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Developers • Hadders •Consultants
Response to Planning Board Staff Report for the Norton Ranch Ph 5 Subdivision:
Prepared by Greg Stratton, Kilday&Stratton, Inc.for Norton Properties, LLC
November 13,2020
This narrative is a direct response to the Planning Board Staff Report for the Norton Ranch Ph 5
Subdivision specifically relating to the following items:
- Executive Summary—Unresolved Issues
- Section 3—Required Code Provisions, Item 4
Both of these items relate to timing of the construction of Laurel Parkway.
The applicant is proposing to build Laurel Parkway in two phases.
City staff is taking the following position as stated in Section 3—Required Code Provisions, Item 4 of the
Staff Report:
"Laurel Parkway is a collector street as identified in the City's transportation master plan. Laurel
Parkway must be fully completed to ensure the convenient and reliable movement of traffic and
effective access for emergency services. Laurel Parkway must be constructed from Durston to
West Babcock prior to final plat approval of Phase A of the subdivision"
To support this position the staff report references Bozeman Municipal Code(BMC)Section
38.400.010.A.2.
Section 38.400.010.A.2 reads as follows:
"Relation to developed areas. The developer must arrange the streets and alleys to provide for the
continuation of streets and alleys between adjacent developed properties when such continuation
is necessary for the convenient movement of traffic, effective provision of emergency services and
efficient provision of utilities."
Section 34.400.010.A.2 simply states that when a development adjoins a developed area that the
developer must arrange the streets and alleys to provide connectivity between the development and
adjacent developed property. In this case the preliminary plat as proposed provides the connectivity as
requested by this section and therefore meets the requirements of this section as proposed. As written
the section does not address phasing of the project and therefore we believe it allows for the logical
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phasing of development. The overall development plan must provide for the logical extension of city
services to adjoining undeveloped properties.
If the traffic study,for phase 5, indicated a problem would be created if the connection were not made
it would be another issue. In this case, however,our traffic study specifically looked and this issue and
concluded that the recent improvements to the West Babcock Street/Cottonwood Road intersection will
allow Norton Ranch Phase 5 to be fully developed with no connection north on Laurel Parkway to
Durston Road. The Babcock St./Cottonwood Road intersection will still function at a LOS B in the AM
and PM peak hours under this condition. It concluded that there is not a need to build the complete
length of Laurel Parkway in one phase.
As previously stated,the connection of Laurel Parkway is necessary when planning the overall
connectivity in the area and should be required as part of the overall plan for the property. It is not,
however, necessary to be constructed with the first phase of the Norton East Ranch Subdivision, Phase
5. The proposed preliminary plat"provides for the continuation of streets and alleys between adjacent
developed properties" and meets the requirements of BMC 38.400.010.A.2 as proposed.
As presented we find no reference in the BMC that requires the construction of Laurel Parkway with
Phase 5A. The Traffic Study prepared for Norton Ranch East, Phase 5 specifically concluded that the
recent improvements to the West Babcock Street/Cottonwood Road intersection will allow Norton
Ranch Phase 5 to be fully developed with no connection north on Laurel Parkway to Durston Road. We
respectfully request that Section 3—Required Code Provisions, Item 4 be removed and that Laurel
Parkway be constructed in two phases as proposed.