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Planning board recommends Waterford PUD modification after applicant reduces height, beds and circulation
Summary
The board recommended the developer's modification to the Waterford assisted‑living PUD to council with staff conditions after the applicant said construction costs forced a reconfiguration that reduced total beds and building heights; neighbors pushed for stronger screening and preservation of mature trees.
Steven Mayer, senior planning and zoning, presented the staff recommendation on a major amendment to the Waterford PUD, describing a reconfiguration of previously approved unbuilt elements and noting several changes: the former single building concept is proposed to be split into two buildings (memory care and independent living), total permitted beds were reduced from 638 to 578, and the independent-living component's height was reduced (the approved 7-story independent-living element will become a 4-story element in the proposed plan). Mayer also described changes in parking provision: the approved plan included 4,453 spaces; the modified plan would provide 380 total spaces and the applicant supplied a parking study showing a demand estimate of about 195 spaces compared with a code requirement of 345.
Attorney Harvey Oyer, representing the applicant, said rising construction costs and the expense of moving a retention pond and building subterranean parking prompted the revisions. "Those numbers became unsustainably high," Oyer said, framing the modification as a reduction in intensity that addresses neighbor concerns about density and traffic. Planner Juan Machado (WGI) detailed site changes, the proposal to plant a 5-foot Clusia hedge along the southern property line, and commitments to preserve existing mature trees on the east side of the lake where possible.
Neighbors from Pleasant Ridge voiced concerns at the board about height, setback and screening. Charles Hollings, president of the Pleasant Ridge Property Owners Association, said the new three-story building would be roughly 51 feet tall and stand close to rear yards, and he urged a stronger hedge and protections to ensure privacy and reduce light and sound impacts. "The proposed building is to be 51 feet high and set back 30 feet," Hollings said, and he requested a Clusia hedge type that attains greater mature height.
After questions about timing, maintenance in the FPL easement, and photometrics for lighting, a board member moved to recommend approval to town council "including the 19 conditions set by the staff." The motion carried by a unanimous roll call; staff will forward the recommendation and the applicant will next appear before town council.
