This map shows what the proposed 86-lot Fairway Woods development, located south of the Seward Community Golf Course, might look like. Along with new homes, the development will also include water detention cells to mitigate flooding and the 2.5 acre area marked “Outlot A” will be donated to the city for a public park.
The Seward City Council took the first step toward approving an 86-lot development by approving a rezoning request south of the Seward Community Golf Course.
During the board’s Jan. 16 meeting, Building/Zoning and Code Enforcement Director Ed Gonzalez said Max Wake and Mark Kolterman of Building Seward, LLC, asked to rezone the area from Residential-one (R-1), a low-density district, to R-2 and R-3.
The roughly 30-acre area is located north of Hillcrest Drive, east of Augusta Drive and west of Eighth Street, and includes land that is currently used as the driving range at the golf course.
The board approved the request, rezoning the northern 20 acres to R-2 and the southern 10 acres to R-3, which has a higher density than the R-1 zoning.
Gonzalez said the rezone is fully or mostly compatible with existing land uses and zoning. The area east of the proposed Fairway Woods addition is zoned R-2, and the areas west and south are zoned R-3.
The city council also considered an ordinance to approve the development’s preliminary and final plats.
When the city council considers ordinances, it typically votes to suspend the statutory rule that requires three readings of the ordinance—one at three individual meetings.
That means the board usually holds one hearing and votes on the ordinance at the same meeting.
However, the board did not vote to suspend that rule, opting to hold the ordinance’s first reading, in order to further discuss a few aspects of the development like the golf course’s driving range and water concerns in the area.
The board also discussed traffic concerns and the addition of a new city park in the development.
Stacey Roach of Olsson Associates spoke on behalf of the developers. She said these lots will be highly desirable because of their proximity to the golf course. She also said the neighborhood would provide other recreational opportunities like a park and walkways.
The city is currently leasing the golf course land from the Wake family, an agreement that expires in 2022.
Roach said the Wakes will honor that agreement and is open to help the city find a new location for the driving range.
Garrett Erickson, a sophomore at Seward High School, said he uses the driving range daily and that the feature is important for SHS’s golf team.
“I would hate to see the driving range go,” Erickson said.
Erickson said during golf tournaments, many student athletes use the driving range to warm up and prevent injuries. Without a driving range, it’s likely some schools would not attend Seward High’s golf tournament.
He added that the driving range can open doors to new golfers.
“Having a driving range is very essential for them to get the proper technique and everything that they need to become a golfer or just to learn and try something new,” Erickson said.
Jordan Biggs, an eighth grade student at Seward Middle School, said the driving range helped get him involved in the sport.
“It sparked my interest the first time I picked up a golf club,” Biggs said.
Both Erickson and Biggs said relocating the driving range would be an acceptable solution.
City Administrator Greg Butcher said the city is currently looking at new potential sites for the driving range.
“We don’t want to be caught on our heels,” Butcher said.
Councilmember Chris Schmit said Fairway Woods would be built in two phases, with the northern portion, which includes the driving range, being in the second phase that would not begin until the city’s lease has expired.
Councilmember Ellen Beck said she was in favor of delaying a vote on the plats in order to look into the driving range situation more.
“It’s an integral part of the golf course,” Beck said.
She said when the city began negotiations to purchase the golf course’s assets from the Seward County Club late in 2015, it wanted a long-term commitment.
“We’ve shown our commitment,” Beck said.
On Jan. 19, Beck said by agreeing to spend $350,000 to purchase SCC’s assets, the council, by its vote, was committed to operating the golf course long-term.
At the meeting, she said she cannot support getting rid of the driving range.
“I’m just concerned about spending $350,000 in taxpayer money to have a golf course for about seven years,” Beck said.
Wake said the shorter land lease was meant to ensure the golf course was not a negative to the city, as the SCC had financial stability issues in the past.
He added that his family, who owns the land encompassing the golf course, sees the course as a key amenity to the community.
Jake Vasa of Olsson Associates, an engineer who worked on the development, said there are existing drainage issues on Augusta Drive.
“The issues that are there are significant,” Vasa said.
Doug Gremel, a resident in the area, said that while August Drive is not in the flood plain, it still has flooding issues.
“It’s a swamp,” Gremel said.
Vasa said the proposed development was designed to mitigate any new runoff issues and help improve the current drainage.
“It will be a great benefit to the folks on Augusta,” Vasa said.
To help with drainage, Vasa said the development includes four detention cells that are meant to hold water back and release it slowly.
Three of those cells will be in Fairway Woods, Vasa said, and the fourth will be on an unused area of the golf course.
He also said a third party, JEO Consulting Group, is reviewing the development’s drainage plans to ensure it will work as intended. JEO is expected to have a report on the topic at a later date.
Butcher said the board could wait for JEO’s findings before approving the plats to avoid having to amend them later.
The board heard the first reading of the preliminary and final plats. The second and third hearings will be held Feb. 6 and Feb. 20.
Gremel also spoke to the board about increased traffic in the area.
He said with 86 lots, it’s likely each household will have two or more cars. He also said it’s likely that increased traffic will filter to Hillcrest Drive, which is already a busy intersection.
“We call it ‘the kill zone,’” Gremel said.
Street/Transportation and Recycling Superintendent Mel Aldrich said there might be some concern regarding traffic, but if there are issues the city would be able to resolve them.
With the development, Building Seward will donate land for a city park within Fairway Woods.
Gonzalez said the land was donated to protect trees that create a shelter belt and includes a sidewalk into the area.
A minimum of .51 acres, adjusted for the size of the development, may be donated to the city, Gonzalez said. Building Seward will donate 2.5 acres.
On Jan. 19, Butcher said the developer will clean the underbrush from the area and build an 8-foot sidewalk that will connect the park to the Plum Creek Trail.
On the east side of the park, Butcher said the city will build an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant playground using grants and city funds. A shelter area will also be built.
Once the land is donated, it will be maintained by the city.
