Commission moves Stratford Road redevelopment request toward public hearing

Plan Commission members on May 6 discussed a developer request to change land use on Stratford Road from industrial to two‑family residential and to rezone multiple parcels to allow redevelopment with duplexes and a limited number of single‑family units.

RJ, founder of Lush Homes, presented the company’s construction method — a factory‑cut plywood panel system that the presenter said assembles quickly and yields energy‑efficient homes — and described the developer’s interest in building on several vacant lots north of Highmount. Planning staff said sanitary sewer was installed earlier on the road but that water service must be extended along the entire length of Stratford to serve the site; staff also noted nearby storm sewers bisect parcels and would need realignment to create building pads.

The applicant asked the commission to direct staff to schedule a public hearing; commissioners and staff discussed including three lots in the hearing notice rather than the originally proposed two, to reflect additional engineering work on water and sewer alignments. Commissioners asked technical questions about lot layouts, shared drive easements, and how maintenance and snow removal on a proposed long shared driveway would be governed; staff said access and maintenance would be governed by recorded easements and an association agreement drafted by the developer.

Commissioners expressed general interest and support for the concept and recommended staff proceed to public hearing with the three lots included; because of statutory noticing requirements the public hearing was expected to be scheduled for the commission’s July meeting. Staff directed the developer to continue working with engineering and to submit final plats and utility plans for review prior to the hearing.