Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners approve Wakefield Park rezoning with 198th Street connector to address access and safety
Summary
The board voted 7–0 to rezone 79 acres for Wakefield Park (27 lots) from rural to PRN2 and approved the preliminary plat that includes the 198th Street connection; planning staff recommended the connector for safety, fire access, and future connectivity, and the board required stipulated conditions.
Planning Director Jay Leipzig presented a rezoning and preliminary plat request for Wakefield Park — 79 acres at 4800 West 199th Street proposed for 27 residential lots. Staff recommended approval of the PRN2 rezoning and the plat configuration that restores the planned 198th Street connection to the adjacent development, noting the site is a former sod farm and the connection matches subdivision regulations favoring neighborhood connectivity.
Leipzig described two alternative preliminary plats the applicant submitted: one showing a connection at 198th Street and another ending in a cul‑de‑sac. He noted a dry‑sewer waiver request (staff’s engineer found sewers unlikely within 15 years and recommended a full waiver) and a plat exception on street alignment that staff supported. “From a planning perspective we think [the 198th connection] is a better option and it’s more consistent with our zoning and subdivision regulations,” Leipzig said.
Commissioners discussed public concerns raised at the East Zoning Board meeting: fire apparatus access (an earlier plat in 1979 would have connected through), school‑bus access and turnarounds, stormwater and north‑end drainage, and potential traffic impacts from connecting a stub street. Commissioner Brewer and other members said the connector improves emergency access and helps with school‑bus routing; public‑works staff suggested adding signage to clarify that a stub street is intended as a future connector.
Commissioner Brewer moved to approve Resolution 060‑26, adopting the PRN2 rezoning and preliminary plat that includes the 198th Street connection, subject to the stipulations in the resolution; Commissioner Allenbrand seconded. The clerk called the roll: seven votes in favor, none opposed. The resolution (060‑26) was adopted.
Why it matters: The board’s decision restores a planned neighborhood connection that county staff said improves safety and aligns with long‑standing subdivision expectations. The approval included technical waivers (dry‑sewer waiver and plat exceptions) and will require the applicant to meet stipulated conditions in the resolution before final plat recording.
What’s next: The applicant will complete any remaining stipulations in the resolution, submit a final plat and stormwater documentation as required, and the county will monitor the timing of sewer infrastructure and future connectivity.
