Planning staff backs 14‑lot Reserve at Saint Albans preliminary plat; asks for recommendation to full commission

Planning staff presented the Reserve at Saint Albans preliminary plat and asked the site‑plan subcommittee to direct staff to prepare a recommendation for the full Planning & Zoning Commission in September. The submittal now proposes 14 single‑family lots—most roughly 4 acres—with lot sizes ranging from about 3 acres up to slightly more than 5 acres. Staff highlighted the project’s two primary public‑interest features: preservation of about 24 acres of existing woodland and a roughly 25,000‑square‑foot common area intended to accommodate the property’s main drainage feature and mailbox cluster parking.

"Tonight, the applicant is respectfully requesting the site plan subcommittee review the preliminary plan, provide any comments relative to the preliminary plan, and then ultimately obtain a favorable recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission," planning staff told the subcommittee. Staff further explained that the developer previously received a sewer‑waiver approval from council; as a result the lots are larger but will rely on septic systems as allowed. The department recommended a 50‑foot protected area measured from top of bank on either side of the creek and explained the easement mechanism would allow collective maintenance by the homeowners association rather than leaving erosion repair to individual lot owners.

Commissioners focused questions on site‑distance, the elevation changes between Highway T, the proposed private parallel road, and the low‑lying house sites; staff and the project engineer explained the cross‑sections are intended to preserve the existing ground line and demonstrate adequate sight distance. Mike Faulkner, vice president of Sterling Engineering, said the drawings show the existing ground will remain and "we demonstrate exactly that we, that the line of sight is over and is not hitting the ground itself." The subcommittee voted—motion by Commissioner Jackson, second by Commissioner Rubis—to request staff prepare a favorable recommendation for the September Planning & Zoning Commission meeting.

The department flagged remaining technical items for follow‑up in the recommendation: final landscape and tree‑preservation details, grading and stormwater plan completion, and the exact wording of the creek easement and HOA maintenance provisions. The subcommittee did not take final action on the plat itself; staff will bring a formal recommendation and any updated plans to the commission in September.