Council Will Look At Subdivision Plans

The City Council next week will set a hearing date to determine whether developers can build 445 “affordable” homes and townhouses on 76 acres north of the city.

The Planning Commission on Tuesday denied a request to grant a zoning change for the Thomas Lane subdivision known as Beauty Park. About 80 neighbors of the proposed project applauded the decision.

Developers Rick Gunther of Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty and attorney Jim Magnuson proposed building 110 multi-family units and 335 one and two-bedroom single-family homes. The homes would sell for between $75,000 and $95,000.

But critics told commissioners that the project would cram too many people into a small area, add to overcrowding in the schools and dump too much traffic onto 15th Street. Planning commissioners agreed.