Denton trustees approve revised St. Mary’s preliminary plat after rejecting sidewalk waiver

The Village of Denton Board of Trustees on Feb. 12 approved the preliminary plat for St. Mary’s Addition — a proposed 9.31‑acre development — subject to zoning changes and without granting the sidewalk or cul‑de‑sac waivers requested by the developers.

Developers William Jefferies and Tim Ashoff told the board the project has been refined in meetings with planning staff and that the development could "potentially bring a 10 million dollar increase in value to Denton," according to Jefferies. Village Engineer Craig Bennett (Miller & Associates), attending via Zoom, told trustees the outer‑perimeter sidewalk along W Denton Rd is difficult because of drainage and topography, and that alternatives include moving the sidewalk up the hill or placing storm pipe in the ditch. Bennett also outlined turnaround alternatives and said, "Options mean hammerhead, offset temporary or looped private circulation."

Trustees debated safety, long‑term costs and standards. Trustee Amanda Fangmeier said sidewalks inside the subdivision are "nonnegotiable," while Chair Joe Hobelman said sidewalks were not a deal breaker for him. Several public commenters raised concerns about water runoff, enforcement of parking restrictions inside the development and safety at the west end of 6th Street. Trustees asked staff to obtain two cost estimates for constructing sidewalks on W Denton Rd, paving the off‑St. Mary’s portion of 6th Street, and building a 90‑foot paved cul‑de‑sac within a 100‑foot right‑of‑way.

Trustee Trent Wheatley moved to approve the preliminary plat subject to zoning changes and with no waivers; Trustee Doug Rosekrans seconded. The motion carried: AYE — Amanda Fangmeier, Trent Wheatley, Joe Hobelman, Doug Rosekrans; NAY — Ryan Osborn. Trustees required the developers to submit a revised plat showing the full cul‑de‑sac to meet the engineer’s suggested standards.