Commission recommends Rock Creek commercial site plan and conditions subdivision MOP to address traffic and stormwater

The Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 4 recommended approval to the City Council for SR 25.04 (Rock Creek Commercial site plan) and approved SD 25.14, the related four-unit multiple-occupancy project (MOP) and subdivision, subject to staff conditions and two added requirements addressing traffic circulation and stormwater protections for Rock Creek.

Staff described the project as a proposed 20,000-square-foot, two-story commercial building on about 2.23 acres in the Rock Creek Planned Unit Development (PUD), using existing topography to provide some under-building parking and leaving a substantial wetland/open-space area undisturbed along the northeast corner. The site plan shows 91 parking spaces and landscape buffering revised to satisfy the city horticulturalist’s comments. Staff recommended approval of the site plan with three conditions, including combining parcels by replat and placement of wetland-buffer signage informed by an updated wetland delineation.

During the MOP/subdivision review, staff said the project will tie into existing drainage constructed when the bank on Lot 1 was built; staff added a condition requiring a recorded operations and maintenance (O&M) plan for the pond and other stormwater infrastructure. Staff also required a revised drainage letter and a wetland delineation because the recorded wetland line on prior plats is no longer automatically current.

Residents and commissioners expressed concern about peak-hour circulation at the single-lane Rock Creek Parkway entrance and the potential for stacked vehicles to back onto U.S. 98. Julie Hart, a Rock Creek resident, asked whether traffic and drainage concerns would delay the project; staff said traffic studies are triggered only when trip-generation thresholds are met but a commissioner asked that the commission require additional technical review. The commission added two specific requirements to staff’s recommended conditions for SD 25.14: (1) a certified traffic engineer must review ingress and egress circulation and stacking during peak hours and recommend modifications if needed; and (2) the engineer of record must provide a revised drainage letter and confirm that pond restoration/excavation meets subdivision stormwater requirements and protects Rock Creek (including measures to slow velocity where water leaves the site).

Noah Baird of LEIB Engineering and other project engineers told the commission they will survey the pond and outfall and perform the site work necessary to restore or verify the detention pond’s capacity; they indicated the pond contains an outfall structure discharging toward Rock Creek. After discussion and public comment, the commission voted to recommend SR 25.04 to the City Council (staff conditions 1–3) and to approve SD 25.14 subject to staff conditions 1–6 plus the two additional requirements; the motions passed on voice votes with no recorded opposition.

Next steps: the site plan will be forwarded to City Council for final action; the MOP/subdivision approval is conditioned on the applicant recording the O&M plan, submitting a revised drainage letter, completing needed pond restoration, providing an updated wetland delineation, and meeting the traffic/circulation review to staff’s satisfaction.