Planning commission recommends reclassifying 11200 North as a local street; declines to endorse broad street‑standard flexibility

The Highland City Planning Commission voted to recommend that 11200 North be reclassified from a two‑lane residential collector to a local street, meaning future construction along the corridor would be limited to a 56‑foot right of way rather than the 66‑foot collector standard. Commissioners voted not to forward a separate proposed amendment that would have explicitly allowed the City Council to approve alternative street‑design standards in limited circumstances.

The reclassification recommendation follows staff testimony that 11200 North carries relatively low traffic, has a high number of residential connections per mile and has not been constructed to the wider collector standard along most of its length. Rob (staff member) told commissioners the change would "shrink 11200 North to just a local road," preventing the city from later building the wider 66‑foot collector cross section unless the council changed the plan again.

Why it matters: changing the classification changes what the city may lawfully construct without further amendments, including required right‑of‑way width, cross‑section and intersection spacing. Residents who spoke at the public hearing said they supported the reclassification but strongly opposed converting the existing informal path into a through road that would encourage commuter traffic.

Staff presentation and rationale Rob explained the role of the transportation element and the functional classification system that separates freeways and arterials from collectors and local streets. He described the city’s default cross section (a 56‑foot right of way with 34 feet of asphalt, curb and gutter, park strips and 5‑foot sidewalks) and the two‑lane minor‑collector standard (a 66‑foot right of way with 44 feet of asphalt). He said 11200 North historically has not been built to the wider collector standard across much of its length and that the city’s consultant found the corridor does not function as a collector given Highland’s pattern of collectors and arterials.

Rob said the proposed first amendment would reclassify the entire length of 11200 North from 6000 West to North County Boulevard as a local street, so "if more properties along 11200 North develop, they would build at a 56 foot right of way, not the 66 foot." He also proposed, as a separate amendment, language to allow the City Council to approve alternative standards in limited circumstances where topography, land ownership or existing infrastructure make the city standard impracticable.

Public comment and concerns At the public hearing residents strongly supported the reclassification but opposed creating a vehicular through‑connection. Key points from speakers: - David Wilkins (Resident): said the reclassification "totally makes sense" and that he supported keeping the corridor as a local street, but urged that any exceptions require council approval. - Troy Harris (Resident/property owner adjacent to the corridor): said neighbors oppose a through route and offered to buy the city property so it wouldn’t be used as a connector; he warned that making the path passable invites UTVs and ATVs and faster traffic. - Amanda (Resident): said she was "very much against this," concerned about children playing near any increased traffic and preferring the path remain non‑vehicular. - Scott Oldroyd (Resident): supported downgrading the road but warned the proposed flexibility could be applied inconsistently, and suggested selling the parcel to a neighbor.

Several commissioners and a city councilor in attendance echoed residents’ safety concerns and emphasized that the reclassification does not force construction of a through road; it only changes what the city could build in the future without further amendments.

Commission action Commissioners split the proposals into two motions. The commission voted to recommend that the City Council reclassify 11200 North as a local street (change from two‑lane residential collector to local street); that recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for final action at its next meeting. A second motion — to recommend adopting the proposed amendment that would give the City Council express authority to approve alternative street standards in limited circumstances — did not receive a positive recommendation from the commission and therefore will not be forwarded as a commission recommendation.

Next steps Rob told the public that the City Council will consider the reclassification next (the staff noted a Council hearing scheduled for June 3 at 6 p.m.). The second proposal (the flexibility language) could be brought back in a different form if the commission or council chooses to revisit it during the general plan update or as a separate code amendment.

Ending The commission closed the public hearing after hearing roughly a dozen residents. For Highland residents who spoke, the central distinction was clear: they largely want 11200 North formally designated to match its current, quiet, residential character but do not want the city to convert the path into a passable commuter connection.