed sidewalks, lot sizes and traffic. Staff said the proposed neighborhood street type in the preliminary plan showed sidewalks on only one side of some internal streets; staff and several commissioners said sidewalks should be on both sides and recommended the final development plan be revised to show them. The plan proposes a 55‑foot minimum lot width, with an average width of about 60 feet and deeper lot depths than typical nearby product, which the developer said results in larger backyards despite narrower frontages. Traffic measures described in the plan included two speed bumps for traffic calming, a proposed left‑turn lane into the development from 170th Street, and four‑foot shoulders on the roads adjacent to the site; staff also required dedication of right of way sufficient for future expansion of the adjacent roadways.

The commission’s motion recommended approval with the five staff conditions listed in the staff report and added explicit language requiring the final development plan to show additional buffering and landscaping at the western property line (Lots 78–97). The motion to recommend approval was made by Commissioner Combs and seconded by Commissioner Sosa; the vote was 7‑0.

The project will return to the city as a final development plan and final plat after the governing body reviews the rezoning recommendation. City staff told residents how to submit written comments to the City Council and described the formal protest petition process that applies to rezoning items.