Planning commission approves master plan and Phase 1 construction plan for Sanctuary Subdivision

The Bartlett Planning Commission on Tuesday, Sept. 2 approved a master plan and a Phase 1 construction plan for the Sanctuary Subdivision, a proposed single-family development at 3465 Kirby Whitten Parkway adjacent to Bartlett Baptist Church.

Planning Director Kim Taylor told the commission the master plan covers 40.3 acres and proposes 110 single-family lots in the RS-10 residential single-family zoning district, with lot sizes ranging from 10,000 to 18,483 square feet. Taylor said the developer will establish a homeowners association to manage common open-space amenities and that staff recommended approval of the master plan and the construction plan with conditions listed in the staff report.

Corbin Peeper, representing Blue Sky Communities, said the developer concurs with the staff conditions. Peeper described the project's drainage approach, saying, "your post construction runoff will not exceed your pre construction runoff," and said the team had worked with Bartlett engineering and nearby homeowners to address site constraints. Peeper told the commission the church is already removing certain structures from the site to prepare for work.

The commission also considered a construction plan for Phase 1. Taylor said Phase 1 covers 15 acres of the overall site and would create 40 of the proposed 110 lots. The construction plans submitted for Phase 1 include a clearing plan, stormwater detention plan, landscape plan, grading and drainage plans, erosion control plans, sanitary sewer plans, signage plans and street plans. Taylor said access to the subdivision will be from Yale Road and that the developer would return with final plans for entrance and other details for subsequent approvals.

Commissioners asked about traffic and sequencing. A commissioner asked whether the traffic entrance design would return to the commission; Taylor said the applicant will come back with a final plan for the phase and related entrance details. Peeper said subsequent phases would depend on market absorption, with follow-up phases likely coming about 18 months apart, and that the developer planned to begin demolition and initial work within weeks if approvals and permits proceed.

Votes at a glance

- Master plan (Sanctuary Subdivision, 3465 Kirby Whitten Parkway): Motion to "approve in accordance with comments and conditions of the staff report" carried; roll call recorded eight votes in favor and one abstention. Planning Commission member Don Conway recorded an abstention; members Ken Demetrio, Jack Young, James Reid, Jim Lamb, David Hunt, John Conroy, Craig Easton and Paul Kaiser recorded votes in favor.

- Construction plan (Sanctuary Subdivision Phase 1, 15 acres, 40 lots): Motion to approve the Phase 1 construction plan carried; roll call recorded eight votes in favor and one abstention. Don Conway recorded an abstention; other voting members recorded votes in favor.

The commission's approvals were conditioned on the items in the staff report; Taylor said staff had also cataloged a set of requests from adjacent homeowners (item 1 with subitems A–E) and indicated the applicant had been asked to respond and had indicated agreement to those requests. The staff report and the commission minutes list the specific conditions and the homeowners' requested items; those conditions remain the regulatory record for implementation.

The commission meeting record shows limited public discussion beyond the applicant presentation and questions from commissioners. The developer indicated plans to pursue permits and begin site work; further submissions for later phases and for final entrance/traffic work will return to the commission for review.