By Bob Williams, Stevensville
Go to the website of the Town of Stevensville, and search for: Burnt Fork Estates. Then read this paragraph from the recently filed, Project Summary.
“Burnt Fork Estates is a planned residential and commercial addition to the Town of Stevensville. The property lies northwest of the intersection of Middle Burnt Fork Road and Logan Lane, abutting the first phase Of Creekside Meadows. Our proposal for the 57.68-acre tract is to create 78 single-family lots adjacent to Creekside Meadows and 43 multi-family lots further to the south. Then for the 8 acres adjacent to Middle Burnt Fork Road we are proposing to re-zone the property to allow 16 light commercial lots.”
Starting in December 31, 2022, a limited number of residential lots would be phased as developable for housing, every two years, for the next eight years.
Those 16 lots are zoned for residences. However, if those lots would be re-zoned as light commercial lots, they are phased to be developable as of December 31, 2030.
It’s time to ask around about what type of businesses and organizations would eventually rent, lease, or purchase interest in those 16 light commercial lots. Some of those enterprises will likely depend on high volume traffic flow. All traffic from enterprises on the two lots alongside Logan Lane, also on the four lots alongside Middle Burnt Fork Road, and on the ten interior lots, will come in from, and exit to, Middle Burnt Fork Road.
For instance, a vehicle traveling north on Logan Lane would turn left onto Middle Burnt Fork Road, then turn right, to the north, while entering the interior driveway shaped like “T”. A “T” with a short south to north leg. The west to east leg of that interior driveway would route traffic to the front doors of enterprises utilizing the 16 lots. Enterprises offering off street parking near a high-volume intersection.
It’s time to flag the location where vehicles would enter the interior driveway serving businesses and organizations located on those 16 platted lots. Time to flag where vehicles would leave that interior driveway and enter Middle Burnt Fork Road. And go west. Or go east to the intersection with Logan Lane.
In my opinion, the north to south leg of that interior driveway would intersect Middle Burnt Fork Road, opposite the one house now on the south side of Middle Burnt Fork Road.
Here again, this is what the developers have stated to the Town of Stevensville.
“The developers . . . are requesting a change to light commercial zoning for the southerly 10+/- acres adjacent to Middle Burnt Fork Road [and Logan Lane]. The developers believe this change is appropriate, given the pattern of development extending up Middle Burnt Fork Road from Town. Pantry Partners and the school bus storage area are typical of the low intensity commercial use that we anticipate.”
Oh, really? Pantry Partners, also the school bus yard, are typical of the low intensity light commercial establishments, to in 2030, contract for real estate at, and near, the corner of Logan Lane, and Middle Burnt Fork Road. That’s a whopper of a statement.
Ask around. In reality, what types of light commercial low intensity businesses and enterprises would pay market driven rates to locate in the proposed Burnt Fork Estates platted ten acres, along the north side of Middle Burnt Fork Road, and along Logan Lane, which is part of the Eastside Highway? Of course, the two largest lots are at the very intersection of Logan Lane, and Middle Burnt Fork Road.
Seems to me, that while reasonably and sufficiently considering re-zoning those ten acres, people and officials need to see obvious flags or markers where traffic would enter, also exit from, Middle Burnt Fork Road.
Ask around. Should the Town of Stevensville require flags at the proposed location on Logan Lane where traffic would enter and exit from family, and possibly re-zoned multi family, residences within the proposed Burnt Fork Estates?
Should flags indicate where traffic for enterprises situated on the ten acres, with 16 corner lots, would enter, and also exit from, Middle Burnt Fork Road?
Should the Town of Stevensville corner at Logan Lane and Middle Burnt Fork Road intersection be re-zoned?
Could be, that to promote their development, looking at the long line of 14 residential lots alongside Logan Lane, the developers may have selected the doubly misleading phrase: Burnt Fork Estates.
Look at the Project Summary. The required common areas, for say trees and grass, are not where they would be commonly accessed.
I do not know if the present developer could, or could not, transfer re-zoned rights to another developer.