The proposed addition of 113 new homes in the University Club neighborhood has gotten a green light, with a promised traffic roundabout and a new development condition to appease some residents who have publicly opposed the proposal for months.
The St. George Planning Commission approved Monday the rest of the preliminary plat for the 113-home development that now includes a 30-foot nature buffer zone behind a handful of homes directly in front of wetlands.
Developer Sinclair Kouns and his team redesigned the buffer zone into the plat after a contentious June planning commission meeting about the development. This buffer would provide a green space between property lines for a few homeowners contiguous to wetlands and the areas of proposed homes.
“Hopefully that helps their view. It’ll be required to have landscaping, so it’ll stay green,” said attorney Erik Piazza, about the 30-foot buffer.
The proposal is split in two sections and would build 113 single-family homes in the neighborhood. Most of the wetlands adjacent to the University Club subdivision would be destroyed to build the new homes. Residents have expressed concern and dissatisfaction with the plan since it was first proposed in 2024 over potentially losing their scenic views as well as worries about flooding, traffic issues and loss of wildlife.
In June, the commission approved the first part of the 113-home development preliminary plat with the stipulation that a new traffic roundabout right outside the neighborhood would have to be completed before certificates of occupancy are issued for the new homes.
“The biggest comment is about the roundabout on Bluebonnet,” Commissioner Billy Aguillard said Monday.
Aguillard emphasized the process it will take to get to final development plat approval, saying that even if the final plat is approved, it is subject to the completion of the roundabout before certificates of occupancy can be approved.
The planning commission approved the rest of the preliminary plat for the development in a 3-1 vote, with Jason McAllister voting no. Commissioner Bobby McKey was absent.
Resident Steve Taylor, who has taken the lead in advocating against the development, said that prior to Monday he met with the developer’s representative and city leadership and that the buffer space offered is about all there was to give.
Taylor is one of the few residents who is contiguous to the wetlands that would be impacted by this development and has been worried about losing the backyard sanctuary he bought into decades ago.
“Giving us something is better than nothing,” Taylor said about the addition of the buffer zone.