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Board approves final plan for The Square at Forest Hill Heights
Summary
The Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously approved the final plan for The Square at Forest Hill Heights, a two-building commercial development at Winchester and Forest Hill Irene, following prior approvals from the Planning Commission and Design Review Commission.
The Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Feb. 10 approved the final plan for The Square at Forest Hill Heights, a planned-development project that proposes two 13,000-square-foot commercial buildings at the corner of Winchester and Forest Hill Irene.
The plan matters because it advances a multi-parcel redevelopment envisioned in the adopted Forest Hill Heights Small Area Plan and will set a development standard for the Winchester corridor, city officials said.
Planning Division Manager Sarah Pounder presented the plan to the board, describing the parcel layout, proposed retail and office uses, parking, and existing easements that required five design deviations (referred to in the presentation as “warrants” or justifiable design alternatives). She said the project previously received approvals from the Planning Commission and the Design Review Commission (DRC) and that the final plat would be recorded if the board approved the plan.
Alderman Salvaggio and other members praised the applicant’s coordination with staff, Planning Commission and the DRC. Alderman Salvaggio said the developer “worked really, really well” with staff and commissioners and that the project would set a high standard for future Winchester development. Alderman Sherry Hicks, a DRC member, said the applicant responded to DRC requests—particularly to improve the rear elevation so the view from the Hyatt Hotel would not look like “the back of a building.”
The plan presentation noted the five approved warrants, including reduced building frontage, additional parking beyond smart-code allowances, and parking placed in front of the building. Pounder said existing easements and landscape buffers limit development options and reduce the need for a screen wall.
The board voted unanimously to approve the amended planned development, final plan phase 18D, The Square at Forest Hill Heights. Roll call votes recorded “yes” from Aldermen Yulicki, Salvaggio, Sanders, Hicks and Vice Mayor Gibson.
The approval allows the applicant to submit construction plans to Germantown’s engineering department; Pounder said construction-plan review would be the next administrative step if the applicant proceeds.
Speakers at the meeting included Planning Division Manager Sarah Pounder and members of the board who spoke on the item. The applicant and DRC/Planning Commission staff also participated in earlier review meetings but were not identified by full name during the board discussion.
The board did not attach additional conditions beyond those reflected in the approved warrants and the final plat; city staff will process construction-plan review and permitting in subsequent administrative steps.
