Council approves rezoning of 14-acre site at 30 Sixth Avenue and Monroe with protective overlay limiting to single-family lots

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council on May 20 approved an ordinance rezoning roughly 14 acres at the northeast corner of 30 Sixth Avenue and Monroe Street from R-3 (moderate-density residential) to R-5 (high-density residential) while adopting a protective overlay that restricts development to single-unit living with a minimum lot area of 6,500 square feet and a minimum frontage of 60 feet at the front setback.

Matt Williams, director of community development, identified the case as ZA-2504 and told council the applicant provided a tentative lot layout showing lots ranging from 6,500 square feet to about 20,000 square feet and two access points exiting west onto Monroe.

Williams and the applicant’s agent, Kenley with Garver, described the map as a conceptual layout and said detailed engineering, preliminary and final plats and any required drainage plans would be reviewed by city engineers and the Planning Commission before final plat approval and permitting.

Kenley said the darker lines on the drawing represented proposed storm sewer lines: “we're proposing to extend storms to around the perimeter to pick up as much drainage here,” and noted the natural drainage for the site is to the east. He also described the engineering step that typically precedes construction, including design for infrastructure that the city would own and for which lot owners would repay special assessments over time.

Council members pressed on drainage along the southern boundary, driveway stacking and the width of neighborhood entrances. Williams confirmed the protective overlay would prohibit accessory dwelling units on the site and that covenants and an HOA would typically be created by the developer and enforced by property owners; he warned that covenant enforcement without an HOA can become problematic in the long term.

Resident Jordan Fee, speaking during public comment, said the two-week delay after the initial council hearing had allowed neighbors to gather information and meet the developer and expressed appreciation that the developer had been “open and amenable” to concerns about cul-de-sacs, lot transitions and additional green space.

The council moved to approve the ordinance and the protective overlay as referenced in the proposed ordinance. Council votes recorded in the meeting were in the affirmative; council and staff did not adopt a final plat or construction plan at the May 20 meeting. Planning and zoning review, infrastructure design and any required special assessment approvals remain next steps before construction, city staff said.