Council denies special-use permit for Denton Acres developer over infrastructure concerns

The Preston City Council voted to deny a special-use permit requested by developer Tony Crockett that would have allowed 76 multifamily units on two Denton Acres parcels (lots 70 and 71). Councilman Brent Dodge moved to deny the permit, saying the application failed to meet the city's special-use criteria and conflicted with the comprehensive plan; the motion passed with three votes in favor and one abstention.

Dodge framed the decision around technical reviews and plan consistency, telling the council: "Granting a special use permit will not be in in conflict with the comprehensive plan for the city objective" (read into the record as part of his reason statement). Planner Sean Alverson had outlined code requirements, acreage and the planning commission's nonunanimous recommendation. Engineering consultant letters from Keller & Associates, cited repeatedly in the discussion, warned that culinary-water demands were likely to "reach the city's maximum reliable water source capacity" and identified problems with the 4-inch sewer main and incomplete traffic assumptions. Developer Tony Crockett responded that his engineers had resolved issues in back-and-forth reviews and that the project followed ordinance formulas for unit counts.

Council members focused on a set of eight special-use standards; Dodge and others said multiple criteria were unmet — including adequate provision of services, traffic impact, and compatibility with adjacent properties. After the vote the mayor directed staff to state the code provisions and to record whether any actions were available to the applicant to obtain approval; staff advised that without material changes to water, sewer or road capacity there were no immediate fixes that would permit the requested 76 units. The motion to deny was made by Councilman Brent Dodge and seconded from the floor; the roll call recorded three Ayes and one abstention.