Plan Commission recommends approval of Sanctuary Pike River preliminary plat; Lennar named builder for 96-lot plan

The Village of Mount Pleasant Plan Commission on Aug. 20 recommended approval of the South Green Bay Road preliminary plat, identified in staff materials as Sanctuary Pike River (PSP 25001), a revised 96‑lot single‑family subdivision for property along the Pike River watershed.

The commission’s action follows staff recommendations that the developer submit detailed stormwater and erosion control plans and adjust plat geometry and covenants before final plat approval. Planning staff said the project has been revised from a prior submittal and now proposes 96 for‑sale single‑family lots, with lot widths generally ranging between 55 and 70 feet.

The project matters to the village because the site is within the Pike River watershed and the village’s Park and Open Space Plan (Mount Pleasant 2050) identifies the area as a priority protection area under the Pike River Watershed Plan. Staff placed conditions on the preliminary‑plat recommendation to ensure the final engineering reflects the watershed guidance and village ordinance requirements.

In presenting the application, Reid Biennucci, land acquisition manager at Lennar, said the company expects to build and sell the homes and that the builder will use internal mortgage services to help buyers in the current interest‑rate environment. “We’re looking to do the 96, single family homes here,” Biennucci said. He told the commission Lennar operates multiple communities in the region and that the developer expects a relatively timely buildout.

Staff described the specific conditions for final approval. In accordance with village stormwater rules (referenced in staff materials as section 74‑46), the developer must submit stormwater and sedimentation control plans before final plat review; those plans, staff said, should include native landscaping, restored wetlands where feasible and naturalized stormwater detention facilities consistent with recommendations in the Pike River Watershed Plan. Two lots identified on the plan (lots 53 and 54) must be amended or receive an administrative adjustment to meet the minimum 55‑foot width. The plat must also be updated to show 20‑foot vision triangles, public street lamps and street‑tree plantings.

Commissioners and trustees questioned covenant language and long‑term ownership of common drainage features. Staff noted that prior reviews showed inconsistencies tying HOA membership to the definition of “single‑family” and recommended clarifying that HOA membership is tied to the lot rather than an owner’s occupancy status. A trustee emphasized the village’s preference that any interests in ponds or common stormwater infrastructure be held as undivided interests by lot owners rather than be deeded solely to a homeowners association, and said the Village Board would not accept outright dedication of ponds to an HOA without assurance of perpetual maintenance responsibilities.

Commission discussion also touched on subsurface infrastructure. The developer’s engineer said a drain‑tile delineation and geotechnical work have not yet been completed; he said those tasks are planned as next steps if the project proceeds. “A drain tile delineation has not been done to date,” the engineer said. Staff and commissioners noted that mapping existing drain tile systems and completing soils and geotechnical testing will be important inputs to the final stormwater design.

Traffic analysis prepared for an earlier version of the subdivision was discussed; staff told the commission the most recent layout falls below 100 lots, meaning the village’s usual traffic‑study threshold would not apply if the project had begun at the current size. Nonetheless, the developer provided traffic materials at the village’s request and the village board had asked for that study in prior reviews.

The commission’s recommendation includes the staff conditions described above; the matter will return for final‑plat review and any remaining technical or legal clarifications, including the restrictive‑covenant language on common‑area ownership and maintenance.

The commission voted by voice to recommend approval with the conditions summarized by staff.