After recommending two large annexation proposals to the Bellevue City Council in the past year, the city's Planning and Zoning Commission has denied a third, citing conflicts with the comprehensive plan.
As proposed, John Scherer's development, called Belle Ranch, would add approximately 280 acres and more than 400 homes to Bellevue. It would be adjacent to the southern end of Harry Rinker's similarly sized proposed annexation, which is currently in front of the City Council. Both are on the east side of Gannett Road.
The P&Z's decision came during a meeting on Thursday, June 7. The City Council is not required to follow the commission's recommendation.
Commissioner Kathryn Goldman's motion against approval hinged on a paradoxical problem arising from the development's proposed 20-acre light-industrial area. Goldman said inclusion of light-industrial use in Belle Ranch runs counter to the comprehensive plan, which, in the plan's words, "encourages the location of light industrial use in or adjacent to those areas where that use exists."
Charlie Holt, representing the developers, said they were willing to remove that use from the plan and build 81 additional homes instead, but that such a change would create a problem of economic viability.
City consultant Richard Caplan has found that light-industrial uses are more financially beneficial to a city than purely residential development.
"Most residential development does not routinely 'break even' in terms of costs of services," Caplan wrote in a letter to P&Z Administrator Craig Eckles on April 11.
"It's a Catch-22," Commissioner Adam McNae said. "Nobody wants (light industrial) down there, but it needs to be there to make the annexation work."
McNae also said that if this area that provides employment were removed, the development would no longer be a walkable community--one of Scherer's main selling points during six public hearings.
Commission Chairwoman Laira Thomas disagreed with the other four commission members, and cast the single vote against denial of the recommendation.
In an interview after the meeting, Thomas said she didn't think the others were looking far enough into the future, and contended that the comprehensive plan does indeed recommend light-industrial and residential expansion down Gannett Road.
Eckles emphatically pointed out to the commission that it approved Jeff Pfaeffle's 100-acre Strahorn Ranch annexation proposal in September 2006. He said that development is entirely residential and, therefore, would be a financial burden on the city, according to Caplan's reasoning.
Having approved of the Rinker and Pfaeffle annexation proposals, which include 608 and 173 homes, respectively, a number of council members said the city doesn't need the additional homes from a third development.
"As I see it, with Strahorn and (Woodbridge Village), we satisfy the housing requirements for our current growth cycle," Commissioner Todd Mabbutt said.
The members against the recommendation stressed they were not ruling out such a development in the future, but agreed it was important to see the progress of the other annexations if the council approves them.
"I would feel irresponsible making a recommendation to the council at this time," Goldman said.
If the council denies his proposal as well, Scherer can bring a planned-unit development application to Blaine County in the hope of changing the allowable uses for the property. Most of the property is zoned for residential use of one house per five acres, with a small portion at one unit per 10 acres.
Stefanie Webster, a Blaine County planner, said that for a PUD with housing less than 1 unit per acre, a centralized wastewater treatment plant would be required on the site.
