Planning commission backs annexation and mixed‑use zoning near Clay Whaley Road despite traffic concerns

The St. Cloud Planning Commission recommended approval of three linked land‑use applications tied to the Clay Whaley Road mixed‑use project — a voluntary annexation (ordinance 2025‑46), a comprehensive plan amendment (ordinance 2025‑47) and a zoning map amendment (ordinance 2025‑48) — after a 3‑1 vote to forward the recommendations to City Council.

The cases cover property currently under county mixed‑use designations that the applicant seeks to bring into the city with equivalent city mixed‑use zoning. Bernice Gonzalez, principal planner for Community Development, told the commission, “The cases before you this evening is the annexation comprehensive plan amendment for future land use designation and the zoning map amendment for the project known as Clayway Road mixed use.”

The commission’s approval clears a procedural step; developers will still need to submit detailed site plans and studies at later stages. The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to City Council for final action. The commission staff noted that required technical reviews — including a traffic impact analysis and evaluations of public‑facility capacity — occur at the development‑application stage.

Commissioners and meeting participants pressed the applicant and staff on existing traffic conditions near the project site and whether the annexation and zoning findings in the city’s land development code could be met. A planning commission member pointed to the area’s single local access — Clay Whaley Road — and said current conditions already exhibit low levels of service, asking how the city could find the change would not “excessively increase traffic congestion or otherwise affect public safety” without a site‑level traffic study.

John Adams, agent for the applicant RJWA/Dominion Development, said no specific development plan was before the commission and that the applications are to maintain entitlements already held in the county. “No specific development being proposed or recommended tonight. This is simply a process that we have to go through for your annexation, land use, and zoning,” Adams said. He also cited regional and county projects he said will increase connectivity, saying the county has “pledged over $15,000,000 to continue Prosperity Parkway” and describing planned road expansions and school sites identified by the county and school district.

Staff told the commission that the annexation, land‑use and zoning items set the regulatory framework; traffic, drainage, school‑capacity and other infrastructure issues are evaluated in depth at site plan and development review. Staff confirmed that the packet includes a school‑district cover page and that a more detailed school capacity report would be prepared at the development application stage.

The commission debated two of the land development code’s 16 findings in particular: the requirement that the map change not create or accept an excessive increase in traffic (finding 8) and that the change not materially alter population density patterns so as to overtax public facilities such as schools and utilities (finding 3). Commissioners and commenters said the Edgewater area currently has limited ingress/egress and voiced skepticism that road improvements would keep pace with housing construction; staff and the applicant said mitigation and impact‑fee regimes, plus required right‑of‑way dedications and developer‑built improvements, are the mechanisms to address those impacts at the development stage.

On the motions, the commission voted to recommend approval of the annexation (ordinance 2025‑46), the comprehensive plan amendment (ordinance 2025‑47) and the zoning map amendment (ordinance 2025‑48) to City Council by 3‑1 votes. The items are scheduled for City Council consideration on June 12.

Next steps: the applicant must submit development applications and the required traffic, drainage and school‑capacity analyses; those studies will determine specific mitigation, right‑of‑way dedications and impact‑fee obligations before any building permits can be issued.