Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting

Cedar Falls Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting November 20, 2024 Cedar Falls, Iowa MINUTES The Cedar Falls Planning and Zoning Commission met in regular session on November 20, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. The following Commission members were present: Grybovych, Hartley, Henderson, Johnson, Moser, Sorensen, Stalnaker and Watkins. Alberhasky was absent. Karen Howard, Planning and Community Services Manager, and Thomas Weintraut, Planner III, were also present. 1.) Chair Hartley noted the Minutes from the October 23, 2024 regular meeting are presented. Moser made a motion to approve the Minutes as presented. Johnson seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously with 8 ayes (Grybovych, Hartley, Henderson, Johnson, Moser, Sorensen, Stalnaker and Watkins), and 0 nays. 2.) The first item of business was a rezoning request for 2.68 acres located south of 1st Street and 350 ft. east of Winding Ridge Estates from A-1 Agriculture to R-P Planned Residence (RZ24- 003) and consideration by the Commission was an R-P District Master Plan Amendment for Meadow Ridge (MP24-004x). Chair Hartley introduced the item and Mr. Weintraut provided background information. He briefly reiterated what has been discussed at the previous meetings and answered some questions that have been asked by the public. It was previously asked how the school district responds to additional residential development in school attendance areas. The school district periodically adjusts the attendance areas for schools. Large developments take several years to develop providing time for the school to respond to enrollment changes. It was also asked how current traffic volumes compare to those used for the traffic study. The 2017 study was based on an Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) volume. It assumed an AADT count of 18,401 for 1st Street and 4,828 for Magnolia Drive. 2023 IDOT traffic counts shows an AADT for 1st Street of 12,000 vehicles and 3,530 for Magnolia Drive. Mr. Weintraut discussed traffic and pedestrian safety, noting that 1st Street is a four-lane street with a center turn lane and is built to handle significantly more traffic than what is projected in the traffic study. The details of the intersection improvements at Lake Ridge Drive will be determined with the preliminary plat. Magnolia Drive is a controlled with crosswalks. The volume of traffic to the new high school would be similar to the volume of traffic to the old one. Other questions included whether the density can be reduced or a better transition be provided between the development and Winding Ridge Estates, whether the impact to the wetlands can be reduced and concerns expressed at the lack of open space and amenities. Mr. Hartley asked if both agenda items will be discussed at the same time. Mr. Weintraut stated that they are. Pat Galles, Correll and Sheerer, stated that he represents the applicant and noted that they value the concerns and comments by the neighbors. They would like to continue the item to the January 8th meeting to allow more time for the development team to prepare answers and information for the Commission to consider. 1  Atul Patel, 307 Winding Ridge Road, spoke again about reducing density and creating a better buffer, as well as adding more trees. Taner Tuken, 218 Winding Ridge Road, stated that density is relative and would like to see less density in an effort to make the space more consistent with the surrounding area. Jason Mehmen, 1107 Eagle Ridge Road, is opposed to the project as currently brought forward. He doesn’t like the density, traffic, or the aesthetic. He stated that he feels there is a great deal more traffic now with the new high school as well. Fethiye Tuken, 218 Winding Ridge Road, stated she feels the density is too high. Tom Nagle, 328 Winding Ridge Road, stated he would like to see other projects that this company has developed and get feedback from people in those areas. Bharatkuma Patel, 3109 North Ridge Circle, discussed wetland concerns. Peter Rhee, 3105 North Ridge, echoed that it would be nice to have more detail on the plan, including type of unit, intended clientele, etc. He also stated that he felt it would have been nice if the applicant was at the meeting. Cameron Lee, 220 Winding Ridge Road, noted his concerns about the wetlands and how he feels the focus should be on restoring them. Dharmendra Patel, 802 Lake Ridge Drive, discussed traffic concerns and feels that the Commission should help choose a date where everyone can attend the meeting. Atul Patel asked to have the developer do another traffic study for more current numbers. Moser noted concerns with the wetlands and their preservation as well. Henderson spoke of concerns with the density. Watkins asked if there was a requirement on the timing of doing a traffic study for developments. Ms. Howard explained that when the developer does a traffic study, they’re projecting traffic, not counting it. When that is done, they look at those projections to decide what needs to be done at intersections to make it safe. The other figure discussed in the staff report is the actual traffic counts completed by the Iowa DOT. The figures provided are from 2023. She noted that the applicant has indicated that they will consider providing updated traffic projections for the development. Sorensen made a motion to continue the item to the January 8, 2025 meeting. Stalnaker seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously with 8 ayes (Grybovych, Hartley, Henderson, Johnson, Moser, Sorensen, Stalnaker and Watkins), and 0 nays. 3.) As there were no further comments, the Commission voted unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 6:35 pm. Respectfully submitted, Karen Howard Joanne Goodrich Community Services Manager Administrative Assistant 2