Olivette commission conditionally approves 46 Stoney Side Lane site plan, requires stormwater safeguards

The Olivette Planning & Community Development Commission on June 20 conditionally approved a site‑plan, community design and concept stormwater management review for 46 Stoney Side Lane, imposing engineering and construction conditions to protect an existing underground stormwater detention system.

Staff told the commission that the proposed work — a roughly 213‑square‑foot enclosed seasonal room and a 110‑square‑foot elevated deck — exceeds the four‑foot elevation threshold in the city code and therefore requires site‑plan review and stormwater analysis. Staff said multiple inconsistent site plans were filed and that stormwater calculations and an adequate, permit‑level site plan were missing from the application package.

Petitioner representative Bruce Watson of Patio Enclosures presented new engineer‑stamped CAD drawings and site photos during the meeting and proposed supplemental mitigation: adding a 55‑gallon rain barrel (later expanded to two connected barrels and tapped into existing downspouts) to manage additional roof runoff. Staff and commissioners focused on the relationship between proposed pier locations and an existing underground gravel detention system: photographs show pop‑up clean‑outs and surface gravel that staff said may not align precisely with the original plan drawings.

To address the risk of compromising the detention system, the commission required as conditions of approval that the applicant deliver an engineer‑sealed revised site plan showing the detention pit and exact locations of any proposed footings or piers, that no footing be placed within two feet of the detention pond, and that the applicant install two rain barrels tied into existing downspouts with overflow routed into the existing retention system. The commission also permitted design modifications (for example, cutting the southeast deck corner or cantilevering piers) if those changes are documented in the revised, engineer‑sealed drawings.

"These stormwater retention areas are a very new thing that we develop and we've never had anybody talk about disturbing something that's already down there — we're a little apprehensive about that," the Chair said during the discussion, underscoring the commission’s caution about altering the detention system without engineer verification.

Motion: Commissioner Sam Wallach moved to approve the site‑plan, community design and concept stormwater management plan review for 46 Stoney Side Lane, memorandum dated June 20, 2024, subject to staff conditions plus the two rain barrels and a prohibition on placing footing within two feet of the detention pond; Commissioner Daniel Rosenberg seconded. The motion passed unanimously (4–0).

Next steps: Staff will work with the applicant to ensure the revised, engineer‑sealed site plan is submitted and that any deck or pier modifications are engineered and documented before building permits are issued.