Erie Planning Commission Meeting - February 15, 2023
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Erie Planning Commission Meeting - February 15, 2023
The Erie Planning Commission met on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers at 645 Holbrook Street. The meeting included public hearings on two items, a discussion of the Elevate Erie Comprehensive Plan survey results, and a discussion of attendance policy. The commission voted to recommend approval of the Lot 1 Erie Air Park Replat D PD, but failed to recommend an ordinance requiring a public hearing prior to leasing or pooling town-owned minerals.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of the agenda (motion carried unanimously).
- Approval of the February 1, 2023 meeting minutes with corrections (motion carried unanimously).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comment was given for the non-agenda public comment period.
- During the public hearing for the Erie Air Park replat, two members of the public testified: Bob (Robert) Chalifoux, a resident of 305 Baron Court, Erie, expressed concerns about property values, need for hangar space, and traffic safety. Steve Zimmerman, who owns unit #202 in the existing development, raised concerns about taxiway width and parking.
Discussion Items
Recommendation on Town-Owned Minerals Ordinance (Item 23-091)
- David Frank, Energy & Environmental Specialist, presented a proposed ordinance requiring the Board of Trustees to hold a public hearing before leasing or pooling town-owned minerals. He explained that while Colorado statute requires a public interest determination, the town lacks a codified process. The ordinance would also apply to future acquisitions and short-term leases over one year.
- Commissioner Burns moved to approve the recommendation; seconded by Commissioner Baham. The motion failed 4-2 (Commissioners Booth, Tolson, Luthi, and Zuniga voting no; Baham and Burns voting yes).
Lot 1 Erie Air Park Replat D PD (Item 22-505)
- This item was a continuance due to previous snowstorms. Staff noted the presentation was not repeated but the applicant was available for questions. The proposal involves replatting Lot 1 as a Planned Development to allow light industrial uses alongside airport hangars.
- Commissioners discussed the zoning vs. site plan aspects, traffic concerns, and compatibility. The applicant noted that a future site plan review would include traffic analysis.
- Commissioner Burns moved to approve with conditions; seconded by Vice Chair Luthi. Motion passed unanimously (6-0).
Elevate Erie Comprehensive Plan & Transportation Mobility Plan Survey Results (Item 23-109)
- Erin Fosdick, Principal Long Range Planner, presented initial results from the Vision & Values Survey, which received nearly 700 responses (about 1/30th of Erie's population). Key findings: 82% of respondents said Erie meets or exceeds expectations; top likes were parks/open space, sense of community, and walkability; top desired changes were more restaurants/entertainment, diversity of shopping, and improved parks. 45% were concerned about population growth, ease of getting around, and school capacity. The survey was not statistically valid but provided qualitative insights.
- Commissioners discussed using the results as a jumping-off point for further engagement, including focus groups, paper surveys, and community events. The next update is scheduled for March or April.
Planning Commission Attendance Policy (Item 23-108)
- Chair Zuniga discussed the attendance policy from the UDC and Rules of Procedure. A commissioner missing three consecutive meetings requires a commission vote on a leave of absence; if not approved, it goes to the Board of Trustees. No vote was taken, but commissioners were reminded to notify staff of absences.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to recommend the town-owned minerals ordinance (23-091) failed (4-2).
- Motion to recommend approval of the Lot 1 Erie Air Park Replat D PD (22-505) passed unanimously (6-0).
- The comprehensive plan survey results will inform further community engagement, with focus groups and events planned.
- Staff reported upcoming meetings: a BOT presentation on March 28, a public hearing for Westerly Rezone 3 on March 1, and no agenda items for March 15. Training via Rocky Mountain Land Institute (March 9-10) was announced.
- Commissioner Zuniga alerted the commission about a Boulder County composting facility issue affecting Erie's sphere of influence.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. Welcome to the February fifteenth, two thousand twenty-three meeting of the Planning Commission. Please join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. Will the Secretary please call roll? Commissioner Booth. Here. Commissioner Tolson is not here. Commissioner Burns. Here. Vice Chair Luffy. Here. Chair Zunika. Here. We have a quorum. So we have um, thank you. We have an agenda before us this evening, and there are four items of business on the agenda tonight. So I'll just quickly review. The first one is a public hearing um regarding the uh chapter twelve title ten of the of the UDC. This is uh relating to oil and gas. The second item on our agenda is not on my agenda. Okay. Um my gosh, the continuance, the continuance of the Erie Air Park replot. Um, so this was continued, and then we had another snowstorm, and for some reason, every time this comes up on the agenda, there's another snowstorm, and again tonight. So we're glad to get that back. This is looking at the comprehensive plan update and some of the results from the survey. And that's just really by way of training, just to remind everybody of what the um what the commitments are as a planning commissioner and what happens if we aren't going to be able to be here. So that's our agenda. Do we have any changes to the agenda? No changes from staff. Thank you. All right. Is there anyone that can um make a motion to approve? Motion to approve the uh agenda. Second. We have a motion and a second. We have a roll call vote, please. Commissioner Booth. Yes. Commissioner Baham. Yes. Commissioner Burns. Yes. Vice Chair Luthy. Yes. Chair Zunaga. Yes. That's unanimous. And that takes us to the approval of the minutes from February 1st, 2023. Do we have I'm not sure how this works. I didn't there's a correction that needs to be made.
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