Commission denies Spring Hope Drive sketch plan amid tree and private‑road concerns

The planning commission denied a sketch‑plan application to subdivide a 1.44‑acre lot on Spring Hope Drive into six R‑4 single‑family lots after extensive staff critique and commissioner questions.

Staff explained the plan calls for creation of six small lots accessed by a 40‑foot private road and noted the proposal would remove four protected trees — including three historic pines — and requires an LDR waiver to allow private ingress/egress. The applicant (civil engineer Danny Cruz) said staff described the project accurately and was available to answer questions.

Commissioners expressed concerns that the waiver criteria were not met, highlighted maintenance and safety issues with private roads that are not inspected by town field engineers, and noted the difficulty for future homeowners to assume private‑road responsibilities. One commissioner said the waiver responses were "not adequate" and moved to deny; the motion carried by voice vote.

Staff noted that required tree mitigation (58.5 inches) would need to be addressed before any final plat approval, but commissioners concluded the sketch plan as presented did not satisfy LDR waiver standards and denied the request.