Planning commission recommends approval of Black Tooth Business Park final plat

The Sheridan City Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of PL 26-34, the Black Tooth Business Park final plat (resolution 20-26), during its Sept. 28 meeting. Commissioner Peterson moved to recommend approval and the motion was seconded; the commission approved the recommendation by voice vote.

City Planner Schroeder presented the proposal and said the roughly 53-acre subdivision would be divided into 15 lots, the smallest about 0.84 acres and the largest about 12.5 acres, and is zoned B-2 Business District. Schroeder said portions of the property adjacent to the interstate fall within the city’s entryway corridor and will be subject to landscaping, architectural and outdoor storage screening requirements at the time of development. "So those 53 acres are being divided into 15 lots," Schroeder said, describing lot sizes and standards.

The staff recommendation included two infrastructure elements: dedication and extension of Heartland Drive (a 39-foot roadway) that would terminate in a cul-de-sac and continue as an access and utility easement, and improvements to Dry Ranch Road. Schroeder told commissioners the recommendation is contingent on the Heartland Drive right-of-way being dedicated and recorded through the Whitney Benefits property to the north prior to recording the subdivision. "This recommendation for approval shall be contingent upon successful dedication of the Heartland Drive right of way through the Whitney Benefits property to the north," Schroeder said.

During discussion commissioners asked technical questions about easements, right-of-way ownership and infrastructure sizing; Schroeder said staff had not received pre-meeting public comments and had sent mailed notices to eight neighboring property owners, published a legal ad and posted an on-site sign. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the governing body for final action at an upcoming council meeting.

Next steps: the planning commission recommended approval to the governing body; final approval and recording of the subdivision are contingent on the noted right-of-way dedication and subsequent council action.