The Middleton Planning & Zoning Commission on Monday recommended that city council approve a series of changes to the development agreement for the Quarry East (Corey East) subdivision proposed by M3 Woodland, while attaching conditions on stormwater treatment and private-street responsibility.

Planner Roberta opened the public hearing and listed about a dozen requested modifications, including updates to the concept plan, deletion of a previously planned cluster-house product, changes to bonding rules for landscaping and irrigation, pretreatment for stormwater using sand-and-grease traps, and revisions to transportation and utility language. Developer Mark Tate told the commission the changes will help move construction forward and keep the project financially viable.

Commissioners and staff agreed to several requests and clarified limits. The commission accepted updating the concept plan to match construction drawings and removing cluster-pack homes without changing total lot count. On bonding, the body agreed to allow bonding at the DA’s original 150% level year-round to permit final-plating while landscaping/irrigation are finished, though one commissioner suggested 200% as a trade-off to avoid perceived preferential treatment.

The most contested technical item was the developer’s request to use sand-and-grease pretreatment boxes ahead of wet ponds. City engineer Amy Woodgrove cautioned that inlet oil-and-sediment (O&S) boxes do not perform reliably as a standalone treatment and noted DEQ and Ada County Highway District guidance does not accept them by themselves for wet-pond discharge. Amy told the commission that “DEQ does not approve the O&S boxes as a stand‑alone pretreatment into a wet pond” and stressed maintenance requirements. Commissioners conditioned their recommendation on the inclusion of a secondary best-management practice (for example, a bioswale or similar pretreatment) to follow any O&S boxes so that water quality and groundwater risk are mitigated.

On utilities, staff and the applicant agreed to remove proposed credits against sewer-connection fees; the commission accepted language allowing the developer to use an interim 175 gallons-per-minute of reserved lift‑station capacity while upgrades are planned and constructed, with future upgrades and any latecomer reimbursement handled under code. The commission supported the developer’s offer to build certain public roadway improvements and to construct the Quarry Street roundabout early in exchange for agreed right‑of‑way timing, while clarifying the city’s obligation to secure off-site right-of-way where required.

Members also approved removing the DA’s 55+ age restriction, with commissioners flagging both potential traffic consequences and market-driven reasons for the change. Commissioners declined a developer request to limit city-engineer review periods from six months to two months, citing practical inspection and punch‑list realities.

After item-by-item deliberation the commission voted to recommend approval to city council with the conditions recorded on the record (notably: require a secondary pretreatment BMP accompanying any sand/grease traps, remove sewer‑connection fee credits, and confirm developer responsibility for maintenance of private streets). Commissioner Gregory moved to recommend approval; Commissioner Gibson seconded. The motion carried by voice vote.

Public comment included residents who urged caution on reduced road‑section standards for private streets and asked for details about the planned roundabout at Lincoln and Middleton; the commission and applicant said Caldwell and other agencies are involved in the roundabout alignment and timing. The item now moves to city council for final action.

What’s next: the commission’s recommendation — including the conditions described above — will be forwarded to Middleton City Council for final consideration and adoption or further amendment.