Developer presents PUD plan for Griffin Street parcel; council raises train, buffer and water questions

Representatives for Flint Rock LLC presented a workshop on case 260204 on April 2, describing a proposed Planned Unit Development for roughly 10 acres near Griffin Street. Kenneth Wood, representing the applicant, said the plan would create about 47 single-family detached lots with a preserved house at the Griffin Street frontage converted for limited commercial or live-work use.

Wood described site constraints — a creek that bisects the property and an adjacent railroad line — and said the design sought to transition from industrial zoning below the site to residential uses above. He said the developer would add landscaping, an opaque fence and tree buffering (including fast-growing evergreens) to mitigate noise and headlight issues from trucks parked behind the property.

Council members raised several concerns. Councilman Xavier Johnson asked how the proposal would protect property values when homes would sit 50 feet from the rail line; Wood said the team plans higher-performance windows, fencing and heavy landscape buffers. A council member flagged longstanding debris and dumping around Highland Street and urged the developer to address that with permanent site improvements.

Water and infrastructure capacity were prominent topics. The applicant said, if approved in May, design and permitting could occur by year’s end with vertical work starting mid-2027 and home sales through 2028–29; council members asked staff to confirm the city’s water and sewer capacity before final approvals or building permits are issued.

The item was presented as a workshop with no zoning action taken. Staff and the developer agreed to return with further details — including intersection/access options, refined buffering, stormwater-pond aesthetics and confirmed utility capacity — at future hearings.