Plan Commission continues Southern Meadows phasing amendment after staff, highway concerns

The Monroe County Plan Commission on an unanimous vote continued consideration of an amendment to the Southern Meadows major subdivision preliminary plat (SPP-24-4), after staff and the county highway department said required off-site improvements and floodplain issues remain unresolved.

Planning staff recommended denial of the preliminary plat amendment to change phasing because the petitioner had not complied with recorded written commitments to complete earlier off-site improvements, staff said. The amendment would move required improvements on South Old State Road (State Road 37) from phase 4 to phase 6 while keeping a planned connection to South College Drive in phase 4.

The recommendation mattered because the recorded commitments include a turn lane on South Rogers Street, a turn lane to access South Orchard Lane from State Road 37, an asphalt side path to Clear Creek Elementary and a multiuse path along South Rogers Street. Drew Myers, planning staff, told commissioners the petitioner must amend the written commitments if the commission alters the phasing and that staff would want concrete dates for each required improvement if the commission approved a change.

Highway department staff warned the commission against approving any phasing change before off-site work was completed. "Roadway improvements along South Old State Road 37 and South Rogers Street and the connection to South College Drive should be completed before any changes to phasing should be approved," Lisa Ridge, project manager, told the commission. Ridge and highway staff said they have received repeated complaints about increased traffic and that improvements that had been scheduled were past due.

The petitioner's representative said the developer will construct the South College Drive connection and said the petitioner would withdraw the request to move the State Road 37 improvements to phase 6, and—if possible—complete the State Road 37 and South College Drive work this year. "We will pull our amendment for the Old State Road 37 move to phase 6 and we will move those back to phase 4," petitioner Todd Borden of Smith Design Group said, adding the team intends to pursue a CLOMR (conditional letter of map revision) with FEMA but will also seek quicker on-site fixes if feasible.

Floodplain analysis also shaped the discussion. The acting floodplain administrator told commissioners that portions of the subdivision and the South Rogers/West That Road intersection lie below base flood elevation and noted a submitted engineering model that detected a 0.01-foot rise tied to fill on lots 60–62. The administrator said a CLOMR filing to FEMA could take at least a year.

Commissioners voiced concerns about safety and the timing of improvements. Commissioners suggested that staff and the petitioner work out a detailed punch list and firm dates for completion before the commission again considers the waiver of a final hearing. The commission voted 9–0 to deny the petitioner's request to waive a final hearing, effectively continuing the matter to the March 18, 2025 meeting so staff and the petitioner can resolve outstanding issues.

The continuation does not approve any alteration to the subdivision's recorded commitments; staff said any approval would require an amended recorded commitment listing dates and responsibilities before the county would accept the changes.

Votes at a glance: The plan commission voted 9–0 (Julie Thomas; Edward Ullman; Jeffrey Morris; David Henry; Rudy Fields; Scott Ferris; Tron Enright Randolph; Margaret Clements; David Bush) to deny the waiver of final hearing for SPP-24-4 and continue the item to March 18, 2025.

The commission requested that planning staff compile a detailed list of outstanding public improvements and deficiencies for the petitioner and report back prior to the continued hearing.

Ending: The petition remains pending. Commissioners said they expect staff and the petitioner to return with a clarified timetable and, where appropriate, an amended recorded written commitment before the commission will consider changing the phasing.