Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening. Stand for the pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Good evening. Thank you for coming to the May 1st, 2025 Springfield Municipal Regional Planning Commission meeting. Miss Marley, will you please call the role? Bagot here. Bib here. Here. Griggs here. Craig here. Corland here. Shot here. Thomas here. Townson here. All are present. We have a quum. Item 1.3 approval of the minutes from the regular meeting of the planning commission held on April the 3rd, 2025. Do I have a motion? So move and a second. Second. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Item 1.4 public comment. Mr. Mike Ramsey, 844 Hillside Drive, Springfield, Tennessee. If you could please come to the mic. You'll have two minutes to address the commission. Thank you all for listening to me real quick. Uh I've been living there for 15 years and that uh property has been like that for 15 years and no one's developed it due to the power lines being through it. Uh with that in mind, the traffic might increase there. Uh the uh flood going into the creek and all that. It floods every time it rains. These last rains we've had has been very very deep in our backyard and down in

the goalie right there. Uh traffic on my part is the biggest thing. Uh we've had semi trucks as you guys all know. I know there's signs posted saying no semi-truckss available or allowed to go through there, but they still do. And with all the other trucks going through there, and one of these days, it's going to kill that bridge. Uh, and then the erosion that would happen if we start building more houses along that that side would be pretty get get detrimental to us. Uh, and then the traffic, like I said, the traffic is pretty bad. I mean, we've got all the all the people use that road as a bypass instead of going around uh to 76. They use our road and fly through it. I've had numerous of cars go off in my yard. Uh, I've had two, possibly three mailboxes taken out and I've had cars go down and hit the trees at the bottom uh because they've been going too fast. Uh, so that was my biggest issues with bringing more traffic into that area, more people into that area. To me, that area is just not big enough to put a house for a family right there. Um, and then it would be especially on top of the neighbor's house. Thank you, Mr. Ramsey. Thank you. New business item 2.1, discuss and possibly take action on request to reszone property at Roy Pit Road and Hillside Drive, map number 081P, parcel 061.00 00 from RS20 to RS15. Do we have a

motion to put this on the floor? So move. A second. Second, Mr. Durham. Good evening, commissioners. The first item on tonight's agenda is a request to reszone approximately 3.38 acres from RS20 to RS15. Oh, that is last month's. I just realized that you guys have the wrong presentation. It's in that computer though. Candace was helping me with it earlier today. David, can you help me fix the presentation? It's up there. I'm sorry. I'll continue. We'll fix the presentation so you can see. We have it on our iPads. You do? Yeah. I just uh I'm sorry. Approximately 3.38 acres from RS20 to RS15. Currently undeveloped, this parcel fronts Roy Pit Road between Hillside Drive and Timberlake Drive. The proposed zoning supports the city's comprehensive plan by promoting housing diversity and efficient land use. The transition to RS15 is compatible with surrounding development, particularly to the east, and takes advantage of existing infrastructure with no significant traffic or service concerns. identified. For these reasons, staff support this requested change and recommend approval. Representing the applicant, Mr. Philip Doris is here at tonight's meeting. Either of us or any other city staff present are happy to answer any questions you might have. [Music] I got a question and changing this from RS20 to RS15. Mhm. How many houses are we talking about? Can we call Mr. Dors to the microphone, please?

Is that two or a peace sign? Peace. Hello, Bill Dors. Um, just two houses. And we're asking for the var. We're asking for going to the 15 for 5T on the front set back and 10 and 5 foot on the side. We go from a 40 to a 35 ft set back on the front and a 15 to a 10 on the side. I would show you if I could see. It's in here. Yeah, we'll get it. It's in my email. Can you open my email from here? I cannot. Is it locked? Well, I don't have your only on there was last. No. Yeah, I didn't put it on the desktop. Candace just put it Where's the mouse? Where's the mouse? Looking for the pointer. Yeah, the pointer. Oh, there it is. Okay. Yeah. Phil, does the log house go with the lot? Excuse me. The log house. There's not There's not any houses on this lot. It's empty. It's always been empty as far as I understand. So, I'm assuming the variances are going to be required strictly because of the power line issue. Yes, sir. So, uh the bottom lot, we need that to get a two-story house. Uh there's a where the intersect of the two power lines. We're going to try to get a house down there in a bottom next to Brent Tate's old house. And that's where that's where we need the extra 5T on the front and the side. Will the entrance to these homes be on Roy Pit Road? Both both driveways will be on Roy. Yes.

trouble if I'm have any further question. I have a question. Uh the flooding of a creek. What about that? Do you know is that an offic I'll be I need to speak that I looked at the FEMA flood maps on this and it is not crossing the road. I mean it's there's no flood on this property according to the FEMA maps. You said according to the FEMA maps. Yeah, we did look at that the other day. Any further questions while Mr. Darson, Miss Durmer at the microphone pertaining to this item. Do you have a motion to approve? Motion to approve. A second. Second, Miss Ellis Briggs. Yes. Thomas, yes. Boyd, yes. Bib, yes. Shot, yes. yes. Townsend, yeah. Gray, yes. Morland, yes. Passes nine. Item 2.2, discuss and possibly take action on Highland re Highland Reserve phase 1 final plat. Do I have a motion to put this on the floor? So move. Second. Second, Mr. Trump. This second item on tonight's agenda is a request for approval of a final plat for the first phase of Highland Estates. The portion requested for platting represents 15 lots of the Highland Estates master plan that was previously approved in April of 24. The plat

follows the layout of the larger development by creating lots that front the culde-sac completion of two existing streets, Curtiswood Lane and Walnut Grove Drive. These roads are on the east side of the master plan and are not designed to connect to the remainder of the new development. The plat was prepared in accordance with city requirements. Staff recommends approval. However, we understand that it will not be recorded until such time as necessary infrastructure is built and accepted by the city or an appropriate bond is approved by the board of mayor and alderman. Representing the applicant, Mr. Philip Doris is here at tonight's meeting. Additionally, the applicant surveyor, Mr. Steve Arts, is also present. Any one of us, including other city staff here tonight, are happy to answer any questions you might have. Any questions? Can you speak to what those necessary infrastructure is? Roads, sewer, water, sidewalks, the same things that you would put in a norm any other subdivision. What kind of completion are you looking for that? Because you I'm just as far as the completion of the infrastructure. They either have to have everything in place and everything is ready to go or they bond what they haven't completed and they keep moving forward. So, it's one or the other. You can put a bond in place and continue working or you have it all done. Okay. So, any further questions? Do I have a motion for approval? Motion to approve. A second. The plan.

Second. Miss Ellis, if you could call for a vote or Morland, yes. Bib, yes. Boy, yes. Thomas, yes. Scott, yes. Bagot, yes. Gray, yes. Town, yes. Briggs, yes. Passes are signed. Item 2.3, discuss and possibly take action on Blackwood Farms prelim preliminary plat. I'll get it out in a minute. You have a motion. Motion. Second. Second, Miss Durham. Before you is a request for approval of the preliminary plat for Blackwood Farms fronting both sides of Blackwood Drive. Blackwood Farms is a substantial new residential project that has been engineered to include 391 single family homes, 90 town homes, and a significant and significant community amenities, including a trail that links to the city's greenway. It spans over 150 acres across two zoning districts, R seven and MRO, both already approved through annexation. With LAR Homes as the expected builder and a draft HOA already under review, the submitted preliminary plaque complies with city regulations. Staff recommend approval of this preliminary plat representing the applicant, Mr. Steve Arts, is here at tonight's meeting. Additionally, the applicant's engineer, Josh Lion with Clover, is also present. Any one of us, including other city staff here tonight, are happy to answer any questions you might have. And this map is the overall I can break it down for you too. I did include the larger versions of both the north and the south sides of the project in the presentation. Mr. Cler could come to the mic, please. And then the south side or Josh, I'm

sorry. You want to see? I'll be happy to. Yeah. I'm sorry, Josh. You might as well be one, right? Yeah. That was the second time this week I was called Josh Clober, but that's okay. I I'll gladly take that. Be worse. I could be worse. You know, it's only been 21 years. So, Josh, I just want to confirm with you that the cemetery in the back will have adequate access from the roundabout. That is correct. Yeah. Yeah. And we've shown it on the construction plans to be graded appropriately, too. So, somebody can physically go from that round that culde-sac up to the cemetery. Okay. I just wanted to confirm that cuz I know that it's been on a lot of people's radar that the the cemetery back there. Yeah, the accessibility should accessibility should be substantially improved the way it is now. Okay. How many houses was that? 300 39 391 single family. 90 town. 90 units. Town houses. Yeah. You mentioned town houses too, right? Uh that's correct. on the north side that's zone MRO has a mixture of single family and town homes. How many were those? 90 town homes. What's the time frame on this one? Um they're pushing to get, you know, all of our our approvals done. Our construction plans are almost at the finish line to get approved. It's just some landscaping comments and we're we're getting to address, but all the city staff has reviewed all the construction plans and and uh so I believe Lenar would probably want to start this summer, late summer at the earliest. Uh we've already got our water approved plans back from the state, waiting on our sewer approved plans, so we're pretty close full construction plan approval. Will the majority of the building be on top of the hill? I know because it kind of slopes off a grade coming from the bottom like if you're coming from Memorial it it's a pretty good grade

it'll be coming all the way down that hill that whole side as well. Okay. Yeah. There's substantial uh earth work to be done on this property. Is construction anticipated to be more on the north or the south in the beginning? or vice versa. Um, I'm pretty sure their phasing was to start on the south on the um left side closest to the green lake. Well, uh, fairgrounds. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was their phase one. But they also got to get some infrastructure in because their lift stations on the total opposite end, too. So, um, it's anticipated to be five phases right now from what we've gathered total. Mhm. For the entire development, right? What are you anticipating on infrastructure time earth? Oh, I have I'm not involved in the construction aspect of timing on that. Blackwood Drive. What's that's a lot of traffic. Yeah, we initially had a traffic study when we came through with reszoning and all went through this process. Can we see that traffic study? I mean, not even not today, but can we I would I don't have it with me, but it was part of the annexation from 22. I think they went through with 21 and 22, but I can pull that out. City has those copies. That and water issues. I was on the fair board for years and that's going to be an issue. Are you talking about water issue? Running off runoff or drinking water? Run. Runoff. Okay. Runoff. We've got six detention ponds, three on the top and three on the south for storm water control. Can you show us where those would be with Is that something we can see? Um, I

mean, you can kind of see it on this on this south. You three three hatched areas on the south side. Um, bordering on the I mean, these aren't construction plans. That's why this is this is just the plat. So, yeah, they can point out the three lift of hatched areas on the south side. So, there'd be drainage here, here, and here. Baswater basins. Correct. [Music] Go to the north side. Yeah. I mean, there's some smaller ones on that north side. They're down. There, there, and there. Any further questions for Mr. Lions? Please microphone. Any thought been given to any kind of buffer between these houses that butt up against the fair property during the one week of the year that the fair is there for noise complaints. Um, and we have no physical buffers. I mean, we have a that last culde-sac gets close to the the the boundary. There is a gap. I can't tell you from this distance how far it is. Um, but we've had a lot of discussions with the fair board about this interaction last year and they're good with this. Yeah. Yeah. We had to actually acquire an easement from them uh to get sewer over there. So, we had some dealings with them last year and it was all favorable. Does the fair state have those tractor pulls down there? Yes. Mhm. They do. We still have one August 30th. Yes, sir. I live pretty

good ways from the playground. Yes, sir. And I go in here and it's the traffic concerns me. That's the biggest thing because I mean say that, but I'm just saying it's Blackwood is never going to handle that many houses and plus, you know, between the fair and the tractor pools and advance they have at the fairgrounds. I'm sorry I'm not and we've actually in the dealers with the the fair board is a part a property swap to give them property you know all that but I'm just saying we've had a good relationship with the the fair board in this transition but when the traffic study was done looking at the traffic counts and the level of service of all these intersections and actually that concept had more houses than this if I recall correctly when we reduced it down from the a resoning concept at Blackwood Memorial. No, not a Blackwood Memorial, but we are we do have a roundabout at the middle entrance. It's hard to see since this is just the flat, the main entrance in the middle kind of middle. That's where the roundabout when when we came through the process. Yeah, we're well below the allowable density that we could ask for, but of course we're dealing with topography and flood plan, so we've got a lot of extra green space incorporated in this. Think about the practical

[Music] examp they they'll know coming in. Any further comments? Um, is there any discussion on documentation going with each property sold regarding the rock quarry? That would be a question for LAR specifically um as they develop these plot plans. That to me is a whole lot more in that would be more intrusive as a tractor once a year tractor, right? Yeah, I understand that. cuz I live a half a mile from from it and or maybe a little bit more and when they blast Mhm. I know it. Oh, definitely. So, plus we all have heard the Roger stories. Posty notes. Posted notes on his walls. Walls cracked and every You want to go back that far and say trust me. But yes, I know what you mean. I got a personal I mean that's been a that's been a a point of discussion that it's not hidden from anybody honestly. Well, it's not but you'd be surprised the number of people that would come in and never drive up the hill and they'll come into Blackwood and that's as far as they ever go and they may or may not really know it. Yeah. And that's whether there HOA document a statement, you know, that that would have to go to the developer the building the developer. And speaking of HOA documents, there were some changes or some recommendations from staff regarding the

changed any kind of storm water easements that are in on individual lots that those would also be maintained by the HOA. He just wanted it very clear that all of the storm water management is the HOA and none of it falls back on the city. It it alluded to that really well, but it just was a further discipation. I will say though, I noticed some details that they put into that HOA that you could tell they really put some thought and effort into writing it. Some things that I haven't seen in other ones recently. To Mr. baggage point on the traffic for about 3 weeks during winter wonderland. You can't get through there. You'll set an hour trying to get into winter wonderland and they will be backed out to memorial. Freedom Freedom Fest. Freedom Fest is another, you know. Well, I mean the only Yeah. The only thing I can say is we've allowed an extra or there is an extra wide easement down through there if if ever future expansion is required. the the rightway is there if it ever becomes a point that has to be done. So, we're not constricting it to any approvements in the future. So, it's the the width is there if it has to be done. Could you could you explain a little bit more about that right away? I'm not familiar with it. Just so that I can understand what you mean. Well, the rideway out there is pretty wide. Um it is Steve 60 feet which typically 50 feet is pretty standard. Um so we've got an extra 10 ft to allow you know extra center turn lane becomes necessary. You know I'm just conjecture right now. So this this would be a presupposition when the development is already complete is

what you're talking about on Blackwood. Yeah. Yeah, 60 foot rideway exist on Blackwood. Yeah. So, I guess my concern is more like what they mentioned with all these different events that happen. Granted, they're seasonal. They're not every day. Mhm. But if I'm a mother taking my children there and there's construction happening, I guess what I would like to know is how much of that is going to be in our way or how much of that is slowing down our ability to to go to ball games to go to these different events is during construction specifically. Yeah. I can't answer any spec construction phasing questions, but any road closures or anything that has to do with road rideways has to go through public works to get approval and police department. Yeah, emergency services. So, that would all have to be coordinated with those city departments that construction. So, when you're saying you can't answer them, can you explain that to me? Is that I'm not the contractor. I am the engineer of record that designed it. Now, the contractor is the one that will phase construction and build it, and they will have to deal with the city departments on how it's phased in, what has to be closed. Uh sometimes you drive down the street, they're putting utilities in, they got to be plated. So, there's other things that have to be done during construction. Yeah, it's not going to be, you know, perfect all the time. There's going to be some, you know, one lane closed type stuff. I would assume that's just the nature of it. with Travis Price Park there and all the ball seasons and things like that, people aren't going to be able to get in and out, not on two lanes. So, I would like to direct this question at staff. Um, you know, at at what point in time does something like this, who do we ask the questions to? Because I feel

like I'm asking my question to the wrong person, but my my fellow commissioner here and I are kind of expressing the same concern. So would that be incumbent upon the city to take care of any situations we might have with traffic buildup or is that you know when there's equipment there maybe I'm I'm getting lost in the weeds here but I'm seeing in my head there's construction equipment people are having to be stopped to you know instead of having a two-lane road we're just on a one lane road so I'm I'm a little confused. Well, okay. The majority of the time a project like this is under construction, the construction is limited to the on-site areas. Okay. The actual construction within the roadway. Obviously, there will be some with utilities and when they're building the traffic calming with the roundabout that came about as part of the traffic study. But for the most part, construction will be limited to onsite. They're not going to be in the road very often. Just like any other time somebody's working on the road and you have to do a little bit of closure. That's what I would anticipate with something along this as well. Okay. Does that make sense? Yes. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. So, what you're saying is the the trucks and construction coming out of the the construction zone, they would definitely have to travel down Blackwood. There is that's the only road they have access to. Um, I would assume based on the proximity to Memorial, they would be more likely to connect straight to Memorial. However, they might be going to 49, but I think we could we could ask for the contractors to limit their their big heavy equipment construction so that it goes straight to Memorial. I mean, that's certainly something that's reasonable to ask for because of the proximity. I I just the the rightway you said 60 ft instead of 50

correct and you mentioned something about a turning lane being there. Is there room for that? Is well with the 60 ft rightway as opposed to the 50 if in the future it's determined that that right that turn lane is needed it would have room within the 60 ft to be built. But it and I I I'll be honest, I've never seen the traffic study because this was done multiple years ago, but it was part of the original annexation when these properties were brought into the city. So when this study was done, I this might not even be a part of that, but was those seasonal things even included within that? The boss seasons of winter wonderland? They they do the traffic studies during school hours. That's what they do it during, but not during special events that might happen a few times a year. I doubt that was even included. That wouldn't include that those things just school normal school traffic, you know, morning and evening. Those are the peak hours that they use. Mhm. So, I would be inclined to defer at a meeting for us to be able to review the traffic study and make sure staff has has seen it and so that we're just we know what would be anticipated uh from the development. Um just based on the conversation that I'm hearing here because some of us I think are more familiar with the history of this, others of us haven't seen it um at all until today's meeting. Plus, I think the people um off of 49, they're going to be affected by this more than we probably should, right? And I understand it. You know, tonight it's it's request for a preliminary plat. That's that's all it is to move forward with that. I mean, the construction plans, like I said, are getting close to final approval. We had gone through these issues and presented this originally with the reasonzoning

annexation request, you know, back in 21 and 22. And so now it's just asking for approval on poleric plat so we can get the construction plans approved based on our allowable use at this point. The road work that you're going to do is that going to tie into the road off Highway 49. No, we we only tie into Blackwood. Yeah, that's all we tie into several spots. one across from the park and then uh two more going back towards Memorial. That's how they're lined up. I would make a motion to defer one meeting just to make sure we get the traffic study and that everyone's seen it. Um you know, it's not making a decision on a yes or no at this point. Um but it's just so that we've got more information. Okay. Do you have any specific plaque questions for the surveyor? No, I think it just based on the comments related to the traffic stud is the street. That's that's I think more concern to me than anything because I've been down there for 25 years at that fairgrounds and I know what that's going to happen. Mhm. Okay. We have a motion to defer. Motion to defer one. Do we have a second? I do that. Okay. Ready for a vote. Yes. Thomas, yes. Greg, yes. Bib, no. Bagot, yes. Briggs, yes. Townson, yes. Boy, yes. Morland, yes. Passes with

eight. Item 2.4 discuss and possibly take action on a performance shity renewal for Reyes estates. Do I have a motion and a second? Motion. Second, Mr. Okay. This last item on the new business agenda is a request to renew the performance bond for Reyes Estates. Um, this is standard procedure, but it's important so that we can protect the city's interests. Uh, although most of the infrastructure work has already been completed, the renewal ensures that the remaining improvements will meet city standards. Staff recommends your approval of the shy renewal. And if you have any questions, we'll be happy to answer them. Have any questions for Mur while she's at the mic? Have a motion to approve. This has nothing to do with the convenience market, right? It's totally separate. No, this is just for this project. Yeah, there's just a small amount of infrastructure that remains. Second, yes. Thomas, yes. Boyd, yes. Yes. Morland, yes. Yes. Townson. Yes. Grace. Yes. Yes. Nice. Item 3.0. There's no BCA this month. Correct. There is. We have a BCA on the 13th. There is one item on the agenda. It is related to sign height. Okay. So, which is why in the other business we're going to talk about signage regulations a little bit. Um what you have in front of you right now is kind of mo the majority of it is just a list of what's under review. Since last uh planning commission meeting,

we've not actually approved anything, but we are getting a lot of things back to look at things that have been approved already that are coming back for review. Um I think as of this morning, I owe our staff probably five or six projects to push out for review. So, and then there's a few things that were in the review stage, so to speak, but they've come back a few times. Um, but I expect some of these to drop off before next month and that they will have have met all the requirements and been approved. The I moved it to the beginning though, the sign regulations, I think I did email a summary of that. Um there has been a lot of concern lately specifically about the height requirement. Signage is limited to 20 ft building signage. So if it's attached to the building, it's limited to 20 ft. We've also been approached as a staff about some concern with the size of monument signage versus pole signage. Um, monument signage requirements are significantly smaller than pole signage. However, we have some developers who would prefer to do the monument signage because they feel like it looks better and their aesthetic and what they're going for on their project matches more closely. However, they're running into limitations with the amount of space they have. So, I just wanted to bring it up with the planning commission to see if there was any thought about maybe revising some of these regulations. I know I just sent you a summary. We'll be happy to look at what other places are doing, but I just wanted you to know that there are several variances that keep coming forward that have to do with sign regulations. I think it'd be a good idea if you if staff would review those and maybe get some what other cities are doing and bring that back. Okay. for us to take a look at.

Okay, that's all I have unless there's any questions on any of these projects. I know there's a lot of them listed there. I tried to go through and just include everything so you could see what was happening. A lot of those mixed juice are the MRO zonings. So, any other questions? Another comment. Yes, sir. some of these things that have come before us. It's been 3 to 5 years ago and then now it's just kind of coming back. Thought there was a timeline on things. There is to some extent. Um an approved site plan is only valid for one year. A preliminary master development plan. However, you can get a preliminary and you have three years before you have to do anything. So there's a little bit more leeway in terms of time, vested time with the bigger projects. They don't really have to get started quite as quickly. That's state law though. That's what the Tennessee law says. But the site plan once they've had it approved. So for example, a couple of these have been approved. The L road was approved. The Bill Jones town homes were already approved, but both of those, for example, have expired. So they're coming back for staff to review again. But in terms of the Blackwood that had they've been working this whole time since they got the property annexed so that wouldn't have expired. Well, I don't think Lenar was the one that was going to do it in the beginning. Honestly, I don't have the answer for that. I don't know. I don't believe they were, but I don't I don't know the legality of how that works for one or the other, like if they purchased it or Any other questions? I just have a question. Uh, there's quite a work being

done out by Tracy Langsburg. What's going on there? Tracy Lane. That's the GP property. Oh. Oh, the Guppton Motors. Uh, it's the Ford Place, isn't it? It's next door. They're moving. Gton is moving. Okay. Gotcha. Yeah. Yeah. I I think I brought that one last month. You did? What? I don't think we any other questions. They don't two boards. So, what what about our traffic study? What how we get We'll email it to you pull that up and she'll email it to you. I'll put it in the drop box and I'll send you all a link. So, whichever way is easier. They will be the traffic studies that were provided when they did the original annexations though. Have a motion to approve. I mean to adjourn. [Music]