Council approves 385‑lot Shepherd/Minnewaha subdivision and 201‑acre annexation; developer agrees to alley, park and solid-waste changes

Planning staff and the applicant told the council they had modified a previously presented subdivision plan to address concerns raised at the Dec. 16 hearing about alley widths, trash collection, and park amenities.

Liz Salazar, project planner, said the project includes Tract Map 6,375 and a planned development permit for 385 single-family lots on roughly 58.9 acres within an overall proposed annexation area of about 201 acres. The General Plan land use designation is medium-density residential (7 dwelling units per acre). The applicant proposed a consolidated on‑site park and a monetary contribution of approximately $95,000 toward the Sunnyside Trail and Heritage Grove area.

“Originally some alleyways were shown at a narrower width that our Public Utilities department reported were too narrow for trash trucks to service from the rear,” Salazar said. In response, the applicant revised the alleys that would have required residents to haul cans to the street; the developer widened those alleys to a minimum of 32 feet and removed parking on those alleyways so standard collection vehicles can service toters from the rear of the homes.

As a result of the alley widening, some lots were reconfigured but the lot count remained 385. The original park provision totaled roughly 56,000 square feet in three pocket parks; the revision consolidates that space into a single central park of about 43,800 square feet while adding more active amenities — shade structures, a children’s play area, serpentine walking paths and two gathering spaces with swing benches.

Brandon Broussardi of Mobby and Horn Engineering, representing Lennar, said the applicant supported the consolidated park and the alley redesign and noted the project is part of a larger specific-plan area for Heritage Grove the city expects to return for additional review as a specific plan later this year.

Public commenters were mixed. Some residents praised the city’s responsiveness on utility repairs and general services; others raised livability concerns about compact housing and parking in higher-density subdivisions and questioned whether alley-based service and HOA enforcement would be workable for seniors.

Council discussion focused on three topics: solid-waste servicing (staff and the applicant resolved the alley width issue and eliminated the need for residents to haul toters several houses), park design and livability tradeoffs, and a request for staff to coordinate a broader specific plan for the larger Heritage area. Councilmember comments also urged staff to improve internal project vetting so issues like alley widths are identified earlier in the review process.

Council action: The council voted to approve (1) a resolution approving the Vesting Tentative Tract Map (Tract Map 6,375) for the 385‑lot subdivision, (2) a resolution approving Planned Development Permit PDP2024‑001 for the 385‑lot single-family planned residential development, and (3) a resolution approving annexation of the Shepherd‑Minnewaha Northeast Reorganization Area (approximately 201 acres; Reorganization 310). All three motions passed on voice votes at the hearing; the Planned Development Permit motion was recorded in the transcript as “Motion carries 5.0.” The council also noted a written public comment from Rachel Eudelman had been submitted and considered.

Why this matters: The approvals allow the subdivision to proceed within the city limits and move forward infrastructure, parks and funding contributions for regional trail work. The modifications to alleys and park amenities address operational concerns raised by city departments and residents.

What comes next: Staff and the applicant will complete final engineering and continue coordination on utilities, HOA and park construction; the applicant, the city and the Heritage Development Group signaled plans for a larger specific plan for roughly 900 acres to be presented to council in mid‑summer to coordinate future approvals in the area.