[Vision2020] City Council approves preliminary plat for Greensides Hill subdivision

[heirdoug at netscape.net]

I guess that Jackie Woolf still lives in Moscow.


 
Congrats, Mike H!


---In today's DN.-----

City Council approves preliminary plat for Greensides Hill 
subdivisionNeighbors concerned about fire lane, narrow streets, open 
space

By Omie Drawhorn, Daily News staff writer

Tuesday, March 6, 2007 - Page Updated at 12:09:53 PM

The Moscow City Council on Monday conditionally approved a preliminary 
plat for a subdivision that would include 37 single-family homes.

The proposed development, called Greensides Hill, will be located on 
just over 8 acres on the west side of North Polk Extension if its final 
plat is approved by the City Council.

Conditions include forbidding non-emergency vehicular traffic on the 
fire lane connecting Mallard Court to Pintail Lane, and the 
construction of a six-foot green strip between the curb and sidewalks 
and a fence along the west side of the property to prevent vehicles 
 from accessing the fire lane. The open spaces would be designated as 
public access from the public path.

The proposed subdivision would include a mixture of 35, 28- and 
22-foot-wide private drives, internal pedestrian pathways and open 
space.

Stormwater retention would be handled onsite with two pond areas.

Mike Hoffman would act as developer for the property, which he owns 
along with Doug and Nancy Wilson and Matt and Laura Gray. The three 
properties currently are developed with single-family homes and 
outbuildings.

The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a planned unit development 
for the subdivision during a January meeting.

Assistant Community Development Director Andrew Ackerman said the 
proposed property density is less than permitted by the R2, or 
single-family, zoning designation. But the site likely wouldn't 
accommodate the 37 proposed homes without the flexibility of the 
planned unit development option because of existing slopes and the 
possibility that the subdivision's streets won't meet city standards.

The PUD allows flexibility in development standards in exchange for 
public amenities or attractive design features.

"This is part of the smart growth idea, with more people on smaller 
spaces of land," Ackerman said.

Council members and residents expressed concerns about narrow streets, 
four lots that use alleyways for access to parking, and whether the 
open space in the development was available to anyone. There also were 
questions about the possibility of future council members removing 
bollards that keep vehicles from traveling down the fire lane that 
connects Pintail Lane and Mallard Court, where residents say many 
pedestrians walk.

Area resident Beverly Bafus said she was concerned about the number of 
homes that would be moving in below her development, as well as the 
homes that would use the alleys to access garages.

"There are four lots in the alley that could have up to eight cars 
apiece going down the alley," she said.

Hoffman said that with 193 parking spaces in the subdivision, there 
should be plenty of parking on the streets, so additional cars could 
stay out of the alleyways.

Moscow resident Jackie Wolf had another concern.

"What is going to keep this from turning into a college dorm?" she 
asked, alluding to Christ Church pastor and New Saint Andrews College 
faculty member Doug Wilson, who currently lives on the property.

Moscow resident Roberta Radovich said she was concerned about the 
number of streets and alleyways dumping into the narrow streets and 
culdesac of the subdivision in the case of a "sweeping fire."

Omie Drawhorn can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 234.




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