On March 1, 2016, Sanderson Stewart, agent for McCall Development, Inc., applied for preliminary major plat approval for Josephine Landing Subdivision, 1^st Filing. The proposed subdivision creates 136 new lots for residential and commercial development. The subject property is generally located south of Elysian Road, and east of East Road, on the west edge of the Hogan Slough.  The property is progressing through the annexation process and it will be completed when this application is acted upon by City Council. The property is zoned Planned Development (PD) and the proposed lots will be developed in substantial compliance with the approved Planned Development Master Plan. The Billings City Council will act on the proposal on May 23, 2016.
 

Staff recommends that the Planning Board recommend conditional approval of the preliminary plat of Josephine Landing Subdivision, 1^st Filing to the City Council, and adopt the Findings of Fact as presented in the staff report. 

PROPOSED CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL
Planning staff recommends the following conditions of approval:

1. To ensure that water lines are installed to meet City of Billings Engineering requirements, prior to final plat approval, the applicant will add a paragraph in the section VI Utilities A. Water, of the SIA addressing construction of the water main to the east property line in Story Road and that it must be completed with the construction of the Hogan Slough road crossing.
2. To minimize impacts on storm water detention facilities and ensure proper maintenance of the proposed system, prior to final plat approval, the applicant will provide an HOA Storm Water Facility Maintenance Agreement for review by the City of Billings Engineering Division. This agreement shall outline the maintenance responsibilities of the storm water facilities.
3. To minimize potential flooding impacts to future property owners and to ensure future property owners are informed, prior to final plat approval language shall be added to section V Storm Drainage in the SIA that provides greater detail of how the 100-year storm will impact the subdivision and whether mitigation measures are required to address potential flooding in the subdivision from Hogan Slough. The applicant also will add a paragraph in the Conditions That Run With The Land section of the SIA informing property owners of any mitigation requirements for lots in the subdivision and identifying the possibility of the Hogan Slough overflowing during large storm events.
4. To minimize impacts on future property owners and to ensure future property owners are informed, before final plat approval a hydrogeological evaluation must be completed to determine if there will be any impacts to properties in the subdivision that are adjacent to the proposed ponds that are to support storm water management but also are expected to have water in them year round. If mitigation measures are required, these will be identified in section V Storm Drainage in the SIA and within the Conditions That Run With The Land section of the SIA to inform future property owners.
5. To minimize impact of future road infrastructure and to ensure any impacts the subdivision may have on the existing Story Road east of the subdivision are addressed, prior to final plat approval the applicant will add language to Section III Transportation A. 4. of the SIA that says, ‘At the time of the second filing of Josephine Landing, the applicant will provide a TIS update addressing the subdivision's connection to Story Road to the east and the impacts Josephine Landing Subdivision will have on that road. Any cash contributions that may be required due to those impacts also must be identified in the updated TIS.'
6. To ensure the requirements of parkland dedication are met in this Planned Development subdivision per Section 23-709 (E) of the City Subdivision Regulations, prior to final plat approval the applicant will receive a letter from the City Parks Department stating it is in agreement with the park land proposal for the subdivision.
7. Minor changes may be made in the SIA and final documents, as requested by the Planning, Legal or Public Works Departments to clarify the documents and bring them into the standard acceptable format.
8. The final plat shall comply with all requirements of the City of Billings Subdivision Regulations, rules, regulations, policies, and resolutions of the City of Billings, and the laws and Administrative Rules of the State of Montana.

No variances from the City Subdivision Regulations have been requested.
 

Staff provided a brief presentation to the Planning Board about the proposed Josephine Landing Subdivision, 1^st Filing.  There was a question from the planning board regarding the requirement of a hydrogeological evaluation, what the evaluation was, and what information it is expected to provide.  Staff responded the applicant is proposing to have several ponds in the subdivision and they would like to have water running in them year round.  The plan as outlined by the applicant is to have water from Hogan Slough diverted through the ponds to have water in them at all times and, during a storm event, the ponds would be large enough to handle the additional water.  The water would flow through the ponds and eventually be directed back into Hogan Slough and out to the river. The study is needed to determine since there is water in the ponds at all times, what effect would this have on the subsurface in the area, such as soil stability or geologic stability. If there are effects identified in the study, then they need to be identified and that information included in the SIA.
 
The applicant, Greg McCall, stood to speak about the subdivision.  He stated that they are working with the property owners who have been farming this land for many years.  They felt that they wanted the land to be used for a neighborhood and not for only commercial development. Some of the areas of Josephine Landing will be named after the farm families to include them in the development, according to Mr. McCall.  This development will be similar to Josephine Crossing but will have the opportunity for commercial uses that have not be possible in Josephine Crossing.
 
Board member Don Reed asked Mr. McCall if this development was separate from the development to the east.  Mr. McCall stated that it is. Mr. McCall stated that he has worked with the developer to the east to get the entire trail built along Elysian Road with the first filings of both subdivisions and to coordinate the Story Road connection in both subdivisions.
 
There were no other questions from the Board and the applicants agent did not have any additional comments.