Council re‑approves Enclave at Wooded Point preliminary plat amid questions on parkland, trail width and dam permit

The Johnston City Council approved Resolution No. 25‑195 to re‑approve the preliminary plat for the Enclave at Wooded Point, a residential development previously approved in April 2022 and now brought forward under new ownership.

City planning staff explained the earlier approvals expired on April 18 and that the property’s ownership changed hands several times; the current applicant is J. Larson Homes, LLC. Staff said there are no substantial changes to the approved layout and that the project will proceed in two phases with public streets, sidewalks, and outlots for stormwater. “The preliminary plat was originally approved in April 2022,” a planning staff member (identified in the record as Rose) told council. The engineer and applicant affirmed grading and tree removal already occurred under the prior approval.

Council discussion focused on three substantive points: (1) parkland dedication and zoning for Lot D, (2) trail width and placement relative to utilities and culverts, and (3) stormwater/pond stability and permitting. Melissa Hills of Civil Engineering Consultants said, “Outlot W is not part of the parkland dedication. It's actually Lot D that we are dedicating and giving to the city for parkland,” and she clarified Lot D contains about “approximately 0.92 acres” of usable, level ground adjacent to Northwest Seventieth Street. Rose acknowledged a notation error in earlier remarks: “I apologize. In my notes, I had obviously flipped d and w, so I apologize for that.”

On stormwater and dam safety, staff said the improvements were reviewed under state and federal permits; Melissa told the council the dam was included in the 401/404 permitting process and reviewed by DNR and the Army Corps. The council asked whether the dam had been re‑inspected recently and how often inspections are required; staff deferred to the project engineer for detailed technical answers and said DNR had verified the improvements did not increase the dam's hazard rating.

Trail width drew extended comment. The council considered whether a 10‑foot trail should be required in place of the 8‑foot trail shown on older plans. Melissa said that on a limited section (the north–south street shown as Northwest 80 Eighth Street) an 8‑foot trail is proposed to avoid conflicts with water main and hydrant placement; elsewhere staff recommended upgrading to a 10‑foot cross section where feasible. Staff and the engineer noted alternatives such as a trail easement adjacent to the right of way could provide separation from utilities but might require changes to culverts, grading, and additional tree removal in constrained areas.

Council members asked that future staff reports explicitly state whether proposed dedicated parkland meets parks staff planning preferences. Staff responded that the development review is circulated to departments and that the city has the option to accept or decline dedication; the code provides either a land dedication or cash‑in‑lieu option.

The council approved Resolution No. 25‑195 on a unanimous roll call vote. The staff presentation and public comments included technical clarifications about right‑of‑way widths (60 feet), pavement widths (some streets 29 feet, others 26 feet), temporary turnarounds between phases, sidewalk requirements, and required buffers and tree quantities carried from the prior approval.

The council did not require the developer to expand the right of way to accommodate a 10‑foot trail in constrained sections; staff noted further negotiation on easements or detailed construction plans would be part of the final plat and infrastructure review.