Planning commission recommends PRD rezoning and prelim plat for Coal West project near Jensen Nature Park after residents raise traffic, lot-size and basement‑f

The Syracuse City Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council rezone about 26.92 acres near Jensen Nature Park to a Planned Residential Development (PRD) and approve a preliminary plat and development agreement. The recommendation includes a requirement that the developer address all city comments prior to final plat submittal.

Noah, a city staff member, told the commission the site sits just north of the West Davis Corridor and near existing residential subdivisions; the applicant’s packet showed about 24 single-family lots, meet-the-PRD density calculations and multiple access points. "We're hoping to get a first phase of the regional park under construction," Noah said, describing rapid growth in the southwest corner of the city.

Residents who live adjacent to the property raised traffic and lot-size concerns. Shane Croton, a nearby resident, said: "The lot sizes seem to be getting smaller and smaller in the city." Caleb Lindquist, who lives at 1711 West Ross Road, asked whether a trail would be built to connect the development to Jensen Nature Park; developer representatives said they plan a trail through the project and are open to trail easements to provide public access. Patricia Bodley, whose backyard abuts the parcel, said she opposed the plan because of increased traffic and the effect of higher-density homes on a retirement area. Mark Clark, another nearby resident, urged the commission to prioritize parks and recreation over density.

Chase Freebairn, representing the applicant Cole West, told the commission the project team supports neighborhood connectivity and quality design, and that the developer would install a sound wall along the highway frontage at its cost. "We are planning a sound wall, along the entire frontage with the highway... I believe that is a 12 foot standard wall per the UDOT spec, and that's something that we would install on our dime," Freebairn said. He also said the project would include dual‑purpose open space that serves as required stormwater detention for the 100‑year event.

Staff and the developer confirmed several technical constraints: the city engineer noted a high groundwater table and shallow sewer infrastructure in parts of west Syracuse, and the developer said the project anticipates no basements in many units and may use crawlspaces or slabs in places to meet sewer and drainage constraints. "It has high water table... the short answer is no basements," the applicant said.

Commissioners asked about buffers, traffic calming and lot sizes. Staff said the developer will be required to install a masonry buffer and that the plan includes multiple access points to spread traffic and intersection treatments such as reduced-width corners for calming. The applicant said average lot sizes in the proposal are about 0.11 acres and that neighboring subdivisions vary — Edgewater is about 4.5 units per acre and Village at the Bluff about 5.72 units per acre, according to numbers staff discussed on the record.

After deliberation, the commission voted to recommend approval to the City Council with the condition that all city comments be addressed in the final plat and development agreement process. The recommendation will go to the council for final action.