The Cheney Planning Commission recommenced its development code updating process with a public hearing on chapters 2, 22 and 23 — Hearing Examiner, Subdivisions and Development Code Administration — at its regular meeting Monday night, Sept. 8.
Many of the changes to the three chapters revolved around new state requirements, a need to clean up language and the city’s desire to simplify and streamline its development codes. One of the biggest changes came in the subdivisions chapter where state language changed the amount of time developers have to submit final plat approval from seven years to five from the date of preliminary approval for all development plans submitted after Jan. 1, 2015.
Plans submitted prior to Dec. 31, 2014 still fall under the seven-year timeframe.
“The economy is improving enough that we don’t need to give developers a seven-year window to complete those developments,” city planner Brett Lucas told the commission.
Lucas added that developers could still apply for plat extensions, such as what has been done in the Golden Hills development. Those extensions would have to come before the commission for approval.
Other portions of the code have been simplified to reference the city’s design manual, which is a more concise document for developers to use, Lucas said. The reference to the position of “Community Development Director” was removed under chapter 23, reflecting the city’s reorganization of its planning and building divisions. Also language in that chapter was simplified in some sections, such as the section for concurrency that includes establishment of levels of service.
“That gives us the flexibility to work with projects on an individual basis,” Lucas said.
Commissioner Keith Fauerso complimented the planning staff on their work, noting the city’s code is much better spelled out and clearer than it had been — a complaint developers have expressed in the past about doing business with the city.
“This is like jumping to light speed, compared to where Cheney was before,” Fauerso said.
The commission elected to keep the public hearing open until its October meeting to receive citizen comments.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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