Star council approves Trailmark Station annexation with traffic, fencing and floodplain conditions

The Star City Council approved the annexation and zoning for the Trailmark Station subdivision Monday night, voting to accept Toll Brothers’ amended preliminary plat and a development agreement after extensive public comment and last-minute negotiations with adjacent landowners.

The decision follows a months‑long review that the council continued in April. Staff summarized the revisions in a presentation by Sean, noting the applicant withdrew a planned unit development and private roads and reduced overall density to about 2.2 dwelling units per acre. Jeff Bauer, representing Toll Brothers, described an 8‑phase project on roughly 129.5 acres with 314 total lots and 293 buildable lots, amenities including a pool and trails, and new roadway improvements such as a half‑collector along Joplin Road and a new east–west collector the applicant calls "Bush Wren." Bauer said the company had revised the project to “embody the South Of The River plan” and that the developer would comply with agency conditions.

Why it mattered: Neighbors concentrated their objections on traffic safety on Joplin Road west of Canada, potential floodplain fill and stormwater impacts, and the precise location and type of perimeter fencing. Opponents said recent traffic modeling did not study the narrow, winding Joplin segment that serves multiple farm driveways and a school bus stop. Resident Carrie Gilstrap said the application was premature and asked the council to "deny or table this application until this traffic study is complete, utility infrastructure is confirmed, and density is reduced to align with the comprehensive plan." David Clayton and others raised technical concerns about floodplain mapping and asked for conditions to protect floodplain storage and limit fill.

Negotiated conditions: During the hearing several adjacent property owners and the applicant reached agreement on a set of conditions the council directed staff to draft into the development agreement. Abigail Germaine, speaking for William C. Clayton LLC, summarized requested language that the council asked staff to memorialize: installation of a 5‑strand barbed‑wire fence on the property line (county side), a 3‑foot natural buffer strip maintained by the HOA, signage and gates on the perimeter fence, and a retaining wall and 6‑foot privacy fence behind the buffer strip (with a clause allowing removal if the adjoining land develops). Toll Brothers indicated acceptance of many of the edits, with some technical clarifications about exact wall heights and the ability to refine engineering on final plat maps.

Construction and traffic restrictions: The council required the applicant to coordinate with the Eureka Water Company and obtain written permission before working in or affecting ditches or irrigation facilities. The developer also agreed to prohibit construction traffic on the specific Joplin Road segment west of Canada; Toll Brothers said it would otherwise use public roads including Canada and Star but not Joplin west of Canada. Several residents asked the council and the applicant to place off‑site signage and to limit haul routes; the developer agreed to signage where property rights allow. Councilmembers also asked staff to work with ACHD and the fire district on temporary bollards or barricades at the stub collector to limit vehicle access until the road becomes a full connection.

Council action and next steps: Following deliberation, the council voted to approve the annexation, preliminary plat and development agreement as conditioned. Roll call recorded 'Aye' votes from Hershey, Wheelock and Solomonson/Salmonson. Mayor Chadwick directed staff to capture the exact negotiated language and return the formal development agreement and final plat for ordinance adoption and recording. The development agreement will include the construction‑traffic restrictions, fencing and buffer requirements and the requirement that Eureka Water Company permission be obtained for any work affecting irrigation facilities.

What remains open: Several neighbors asked for more detailed traffic analysis for Joplin segments and for clearer engineering documentation of proposed pond grading and fill volumes; the council required those engineering details to be resolved before final plat approval and requested coordination with state and county transportation agencies. The exact legal wording of the fencing, retaining wall and buffer provisions will be finalized by staff and the parties and incorporated into the recorded development agreement.