Planning board questions administrative site-plan approval for 'The Drift' development

During staff reports the board discussed ongoing projects and focused on "The Drift," a development the meeting described as 7.9 acres with roughly 220 residential units, two restaurants and a leasing building. Board members expressed surprise and concern that final site-plan approval for the project was handled administratively rather than by the Planning Board and City Commission.

A board member recounted project details to ask whether the Planning Board had been bypassed for final site-plan review. "The Drift is 7.9 acres, 220 units, 2 restaurants, and leasing building," the member said. Staff explained the project was approved under a development agreement (DA) and that language in that DA allowed for administrative final site-plan approval. Staff acknowledged they did not necessarily agree with that interpretation but said the applicant’s attorney requested administrative approval and the city attorney advised that could be permissible under the DA.

Board members said the DA process should not routinely be used to circumvent normal review steps and suggested the board examine the DA language and future development agreements closely. The city attorney for the project was identified in the discussion as Becky Vos; a staff representative said they had not reviewed the DA text in detail at the meeting and could not advise further without examining the document.

Staff committed to follow up with additional detail and to make sure future applications and DA language were clear about which approvals require public board or commission review.

Next steps: staff to review the development agreement language and report back to the board with clarification about the administrative approval that was granted for The Drift.