Board approves change of conditions for Lechstone settlement, exempts residential portion from highway‑corridor overlay

The board approved a change of conditions for RZ2024‑015, a request to update a prior settlement agreement affecting a large gated residential development. Applicant Michael Doherty described the request as internal road and design changes intended to increase walkability and landscaping; he said the developer lowered unit counts and submitted an updated traffic study. "There is an existing settlement agreement that was done back in 2020," Doherty told the board, explaining the requested updates were limited to internal roads and design details.

Multiple residents and speakers opposed the change unless the settlement terms were strictly enforced. Mary Nardin said, "We are not opposed to development... We simply want a property developed with consideration of the current residents that all live there now in our neighborhoods. It needs to be done responsibly and safely." Another resident, Melissa Tillery, urged the commissioners to require that a road closure be enforced so a traffic study would reflect the site plan. After discussion the board voted to remove condition number 2, exempt the residential portion from the highway corridor overlay, and add a condition requiring an updated traffic engineering study to be submitted with the land‑disturbance permit application and for its recommendations to be incorporated.

The motion carried and the planning director was instructed to reflect the condition changes in the record.