SIDNEY — A resolution for the final plat for the Sidney Crossing subdivision was tabled at Monday evening’s hybrid-style Sidney City Council meeting until council has more information regarding stormwater drainage.
The request by Choice One Engineering, on behalf of Sunset Development, for final plat for the subdivision plat, is located on the east side of Wapakoneta Avenue, south of Hoewisher Road. It was approved by the Sidney Planning Commission on June 15.
This subdivision plat includes 27 lots: 24 two-family dwelling lots, two open space and playground lots, and one community center lot. It also included two new streets: Grace Place and Patrick Place. Grace Place is an east-west street, which extends from an intersection with Wapakoneta Avenue to the east approximately 745 feet.
Community Development Director Barbara Dulworth said the new street alignment, which is a circle, could be named with a single name but it could cause confusion for the delivery of mail and emergency responses. Two streets will make it easier to find addresses, she said.
Lot 7205 is the open space lot and includes natural areas with existing wetlands. This lot does not meet the lot width to depth ratio of 1-to-3.5 required per the zoning code, with a street frontage of 15 feet. The street frontage is necessary to provide access to this lot for maintenance. Dulworth said it is a natural area with identified wetlands; this lot will not be developed. A note on the plat defines this lot as non-buildable. Code requires a waiver to allow lot 7205 to exceed the 1-to-3.5 lot width to depth requirement, she said.
Front setback lines are established for each lot on this plat at 25 feet, which matches the minimum front setback per the zoning code for the R-2, single and two-family residence district in which the property is located. The plat includes utility easements of 5 feet along all side lot lines, 15 feet utility easement along the street frontages, and 20- to 25-foot drainage easements along the north and south lines of the subdivision.
A 20-foot-wide waterline easement is located between lots 7217 and 7218 on the north side of the property to provide future extension of water main to the north. Storm water detention is provided in two detention basins, one at the north-west corner of the property and a second at the south-east corner. The detention basins are located on private property and must be maintained by owner of the subdivision.
The dedication statement on the plat provides a means by which responsibility for maintenance of the detention basin is continued privately, by all owners in the subdivision, in the event that individual lots are transferred so that the owner(s) of the two lots on which the detention basins are located do not bear the sole responsibility of maintenance.
The zoning code requires existing streets adjacent to a boundary of a proposed subdivision, where the street does not meet current city engineering standards, must be improved by the developer. Wapakoneta Avenue meets city engineering standards, so no improvements are necessary to the street except striping of a left turn lane.
Sidewalks adjacent to Wapakoneta Avenue do not meet current Americans with Disabilities Act standards for width but are fairly new and in good condition, so ADA-compliant wheelchair turn-arounds will be added to the sidewalk every 200 feet in conformance with the Ohio Department of Transportation requirements.
The identified location for a third fire station is directly across Wapakoneta Avenue from this subdivision. In the event a fire station is built on that property, the city intends to align its access way to the fire station with the location of the Grace Place/Wapakoneta Avenue intersection. This will necessitate a fully actuated traffic signal, Dulworth said.
Were it not for the development of Sidney Crossing, only an emergency vehicle traffic signal would be required, which is at a lesser cost. As a condition for plat approval, the developer will enter into an agreement to make a single lump sum payment to the city of $50,000 on the condition that the fire station project proceeds and installation of the actuated traffic signal device commences no later than five years following the date of plat recording.
The bond or letter of credit in the amount of $50,000 shall terminate either when the fire station and traffic signal are constructed or the expiration of the five-year term of the obligation, Dulworth said.
Parkland dedication for this plat is required to be 0.432 acres per the formula in zoning code. The developer is installing a playground on the property, so Dulworth said upon the developer’s request, staff was not recommending accepting this lot as a parkland dedication. Lot 7206 is 0.102 acres, which is less than the required parkland dedication.
In addition, the size, location and accessibility to the general public does not meet the goals of the city’s park and recreation master plan. Staff recommended a fee of $21,600, per the zoning code, in lieu of parkland dedication. The funds will be used for the parks and recreation use only, Dulworth said.
The commission voted to accept the $21,600 in lieu of the parkland dedication, waved a section of the zoning code to allow lot 7205 to exceed the 1-to-3.5 lot width to depth requirement and recommend for City Council to approve the final plat as submitted with the understanding that engineering/construction plans and bonding or surety must be approved by the city engineer prior to the final plat being presented to council.
Dulworth said the city has reviewed and tentatively approved the subdivision construction plans, with final approval subject to a drainage easement for the south-east detention basin being recorded and engineering plans being revised to show positive outfall through said easement. The construction surety has been submitted and approved, and the letter of credit for the traffic signal has been submitted and approved.
During discussion of details, Main Street neighbors expressed concern of “pedestrian cut-through” from the back of their property as a short cut to get to Main Street. They questioned if the developer will be required to put up fencing or some type of barrier.
Dulworth said there is no requirement in the zoning code or subdivision regulations for a buffer or screening between like uses, such as residential adjacent to residential properties. She said the property owners could speak directly with the developer if they want to put up shared fencing.
Vice Mayor Mardie Milligan shared her concern there is no dedicated park land in that area, other than a private play area. Dulworth said there is no park land in that area the city would be interested in accepting.
Council member Steven Klinger asked about the drainage retention. Dulworth said storm detention is required to be provided by the developer. She noted the outfall of the utility easement that allows for it to be recorded is on an adjacent property, but the utility easement is required to be signed and approved by that adjacent property owner. The developer will be required to provide the storm retention to that property, she said.
Mercury Court resident Bob Guillozet said in a submitted statement, “The storm water drainage through the Northwood Village property is a concern to the homeowner association, as we feel that our current system is at capacity, and the addition of more stormwater could have a negative effect on our property. We ask for the city to consider this and make the necessary adjustment to the stormwater plans for the new subdivision, and make those plans available to the homeowner’s association before being approved. We also are concerned with a buffer being required between their property and ours and asked that we are consulted before this is approved. We would like it to be similar to what was required for the previous area to the south of Northwood Drive.”
Council member Jenny VanMatre pointed out there is already a drainage and flooding issue from rain in the area as it is. Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director Gary Clough said this plan, according to calculations, should meet requirements.
In the end, council voted to table the issue until it obtains more information to be confident about drainage at the location.
