Sandpoint planning commission recommends approval of Ridley Village Court PUD with conditions

The Sandpoint Planning and Zoning Commission on March 4 recommended city council approve a preliminary planned unit development for Ridley Village Court, a proposal for 57 fee-simple townhomes on about 4.1 acres of a five-acre parcel south of Highway 2 between Ridley Village Road and South Madison Avenue.

The development drew extended staff analysis, presentations from the applicant and more than a dozen public comments focusing on driveway and street connectivity, perimeter setbacks and effects on adjacent neighborhoods. The commission’s recommendation included conditions intended to address utility easements, street connections and a relocated open-space buffer along the eastern property line.

Bill Dean, Sandpoint city planner, told commissioners the application proposes 57 townhomes in 14 buildings on roughly 4.1 acres of the 5-acre site and that “each of the 57 townhomes that are proposed does have a garage.” Dean said the applicant’s materials report more than the 10% minimum open-space requirement and that the project proposes six connections at the property perimeter, including two pedestrian connections and four for vehicles. He also flagged requested deviations from standard zoning: front setbacks reduced from 15 feet to as little as zero in places, rear setbacks of about 5.5 feet instead of 15 feet, and perimeter PUD setbacks reduced in places from the 25-foot default to 0 feet.

Staff recommended several changes for the commission to consider: extending both River Rock Road and Autumn Lane into the development to improve east–west connectivity; requiring utility easements of at least 30 feet with utilities located at least 10 feet from buildings; and increasing setbacks along Maplewood by relocating open space to create a 25-foot buffer from the adjacent neighborhood.

Aaron Qualls of SCJ Alliance presented the applicant’s plan and introduced Kirk (Kurt) Krechter of Affinity Real Estate Management, who described the developer’s intent to build what he termed “high quality, well designed” attached single-family homes with plans for roughly 28,000 square feet of common open space, walking paths, and amenities. Krechter and project team members emphasized that the proposal is intentionally lower-density than what current multifamily zoning could allow and that they view the project as providing “attainable homeownership opportunities.”

City engineer Brandon Staglin addressed utilities and right-of-way questions in technical detail, confirming water and sewer stubs exist on Autumn Lane and River Rock Road and noting that utility mains together generally require at least a 30-foot easement. He and staff also identified outstanding engineering refinements that would be resolved at final plan review, including pavement widths, alley cross-sections, stormwater routing and hydrant placement.

Public comments were mixed. Mary Jensen, executive director of Forest Bridge Charter School, supported the project overall but urged Autumn Lane not be extended as a vehicle street directly adjacent to school outdoor activity areas, recommending a pedestrian-only connection. Multiple residents of the adjacent Maplewood neighborhood expressed concerns about traffic increases on local streets and about reduced setbacks along the eastern edge adjacent to existing single-family lots. Opponents asked the commission to preserve a 25-foot perimeter buffer and raised potential traffic, stormwater and wetland concerns.

In deliberations commissioners discussed the PUD’s requested deviations, the city’s desire for a more gridded street pattern in the area, the need for adequate right-of-way for utilities, and the trade-offs of narrower streets and smaller setbacks in order to provide the housing type proposed. After debate the commission voted to recommend approval to city council with conditions. The conditions in the commission’s recommendation included: requiring River Rock Road and Autumn Lane be extended between Madison Avenue and Ridley Village Road with required water and sewer main extensions; showing water and sewer either in public right-of-way or within public utility easements of at least 20 feet for a single pipe and 30 feet for two parallel pipes with mains at least 10 feet from buildings; relocating a driveway at the Ridley/River Rock intersection at least 35 feet from the curb line; installing streetlights at two intersections; relocating open space to the eastern property edge to enable a 25-foot setback along that edge; installing a fence along the property line adjacent to Forest Bridge Charter School where Autumn Lane abuts the school; and working with staff to develop traffic-calming measures to limit cut-through impacts to Maplewood.

Commissioners noted that the PUD preliminary approval is a step in a multi-stage process: final engineering, stormwater, utility and any refined street sections will be reviewed and must meet city standards before construction. The commission’s action was a recommendation to city council; city council will consider the preliminary PUD and any additional conditions or modifications.

The commission’s recommendation and the staff report will be part of the record forwarded to Sandpoint City Council for final action.