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Stoneridqe Creek Neighborhood Park — This Neighborhood Park went through a joint master planning process along with Staples Ranch Community Park. Although the support and funding for the Community Park dissolved, the Neighborhood Park was funded by a private developer, Continuing Life Communities (CLC). During the Master Planning process, the Developer (CLC) asked the City what type of amenities were needed on the north side of the neighborhood park, and the City identified the need for lighted tennis courts, an off-leash dog park and restrooms. However, the off-leash dog park was eliminated due to the expansion of the detention pond area. In general, the City has been reluctant to take on maintenance of new (and unplanned) buildings given the City's long-term facilities strategy and approved master planning efforts. Furthermore, there are suitable public meeting spaces to accommodate neighborhood meetings, including the nearby Tennis Park, Senior Center, Firehouse Arts Center, Remillard Room (located at the City's Operation Services Center on Busch Road), and the City's library community room. Most of these facilities are available to the public at no cost. Should a club/meeting room facility be constructed, staff's position is that it be privately constructed, operated, and maintained by the developer and/or VTHA. Site Layout & Access As previously discussed, Lots 29 through 37 would be accessed directly off of Valley Trails Drive and the rest of the development will be accessed by new interior streets with dead-end courts. The missing section of sidewalk on Valley Trails Drive between the church parking lot and the existing residences to the north would be installed and create a continuous sidewalk for the neighborhood along Valley Trails Drive. The interior sidewalks would also be separated from the interior streets by a landscape strip. The applicant is also proposing traffic calming measures and pedestrian connections to Valley Trails Park. Staff seeks the Commission's comments regarding the street design and overall pedestrian experience. Staff believes that the site layout provides adequate vehicular and pedestrian access/flow and integration into the existing neighborhood. The interior streets, which are public streets, and pedestrian connections along Valley Trails drive and to Valley Trails Park help integrate the proposed development into the existing neighborhood. The vehicular and pedestrian connections also comply with the City's Complete Streets Policy and the overall street pattern is consistent with that of the surrounding neighborhood. However, staff believes that the two paved 5-foot pedestrian/bicycle pathway connections from the ends of the two cul- de-sacs to the existing Valley Trails Park pathway should be widened to 7 or 8 feet (which is more consistent with the width of the Valley Trails Park pathway) to allow for simultaneous pedestrian and bicycle travel. Residential Architecture As previously discussed, the applicant is proposing five house models, which include two one- story models, two one-story models with an optional upper floor, and one two-story model. Each model would have three elevation styles, which are Bungalow, Cottage, and Ranch. Each elevation style would utilize a combination of stucco and/or wood siding and provide three exterior color schemes for a total of nine color schemes. Overall, staff believes that the proposed homes are adequately designed and provide enough interest and variation. The architectural styles and heights of the proposed homes are also compatible with those of the homes in the surrounding neighborhood, which include a mix one-story and two-story homes. P15-0551, 6900 Valley Trails Drive Planning Commission 15 of 16