Erie Planning Commission Meeting - March 1, 2023

The Planning Commission of the Town of Erie met on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at 6:30 PM in the Council Chambers at 645 Holbrook Street, Erie, CO. The primary agenda item was a public hearing on two resolutions recommending approval of a rezoning and PUD overlay amendment for the 10-acre Westerly Outparcel, along with routine approvals, staff reports, and commissioner updates. The meeting was adjourned at 7:16 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda Approval: Approved unanimously by roll call vote (6-0) with Commissioner Burns absent.
• Minutes Approval: Approved the February 15, 2023 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes unanimously (6-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• General Public Comments: None for non-agenda items.
• Public Hearing Comment (Westerly Item): Bob Jensen, 11964 Kenosha Road, Erie, CO and co-owner of the property, spoke in favor of the Westerly proposal. He expressed strong support for the project, noting the long history of the property (including a former drag strip), the positive relationship with the developer, and the potential to complete improvements along Road 5.

Discussion Items

• Public Hearing: Westerly Outparcel Rezoning (RP-3 to LDR) and PUD Overlay Map Amendment No. 3 (Agenda Item 23-114)
  • Staff presentation by Kelly Driscoll, Senior Planner: Overview of the request to rezone a 10-acre parcel from Rural Preservation 3 (RP-3) to Low Density Residential (LDR) and to extend the Westerly PUD Overlay to include the parcel. The parcel is located east of Weld County Road 5 and north of Weld County Road 6, surrounded by the existing Westerly development. The LDR zoning allows 3-5 dwelling units per acre, and the PUD amendment would incorporate the parcel into Village 1, permitting single-family, duplex, alley-loaded townhome, and alley-loaded housing types. The PUD boundary would expand by 3.5%, and dimensional and architectural standards remain unchanged. Staff found all approval criteria met and recommended approval with a condition that technical corrections be made prior to Board of Trustees consideration. A correction was noted in the resolution recitals: Erie Land Company is the authorized representative for the owner of record, HJ Services.
  • Applicant presentation by Heidi Majerik (Southern Land Company) and John Prestwich (PCS Group): Provided project history since 2017, the conceptual plan for the 10-acre parcel, and emphasized that the addition would ensure consistent high-quality design within Westerly. They noted that the parcel would require approximately 3.6 acres of additional dedicated open space; however, the community currently provides about 86 acres versus a requirement of about 59 acres, leaving a surplus of 23+ acres even after the addition. The applicant also mentioned that the project would remove an existing driveway access point on County Road 5 and potentially add a spine trail connection.
  • Commissioner questions and discussion focused on: lack of community attendance at the neighborhood meeting (no pushback), the purpose of the inactive RP-3 zoning district, property history, clarification that the 10 acres is an addition to the existing PUD, housing diversity requirements already met, open space surplus, Road 5 completion benefits, acquisition process, and the removal of the existing access point.

Key Outcomes

• Motion 1: Vice Chair Luthi moved to approve Resolution P23-02 (Rezoning Westerly Outparcel from RP-3 to LDR). The motion, seconded by Commissioner Booth, passed unanimously (6-0).
• Motion 2: Vice Chair Luthi moved to approve Resolution P23-03 (Westerly PUD Overlay Map, Amendment No. 3). The motion, seconded by Commissioner Booth, passed unanimously (6-0).
• Staff Reports / Upcoming Meetings: The Commission agreed to move the Elevate Erie presentation to the April 5, 2023 meeting for a more comprehensive briefing, and canceled the March 15, 2023 meeting due to lack of agenda items. Staff will notice the March 10, 2023 ribbon cutting event at Westerly (105 Wells Street, followed by model home tours) to allow commissioner attendance.
• Commissioner Reports: Commissioner Booth reported on the recent PAC (Planning Advisory Committee) meeting, noting introductions, project overview, schedule, roles, survey results, and community engagement discussion. Chair Zuniga reported on presenting to the Board of Trustees on February 28, 2023, and reiterated clarification of attendance rules for consecutive absences (a vote may grant a leave of absence).

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 7:16 PM.