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Planning commission recommends amended concept plan for Heidi’s House of Hope on Watauga Road
Summary
The Johnson City Regional Planning Commission recommended approval of a revised concept plan for Heidi's House of Hope that reduces units from 184 to 138 and alters the interior road network; staff and commissioners flagged private drives off cul-de-sacs for further review.
The Johnson City Regional Planning Commission on Aug. 12 recommended approval of a concept plan amendment for Heidi’s House of Hope, a residential development at the corner of Frank Jones Road and Watauga Road, with a qualification that private drives off proposed cul-de-sacs be re-evaluated before preliminary plat approval.
Staff told the commission the amended plan reduces the previously approved unit count from 184 to 138 and replaces a proposed loop road with a different interior road network because of steep grades and utility corridor constraints. The applicant intends the private drives to serve parking courts and accessory access; the drives would be built to private-road standards (minimum 19-foot pavement) and would not be maintained by the city.
Planner Putney said open space, landscape buffering and the Watauga Road deceleration lane remain as previously approved and that the amended design further protects the ridgeline by reducing grading. She also said the neighborhood meeting the night before drew six attendees, whose primary concerns were traffic on Watauga Road and emergency/fire access.
Lauren Shiver, representing Heidi’s House of Hope, said small cabin-style buildings shown at the top of the site plan were intended for visiting family and are unlikely to be constructed without a future easement; she said they were shown to avoid returning to the approval process later if the developer is able to secure additional access.
Several commissioners and staff voiced concern that the private drives shown off cul-de-sacs could create congestion or be impracticable for the intended uses. The commission’s motion approved the concept plan amendment while including a recorded expectation that the private-drive locations be reexamined at the preliminary plat stage; staff said if the preliminary plat is noncompliant with reasonable access safety, the commission would not be likely to support it.
The commission voted unanimously to recommend approval. The item will move to first reading before the City Commission on Sept. 4 if that body follows normal calendar procedures.
The commission’s action is advisory to the City Commission; any redesign or required changes to private access would be addressed during the forthcoming preliminary plat review or through staff discretion if changes are minor.
