The Portage Board of Zoning Appeals rejected a 108-lot subdivision proposed by Lotton Development and delayed action on a second Lotton development that would have 91 lots.
Mayor Austin Bonta told the board he thought the projects should go to the Plan Commission for a more comprehensive zoning change rather than a string of variances from the city’s zoning codes.
Chris Salatas, representing Lotton, proposed the 108-lot Sandy Trail East on acreage behind National Transmission. The narrow parcel means putting homes on either side of a single north-south road along most of the property, with a row of homes at the bottom.
The lots are a similar size as the ones in nearby Sandy Trail, being developed by Lennar Homes, he said.
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Unlike Sandy Trail, however, Lotton proposed single-family detached homes on the small lots. The R2 zoning calls for a minimum lot width of 80 feet; Salatas requested it be reduced to 33 feet. He also asked that the board allow a minimum main floor area of 630 square feet instead of the 1,000 square feet the zoning requires.
“These lots are very small,” board member Brent Wright said. “Something like this, I think, is really needed, but in a highly dense area of town.”
Although the homes looked beautiful in the concept image Salatas showed, he said, the development belongs in more of a downtown, walkable area.
Salatas said the site’s neighbors include a planned apartment complex and zoning for a mobile home park, so he believed the density he proposed for the site was appropriate.
“I think it’s more of a rezone type of thing,” board member Greg Lach said.
Only three members of the board were at the meeting. They all voted no, so the rejection stands. Had one of them voted yes, it would have been held over for the next board meeting for lack of a sufficient majority.
The other subdivision Salatas sought permission to build would be at 5806 Lute Road. It would feature 900-square-foot, single-story homes.
Although Salatas showed a sketch for 91 lots, the number would likely be reduced when engineering work factored in drainage infrastructure, he said.
“The idea is to create an age-targeted subdivision with access to the bike/pedestrian trail,” Salatas said.
“We would like to tie into that Prairie Duneland Trail behind us,” he said, providing access to the YMCA nearby and other nearby amenities.
Nearby parcels have apartments and institutional zoning. Lotton is looking for buyers who want smaller lots for less maintenance and an affordable price point, Salatas said.
“There’s a lot of good I see in the intention here,” Bonta said. He wants to see more infill development rather than sprawl.
“What I really appreciate is that the city’s staff is trying to direct developers inward into the city,” Bonta said. He also likes the affordable price point.
That said, he doesn’t think the BZA is the proper route for approval.
“The number of variances here, I feel, really look more like a zoning change,” he said. “I really like the direction they’re trying to go, but I really think the process for this is going through the City Council.”
If Lotton goes that route, the Plan Commission would consider the proposal, hold a public hearing and make a recommendation to the council.
The request was put off until November on a technicality. The public notices, both in letters to nearby landowners and the legal ad published in newspapers, said the hearing would be on Monday, Oct. 28. Monday was Oct. 26.
The city provided the verbiage, Salatas said. BZA attorney Scott McClure said since it was the city’s mistake, the city would pay for the notices with the November meeting’s correct date.
Residents voiced many concerns, including that Lute Road is intended to be a narrow side road but already has a lot of traffic as an unintended thoroughfare. It runs parallel to U.S. 6.
The neighboring subdivision on Destiny Street has issues with drainage after heavy rains. Salatas said the city’s stormwater ordinance requires new developments to not adversely impact neighboring properties by capturing stormwater runoff onsite. It’s possible some of the neighbors’ drainage would be improved by the proposed subdivision’s stormwater infrastructure.
Bonta suggested Lotton consider asking for a planned unit development, which offers customized zoning, so it would face council approval. “This is more of a planning procedure” than just a few variances, he said.
“I’m very hopeful that this developer will keep working with the city,” he said.
The board also tabled a request for a new BP gas station at Central Avenue and County Line Road until the developer can provide a full traffic study.
The BZA delayed action on the proposal last month pending the results of a traffic study.
Brian Lewandowski, of A1 Construction, said he messaged the city for a copy of a traffic study the city would have had done before the Central Avenue West construction project began. Planning and Development Director Tom Cherry said no such study could be found. Even if it had, it would have been 14 years ago and no longer applicable.
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A traffic study would indicate whether turn or deceleration lanes, along with other improvements, should be installed, Cherry said.
The study might say there are no issues, but if so, it would spell out how to address them, McClure said. Any previous study wouldn’t have had the intended use of the property where the developer plans to build a gas station.
“This is not a Buc-ee’s,” Lewandowski said, referring to the mega truck stops, just a standard neighborhood gas station with a convenience store.
“The gas station across the street is bursting at the seams,” he said, so a gas station on the north side would alleviate backups from drivers waiting to turn left into the Speedway station.
“It stands to reason if we put a business here, there would be additional traffic,” board member Darren Jones said.
The board tabled action on the proposal again as it continues to wait on a traffic study.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.