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Developers present revised 101‑unit plan for 945 Old Black Colony Road; council voices density concerns
Summary
Applicant representatives presented a revised plan for a for‑sale residential project at 945 Old Black Colony Road, reducing units from 117 to 101 and limiting buildings to two stories; council members said density, parking and sidewalk/driveway layout remain concerns and indicated stronger support for R‑3 zoning and annexation with service conditions.
Oscar Herrera, an applicant representative, told the council the team had revised its concept for 945 Old Black Colony Road and "we reduced it to 101 units," a change they said was made after Planning & Zoning feedback. Herrera and Carrie Creer presented a two‑row single‑family fronting the road and townhome/condo‑style product in the rear, two‑story buildings only, sidewalks on both sides of 25‑foot roads, and on‑site parkland and pond features.
Council members pressed the applicants on parking, driveway widths and emergency access. Council member Smith warned the schematic showed 12‑foot driveways that would intersect sidewalks and could result in vehicles overhanging walkways; Smith described the layout as "tight" for fire access and pedestrian flow. Several council members said the plan’s density still felt high for the site. "I'm not a fan of taking it from R‑3 to R‑4," Council member Davidson said, signaling a preference for lower density consistent with the comprehensive plan.
Applicants outlined design concessions they made after earlier review: increased spacing between buildings from 10 to 15 feet, added buffering between single‑family lots and townhomes, larger unit footprints (some at 25x48 feet and others 20x50 feet), and an emergency‑only secondary access. Oscar Herrera asked whether he could build to R‑3 code and avoid repeatedly designing the entire project: "Can we build to your code or do we have to design the entire project to get approval?" he asked. Staff and council responded that the property is currently outside city limits and that R‑3 by‑right development is allowed only if the site is annexed and zoned accordingly; building to code outside the city limits would limit access to city services.
The presentation was framed as a workshop — council gave directional feedback but took no formal zoning action. Staff and council suggested next steps: applicants may pursue annexation with R‑3 zoning consistent with the comprehensive plan or submit a planned development (PD) with detailed design to address parking, sidewalks and emergency access. Council members asked applicants to provide an R‑3 schematic and traffic/parking details if they return for formal consideration.
Provenance: topic introduced SEG 272; discussion concluded SEG 874.
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