The revised plan shows a 53,785 square-foot building west of existing townhomes between Valley Head Road and shops fronting Paul Huff Parkway. The revision also calls for 10,000 square feet of additional retail space and more than 320 parking spaces. A new entrance to the development would be located on Valley Head Road, perpendicular to Forestview Drive N.E. The westbound lane of Valley Head Road will be widened between the entrance and Peerless Road. A sidewalk and right turn lane onto Peerless Road will be added.
Jonathan Jobe, director of Development and Engineering Services Department said widening Valley Head Road requires removing the existing tree line, which will be replaced by new and more desirable trees and a berm as a buffer between the development and the residential neighborhood.
“The group of trees was originally considered an undisturbed buffer and we had some public comments stating they wanted to maintain it as an undisturbed buffer,” Jobe said. “The trees are somewhat undesirable, but they are tall and they screen the intersection from the subdivision looking into the development. New trees will be planted back. We’ll get a three-foot grass strip and five-foot wide sidewalk that will tie into the developer’s sidewalk and the Peerless Road sidewalk.”
Jobe said the plan was to add a berm to make the buffer higher to achieve the current effect.
“The new trees will be a lot more desirable and it will be aesthetically a lot better because they’ll be uniform,” he said.
A 15-foot wide buffer of trees will be added between the new store and the townhomes.
The original plan showed the store on the west end of the development near Peerless Road. Jobe said the revision is nothing more than reorienting the position of the building and will not require City Council approval.
“The building is the same square footage, the same parking, it just works better to orient the building this way,” Jobe said. “The grading works out much better after they got into their engineering calculations.”
No plans specifying the name of the tenant have been filed and the developer did not return an attempt to contact him for comment.
The revision was approved by a vote of 6-0. Commissioners Tim Henderson and Stan Lawson were absent. The vacancy left by Dr. Michael Laney, who is moving to San Antonio, Texas, has not been filled.
Mouse Creek Crossing is under development as a Planned Unit Development. The purpose of a PUD is to provide flexible land use and design regulations while retaining the City Council’s absolute authority to establish limitations and regulations for the benefit of the public health, welfare and safety.
The site revisions do not need Council approval. However, the changes to Valley Head Road must be approved by the Council.
Other action taken by planning commissioners included approving the following items:
A request by Mike Lee for final plat approval of Brookstone Townhomes Lot 6, a townhome subdivision of about 2.08 acres on Chelsa Drive N.E.
A request by Ron Harrison for final plat approval of Lakewood Subdivision, a subdivision of about 7.22 acres on Lakewood Drive N.W.
A request by T J & J Development Company for final plat approval of Stonebriar Phase 3, a subdivision of 19.48 acres on Stonebriar Drive
A request by D & S Custom Homes LLC for final plat approval of Stonebriar Townhomes Lot 31, a townhome subdivision of about .30 acres on Stone Castle Drive N. E.
A request by Ben Nelson for preliminary plat approval Rolling Hills Place Lot 2, a subdivision of about .81 acres on Fletcher Road N. W.
A request by Ben Nelson for final plat approval of Rolling Hills Place Lot 2, a subdivision of about .81 acres on Fletcher Road N.W.
