Polk City approves Westbridge Road commercial plats, conditions site plan on trail-deferral agreement

Polk City — The City Council on March 23 approved an amended preliminary plat, the final plat and a site plan for the Westbridge Road Commercial Plat One subdivision, but did so while making the approvals contingent on a revised trail-deferral agreement to be finalized before issuance of a building permit and no later than the April 27, 2026 meeting.

City planner Travis presented the package, describing three commercial lots proposed for 1401 Westbridge Road, a traffic impact study that recommended monitoring signal timing at Parker and Westbridge, and private underground detention basins for each lot. The site plan for Lot 2 calls for an 8,350-square-foot commercial building split into five tenant spaces, including a drive-through at the north end and a medical office at the south end.

Developer Trent Smith of ATI Group told council he supports building the trail but asked the council to modify the draft trail-deferral agreement. As written, the agreement required the trail to be built within three months of site-plan approval (or by Dec. 31, 2026). Smith asked that the town remove the tie to site-plan approval and extend the final completion date to May 1, 2027, saying the buyer under a purchase agreement may not close until late 2026 and that installing the trail earlier could require later reconstruction of panels because of stormwater work.

Council members pressed both views: several emphasized the 11-year community commitment to completing the Polk City Junction Trail and expressed reluctance to delay beyond 2026; others noted the city's interest in supporting commercial development and said a short, negotiated extension might preserve the project. Staff noted an earlier rough cost estimate for constructing the trail was about $38,000 at preliminary design, but final construction costs were not available without current estimates.

To bridge concerns, council approved the amended preliminary plat and the site plan subject to a trail-deferral agreement to be set and approved by April 27, 2026, and authorized staff to withhold building permits until the parties have agreed to deferral terms. The final plat was approved as presented. Council took roll-call votes recorded as yes for each measure.

What happens next: Staff and the developer will try to finalize a trail-deferral agreement in advance of the council’s April 27 meeting. If an agreement cannot be reached, council instructed staff to withhold building-permit issuance until the matter is resolved.