Far West Council reviews red-line changes to West Creek development agreement, debates height buffer and lot-size limits

Far West City Council and planning staff reviewed red-line changes to the West Creek Master Development Group agreement at their Dec. 5 meeting, focusing on provisions that would (1) automatically revert the project property back to the prior zoning if the developer does not submit a building permit within five years, (2) allow phased construction tied to logical extensions of roads and utilities, (3) cap lot sizes at 10 acres rather than 20, and (4) set building-height limits of 50 feet with a 40-foot maximum within the first buffer adjacent to residential zones.

Council members and staff said the five-year vesting/reversion clause is intended to prevent the development area from remaining under the development agreement indefinitely if no permit activity occurs. A city staff member explained the proposed clause would "immediately and automatically revert back to the existing zone at the time of the…