Parks commission recommends approval of Cameron Ranch parkland dedication

The Fleeterville Parks and Recreation Commission on Sept. 29 recommended approval of the Cameron Ranch parkland dedication, endorsing land dedication rather than a fee-in-lieu and sending the matter to Planning and Zoning.

Pete Sylvester of Pape Dawson Engineers, the development engineer on the project, said Cameron Ranch is “a 150 acre development located just east of 1849 Park” and that the proposed public parkland dedication would be a single 41.7‑acre parcel. Sylvester and the developer’s representatives walked commissioners through how the Unified Development Code (UDC) credits open space: green areas receive full credit, floodplain receives half credit, and floodway receives no credit.

Using the UDC crediting approach presented to the commission, staff and the development team said the project’s calculations produce 8.59 acres under one line of UDC math and, after applying available credits, 9.57 acres of creditable parkland—numbers the presenters said exceed the code’s minimum requirements. The team also reported a parks development fee of $745 per unit, which they calculated would amount to $323,330 payable to the city on final plat approval.

City staff recommended accepting the donation of land rather than taking a fee-in-lieu, noting the location supports future trail connections under the city’s mobility master plan and that the developer intends to dedicate the public parkland with the project’s first phase. The commission moved and seconded a motion to recommend approval; a voice vote recorded an affirmative response and the chair declared the motion carried.

Next steps: the commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to Planning and Zoning for review. The commission’s action on Sept. 29 was a recommendation only; final approvals and implementation details (including any conditions or required improvements) will be decided in subsequent Planning and Zoning and council proceedings.