Swansea board approves Jennings Station Phase 2, requires stronger landscape buffer

Swansea trustees voted unanimously Feb. 10 to approve the planned-business application for Jennings Station Phase 2, the storage-unit component of a larger development, while attaching a condition requiring clarified and denser landscape buffering between the storage site and adjacent residential lots.

Dan, the village zoning director, said the storage portion will be built in two phases and that required materials (site plan, narrative and an impact statement) were on file and under third‑party engineering review. "Notice was posted on the website," Dan said, noting certified mail had been sent to property owners within 250 feet and a public-hearing notice was posted at the site.

Applicant representative Matt described Phase 1 as 355 individual units (Phase 2: 379 units) ranging from 5-by-5 to 10-by-30 feet and said the site will be gated with paid access, limited hours and no outdoor storage. "We're gonna have about 30 feet of landscape buffer, 30 feet of asphalt, before those buildings start," Matt said, adding that a fence, lighting and a Knox Box for emergency access are planned.

Several neighbors urged more specific protections. Laura Pickrell, who identified herself as a Stonefield Crossing resident, asked the board to require a wider sidewalk and to clarify planting density and species in the buffer. "A four-foot sidewalk is not going to allow bicycles to get down to the bicycle path," Pickrell said, and she asked who would maintain the detention and retention ponds once construction ends.

Andrew Lawson, a resident who spoke during public comment, expressed concern that the storage facility could depress nearby property values and asked whether taxes and assessments could change as a result. Trustees and applicants responded that the village represents a small share of residents' tax bills and said the development is intended to add taxable value for the community.

Applicants told the board they will construct detention/retention ponds for all phases; two ponds are expected to retain water and include fountains to keep water circulating, and they described a planned 2–3 acre green space with a pond and walking trail near the villas. The applicants said they would self-manage the storage site and would include maintenance equipment and a unit to store tools and supplies.

A board member moved to approve Jennings Station Phase 2 contingent on the addition of a landscape buffer between Lot 3 and Stonefield Crossing and between Lots 3 and 4, with planting density to be specified. Another trustee seconded, the board discussed timing and whether landscaping should be installed with Phase 1, and the board recorded unanimous yes votes on the contingency.

Trustees asked staff to verify sidewalk-width requirements and to ensure that buffer and fencing materials are specified in the final plan-business approval. Dan said the village would review and bring any recommended conditions forward.

The board set its next regular meeting for March 10 and then adjourned.