Agenda - Planning Commission - 07/06/2017

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asked for feedback on the impact to the oak stand and the density transitioning on the eastern portion of the plat. Chairperson Stodola asked for additional details on the impact the future connection would have on the oak stand. City Planner Anderson confirmed that further fragmentation of the natural corridor would occur if the parcel to the north develops. Board Member Hiatt stated that perhaps staff could work with the developer to add additional landscaping to the larger western lot because of the impact to the oak stand that will occur on the eastern side. City Planner Anderson stated that is a possibility that staff could request. He confirmed that the element could not be required. He stated that the developer has to work with the existing access to expand that which puts a challenge on the developer. He stated that the oak forest could not be recreated and therefore perhaps they are more specific on what would be proposed and attempt to go above and beyond that. He noted that perhaps oaks, and native trees, could be emphasized for the density transitioning. Board Member Valentine stated that it is unclear to him whether they have exhausted all possibilities of preserving that oak forest or whether there are additional options that could be reviewed to preserve more of the forest without destroying the development value of the property. City Planner Anderson replied that looking at the natural topography he is unsure that there is a lot more that could be done, short of custom grading the lots and attempting to work around trees. He noted that can be costly and sometimes setup the future home owner to have the cost of removing a tree that should've been removed to begin with, as the root system can receive damage during the construction period. He stated that staff can approach the developers in attempt to carve out more of the trees that could be preserved. Board Member Hiatt stated that it appears unlikely that the parcel to the west would develop further in the future because of the issue of access. City Planner Anderson agreed that it would be highly unlikely that the parcel to the west could develop because of the access issues. Councilmember LeTourneau referenced the idea of custom grading and asked if this would be a spec development or whether it would be custom development. City Planner Anderson replied that it is his understanding that the developer is looking to create the lots and sell those the builders. He was unsure whether the builders would be doing spec homes or custom homes. Councilmember LeTourneau stated that perhaps the new homeowner could be given the option of custom grading in attempt to save some of the existing oaks on their property as a method to mitigate the loss. Environmental Policy Board / June 19, 2017 Page 5 of 11