Another item regarding Providence Village’ Town Square appeared on the council’s agenda on Tuesday, with a pair of citizens addressing concerns tangentially related to the item at hand.
The action item, dealing with the replat of the square’s single large lot into several smaller lots for commercial use sparked questions from Jill Cannon and Rhonda Bradford about the types of business the development could see in the future as well as privacy for residents living in properties which abut the development.
“I’ve read through the November minutes where it lists a pretty lengthy and very broad collection of businesses that could be put in there,” Cannon said. “What we really want are [to] make sure we have storefronts that encourage community and encourage the town center feel … places where our town can actually congregate.”
Bradford focused on privacy.
“I am excited about having the town square, … however, there is a concern among us about our privacy,” Bradford said. “Losing that is concerning. I would like to ask if there is an option for adding a wall that could give us the privacy.”
The developer plans to utilize trees along the back side of the development to alleviate the privacy concern, though Bradford pointed out that for several months out of the year those trees would be bare.
Several members of council opened up dialogue addressing the concerns, concluding they were related not to platting but to zoning and the Planned Development Agreement, which are not open for reconsideration unless the developer opens that dialogue when looking for some other amendment or variance.
“If the developer came and wanted to amend the planned development zoning, that would open everything up,” City Attorney Fritz Quast said. “If the council wanted to recommend limited uses then, they could, but until they apply for that it’s not an open debate.”
On the subject of privacy, Town Manager Brian Roberson weighed in.
“We can talk to them more about privacy there, but I don’t know that we’re going to get like a 10-foot wall,” Roberson said. “They may be able to do more in terms of following their PD, which has landscape buffers. Perhaps they could use live oaks and things that don’t necessarily lose their leaves to help minimize those issues there.”
Council approved the replat with council member Dustin Clay again recusing himself as he lives on the abutting street.
