Plan Commission approves primary-plat amendment and development plan for Terraces at Holiday Farms with connectivity and riparian buffer conditions

The Plan Commission approved two items for Fox Lane Homes’ Terraces at Holiday Farms on Oct. 20: a primary-plat amendment to convert six commercial lots into 64 townhome lots on 9.44 acres, and a development plan for 64 townhomes with associated roads and infrastructure in the Holiday Farms PUD.

Planning staff described the primary-plat amendment as converting previously approved commercial lots into residential townhome lots; townhomes are a permitted use in this area of the Holiday Farms PUD. Staff found landscape, parking and bulk standards to be compliant pending a few technical items and recommended approval of both the primary-plat amendment and the development plan with conditions. Staff noted the architecture-review committee for the PUD will retain final architectural approval authority and that staff requested a letter from that committee before building permits are issued.

Fox Lane Homes’ representative, Doug Kelly, said the company plans to construct a 12-foot-wide pedestrian bridge and path connection over an existing creek to provide continuity to the Holiday Farms trail network; he said the same bridge contractor used elsewhere in Holiday Farms will be used and that the path will connect through Michigan Road and Rogers Parkway to the existing trail system.

Neighbors raised two main concerns during public comment: preservation of the tree buffer and the riparian corridor between existing Holiday Farms lots and the new townhome area, and clarity about how the project’s renderings relate to built conditions. Petitioners and staff said a limit-of-disturbance and the existing drainage easement around the creek would prevent work in the immediate riparian area and that the developer intends to add landscape screening on townhome-facing edges.

The Plan Commission approved the primary-plat amendment 7–0. It also conditionally approved the development plan (7–0) subject to: (1) incorporating the petitioner’s commitments (Exhibit 5) and staff technical conditions; (2) written architectural approval from the Holiday Farms PUD architecture review board before building permits are issued; (3) town-approved plans detailing the connection between the multiuse path along US 421 and the Holiday Farms Boulevard trail prior to recording the secondary plat; and (4) a protected riparian/no-disturb buffer (commissioners discussed a notional 50-foot buffer and asked staff to reflect appropriate limits on the plat) to preserve the creek corridor and existing trees. The commission also required that staff conditions be met prior to permit issuance.