Greenwood panel approves 51‑lot primary plat, including proposed temple and community center, with drainage condition

The Greenwood Advisory Planning Commission on Oct. 27 approved PC2025‑057, a primary plat for about 34.8 acres east of Emerson Avenue and Pushco (Pushville) Road, that proposes 51 residential lots and a temple with an associated community center and parking. The commission voted 8–0 to approve the plat with technical review committee conditions, including that drainage and detention be finalized during the construction stage.

Petitioner Ryan Reeder, project manager for Stetworth Associates, described the development as a roughly 34.8‑acre site at the Emerson/Pushco Road intersection with 51 residential lots, four common areas totaling about 9.45 acres, three stormwater detention basins (identified as Lakes 1–3), and an extension of Pushville Road of approximately 1,900 feet. Reeder said the submission shows approximately 26.1 acres of private land and roughly 8.68 acres of public land. He told the commission the project meets RM zoning development standards discussed in the submittal (minimum lot size 7,700 square feet; minimum lot width 55 feet; front, side and rear setbacks consistent with RM) and that the team is working with city staff and Commonwealth Engineers on a small number of stormwater items.

Neighbors who spoke during the public hearing expressed concerns focused on traffic, truck parking and the location of the proposed temple and community center. "This giant parking lot for the temple is going to be a lot of opportunity for the tractor trailers to come rumbling through our neighborhoods again and park in that location," said Wendy Murphy, who identified herself as representing the South Lake neighborhood. Murphy urged the commission to consider siting alternatives such as Emerson and asked for design features that would discourage tractor‑trailer parking.

"The traffic is horrendous here already," said Randy Gooden, an online remonstrator, who said he supported the neighbors' objections to placing a new place of worship in the middle of the subdivision. Both neighbors asked for enforceable commitments or physical design measures to prevent large trucks from using the site as overnight parking.

In rebuttal, petitioner Ryan Reeder said the proposed lot and circulation are intended for cars and that the applicant would not allow semi‑trucks to park in the lot: "We are against truck parking ourselves. We will not allow any semi trucks to come in and park in our parking lots," he said. He added that detailed traffic impacts would be addressed through required traffic studies and later reviews.

City planning staff told commissioners the project had a favorable recommendation from the technical review committee with one reservation: drainage and stormwater detention will be determined during construction review. Staff also said that when the temple/community center comes forward it will be subject to commercial site‑plan review, which will require parking islands and landscaping and will provide a more detailed layout of the parking and circulation shown at the primary plat stage.

Commissioners asked whether the stormwater design depended on crossing a pipeline owned by Enterprise Products/BP. Staff said the applicant is working on encroachment permissions for a storm sewer crossing and two trail crossings perpendicular to a gas line that runs through the site; if the applicant cannot obtain permission to cross the pipeline, staff said the applicant would need to provide an alternate design that still meets Greenwood's stormwater detention, runoff rate and water‑quality requirements.

Commissioner Walker moved to approve PC2025‑057 — the primary plat submitted by Stetworth (also spelled Stockworth in staff notes) Associates on behalf of Singh — subject to the technical review committee condition that drainage be finalized at construction, and to authorize the commission president to sign required notices and findings. The motion carried 8–0.

Next steps for the project include obtaining any required encroachment agreement with Enterprise Products for the pipeline crossings, completion of technical drainage work at the construction stage, and later submission of a commercial site plan for the temple and community center that will specify parking islands, landscaping and final circulation. The petitioner estimated a construction start in fall 2026 and completion in fall 2028.

Votes at a glance: • Motion to approve minutes from Oct. 13: passed (yes 7, no 0, abstain 1). • PC2025‑057 (primary plat for approx. 34.8 acres, 51 lots, temple/community center): approved (yes 8, no 0).