Staff briefs committee on Behir Number 1 preliminary plat; Turbine Drive dedication, sidewalk requirement discussed

City staff presented the Behir Number 1 subdivision preliminary plat to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee on March 13, 2025, explaining pedestrian and right-of-way implications and noting conditions staff plans to recommend when the plat moves to council.

Brandon Steggen said the developer (Kodiak) is proposing to split two lots into four near Turbine Drive, north of the airport. Lot 2 contains an existing Kodiak commercial building; Lots 1 and 3 are currently undeveloped; Lot 4 is largely wetlands and is expected to remain undeveloped. Steggen said one component of the preliminary plat is dedication of a 60-foot portion of Turbine Drive as city right-of-way and a required turnaround at the end of the road to meet access needs.

From a pedestrian standpoint, Steggen said Turbine Drive is now a private access drive but the subdivision will dedicate a segment as a public right-of-way and that staff will condition plat approval on construction of a sidewalk on the north side of Turbine Drive to meet city standards. He said an existing asphalt path runs along the south side and that the city will require a construction agreement or bonding to ensure sidewalks are installed prior to final plat or within an agreed period.

Committee members asked whether the preliminary plat would prevent or complicate a larger Great Northern reconstruction project previously under consideration. Steggen said the larger Great Northern reconstruction, which included multimillion-dollar reconstruction and a multi-use path, is on hold because staff did not secure the grant funding; the full Great Northern project was described in the meeting as a roughly $20,000,000 capital undertaking. Steggen said the preliminary plat does not preclude future acquisition of right-of-way should the city move that larger reconstruction forward; however, staff will discuss right-of-way acquisition with property owners if and when a future realignment is pursued.

No formal vote was taken on the preliminary plat during the committee meeting; the presentation was provided because city code requires staff to bring preliminary subdivision plats to this commission for review.