The Newport City Council met on Thursday, March 19 at city hall in Newport, approving a series of land use actions advancing the proposed Eastridge Heights housing development, while also reviewing upcoming infrastructure projects and routine city business.
Starting the night out, the council unanimously adopted its consent agenda, which included approval of a Washington County recycling grant, a lawful gambling application for St. Thomas Aquinas Church, and payment of $171,410.58 in bills.
The primary item of business for the night meanwhile was the proposed Eastridge Heights development, a 73-lot single-family neighborhood planned south and east of Hastings Avenue and Bailey Road. The development as proposed by Summergate offers both one and two story homes of varying lot sizes with three to four car garages in northeast Newport.
“The developer is proposing 73 single-family homes,” City Planner Nathan Fuerst said, noting the site would be rezoned from rural estate to low-density residential. Fuerst said the site involved two future land use categories, one transportation and the other for residential estate use. Fuerst said in addition that the 58-acre site includes significant bluff land, leaving about 30 acres of buildable area. The project required several approvals, including a comprehensive plan amendment, rezoning, preliminary plat, and a planned unit development (PUD) ordinance.
“This is the city's low density single family district, and so that district does have a number of different standards in the code for minimum lot area, width and depth,” Fuerst said of the area. “The developer is proposing lots that are generally the size that they're supposed to be, or bigger according to the city code, the developer is requesting flexibility on setbacks for those lots. And so there is flexibility requested to the front side and rear yard setbacks in addition to impervious surface.
Lots would have 25 feet in front for a setback as well as 25 feet in the rear, with no structures allowed less than 30 feet from the bluff. A tree protection and replacement plan was also included to prevent bluff destabilization.
The council approved the package of resolutions and an ordinance allowing the project to move to final plat review, following an unanimous recommendation from the Planning Commission.
Council members spent considerable time discussing density, setbacks and environmental protections, particularly given the site’s steep terrain and proximity to bluff land and a historic cemetery.
To accommodate the development, the city approved lowering the minimum density requirement for the land use category from three units per acre to 2.5 units per acre. Fuerst said the project meets that revised threshold.
Council members also examined flexibility requested for setbacks and lot coverage, which would allow larger building envelopes on individual lots.
Developer Brian Tucker of Summergate Development said the flexibility reflects modern housing trends.
“Forty percent doesn’t work very well with the typical homes that are still being built,” Tucker said, adding that stormwater systems are designed for worst-case scenarios to account for larger impervious surfaces.
Bluff stability and erosion control were also key concerns. City staff said stormwater management, conservation easements and vegetation preservation would be critical to protecting the bluff area.
“We’ll have redundant, consistent erosion control…throughout the duration of the project,” city engineer Jon Herdegen noted.
Among items drawing attention Thursday was a new road connecting Hastings Avenue and Sterling Avenue, running south of Red Rock Cemetery. The road and associated development has three cul-de-sacs due to the site’s topography.
One cul-de-sac will exceed the city’s typical length limit, but staff recommended approval with mitigation measures, including a wider street and secondary emergency access via a trail connection.
The roadway will include a steep grade of about 12.4%, comparable to some existing streets in Newport but over a longer distance.
Council members acknowledged potential challenges for winter maintenance and traffic, particularly as the road could serve as a shortcut to nearby facilities.
The development will also include a trail connection consistent with the city’s 2025 trail plan, though the exact alignment will be determined during final design.
Rather than dedicating parkland within the development, the city will likely accept a cash contribution due to the site’s proximity to Bailey School Forest Park.
Council members also discussed the site’s proximity to historic Red Rock Cemetery, with Council member Tom Ingemann raising concerns about potential impacts from construction or stormwater runoff.
“Cherrywood does not have a cemetery below its bluff line, whereas this one does,” he said of Eastridge Heights.
Fuerst said an archaeological review found the cemetery boundaries to be well-defined, but recommended monitoring during construction as a precaution.
In other business from March 19, Newport City Engineer Jon Herdegen announced a public meeting April 1 on the 12th Street improvement project, with final plans expected later in April. Plans for Third Avenue improvements are also moving forward.
Newport Public Works Superintendent Matt Yokiel reported no major updates but received praise from the council for recent snow removal efforts.
With no public comments and no additional business, the council adjourned following reports from staff and council members.
The next steps for Eastridge Heights include final plat approval and continued review of engineering, as well as landscaping and environmental plans before construction can begin.