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Planning commission denies Gates planned‑development amendment that would have added 600 multifamily units
Summary
Commissioners voted 4‑0 to deny the applicant’s request to increase multifamily capacity and permit additional single‑family/townhome layout changes in the Gates PD. Commissioners cited lingering issues with Subdistrict 3 design, lot widths and walkability.
The Planning & Zoning Commission voted 4‑0 on Aug. 5 to deny a request to amend portions of the Gates Planned Development (PD) that would have increased multifamily entitlement and altered residential layouts in Subdistricts 2 and 3.
Blue Star Land asked to modify the Gates PD (Case 240012) to allow additional multifamily units concentrated in Subdistrict 2 and to alter the mix and standards in Subdistrict 3, including new single‑family front‑entry lot types and a lower minimum townhome lot area in portions of the PD. Under the proposal presented to the commission, the total multifamily cap would increase from 600 to 1,200 units across the PD, with the additional 600 units to be located in Subdistrict 2. The applicant also proposed new single‑family lot varieties in Subdistrict 3 (including 55‑foot lot widths with 1,800 square‑foot minimum dwellings for certain product types) and clarified townhome articulation rules and alley/patio configurations.
Town staff summarized the changes and noted that Subdistrict 2 already contains an existing 600‑unit multifamily development under construction; the proposal would add the additional 600 units in the same subdistrict. Staff also said the draft PD language includes a clarification that structured garages would count as private garages toward a 40% private‑garage expectation but also noted the practical challenges of achieving 40% tuck‑under garages in 4‑story buildings.
Applicant Scott Shipp (Blue Star Land) and representatives described market reasons the developer wanted more multifamily for the lifestyle center and presented conceptual site plans showing multifamily near the railroad corridor, a small boutique hotel footprint, retail/lifestyle center parcels and a redesigned Subdistrict 3 with a mix of townhomes, patio homes and front‑entry detached lots. Shipp said office demand in the town center had not materialized as previously envisioned and that residential users were needed to make the lifestyle center attractive to retailers and restaurant tenants.
Commissioners and staff debated details including where townhomes might be sited relative to First Street, how park/trail connections would serve southern portions of Subdistrict 3, and the overall balance of residential product types. Several commissioners explicitly objected to proposed 55‑foot‑wide detached lots in Subdistrict 3, saying they would look and feel too dense for that location and urged the applicant to consider larger lot widths or shift product types.
A motion to table the case failed for lack of a second; the commission then voted to deny the amendment, 4‑0. Commissioners said they were open to returning with a revised plan but that the current submittal did not sufficiently protect neighborhood character or assure walkable connectivity for southern neighborhoods within the PD.
Votes at a glance - Gates PD amendment (Case 240012): Motion to deny passed 4‑0 (mover: Commissioner Blansett; second: Commissioner Hamilton).
Staff noted the PD amendment would return to Town Council on Aug. 26 if the commission had approved it; the denial requires the applicant to revise before further action.
