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Planning commission recommends PUD rezoning for Heritage Fields with conditions after resident concerns about traffic and river migration
Summary
After extended public comment about traffic, flooding and open space, the commission recommended approval of a PUD rezoning for roughly 35.42 acres at Heritage Fields Drive and Nelson Ranch Road, attaching conditions on amenities timing and choosing a street-access option intended to reduce traffic through a single residential street.
The Washington City Planning Commission on May 7 recommended approval of Z-25-08, a request to rezone about 35.42 acres near Heritage Fields Drive and Nelson Ranch Road from AG-20 to Open Space and PUDR with a revised development plan. The item was continued from an April meeting; the applicant submitted revisions that reduced lot count, increased setbacks and relocated erosion protection and a proposed river-bank protection line.
Staff said the revised plan reduces the unit count by four to 87 lots overall and increases the aggregate side-yard setback to a minimum of 15 feet (a 5-foot minimum on any single side). The applicant added a second potential access location (option 2) on Nelson Ranch Road after staff and utility providers raised concerns about utilities and alignment at the previously proposed access point. The applicant also moved erosion-protection riprap inward to give a larger buffer to the river wash and increased the amenity area by about 0.32 acres.
The public turnout was large. Residents and nearby homeowners raised repeated objections about traffic concentrating on collector streets (notably 20 East and 300 East), the safety of children, impacts to neighborhood character, and the risk of river migration and flooding. Several speakers asked for traffic studies and for guarantees that the shared amenities and parkland would be completed early in development.
The applicant’s engineer, Adam Allen, said the developer had contracted a riprap design by a regional firm (Rosenberg) and that homes would be built above FEMA base flood elevational requirements; he said the riprap and flood-elevation work is intended to protect the new lots and nearby properties. The applicant also highlighted that the revised plan attempts to place smaller lots interior to the development and larger estate lots near the ridgeline.
Commission discussion focused on two street-layout options presented by the applicant. Several commissioners said the revised plan addressed many prior concerns. Commissioner Anderson moved to recommend approval with the staff findings and conditions and to add a condition requiring that the public amenities be substantially underway by the time 25% of building permits have been issued; he also asked that the commission’s recommendation prefer Option 2 for the Nelson Ranch/20 East access alignment (the version that reduces direct traffic on a single residential street). Commissioner Tupelo seconded. The commission voted 4–1 in favor; Commissioner Mitchell opposed.
Staff noted that if the city council denies the PUD amendment the developer could pursue alternative zoning and that the riprap/flood-protection work requires additional state permits. Substantial public concern remains about traffic distribution, construction impacts, and long-term protection of the riverbank and public open space.
