The Siloam Springs Planning Commission approved a preliminary plat development permit for the fourth and fifth phase of the Heritage Ranch subdivision during the planning commission meeting Tuesday, March 14.
The permit was tabled from the Feb. 14 planning commission meeting said Senior Planner Ben Rhoads. The permit was approved by the commission with a vote of 6-0 with Commissioner Ted Song absent and will go before the city board on April 4.
"This will be adding 63 new single family lots on approximately 18.47 acres," Rhoads said.
Additionally, the extensions will be annexed into the city, Rhoads said. The developers are also requesting the zone be R-2 (Residential medium), Rhoads said.
Permit presentation
City staff has some concerns with the area in terms of the grade difference needed for the two lots at the end of the cul-de-sac compared to the existing house on the north side of the lot. The applicant has added a restriction preventing the construction of two-story houses, Rhoads said.
"We do feel that the project meets the level of sound planning for the city's growth," Rhoads said. "The final phases of the development will pose an acceptable impact on Dawn Hill Road and its logical extension of the subdivision."
City engineer Kevin Moore then commented on traffic.
"Dawn Hill is the most direct connection from this subdivision," Moore said. "And it's a collector street with a designated load of 9,000 vehicles per day, including the Commons, which has been approved on the street and then existing traffic counts here over the last month."
The city is expecting this subdivision to add another 602 vehicles per day. Moore said. He also said the subdivision will connect to Lexington through the Autumn Glen subdivision as well as previous phases of Heritage Ranch that will let it connect to Carl Street.
Moore also said there is a floodplain on the northeast corner of the property, which the developer is not proposing any fill in.
"Most of the site flows south and west to the proposed detention ponds in the bottom left corner," Moore said. "And then those ponds are also routed through a previous pond on phase three of Heritage Ranch."
Moore turned the presentation back to Rhoads, who said staff is recommending approval with four recommended conditions:
The property needs to be annexed and rezoned to R-2.
There will be a developer agreement regarding the current shortage of electric transformers that will need to be signed by both the city and developer.
The engineer of record will be required to update the drainage report to reflect comments on the 100-year water surface elevation.
Leland Cypress trees will need to be planted as a live screen. Trees will not be permitted in the floodplain.
Commissioner comments
No one in the audience commented on the permit. Commissioner Kevin Williams began the commissioners' comments by asking about how the runoff will affect the existing house saying that it appeared that the floodplain is on their property.
Moore told Williams that the developer is reducing the amount of area that drains northeast so it will be a net improvement flow-wise.
Commissioner Isaac McKinney asked if the city should put a metric on the height of the trees planted.
"What if they go out there and plant 18 inch trees?" McKinney asked. "Can we say they have to be at least six feet tall when they plant them?"
Rhoads said the beauty of the Leland Cypress trees is that they are a very fast growing tree. The tree grows approximately three feet a year, so they are not going to be full 30-foot trees in a year or two.
McKinney pressed on asking if the city could limit the height to four feet tall trees. Rhoads said they would have to look into what the different sizes are that can be purchased.
Following his comments, McKinney made a motion to approve the permit with the four conditions and added a fifth condition requiring that the planted trees be a minimum of three feet in height.
The planning commission also approved the minutes from the Feb. 14 planning commission meeting and a significant development permit for the 3400 block of Highway 412 East. This item will go before the city board on April 4.