Developer seeks to replace 165-unit approval with 76 garden homes on Sawyer Road; PNZ forwards recommendation to council

The Planning & Zoning Commission on April 28 heard a public hearing and discussion on an applicant's request to amend Ordinance 20258 and change zoning on approximately seven acres at 6612 and 6618 Sawyer Road from a previously approved PDD (R3 multifamily/townhouse) to a PDD allowing R6 garden-home lots.

Planning & Zoning Director Michael Gallardo summarized the requested variances from the city's zoning and subdivision chapters: minimum lot area reduced from 4,500 to about 2,350 square feet; minimum lot depth from 100 to 85 feet; minimum floor area from 1,800 to 1,350 square feet; frontage from 45 to 28 feet; increased maximum building height to three-and-a-half stories; rear setbacks from 15 to 10 feet; side setbacks from five to 2.5 (and occasionally zero) feet; between-building separation from 10 to five feet; private street minimum right-of-way from 50 to 32 feet; pavement width from 30 to 26 feet; and internal sidewalk width reductions. Staff also noted the applicant's concept reduces the previously approved 165 units to roughly 76 single-family garden-home lots, which staff described as a lower-density outcome.

The applicant, introduced by staff as Mr. Shahadi, said market conditions and finance considerations drove the revision: he said he owns the property and that the alternative garden-home plan would reduce density and the city's service burden compared with the approved multifamily plan. "We are one of the largest taxpayers in the city... we're committed to planting 150 new trees," the applicant said when presenting the concept.

Staff recommended conditions and flagged specific concerns: verify whether Sawyer Road is classified as a collector (staff initially flagged driveway access to a collector as problematic), require legal documentation for the applicant's ownership and compliance with the city's tree-preservation and mitigation process, and hold the applicant to the submitted site plan with a provision that increases of more than 10% in units require council approval. Staff and commissioners also discussed the conceptual fire plan: the applicant presented distance tags and "hand-pull" hose-paths across rear easements and said final fire- and engineering-level approval would occur at plat/engineering review.

Commissioners asked about notification and public input; staff said notices to property owners within 200 feet and newspaper posting were completed and that, for this submittal, letters in opposition were zero. Several commissioners nonetheless expressed concerns about vehicle access and the prospect of garage driveways backing onto Sawyer Road; staff warned that narrower internal streets and reliance on rear easements for fire access could lead to maintenance issues delegated to a future HOA and that variances are a likely point of negotiation at council or platting stages.

After questions and discussion, a commissioner moved to accept the variances and forward PNZ's recommendation and concerns to city council. The commission voted to forward the item to council with comments for further review; the record reflects a majority voice vote in favor and at least one dissenting voice. The matter will be scheduled for city council consideration in the coming weeks.