A developer presented a preliminary planned development concept Tuesday for roughly 8 acres at 450–460 Gaines School Road that would build about 69 fee‑simple townhomes, 10 accessory dwelling units and roughly 10,000 square feet of ground‑floor commercial facing Gaines School Road.

Planning staff said the site’s location along a commercial corridor and the proposed mix of small commercial and attached housing is compatible with the 2023 comprehensive plan and with the broader redevelopment goals for the Gaines School corridor. Staff conditionally supported several waiver requests but asked the team to provide additional information about fenestration on certain townhouse end caps, tree conservation and a technical approach to downstream stormwater impacts.

Applicant teams said they have done preliminary engineering and that stormwater will be managed largely with underground detention systems and a mixture of surface bio‑infiltration areas. The applicant also said townhomes and ADUs were chosen to provide a range of ownership types and to create a street‑facing neighborhood edge with alley‑served rear parking and on‑street parking.

Neighbors raised two central concerns in public comment: the potential for displacement of current low‑income occupants of an on‑site long‑standing RV/mobile‑home park, and the history of downstream runoff that has previously affected nearby condominium courtyards. The landowner said he was working with residents to help them relocate and to minimize disruption. Transportation and Public Works staff flagged the need for a planned stormwater concept meeting to demonstrate the proposed system’s effect on adjacent parcels.

Commissioners asked the applicant to return with more detailed stormwater analysis and design refinements that address fenestration on townhouse ends, tree conservation and the requested commercial uses within the Gainesville Road overlay. No formal vote was taken on the PD concept; staff will continue technical review and the applicant will be expected to provide the requested engineering and tree‑management details in a future master plan submittal.