Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Saginaw planning panel backs revised Frontier Settlement plan, adds second Old Decatur access
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of changes to the Frontier Settlement planned development at 700 Old Decatur Road that add a public secondary access and replace an emergency-only gate with a cul-de-sac; the developer said lot counts and minimum lot sizes are unchanged and the fire marshal recommended the added access.
The Planning and Zoning Commission on the evening of the meeting recommended approval of a revised development plan for Frontier Settlement at 700 Old Decatur Road that adds a new public access point on Old Decatur and removes a previously planned emergency-only access gate.
City staff told the commission the item returned because the additional access was considered a ‘‘major change’’ that affects adjacent property and therefore required review. Applicant Jason Schwab of Baird Hampton and Brown said the revision keeps the residential use and the approved number of lots (56) and does not change the minimum lot dimensions. "The only thing we've added... is we added a secondary connection point," Schwab said, summarizing the change to the conceptual plan.
Why it matters: the extra access alters traffic flow and the relationship of the development to neighboring parcels, which is why the plan required fresh review by P&Z and the council. Staff recorded that engineering and the city’s fire marshal reviewed the change; staff stated the fire marshal recommended having a second entrance and closing the emergency gate for security and emergency access purposes.
Key details: the revised plan retains two designated park/open-space parcels and preserves the screening and most landscape commitments from the prior PD. Commissioners asked about park size and amenities, tree-species and caliper requirements that had been discussed under the original PD, and whether some lot widths would be outliers; the applicant and staff said the two primary parks remain, landscaping will be provided and the majority of lots meet the 40-foot building-line minimum, though some lots vary in width due to the reconfiguration.
What the commission decided: a commissioner moved and a second was recorded to recommend approval of the amendment as presented; the motion passed with all present voting in favor on the commission’s voting screen. The motion and recommendation will be forwarded to city council for final action.
Next steps: city staff indicated that civil/site plan details (including exact lot line widths and final landscape plans) will be reviewed during the formal site-plan stage if council and future approvals allow the PD amendment to proceed.
