Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The Sweet Home Planning Commission will hear an application on Jan. 9 for a new 236-unit planned development.
The proposal would subdivide 74.67 acres off 10th Avenue over three phases, according to the application by Eric and Vonda Sheets of Salem, who say they are developing the property and envision it as “a unique and exciting project.”
The proposed Canyon Creek subdivision would connect to the south end of 10th Avenue where 10th turns to the west into Alder Street and then into Old Holley Road.
Due to the topography, waterways and landscape, Eric Sheets “sees a quality neighborhood with high building standards while leaving as much of the natural beauty as possible.”
The development includes the donation of a parcel of property to the city of Sweet Home for a park in the north-central area, which includes an existing pond and surrounding property, according to the application. “This will provide needed park land for Sweet Home and will create an open green space in the neighborhood for all to enjoy,” Sheets wrote in the application.
The applicants will also provide the city with additional land around its existing water tower facilities off Turbyne Road and to the northeastern corner of the development to allow access along with property on the south side of the development for a new water tower.
The proposed homes would consist of “craftsman-style” homes with lap siding, shingle and rock accents.
Based on the topography and landscaping of the parcel, the subdivision would be completed in three phases.
Phase one, a total of 115 residential lots, is planned to begin this spring. As proposed, it will have the highest density and would include 12 patio homes on townhouse lots overlooking the park.
Phase two is proposed to begin in spring 2007 and will consist of approximately 60 lots along with the construction of a new water tower to serve the second and third phases.
The third phase would begin in winter 2007 or 2008 and include approximately 59 lots.
The subdivision will have no neighborhood association, according to the application, but it will have restrictions to uphold the quality and natural setting of the subdivision.
The property is zoned low-density residential. To the west, the property is bordered by Linn County rural residential (five-acre minimum). It is bordered on the south and east by a farm-forest zone in the county. On the north, it is bordered by an urban growth area rural residential (one-acre minimum) in the county and low-density residential inside the city limits.
Proposed lot sizes range from 2,523 square feet to 40,655 square feet with an average of 10,198 square feet.
On the 12 proposed townhouses, lot coverage may exceed the underlying low-density residential zone’s limit of 35 percent.
The majority of the largest lots would be completed in phase three and partially in phase two, due to the steepness of the area and the need to provide large lot sizes to accommodate reasonable building envelopes and driveways.
Overall, the development density would be 3.16 units per acre. The residential zone permits up to 5.4 units per acre.
All streets and sidewalks in the subdivision would be public, with no private streets. When complete, the subdivision would connect to Alder Street at 10th Avenue and proposed Elkhorn Avenue. The applicant says that the connections will mitigate traffic impacts created by the development.
According to the application, there are no identified hazard areas, fish-bearing waterways or other significant topographic or natural features on the property that would be negatively impacted by residential development.
The tentative subdivision plan shows the location of the drainage creek through the property from south to north. Portions of the creek will be left in a natural state along rear lot lines. The creek will be moved underground where necessary to accommodate public streets and sidewalks, but the applicant states that he wants to leave as much as possible in a natural state.