Wetlands, roads delay action on Winston homes

WINSTON — Action on a potential 158-lot subdivision on Lookingglass Road called Vineyard Estates was delayed Wednesday by the Planning Commission until Oct. 10.

City planning staff and the applicants’ representatives asked for additional time to iron out disagreements about what the three-phase project would entail, said John Boyd, a Douglas County Planning Department planner who represents the city.

The Vineyard Estates subdivision would be built on almost 70 acres on Lookingglass Road between Brockway Road and Abraham Avenue and is adjacent to Wildlife Safari, the planned Safari Estates development, and the Bremner Hills Mobile Home Park.

Billy and Katherine Williams, the property owners, were not present at the meeting. They were represented by Ron Schofield, a Roseburg land use planning consultant, and the Williams’ attorney, Thomas Crawford.

Among three disagreements resolved before the meeting were the need to confirm that water service is available to lots located above an elevation of 680 feet, and the inclusion of a boundary line adjustment to process a 4- to 5-acre land donation to Wildlife Safari concurrently with the subdivision application, Schofield said.

Where the planning staff and applicant representatives were at loggerheads, Boyd said, was whether open space containing wetlands should be divided among homeowners, or if it should become the responsibility of a homeowners association.

There was also disagreement about whether a preliminary topographical map and development that would identify the slope stability of each lot should be provided, and where an east-to-west access street to Safari Estates should be built. Two other unresolved issues included what improvements were needed to Bremner Lane, the only access to the Bremner Hills Mobile Home Park, and to the intersection of Lookingglass and the proposed access road to Vineyard Estates.

Boyd’s suggestion of developing the east-to-west connector street closer to the north side of Safari Estates was quickly rebutted by Schofield, who said the street would then run through untouched wetlands. He proposed instead that the street cross into Safari Estates and connect with that street system on the south side of the development through wetlands that had already been impacted.

“Those areas were almost destroyed,” Schofield said of his proposed site.

Dan Brands and Valynn Currie, both speaking for the Wildlife Safari Board of Trustees, said the proposed northern route came dangerously close to an established fenceline and animals.

“The trustees would vehemently oppose a northern route,” Currie said.

The planning commission agreed that the southern route should be researched more, and also wanted a letter from Mark Buechley, the Safari Estates developer, stating his opinion on a proposed northern route.

The commission also agreed with Schofield that the wetlands should remain in the care of a homeowners association, with Commissioner Don Richardson noting it would be easier to take an association to court if there is a violation than 50 individual homeowners.

The remaining issues, however, proved to be the most heated.

Schofield told the commission road improvements to Bremner Lane and Lookingglass were already part of the proposal, but Boyd convinced the commission more improvements need to be made.

“You’re talking about building 150 homes next to a substandard street,” Boyd said of Lookingglass Road.

“Our position ... was that it does not make sense to build Lookingglass into a major collector for a mile,” Schofield said.

The commission agreed more right-of-way should be used as a turning lane to offset the increased amount of traffic that would turn into the development, and that Bremner Lane, which crosses the Williams’ property off of Lookingglass Road, should be improved according to the city code for public streets.

The commission also agreed a lot review to assess the buildability of lots on steep slopes should be included in the preliminary approval.

“They should identify the lots are that subject to slide or slope hazard,” Boyd said, adding that some of the lots would be subject to a second land use action.


• You can reach reporter Erik Skoog at 957-4202 or by e-mail at eskoog@newsreview.info.