Commissioners split over open‑space waiver, debate reducing Watermark density

Commissioners spent a substantial portion of the Nov. 24 hearing debating the applicant’s request for waivers tied to lot size and open space. Staff told the commission the applicant proposed 9.99 acres of open space while the code‑required total is 11.76 acres, leaving a shortfall of roughly 1.77 acres.

Commissioner Gerber said he was uncomfortable with the density as proposed and put forward a reduction of roughly 10% of units (dropping the buildable unit count from 147 to roughly 132) to free up an estimated 0.333 acre for recreation. "My proposal would be to reduce the density by 10%," he said. Commissioner McCauley and others ran the arithmetic on the open‑space deficiency — noting that making up 1.77 acres could require removing roughly 15–37 lots depending on assumptions — and suggested leaving condition 19 in the packet so city council can consider the waiver request and any revised plat.

The commission ultimately voted 3–1 to recommend approval with the staff‑proposed conditions while recording Commissioner Gerber’s dissent. The discussion made clear that the open‑space issue remains unresolved at the planning commission level and will be a council decision point.