Commission approves Oak at Sparrow Valley preliminary plat after developer adds River Road access

The Cloud Regional Planning Commission approved the preliminary plat for Oak at Sparrow Valley, a proposed 72-lot subdivision in the R-1 low-density residential district, after the applicant added a second access point to River Road and addressed staff comments on pavement and road width.

The applicant, Ben Mullins, said the changes removed the need for a previously requested runout-length variance and maintained the proposed density. "We're talking about the, the 72, units that we proposed here for this plat," Mullins told commissioners, adding that any future change to density would require returning to the public review process.

The decision followed public comment from residents who urged caution about access and future expansion. "Is there anything gonna change from 70 something houses to 270 houses in there?" asked resident David Clint, expressing neighborhood concern about potential future increases in scale. Tom Sedlmeier also urged commissioners to inspect entry and exit points, saying officials should "go look at it and see what common sense how to get in and out of that neighborhood."

Staff reported that revisions in the packet addressed prior comments, including a River Road connection, a roadway width consistent with the traffic-impact letter, and a changed pavement mix for the cul-de-sac requested at the prior meeting. Engineers for the applicant said the work would stay within the existing right of way and that the plan reduced the number of lots to accommodate the secondary access, a change driven by field topography and septic constraints.

During discussion a commissioner moved to approve the plat as corrected and amended to include the River Road access and pavement changes; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The chair disclosed a property interest touching the development and asked the city attorney whether they could vote; the attorney advised the chair may vote so long as no conflict exists with the chair's company, and the chair participated in the vote.

The commission wrapped the item after thanking the applicant and staff for revisions. The project is recorded before the commission as Application 219 and, per the applicant, remains limited to the 72 lots shown on the submitted preliminary plat.