RESIDENTS SPEAK OUT IN OPPOSITION
Developers of the housing subdivision known as Windmill Creek are requesting a reduction in lot sizes for phase three of the neighborhood, a request that is being opposed by residents who already live in earlier phases there.
Windmill Creek is within the city limits of Platte City, a short distance east of Interstate 29 on the south side of Hwy. 92. The applicant on the planning and zoning request is listed as Snyder & Associates, Inc., Shawn Duke for Windmill Creek. Snyder & Associates is a civil engineering firm. City paperwork lists the developer of the neighborhood as Windmill Creek, LLC.
Developers are seeking a revised preliminary plat for phase three. The revision seeks to reduce required lot sizes to a minimum of 6,000 sq. ft. from the current requirement of 8,000 sq. ft., and to reduce the minimum lot width frontage to 52 ft. from the current requirement of 70 ft.
Notably, the developers are also requesting to reduce the side yard setbacks from eight feet to five feet between residences.
That shorter distance between homes was one of the items that caused some concern among members of the Platte City Planning and Zoning Commission at a July 9 meeting to hear the request. Members of the zoning board voted to set aside the request until its August meeting, expressing a desire to hear from the fire department to see if the shorter distance between residence causes fire safety concerns. The fire department had not yet chimed in on the proposal as of July 9.
The revised plat would increase the total number of lots in phase three from 54 lots to 88 lots, an increase of 34 lots.
Summer Lutz, building inspector/codes compliance officer for the City of Platte City, had recommended approval of the request in a staff report.
The portion of Windmill Creek being proposed for phase three is currently undeveloped with existing trees, other vegetation and hills. Phase three will access Hwy. 92 via NW 141st Street and NW 140th Street to Windmill Drive. As Windmill Creek is completed, additional arterial road access will be constructed at Bethel Road and NW Roanridge.
Around 26 homes have been completed in Windmill Creek, according to a city staff report. When the subdivision development agreement was approved in December 2016 the stated goal was to provide new homes with a market value of less than $300,000. But by the time construction of phase one homes began in 2018, costs had increased substantially, resulting in a price point closer to $400,000.
“The original purchase cost of 10 of the 26 completed homes was less than $400,000,” Lutz says in her staff report. “As construction costs have continued to increase the original purchase price point of the remaining 16 completed homes has been greater than $400,000, with the most recently completed homes having a price point at or near $500,000.”
According to the staff report, the purpose of the developer’s request for the lot size changes is to “increase the number of building lots with the goal of developing new homes with a sale price less than $400,000 in 2024 dollars.”
OPPOSITION FROM EXISTING RESIDENTS OF
WINDMILL CREEK
There were multiple speakers at the planning and zoning commission meeting who opposed the proposal to reduce lot sizes and setbacks. Concerns included the effect on property values of existing homes that have already been built/purchased in Windmill Creek in phases one and two.
“When we invested in Windmill Creek, we were sold on a community defined by spacious lots, community pools, walking trails–as described on the Windmill Creek website and the prospect of larger, higher value homes in future phases, homes that currently sell for over $500,000, a testament to the high standards we were sold on,” said Jacqueline Williams. “This is evident by the first home built in phase two, currently listed at $569,000 and the two new homes currently for sale in phase one with an average list price of $552,450.”
“Decreasing the value of the homes from the mid $500,000s to below $400,000 will have a significant negative impact on the property values of phase one houses, reducing the current tax revenue brought in,” she said.
Williams went on to say that decreasing lot sizes in a new housing development can have significant negative impacts on utility infrastructure that is already in place. “As lots shrink, the demand on existing infrastructure such as water, sewer, and electrical systems and roads increases disproportionately. Roads in phase one are already sinking again,” she said.
“Pushing homes so close together will significantly alter the feel, aesthetics and appeal of the already established neighborhood,” Williams added. “A neighborhood with spacious lots was a big selling point for current homeowners. A side yard setback of five feet is not spacious by anybody’s standards.”
Amber Brune, another resident of Windmill Creek, said the developer “has brought in an outside builder (D.R. Horton) with a reputation to build out phase two and together they are trying to decrease lot sizes in phase three and four in addition to a few other zoning codes. The changes they are proposing threaten safety and the future of Platte City.” She said the five foot setback between homes “could significantly impact fire safety efforts and put surrounding homes in jeopardy.”
In addition, she said the smaller lots “will only allow space for two car garages and will leave streets congested with parked cars and impact the safety of children playing.”
Brune added a precedent “for a development to come in with a plan for a subdivision, have homeowners buy into the dream only to have it drastically changed after their investment” will have been set if the request is approve. “Today it is our community, but tomorrow it could be yours, as other developments are still continuing to grow within Platte County.”
Stephanie Phillips, another Windmill Creek resident, offered similar concerns when she spoke at last week’s meeting.
“Thoughtful urban planning should aim to balance the needs for affordable housing with the preservation of established community characteristics and resident expectations. The existing neighborhood was developed with specific lot sizes and spacing that have contributed to its unique character, property values and overall community atmosphere,” Phillips said in an email to The Landmark after the meeting.
“Reducing the lot sizes may significantly alter the neighborhood’s aesthetic and could potentially lead to a decrease in property values. Many residents, including myself, invested in this community with the understanding that it would maintain and improve its current layout and standards,” Phillips added.
The Platte City Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to take up the matter again at its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
