Council schedules work meeting and moves Balance of Nature PDO update to August after staff concerns about private streets and infrastructure

Hurricane City Council moved its decision on a proposed zone change and PDO (planned development overlay) update for the Balance of Nature Gardens project to August 7 and scheduled a staff‑applicant work meeting June 24 to address outstanding infrastructure and street‑design issues.

The applicant is seeking to remove a previously planned 27‑acre light‑industrial (M‑1) area and convert that land to R‑1‑10 residential within an amended PDO for the Balance of Nature property. The project team described a “town center” and a pedestrian‑oriented village with orchards and amenity space; the applicant sought private streets for portions of the site to preserve a pedestrian-centric character and to enable cobblestone or other nonstandard surfacing in areas intended to be primarily walking villages.

Planning staff recommended tabling the item so staff and the applicant could refine the preliminary site plan and resolve several issues in the staff report: (1) the city does not support private streets within a PDO and asked that proposed streets be shown as public streets or otherwise clarified; (2) the site plan’s density and several land‑use labels need correction; (3) the development standards and requested exceptions must be clarified; and (4) any changes must be reflected in a redrafted development agreement before final council action.

Neil Terry, the project architect, told council the proposal emphasizes a destination, walkable village and that private streets were requested to allow event closures, cobblestone and other amenities. Councilmembers raised doubts about private streets, noting repeated experience with private streets later being brought to the city for maintenance and causing double taxation and service problems when developers stop covering upkeep. Staff and several councilmembers urged separating the town‑center, short‑term rental or destination areas from privately owned residential lots so public streets can serve privately owned homes while private streets could remain limited to the more destination‑oriented parcels.

The council scheduled a joint work meeting with staff and the planning commission on June 24 from 3:30–5:00 p.m. to walk through sites, utilities and street treatments; the council then formally moved the zoning item to the August 7 council meeting (to be placed on the old‑business agenda) so work meeting outcomes can inform a revised PDO and development agreement.

No zoning change or design approval occurred at Thursday’s meeting; staff said additional engineering and plan refinements will be required before a final vote.