Developer presents revised Brown Street subdivision plan; board to clarify open-space upland calculation

A consultant for the applicant presented a revised preliminary plan for the Brown Street subdivision at the board’s Feb. 10 meeting and asked the board to confirm how the local open-space upland requirement should be interpreted.

Dan Shim, with Kelly Ward, told the board the revised plan keeps the same number of dwelling units previously proposed but replaces quadplexes with duplexes, shortens the roadway by about 500 feet and provides more open space while maintaining utility tie‑ins to Pearl Street and stormwater basins. "The total parcel area is 54.82 acres," Shim said, adding that the current upland area is 38.15 acres and that the applicant calculated the 50% upland requirement from existing upland figures.

Shim said the applicant is proposing roughly 45 acres of total open space but that not all of it is upland; he gave an estimated upland area of about 26.04 acres. "Per you guys' regulations, the open space requirement is supposed to have 50% open spaces upland area," Shim said, and requested the board’s guidance on how to interpret that requirement for this parcel.

Unidentified staff told the board staff would consult the building commissioner about the upland calculation and provide a written response within a week so the applicant could prepare for the March 10 public hearing. Staff also confirmed the board can host a joint pre‑application meeting with the TRC in advance of the hearing if the applicant wishes to invite TRC members.

What’s next: Staff will follow up on the upland/open-space interpretation, and the applicant will appear at a March 10 public hearing on the preliminary plan.

Why it matters: The way the city measures the 50% upland open-space requirement affects how much of the parcel must remain undeveloped and therefore can change lot layouts, road length and utility routing for the proposed subdivision.