Planning commission backs removal of planned collector in Flower Bluff, conditionally approves Leighton Manor replat

The City Planning Commission voted to recommend removing a planned C‑1 collector road in the Flower Bluff area and conditionally approved a replat for Leighton Manor, actions staff said are intended to reflect low anticipated density and existing access patterns.

Chair Salazar Garza opened the public hearing and turned the presentation over to Jorge Chavez, a traffic engineer with Public Works, who described the proposed amendment to the Transportation Master Plan to delete project 17T — a C‑1 collector with a 60‑foot right of way, a typical back‑of‑curb width of about 40 feet, two through lanes, approximately 6‑foot shoulders, 5‑foot sidewalks, and capacity to serve roughly 1,000–3,000 average daily trips. Chavez said the developer argued nearby Caribbean Drive and Ramfield Road already provide collector connectivity and that the site lies within an APZ‑1 air installation compatible use zone, which limits likely density and traffic growth.

Commissioners raised access concerns for interior lots if the collector were removed. Commissioner Miller asked whether the plat includes a dedicated access easement; staff and the planner for the plat said a shared access utility easement is recorded on the plat to prevent landlocking, and that state platting rules would prevent a landlocked lot from reaching this board without legitimate access. Andrew, planning staff, told commissioners that wastewater availability and minimum lot sizes for septic (roughly half‑acre minimums mentioned in discussion) further constrain density in the area.

Because the roadway amendment must be approved by City Council to take effect, the commission also considered item 12, a replat for Leighton Manor (PL‑8881) creating Lot 3R and Lot 4R on about 9.78 acres. Staff recommended conditional approval of the replat pending formal approval of the master plan amendment by council. Commissioners examined the plat to confirm existing access easements and noted two existing houses on the property; a motion to conditionally approve the replat passed on a voice vote.

The commission’s action on the master plan amendment is a recommendation; the amendment and the plat will not be final until City Council considers and acts on the roadway master plan change.