Erie Planning Commission Meeting - December 6, 2023

The Erie Planning Commission met on December 6, 2023 at 6:31 PM in Council Chambers at 645 Holbrook Street, Erie, CO 80516. The meeting was chaired by Chair Burns and included updates on the Elevate Erie comprehensive plan and transportation mobility plan (TMP), staff reports, and administrative items. The Commission unanimously approved the agenda and previous meeting minutes, and canceled the December 20, 2023 meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Unanimously approved the December 6, 2023 agenda (motion by Vice Chair Laws, second by Commissioner Dreckman; roll call 5-0, Commissioners Hemphill and Booth absent).
• Unanimously approved the October 18, 2023 Planning Commission meeting minutes (motion by Commissioner Braudes, second by Commissioner Dreckman; roll call 5-0, Commissioners Hemphill and Booth absent).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered.

Discussion Items

• Elevate Erie Update: Senior Strategic Planner Josh Campbell and Senior Transportation Planner Miguel Aguilar presented revisions to the vision statement and core values. After community and committee input, the initial four core values were condensed to three: sustainability, livability, and community. The concept of equity was elevated to a single key principle: "Embracing and celebrating our differences. The town recognizes the power of open dialogue, addressing challenging topics and making informed decisions that create an equitable community." The revised vision reads: "Erie is a sustainable, livable, and connected community that creates positive, memorable, and lasting impressions for its residents and visitors. The town is committed to collaboratively managing our diverse, natural, cultural, fiscal, social, and capital resources." Commissioners questioned the definition of key principles vs. core values, the phrasing "addressing challenging topics," and whether additional key principles should be added. Staff acknowledged the feedback and will review.
• Transportation Mobility Plan (TMP) Update: Aguilar presented the draft TMP vision, which prioritizes walking, biking, and transit over driving. The draft vision states: "Walking, biking, and riding transit are prioritized over driving and affordable, cost effective and time efficient travel options." Goals are organized into six categories: multimodal options, connectivity, equity, safety/comfort, innovation, and sustainability. Next steps include finalizing the vision by mid-January 2024, developing a monitoring program and performance measures, creating project recommendations, and aiming for adoption by April 2024. Public open houses are planned for February 2024. Commissioners discussed inclusion of golf carts (noting aging community reliance), coordination with OSTAB (two representatives on the PAC), and the need to quantify terms like "comfortable network" (e.g., protected bike lanes vs. painted lanes). Concerns were raised that the phrase "prioritized over driving" could be provocative; staff explained it reflects public input and does not eliminate driving improvements. Staff will produce a more detailed timeline with intermediate milestones.
• Staff Reports: Interim Planning Manager Kelly Driscoll presented the Planning & Development monthly reports for September and October 2023. She noted a typical seasonal decrease in land use applications from September to October. Commissioners had no questions.
• Commissioner Reports: The Commission discussed and agreed to cancel the December 20, 2023 Planning Commission meeting due to no scheduled land use cases. A reminder was issued for the town holiday party on January 12, 2024 (explained as cost-effective and non-religious celebration). A warning was shared about phishing emails targeting commissioners, including a fraudulent survey link purportedly from the Director of Communications. Commissioners were advised to report suspicious emails and complete a new cybersecurity training series.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimously approved the December 6, 2023 agenda and October 18, 2023 meeting minutes.
• Canceled the December 20, 2023 Planning Commission meeting. The next meeting will be in January 2024 (date not specified).
• No formal votes were taken on Elevate Erie or the TMP; staff will incorporate commissioner feedback (clarify language, consider additional key principles, refine TMP vision wording, develop detailed timeline, and address golf cart policies) and return for further discussion.