Planning commission approves Hidden Creek amendment to add independent‑living units but strikes pedestrian cross‑connection over protected stream

The planning commission voted to approve Amendment 3 to the Crossings of Hidden Creek master plan, a request that rezones roughly 7.45 acres and integrates independent‑living senior housing into an existing mixed‑use master plan.

Planning staff had recommended denial because the amendment reduced planned commercial frontage along Big Station Camp Boulevard and proposed densities that conflicted with the Big Station Camp Boulevard subarea of the comprehensive plan. The applicant, Gross Residential, said the change mainly incorporates MU‑zoned parcels already inside the larger crossings plan and brings a housing type — independent living — that is not presently available nearby.

One substantive modification approved by the commission removed a staff condition that would have required a new pedestrian cross‑connection from the proposed commercial parcel to the seniors' parking area. Applicant representatives and the developer noted the southern boundary contains a protected, impaired stream and an endangered salamander habitat; they said adding another bridge/crossing would increase impacts on that resource. The commission accepted the applicant’s request to strike that connection requirement while maintaining other conditions and standards.

Commissioners balanced comp‑plan priorities for commercial frontage against the goal of adding housing diversity and concluded the amendment was acceptable within the broader crossings master plan. The amendment proceeds to City Council because it includes a rezoning and a major PMDP amendment.