Planning commission recommends approval of Victoria Condos preliminary plat with conditions including 90% impervious cap

The City of Victoria Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the Victoria Condos preliminary plat to the City Council, conditioned on staff recommendations including a staging plan before final plat and a maximum 90% impervious‑surface limit. Chair moved the recommendation and the motion carried on a voice vote.

City Planner Brian McCann summarized the applicant’s requests: “They have five requests this evening for preliminary plat, shoreland variance, zoning text amendment, conditional use permits, and a site plan and building materials review,” and described the project as a three‑parcel, 0.63‑acre downtown redevelopment with 10 condominium units above two ground‑floor commercial units and a 1,400‑square‑foot showroom. The plan proposes 81 total parking stalls (including 20 underground) and would leave about 61 stalls publicly available, according to staff’s presentation.

Marty McCarthy, representing Monarch Development, said the team expects to return with a final plat in January, begin construction in spring 2026 and complete the project around summer 2027: “We’re hoping to get the final plat sometime in January and starting construction spring of ’26 with completion around summer ’27.” He confirmed ownership and leasing arrangements: the development will be transferred back to the property owner Rich Gannon, who would lease the retail.

During public comment, former planning commissioner Jarrett Boone said the revised project is an improvement over a 2022 proposal but urged the commission to ensure the showroom could be converted to retail in the future without producing “dead space.” Commissioners asked multiple detailed questions about convertibility and parking math; staff explained that retail parking requirements are roughly 3.6 spaces per 1,000 square feet, so the 1,400‑square‑foot showroom would need roughly five to six spaces to meet retail standards.

Staff and the applicant addressed technical issues raised by commissioners: tree preservation (most existing landscaping on the site would be removed, with one boulevard tree proposed or a fee to the city tree fund), parkland dedication (about one‑fifth of an acre in land or $21,000 cash‑in‑lieu for the 10 units), and stormwater. Brian McCann and consultant Mark Anderson (Samba Tech) said two water‑quality treatment devices are proposed to treat runoff before discharge and that the existing drainage patterns and proposed devices would keep additional runoff manageable.

A central point of debate was the shoreland impervious‑surface variance. Staff noted the site is within 1,000 feet of Steiger Lake and that the municipal Shoreland Overlay sets an 80% impervious maximum; the applicant is requesting authority to exceed that standard and staff recommended a maximum 90% cap as a condition. Commissioners questioned whether increased imperviousness resulted from the property itself or from the chosen building footprint; Mark Anderson said the change in runoff to the downstream system would be small and manageable with the proposed treatments.

On the motion to recommend approval to the City Council, the Chair said the recommendation would include “the conditions that staff have laid out, including specifically the maximum 90% impervious requirement.” The commission voted in favor by voice; the chair declared the motion carried.

Next steps: the Planning Commission’s recommendation and the staff record will go to City Council for a formal decision. The recommendation includes required follow‑up items to be addressed at final plat, including the staging plan and any outstanding engineering comments.