Planning commission recommends approval of Sunburst Ranch Phase 3 master-plan amendment

The Midway City Planning Commission on May 12 voted to recommend approval of a Master Plan Amendment for Sunburst Ranch Planned Unit Development Phase 3, which contains 36 units on 16.52 acres located at Ranch Way and Swiss Alpine Road. The recommendation, made after staff presentation and public comment, included conditions that the developer sign a formal HOA agreement and that a trail segment be publicly accessible from the Lundin property south.

Commissioners heard that the amendment preserves the previously approved density of 36 units but shifts from attached units to detached homes and reduces manicured open space in favor of native, low-maintenance landscaping. Staff noted that the proposal must comply with the Midway City Land Use Code, the Sunburst Ranch Master Plan, and Wildland Urban Interface requirements; final engineering, drainage and stormwater plans will be reviewed in later phases.

Commissioner Craig Knight disclosed a financial interest—he said he is a shareholder in Toll Brothers—and recused himself from the discussion and vote. Commissioner Travis Nokes, who made the motion to recommend approval, proposed two conditions: 1) adoption of a signed developer–HOA agreement between the developer and HOA as a condition of final approval, and 2) public access to the trail running from the Lundin property south. Commissioner Genene Probst seconded the motion. The commission recorded Ayes from Nokes, Probst, Facer, Farrell, Winegar and Dougherty; Nays: none. Knight was absent for the vote due to his recusal.

Commission discussion centered on trail placement and steep slopes (including potential erosion and retaining-wall implications), emergency access and wildfire considerations, and which items in the developer–HOA letter should be enforceable conditions of approval. The Commission discussed an applicant–HOA letter dated April 30 and debated whether non-binding language should instead be written into a formal, enforceable agreement; Commissioners and staff also reviewed the proposed 80% build-out threshold for transferring maintenance responsibility to the HOA and the coordination of irrigation systems between developer and HOA.

Members of the public were allowed to comment though no formal public hearing was required. Jeff Chevalier, representing the Sunburst Ranch HOA, expressed conditional support for the amendment tied to the April 30 agreement and flagged concerns about enforceability, retaining walls, trails and HOA oversight. Neighbor Mary Lou Thackeray objected to a reduction of open space behind her property. Rachel Harvey asked whether the proposed trails would be private or public and whether they could link to the City’s trail system, and she referenced a historic orchard on the site. Jordan Olin, commenting by phone, asked the Commission to consider the distribution of open space across all project phases and whether the overall project meets a 50% open-space expectation.

Applicant Dan Reeve (Toll Southwest LLC) confirmed that the major items in the HOA agreement had been resolved, including story limits on certain lots. Staff emphasized that several plan elements—chiefly grading, drainage and stormwater mitigation—require further, detailed review during subsequent engineering approvals.

The Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Midway City Council for final consideration; the staff record and subsequent engineering reviews will inform the Council’s decision. The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.