Agenda - Council - 10/13/2026 - Laserfiche WebLink

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7.01: "Rum River Retreat" - Preliminary Plat and Variance Request for 17400 and 17650 Erkium Street NW (Project No. 26-106); Case of Sundance Woods, LLC Planning Manager Larson presented the proposed Rum River Retreat development, consisting of approximately 61 acres zoned Rural Residential. The preliminary plat would create 15 lots, including 14 new homes and one containing an existing home, with lots ranging from approximately 2.69 to nearly nine acres. Two eastern lots would be approximately 185 feet deep rather than the required 200 feet and therefore require a variance. He explained that Erkium Street would be reconstructed to City standards. At the same time, a new segment of 177th Avenue would serve nine homes and terminate temporarily at the western property boundary to allow for a potential future connection. The approximately 1,100-foot dead-end roadway is expected to generate 141 daily vehicle trips and 14 afternoon peak -hour trips, well below the threshold requiring a traffic study. The Planning Commission recommended approving the lot - depth variance, which would preserve mature trees and avoid additional grading otherwise necessary to meet the 200-foot requirement. Planning Manager Larson also reviewed environmental considerations, including oak forest, floodplain, wetlands, and proposed tree removal, noting that the Environmental Policy Board recommended approval and that tree removal would remain below the allowable limit. Staff recently identified concerns about grading at the southern end of Erkium Street, where constructing the turnaround could require two substantial retaining walls approximately 10.5 feet high. Staff requested additional time to explore alternatives and determine how to address future maintenance responsibility, including a possible assessment agreement with affected homeowners. Planning Manager Larson therefore suggested that Council could consider the variance separately while delaying final action on the preliminary plat until the retaining -wall issue is resolved. Mr. Paul Olson, 5750 177th Avenue NW, raised concerns regarding the proposed 1,100-foot dead-end street and the City's interpretation that it is temporary and therefore not subject to the City's 600-foot maximum. He referenced a 2006 development proposal involving the same property in which, according to his research, the City required variances for roads exceeding the 600-foot limitation even though future road connections were contemplated. He questioned what ordinance provision exempts a temporary street or cul-de-sac from the 600-foot maximum, what ordinance or factual distinction justified treating the current proposal differently from the 2006 proposal, and what legally enforceable easement, agreement, funding mechanism, or deadline ensures the proposed road will ever connect through his property. He explained that his family owns the adjoining 35-acre property and has no intention of selling it. He believed that describing the road as temporary when it could remain a dead end indefinitely created a public - safety concern because the neighborhood would have only one point of entry and exit. Councilmember Buscher requested that the City Attorney or staff respond to the attorney's letter included in the Council packet on behalf of the neighboring property owners.