Berthoud Weekly Surveyor | Covering all the angles in the Garden Spot

Planning commission nixes Gateway Park Patio Homes plan

July 28, 2016 | Local News

Rudy Hemmann
The Surveyor

The Berthoud Planning Commission voted down plans for a nine-home subdivision at the northeast corner of Gateway Park. The proposal was brought forward by Craig Wrigley, agent for Sunriver Development Corporation, LLC.

According to information provided by planning staff the tract, which measures approximately 2.28 acres, would have required a rezone from Planned Unit Development (PUD) to single family (R-1). Under the PUD zoning the property was designated for commercial development.

During his presentation to the commissioners Curt Freese stated he found it difficult to justify changing the zoning to R-1, especially since the property is located near a major intersection within the town limits.

Wrigley made the argument during his presentation that commercial development had not taken place on the property in the many years it has been designated as such. He also pointed out there was an immediate market for the type of residential development being proposed for the property, and furthermore, there was no way of telling at what point a commercial developer would come along and show interest in the property.

The commissioners deliberated for several minutes before a motion to deny an ordinance to rezone the 2.28-acre tract was made, seconded and approved by a vote of five to one with Commissioner Bill Gilmore casting the lone “No” vote.

The commission approved two other subdivision requests. The first of these was a proposal brought forward by Bill Zech, acting as agent for ALC V, Berthoud LLC, with regard to zoning changes for portions of the Vantage project.

The Vantage Subdivision (formerly Easthaven and Westhaven) is located at the northeastern quadrant of the intersection of Larimer County Road 17 and Bunyan Avenue.

According to a staff report furnished by planning staff, Zech’s request was for rezone of a 23.242-acre parcel from a residential Planned Unit Development (PUD) to multi-family residential (R-3), a 125.803-acre tract from PUD to single family residential (R-1) and a 9.721-acre parcel from PUD to multi-family residential (R-3).

The commissioners had little comment regarding the request, and a motion to adopt an ordinance reflecting the above rezone request was made, seconded and approved unanimously.

The next request was brought forward by Jim Birdsall, agent for Hillside Commercial LLC (the Heron Lakes development), and this request also contained its share of rezoning. Again, according to the staff report for this item, Birdsall requested: rezone of a 12.418-acre parcel from single family residential (R-1) to multi-family residential (R-3), a 26.098-acre parcel from agricultural (AG) and R-1 to AG, a 2.541-acre parcel from AG and R-1 to multi-family mixed use (R-4), and an 8.222-acre parcel from AG and neighborhood commercial (C-1) to C-1.

Also requested were the Heron Lakes Fifth Filing Final Plat approval to create 179 single-family lots, and one tract of multi-family development over a total of 65.42 acres, as well as a request for an overall amendment of the concept plan.

Once the commissioners became fully oriented to the rezone request, the Fifth Filing Final Plat discussion by the commissioners was fairly brief. A motion to adopt an ordinance reflecting the Heron Lakes rezone as stated above was made, seconded and approved unanimously.

The above motion was quickly followed by a second motion approving the Heron Lakes Fifth Filing Final Plat and revised concept plan was made, seconded and approved unanimously.

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