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Oakland approves Hidden Springs plan amendment after resident objections
Summary
The Oakland Board of Aldermen adopted Ordinance 25-09 to amend the Hidden Springs planned development general plan after a public hearing. Residents raised concerns about lot sizes, missing sidewalks and traffic; the measure passed 4-1.
The Oakland Board of Aldermen adopted Ordinance 25-09 on Aug. 21, approving an amended general development plan for phases C, D and E of the Hidden Springs planned development after a public hearing and board discussion.
The ordinance changes the subdivision layout and lot sizes for the Fields of Hidden Springs and was approved 4-1, with the vice mayor casting the lone no vote. The motion to approve came after the public hearing was closed and board discussion. No amendments to the motion were recorded in the public transcript.
Resident Don Likens urged the board to reject the change, saying the proposed smaller lots would degrade the character of the Fields and reduce typical lot sizes from roughly 12,000 square feet to as small as 7,500 square feet. Likens said sidewalks and front-yard lighting have already disappeared in the neighborhood and added that higher density would worsen traffic on Highway 194 and Highway 64.
Josh Burnett, the engineer representing Renaissance Development, told the board the developer is not increasing the total number of entitled lots (247 lots of 80-foot width were described as the entitlement) but is proposing a revised layout that the firm said would follow the existing topography, add approximately four acres of stormwater detention, provide common open space and move lots away from overhead utility lines. Burnett said the redesigned road network would be more curvilinear to slow traffic and improve drainage compared with the prior rectilinear plan.
Board members questioned the developer about lot sizes, likely builders and housing types. Burnett said Regency is the most likely builder based on recent lot sales but did not present a signed builder agreement. He said homes on the proposed 60-foot and 80-foot lots would likely range roughly from 2,500 to 3,500 square feet. The developer said the amended plan includes mail-area commons that the current entitled plan lacks.
After board discussion, a motion to approve Ordinance 25-09 passed by recorded voice with four members in favor and one opposed. The vice mayor recorded the solitary no vote.
The ordinance is a final (second-reading) action; the transcript does not identify any outstanding conditions attached to the approval, nor does it specify an effective date in the meeting record.
The town manager and staff did not report any changes to required road improvements, turn lanes or off-site traffic mitigation in the public record at the hearing. Residents who spoke asked the board to consider traffic impacts; the developer and some board members said the design changes intend to improve drainage and provide common areas that the prior plan lacked.
