The City of Derby Planning Commission on Jan. 2 recommended approval of a one-step preliminary plat for 75th Estates, a proposed four-lot subdivision at the southwest corner of 75th Street South and Greenwich Road.

Assistant City Planner Everett Haynes told commissioners the property is currently developed as a single lot with one single-family house and an outbuilding; the applicant intends to retain the existing house while subdividing the remainder into four lots. The property is zoned RR (rural residential) under county zoning and lies within the city’s subdivision review jurisdiction, Haynes said.

Haynes outlined the primary technical points commissioners discussed: lots 3 and 4 are smaller than the county’s 2-acre RR minimum because a right-of-way dedication reduces their area; 75th Street South appears on the city’s plan as a potential future collector; and the plat proposes joint access easements for lots 2–4 to limit driveway openings and reduce conflict points. Haynes said those joint access easement documents must be recorded separately and clearly state maintenance responsibilities.

The staff report also noted an older blanket easement held by Butler Rural Electric Co-op encumbers the property. Haynes said the applicant is coordinating with the utility to obtain a release and that the release document must be provided before the final plat submittal. To preserve an existing tree row on the south property line, staff recommended an alternate utility-easement layout that places the required utility easement in the front of the lots within the building setback rather than along the rear lot lines.

On drainage, Haynes said the plat includes a 50-foot drainage easement along the south property line directing runoff to a detention basin located in the southwest corner of the site. The plat indicates the owner of lot 1 would be responsible for maintaining the basin unless the lot owners agree to a different split of responsibilities; staff said a recorded covenant must accompany the final plat to clarify maintenance and allow the governing body to perform work and assess costs if owners fail to maintain the basin.

Haynes said the existing sewage lagoon on the site will be removed and each lot will use an on-site alternate sanitary sewer system. He advised the applicant must coordinate with Sedgwick County to secure the necessary covenants and permits for those systems.

Thomas Joyce of Boff and Company, the applicant’s agent, and applicant Eric Gilbert attended the meeting and indicated they concurred with staff’s recommendations. When a commissioner asked whether the county had approved the drainage plan, Haynes replied that Scott Lindeback with the county had reviewed and approved it.

A commissioner moved to approve the one-step plat for 75th Estates subject to staff comments and to forward a recommendation of approval to the City Council; another commissioner seconded. The Planning Commission voted 9-0 to recommend approval. Staff directed the applicant to record required access and maintenance documents and to resolve the Butler Rural Electric Co-op easement release before final submittal.

The commission closed the item and moved on to announcements; no public comments were made on the plat. The commission adjourned at 6:44 p.m.