Erie Planning Commission Meeting - August 4, 2022

The Erie Planning Commission held a public hearing and discussion on August 4, 2022 (though minutes and transcript reference August 3, 2022). The meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM by Chair Zuniga, with Commissioners Burns, Booth, Baham, Vice Chair Luthi, and Chair Zuniga present. Commissioner Swikoski was absent and excused. The commission approved the agenda and the July 20, 2022 meeting minutes unanimously. The main items were two public hearings: the Erie Highlands Preliminary Plat No. 5 and the Parkdale P.U.D. Overlay Map Amendment No. 3, both of which received unanimous approval with conditions, and a discussion of the Planning Commission’s bi-annual report to the Board of Trustees.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of the agenda for August 3, 2022, with a unanimous roll-call vote.
• Approval of the July 20, 2022, Planning Commission meeting minutes, also unanimous.

Public Comments & Testimony

Erie Highlands Preliminary Plat No. 5:

• Dennis Francis Crooks (96 Piney Creek) asked about the average square footage of the townhomes (~1,500 sq ft), whether amenities like the pool would be expanded, and if municipal services such as police would increase.
• Dan Handenschild (129 Piney Creek Lane) expressed concern that the development is creating a dense “Brooklyn” environment with traffic on Erie Parkway already horrendous. He worried about the pool becoming overcrowded and the loss of scenic openness.
• Jason Manley (216 Highlands Circle), a board member of Erie Highlands Metropolitan District No. 1, detailed ongoing issues: frequent police calls due to pool vandalism, an underfunded operations and maintenance budget (last two budgets approved with unknown funds), a reserve study at less than 5% of required levels, and the builder’s refusal to improve pool security. He asked what the builder would do to address these before more homes are built.
• Ken Iverson (336 Highlands Circle) requested better dialogue with Oakwood Homes, questioned whether the units would be townhomes or apartments (preferring townhomes), expressed concern about potential subsidized housing, and reiterated the reserve funding problem.

Parkdale P.U.D. Overlay Map Amendment No. 3:

• Jerry Howard (12025 Baseline Road, Lafayette) via virtual comment asked for clarification on smaller alley setbacks (appearing to cram homes), questioned whether a new south exit street would allow left/right turns onto Highway 7, and inquired about the setback distance from house to fence (later clarified as 5 feet).

Discussion Items

22-284: Erie Highlands Preliminary Plat No. 5 Senior Planner Shannon Moeller presented the request for a final residential preliminary plat on 10.6 acres in the Erie Highlands neighborhood, south of Erie Parkway and west of County Road 5. The plan includes 116 alley-loaded townhome units (groups of 3-5), with 10 tracts for landscaping, trails, alleys, and utilities. The density of 6.5 dwelling units per acre meets the medium-density residential comprehensive plan and zoning (5-10 du/ac). The proposal includes an alternative equivalent compliance request to vary the garden court width (24 to 36 feet) in front of one lot, which staff found acceptable. A plugged and abandoned well site exists on the property; subsurface investigations found trace methane that does not exceed regulatory limits. The applicant committed to replugging the well per COGCC requirements and to installing methane alarms and active radon ventilation in homes within 100 feet of the well, plus a disclosure notice. Staff recommended approval with conditions. The applicant, Layla Rosales of Terracina Design, noted that this is the last planning area in Erie Highlands, completing a 10-year development process. Commissioners asked about setbacks, park dedication (already fulfilled), guest parking (87 spaces provided, exceeding the 1 per 3 units code requirement), fire access via alleys (approved by fire department), and the alignment of a road with an oil and gas access. The public hearing opened at 6:33 PM and closed at 7:21 PM.

22-275: Parkdale P.U.D. Overlay Map Amendment No. 3 Senior Planner Audem Gonzales presented the applicant’s request to expand the existing Parkdale PUD boundary by 1.4 acres to include six additional single-family homes as part of Village 8. The amendment does not change dimensional standards (they remain as in the existing Village 8) but includes staff-requested clarifications: adding acreages and unit counts for each village, requiring platted lot configurations on the PUD map, and updating architectural standards (e.g., minimum 12-inch depth and 6-foot width for wall plane breaks, and a 5-foot depth for porches). The zoning is Low Density Residential (LR) with a PUD overlay; the density remains within 2-6 du/ac. The applicant, John Prestwich of PCS Group, explained that the property was purchased to provide road connectivity to the south for future commercial development and that the amendment facilitates connections. Staff recommended approval with a condition for technical corrections. The public hearing opened at 7:25 PM, closed at 7:54 PM, briefly reopened at 7:54 PM for a question about porch encroachment into setbacks, then closed again at 7:55 PM.

22-283: Planning Commission Bi-Annual Report to Board of Trustees Chair Zuniga led a discussion of the commission’s goals and progress. The goals were set by the previous commission and include: (1) facilitating the Comprehensive Plan update (staff reports the RFP will be published within two weeks); (2) exploring ways to be more effective and potentially relieve the Board of Trustees’ workload (many process improvements have been made through UDC amendments, such as administrative approvals for smaller projects); (3) enhancing commissioner skills through APA and legal training; and (4) increasing community engagement (the Comp Plan update will include public meetings). Commissioners suggested refining goal 2 to be more measurable, possibly by reviewing other jurisdictions’ practices. The report will be presented to the Board of Trustees on September 13 or 14, 2022. The vacancy in the commission was noted; staff is working to fill it.

Key Outcomes

• Erie Highlands Preliminary Plat No. 5 (Resolution P22-06): Approved unanimously (5-0) with conditions, including methane gas alarms, active radon systems, and disclosure for homes within 100 feet of the plugged well, plus standard staff conditions.
• Parkdale P.U.D. Overlay Map Amendment No. 3 (Resolution P22-07): Approved unanimously (5-0) with a condition for technical corrections to the PUD document before final recording.
• Bi-Annual Report: The commission will finalize the report incorporating the discussion; staff will forward it to the Board of Trustees.

The meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM.