The Buckley City Council voted 3-2 to accept a preliminary plat application for the Van Sickle Landing subdivision during a Thursday special session at the Multi-Purpose Center.

The council accepted, with conditions, a recommendation by Hearing Examiner Millie Judge,

The vote regarding the proposed 260-home, 60-acre project – funded by Elkhorn LLC/Investco Financial Corporation – was to accept the preliminary plat with the exception of abutment zoning standards or building the cottage housing too close together, with the Bucklintent of keeping a huge common open space.

Councilman Randy Reed voted yes on the recommendation. “I was very pleased with the process and think that we ended up with an excellent bottom line,” he said. “I think we accomplished what we had set out to do, which was to eliminate some of the weak spots in our existing zoning codes, consequently avoiding the appearance of row housing.

“In the past I think the council has been too emotionally invested with these things, but this time I don’t think that happened, because we all read the hearing examiner’s findings, looked at the facts and got right down to business.”

Other council members voting for the acceptance with conditions were Melissa Patson and Jan Twardowski, while those voting against it were Christi Boyle-Barrett and Sandy Ramsey.

A final vote on the official zoning document is expected to come July 13.

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