Developer agrees to reduce maximum units after council questions large PDP amendment; council advances amendment with concession

A lengthy portion of the Dec. 9 agenda was devoted to amendments to the large Alice Head/Owl's Head planned development (PDP). Developer representatives presented a revised master plan covering residential, multifamily, commercial and an enlarged convention center.

Engineer and representatives explained the plan includes cluster development, a nine-hole executive golf course, transet-style zoning parcels (T1–T5), and a mix of lot widths (30–60 feet) to provide product variety. The applicant said the plan’s maximum density of 2,400 units is below what current zoning might allow (staff cited a theoretical capacity near 2,700 under existing zoning) but acknowledged the council’s concerns.

Council members expressed repeated concerns about the number of requested variances (15), the presence of very small lot types (25-foot lots), and potential traffic and congestion along Highway 331. Multiple council members asked the developer for a clearer, more realistic commitment about what would actually be built rather than leaving the maximum cap wide open.

In response, the developer indicated willingness to reduce the requested maximum residential cap from 2,400 to 2,100 units; council’s motion to approve the resolution was made subject to that reduction. Council members indicated the concession made them more comfortable moving forward. The resolution as approved at the meeting was for the amended PDP subject to the developer-agreed density reduction; final platting, technical review and subsequent development phases remain subject to the city’s review processes.