Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Knudsen Cluster Proposal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Developer previews clustered subdivision proposal for Knudsen parcel; staff and council seek geologic and water assurances
Summary
A developer representative gave a conceptual clustered subdivision for the 31‑acre Knudsen property and proposed concentrating lots at the south end while preserving roughly 10 acres of open space at the north end.
Developer representatives introduced a conceptual clustered subdivision for the Knudsen property on the mountainside and asked for early feedback from the planning commission and council.
Scott (city planning staff) described the parcel as about 31 acres currently zoned HP‑3 (a highly geologic‑sensitive zone that, under current rules, requires roughly two‑acre lots). He told the council that, under current HP‑3 rules, the site could yield “15 homes” as a straightforward by‑right calculation but that clustering could produce more units while preserving the northern portion of the property.
Preston Mobius, identified himself as “Preston Mobius with DR Horton” and presented a concept plan that clustered development on the southern portion of the property. Mobius said the concept shows “69 units on your net density, equaling 3 dwelling units an acre,” and described an approximately 10‑acre area intended as dedicated open space or a city park and a preserved trailhead connection to existing trails. The presentation included a range of lot sizes, described as from about 6,000 to over 10,000 square feet, and a net density described by the presenter as about three dwelling units per acre.
Staff and council questioned the proposal’s feasibility in technical terms: geologic constraints on the northern slopes, stability and landslide/debris‑flow risk, whether buildable areas can be found on proposed smaller lots, and whether secondary water or culinary water could be delivered. Scott said the city would expect geotechnical reports and water‑rights validation to be part of any formal rezone or development agreement submittal.
Preston said the team would undertake due diligence: geologic and slope studies, water‑rights checks with Pineview/Mountain View and coordination with staff. Councilmembers asked about emergency access and potential for only a single access road; staff and the developer said they would explore stub streets and connections to Jordan Park and Mountain Road.
Ending: Staff advised the developer to bring preliminary geotechnical and water assurances to a planning commission work session before formal rezone and development agreement requests. Several councilmembers signaled conditional openness to a clustered approach if the developer demonstrates geologic safety, adequate water and appropriate access.
