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Record of Proceedings

Erie Planning Commission Approves Erie Highlands Filing 18 Site Plan – March 19, 2025

Planning Commission — Wednesday, March 19, 2025
BodyErie, Colorado
SessionPlanning Commission
DateWednesday, March 19, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
2:02

Will the secretary please call roll?

2:04

Commissioner Booth.

2:06

Here.

2:08

Pardon me.

2:09

Commissioner Dreckman is absent and excused.

2:12

Commissioner Brodus.

2:14

Present.

2:15

Commissioner Baham is absent and excused.

2:20

Vice Chair Hempel.

2:21

Here.

2:22

We have a quorum.

2:25

Thank you.

2:26

We have an agenda before us this evening.

2:28

Does staff have any changes to the agenda?

2:34

I think we were going to add a discussion item to the end uh following the public hearing uh regarding discussion of uh excused extended absence for one of the commissioners.

2:44

Yes.

2:45

Okay.

2:45

Okay.

2:46

Um we'll add that at the end of general business.

2:52

And do we have a motion to approve tonight's agenda?

2:55

So moved.

2:56

Second.

2:57

And we'll do a uh voice vote.

2:59

All in favor say aye.

3:01

Aye.

3:02

All posts say no.

3:04

Uh motion passes unanimously.

3:08

That concludes brings us to the approval of the February fifth, twenty twenty-five pointing commission meeting minutes.

3:15

Do we have any changes or a motion?

3:19

Motion to approve.

3:20

Second.

3:22

We have a motion and a second for voice vote.

3:25

All in favor say aye.

3:28

All posts say no.

3:30

Motion passes unanimously.

3:33

Um this brings us to public comments portion of the meeting.

3:36

This is for public comments intended for items not already scheduled on the agenda to be discussed.

3:43

Is there anyone in the waiting room signed up or in the audience for public comment?

3:51

We have no one for general uh comment.

3:54

Okay, one person signed up for a hearing.

3:57

All right.

4:28

Oh, sorry.

4:33

The time is now six thirty-three PM.

4:36

And I will turn it over to staff and applicant for their presentations.

4:43

Thank you.

4:43

As mentioned, uh, the case I have for you this evening is the Erie Highlands filing eighteen site plan.

4:50

And the request tonight is for approval of this site plan application.

4:55

Uh the project encompasses a little over ten acres and a hundred and sixteen uh lots and dwelling units.

5:03

Existing zoning is medium density residential with uh PUD overlay, the Erie Highlands PD overlay.

5:10

And currently the site is undeveloped.

5:14

Where we sit in the process right now is the site plan, as I mentioned.

5:18

And so in this type of application, uh planning commission is the final decision maker on this.

5:22

It doesn't go to town council after this.

5:26

And I will note the final plat went to town council last month, about a month ago.

5:31

And so that final plat and development agreement have been approved by town council as well.

5:37

I'll get into a little more background tonight and then talk about some of the details of the proposal itself and finally get into the approval criteria.

5:47

The site is located sort of in the core of Erie Highlands, uh to the west of County Road 5, south of Erie Highland, or uh sorry, Erie Parkway, and uh right off of Glacier Drive here.

6:00

I guess you probably can't see my ear, but these uh street views are a little rough, but hopefully you can get the idea.

6:10

So this is looking uh east down high view drive.

6:14

Um you've got filing 12 on the right hand on the south side there.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Planning And Development███████████████████████████████████████████43%
Procedural███████████████15%
Public Engagement███████7%
Personnel Matters███████7%
Municipal Governance██████6%
Fiscal Sustainability█████5%
Environmental Protection█████5%
Transportation Safety████4%
Public Safety███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Erie Planning Commission Meeting – March 19, 2025

The Erie Planning Commission met on March 19, 2025, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers to consider a site plan for Erie Highlands Filing 18 Subdivision. After a public hearing and deliberation, the commission unanimously approved the resolution. The meeting also included approval of prior minutes, a commissioner's extended leave request, and updates on commission appointments and the comprehensive plan.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the agenda as amended (adding an item for Commissioner Dreckman’s extended leave request).
  • Approved the February 19, 2025, Planning Commission meeting minutes.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Andy Matyus, Erie Highlands Metro District 2 resident board member, expressed concern that Metro District 2 may be asked to take over ownership and maintenance of common areas (tracts, alleys, extensive landscaping) without adequate funding from the townhome fees. He noted that existing Carriage Homes in the district lack sufficient funding for operations and reserves, and stated the board will not accept obligations not adequately funded now or in the future.
  • Gary Brown, resident of 1031 Arrowhead Court, echoed concerns about HOA funding for maintenance and landscaping, urging that cost planning account for current inflation. He also opposed on-street parking, calling it a hazard and an eyesore, and suggested residents should use their garages.

Discussion Items

  • Erie Highlands Filing 18 Site Plan (Resolution P25-02): Senior Planner Harry Brennan and applicant Mike Weiher (terracina design) presented the proposal for 116 townhomes on 10.7 acres (10.8 units/acre), alley-loaded garages, two-car garages per unit, 74 on-street and 10 off-street visitor parking spaces (316 total, 3.3 per unit), extensive landscaping (50% site), and architecture consistent with Erie Highlands. The site is the last residential piece of the community. Staff found the plan met all approval criteria. Commissioners questioned and discussed:
    • Parking adequacy and street widths (High View Drive 70 ft, North Vista 60 ft).
    • HOA structure: separate subdistrict for maintenance fees, similar to Carriage Homes.
    • Drainage: series of detention ponds to the east, piped connections.
    • Green court landscape: one alternative compliance request to reduce width from 30 to 24 ft at a pinch point (Block 2, Lot 7).
    • Construction timeline: start summer 2025, phased east to west.
    • Traffic and signalization: planned traffic signal at Glacier Drive and Erie Parkway, part of future commercial development (Filing 17).
    • School capacity: school district letter confirmed dedication requirements met for Erie Highlands Elementary; high school capacity remains a concern.
    • Oil and gas site: well at High View Drive and sidewalk was plugged, capped, and abandoned in February 2025; no further maintenance expected; 25-ft setback, access from street.
    • Town maintenance responsibility: town maintains public right-of-way; adjacent landscaping is HOA responsibility.
    • Construction access and sidewalk closures: likely from Glacier Drive, with community trail on west edge kept open.
  • Commissioner Dreckman’s Extended Leave: Vice Chair Hemphill moved to approve an excused absence for Commissioner Dreckman for 12 weeks, with expected return on June 18, 2025. Unanimously approved.

Key Outcomes

  • Unanimously approved the Resolution (P25-02) for the Erie Highlands Filing 18 Site Plan (Commissioners Booth, Braudes, and Vice Chair Hemphill voting yes).
  • Unanimously approved Commissioner Dreckman’s 12-week excused leave (voice vote).
  • Staff reported 11 applications received for the new Planning Commission member; appointments scheduled for Town Council on April 1, 2025.
  • Vice Chair Hemphill noted the Planning Commission’s biannual report to Town Council is scheduled for March 25, 2025.
  • Next regular Planning Commission meeting: April 2, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Will the secretary please call roll? Commissioner Booth. Here. Pardon me. Commissioner Dreckman is absent and excused. Commissioner Brodus. Present. Commissioner Baham is absent and excused. Vice Chair Hempel. Here. We have a quorum. Thank you. We have an agenda before us this evening. Does staff have any changes to the agenda? I think we were going to add a discussion item to the end uh following the public hearing uh regarding discussion of uh excused extended absence for one of the commissioners. Yes. Okay. Okay. Um we'll add that at the end of general business. And do we have a motion to approve tonight's agenda? So moved. Second. And we'll do a uh voice vote. All in favor say aye. Aye. All posts say no. Uh motion passes unanimously. That concludes brings us to the approval of the February fifth, twenty twenty-five pointing commission meeting minutes. Do we have any changes or a motion? Motion to approve. Second. We have a motion and a second for voice vote. All in favor say aye. All posts say no. Motion passes unanimously. Um this brings us to public comments portion of the meeting. This is for public comments intended for items not already scheduled on the agenda to be discussed. Is there anyone in the waiting room signed up or in the audience for public comment? We have no one for general uh comment. Okay, one person signed up for a hearing. All right. Oh, sorry. The time is now six thirty-three PM. And I will turn it over to staff and applicant for their presentations. Thank you. As mentioned, uh, the case I have for you this evening is the Erie Highlands filing eighteen site plan. And the request tonight is for approval of this site plan application. Uh the project encompasses a little over ten acres and a hundred and sixteen uh lots and dwelling units. Existing zoning is medium density residential with uh PUD overlay, the Erie Highlands PD overlay. And currently the site is undeveloped.

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