Council continues public hearing on Juniper Muir subdivision; requests pedestrian-access and winter-safety analyses

The City of McCall council continued its public hearing on preliminary plat SUB25-01 (Juniper Muir subdivision, remainder lot in Spring Mountain Ranch) and set a date certain for continued deliberation on Sept. 25. The applicant seeks to subdivide a remainder block into five lots, each roughly around one acre in size.

Staff planner Meredith Todd summarized the application and engineering constraints: the parcel is in R-4 zoning (up to four units per acre), but the applicant proposed a low-density layout averaging about one unit per acre because of topography, a wetland, and site-specific constraints. Todd and city engineering staff noted driveway access and sight-line considerations on Woolly Avenue were central concerns. The planning and zoning commission recommended approval, citing that the proposed layout results in fewer units than the zone allows and mitigates some safety concerns compared with a higher-density development.

Several nearby residents spoke against the current driveway configuration. Greg Allen (1358 Parlane) said the parcel appears to have been planned historically as open space, called out safety concerns on Woolly Avenue, and urged far lower density. Paul Christiansen (1395 Divot Lane) presented video the council viewed showing limited sight lines on the curve at Woolly and urged the council to consider additional safety mitigations rather than relying only on AASHTO sight-distance standards. The applicant, Richard Hill, and the project's civil engineer, Greg Tankersley of Crestline Engineers, explained why the proposed access points were located on Woolly and noted the applicant considered and rejected full road access from Hearthstone because the required 60-foot right-of-way would consume developable area and create additional grading and environmental impacts.

Council members and staff explored options: staff said it can require shared driveway easements, define buildable envelopes, and include plat notes and CC&R language to assign maintenance responsibilities (including winter berm/snow storage management). Public works staff noted that the proposed driveways meet sight-distance and driveway-slope standards (engineered for a 25 mph sight-distance standard, which exceeds the posted 20 mph speed limit). Council asked staff and the applicant to return with defined pedestrian connectivity concepts for the lots, options to prevent backing into Woolly Avenue (for example, on-site turnarounds), and an assessment of possible proportional safety improvements near the Woolly boardwalk and the curve (signage, radar speed signs, rapid flashing beacons, or other measures) and associated cost/feasibility.

Council continued the hearing to a date certain, Sept. 25, and asked staff to work with the applicant on the requested materials. The procedural motion to continue carried on a roll-call vote.