Council approves 54‑lot Pearls Place planned development with porch and fencing conditions

Melissa Daley, community development director, told the council the Pearls Place site is about 13 acres near Lake Sharon and recommended approval of a planned development (base zoning SF‑4) for 54 single‑family lots, subject to conditions.

Daley described the plan's design elements: lot sizes reduced from SF‑2 standards (50‑foot lots under the PD versus 70‑foot in SF‑2), preservation of four of five heritage trees, 2.1 acres of open space (roughly 16% of the site), a trail connection to the Lake Sharon trail system, and landscape standards using drought‑tolerant native plants. She said staff recommended at least 50% of lots include a minimum 70‑square‑foot usable front porch and that a 6‑foot board‑on‑board fence be installed along the western boundary where the PD would butt up against existing homes.

Developer Reginald Rembert said the project, to be called Pearls Place, was planned to be compatible with adjacent 50‑foot lot neighborhoods, that the team had preserved trees and added a wet pond and trail, and that typical house prices were expected to be about $550,000. "The name of the property will be Pearls Place," Rembert said. He opposed a mandatory 50% porch requirement, saying many builders have predesigned plans and that Brightland Homes' plans include porches on a number of lots.

Speakers from nearby properties raised drainage and fencing concerns. Joe Bednar asked that the developer ensure drainage would not worsen standing water on adjacent properties and suggested road connectivity improvements. Don Glockel asked about the fence type along the western line and sought a design that would allow drainage through open fencing where needed.

Council members discussed the tradeoffs between encouraging porches to support neighborhood character and not overburdening the developer or creating a precedent for nearby parcels. The council first motioned to approve the PD with the staff conditions, including the porch threshold; an amendment was offered and seconded to reduce the required minimum of porch‑equipped lots from 50% to 25%. The amendment passed. The final motion approved ZAPD25‑0003 (Pearls Place) with these conditions: a 6‑ft board‑on‑board privacy fence along the portions of the western boundary that butt directly against individual homes, a wrought‑iron or tubular steel fence along open green space areas to allow drainage, and a minimum of 25% of residential lots to include a 70‑square‑foot usable front porch. Council instructed staff to prepare an ordinance for adoption at a future meeting.

The motion and amendment passed unanimously.