Lebanon planning staff told the Planning Commission on an annexation and rezoning request from Summit Development that the proposal for roughly 246 acres and 311 residential lots is not ready for a favorable recommendation.

Staff outlined proposed changes in the project’s specific plan and recommended multiple amendments before the commission forward a positive recommendation. "We would suggest requiring the pedestrian connectivity to meet the code, requiring tree preservation to meet the code, requiring usable open space to meet the code, [and] require 1 additional external connection in each subdistrict," staff said. Staff added these changes should be made by the applicant or the commission before the matter returns.

Staff said the project would add more than five miles of public roads and associated utility extensions, increasing long‑term maintenance costs for the city, and concluded: "As far as the question for the annexation goes, staff opposes this annexation request." Staff also noted the first reading and public hearing were scheduled for Jan. 6, with a second reading on Jan. 20.

Residents raised concerns at the public hearing. Philip Donnell, who said he lives at 914 Maple Hill Road, told the commission the proposed density was excessive for the road’s capacity and urged the commission to consider traffic impacts. "With this density, we're talking 700 more cars on this road every day," Donnell said.

A representative for Summit Development acknowledged drafting issues in the specific plan text and said the developer plans revisions. Heather Grimes, with Reagan Smith, said open-space and tree-preservation language "are drafting issues" that the applicant will fix and that lot-size figures are larger than some critics suggested: "Our average lot size is actually 15,000, almost 16,000. It's 15,800 and something." Grimes also described pedestrian-connection choices as safety-driven given curvilinear streets.

Commission discussion included a suggestion that homes include more masonry finishes; a commissioner said the developer agreed to add 75% brick or stone on four sides in the specific plan.

Next steps: staff asked for the applicant to address the listed amendments and indicated the annexation would return with staff recommendations. Formal action was not recorded at this meeting.