Planning commission backs allowing some five‑unit buildings in Legends development

The Farr West Planning Commission on Thursday recommended that the City Council approve an amendment to the Legends Subdivision development agreement to allow some buildings with five units instead of the four‑unit configuration specified in the current ordinance.

The commission’s recommendation follows a developer presentation saying the revised layout preserves the same total number of units while increasing usable open space and the number of front‑loaded units with private patios. Commissioner Jason moved to recommend approval; Commissioner Lou seconded the motion and the commission approved the recommendation (motion passes; two commissioners recorded opposing the amendment at the commission level).

Why it matters: The change would alter the permitted configuration within the development agreement while keeping the overall unit count unchanged, which impacts site layout, access and future construction details that will be reviewed again at city council and at final‑phase approvals.

At the public hearing, resident Edward Raymer asked whether the change increased the total number of units. Jeremy Shear, the applicant representative, said, “We haven't changed the overall units of what we had in the development agreement. We have 4 plexes and 5 in this latest plat here,” and confirmed the total number of units would remain the same.

Commission discussion focused on why the applicant wants five‑unit buildings. Michael, identified with Visionary Homes, said using two building footprints instead of one allowed the project team to “eliminate one of the private drives and centralize the amenities in those central courtyards,” making green space more accessible. He also said the redesign increased the share of front‑loaded units from roughly 20% to about 50%.

Some commissioners and members of the public opposed changing the development agreement to allow the five‑unit buildings. Commissioner Greg said, “The ordinance says 4 units,” and raised a broader concern that development agreements tend to come back to the commission with repeated change requests. Other commissioners said they believed the revised layout offered better open space and functionality and that the change did not increase total units.

Applicant responses and clarifications included an acknowledgment that there may be modest economies of scale that could slightly reduce buyer cost for some units. The applicant also said the five‑unit option was prompted in part by site constraints including existing power lines and the desire to orient more units toward green space.

Next steps: The item will appear on the City Council agenda next week for final action on the proposed amendment to the development agreement. The planning commission recorded two opposing votes at their recommendation; those objections will be part of the record before council.

Provenance: The public hearing opened and the applicant presentation began at the commission meeting’s discussion of the Legends Subdivision development agreement, including public comments from Edward Raymer and the applicant remarks by Jeremy Shear and Michael (Visionary Homes). The commission motion and vote recommending council approval concluded the hearing and were recorded on the meeting transcript.