Community Meeting March 13 for Planned Development Re-Zoning at 10250 Hwy 73

Case Number: 18102460 CMT
Address: 10250 County Hwy 73
Sub Type: Rezoning
Case Manager: Anna Gibson

Acres: 25.097
Community Meeting Date: Mar 13, 2018
Community Meeting Time: 6:00 PM
Community Meeting Location: West Jefferson Middle School, Cafeteria 9449 Barnes Ave, Conifer

Description: Community Meeting to discuss potential Rezoning from Planned Development to Planned Development to allow 113 residential lots and 1 community use lot.
View Public Documents

Tempers flare over proposed Conifer housing development

A proposed rezoning application that could bring more than 100 townhomes to property near the historic Yellow Barn in Conifer drew jeers, yelling and discontent from attendees at a community meeting on March 13.

More than 100 people packed the cafeteria of West Jefferson Middle School to hear from property owner Josh McGibbon and representatives from Phelps Engineering about their development plans for a 25-acre swatch of land along Highway 73, and bounded by U.S. 285 on the south and Barkley Road on the north.

Though McGibbon acknowledged some of the concerns and stressed that both water and traffic studies would be completed, he also said he wouldn’t reconsider his development plans because he already spent five years working to get the current development plan approved in 2012.

However, McGibbon said he would consider selling the property back to the community at a discounted price and directed attendees to contact his Realtor, John Putt.

Read more here: www.canyoncourier.com/content/tempers-fl...-housing-development
By Sal Christ
Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Some pre-application documents have been uploaded, but otherwise no news or formal application process underway as of yet. This development is called Conifer Heights, which we will use from here on out as identification.

Pre-App Review Response
Staff Position: Generally Supports the proposal
The information submitted for the pre-application has been reviewed by the Planning Division and other agencies on a 3-day referral. The pre-application review is not a final and all-inclusive review and comments may change based on the submittal of additional information, changes to the proposal, the discovery of new, false or incomplete information and comments from referral agencies.

• General: Staff generally supports the conceptual Site Plan and Official Development Plan (ODP) provided by the applicant except for several concerns: pedestrian accessibility and connectivity, density, visual impacts, and forest preservation. If the applicant wishes to proceed with this proposal, the first step would be the Rezoning process in conjunction with a request to determine if the open space is eligible to be rezoned. If the Rezoning case is approved by the Board of County Commissioners, the second step would be the Plat process. Prior to developing any commercial, recreational, institutional, or multi-family sites a Site Development Plan would be required.

• Comprehensive Master Plan Recommendation:
The subject property is located within the Conifer Activity Center and is recommended for Residential/Office/Community Use. Though the area is recommended for residential, the proposed 113 dwelling units exceeds the recommended maximum density of 4 dwelling units per acre and would be considered an area of non-conformance. See Long Range comments for more information.

• Landscaping: Given the existing trees, the Colorado State Forest Service has commented that a Wildfire Mitigation Plan will be required for this case. See the Colorado State Forest Service comments for more information. Planning Staff has concerns about the visual impacts of the development once the trees have been removed – primarily on the eastern side of the property where it can be seen from S US Highway 285. In the proposed ODP there is a note that the tree preservation standards of the Jefferson County Zoning Resolution shall be met. The applicants are encouraged to study those requirements in Section 15 of the Zoning Resolution to make sure they are feasible.

• Access: A Major Transportation Study is required for the rezoning. A modification to an existing CDOT interchange is proposed and this process may be more involved than a typical Access Permit. The existing ODP has language about the construction of a pedestrian bridge over S US Highway 285, however it has been removed in the proposed ODP. Planning Staff would like to see this added back in and to see pedestrian connectivity addressed.

Agency Responses

Assessor Info

Conifer Heights Pre-App Memo

FEMA and Slope

FIRM - Flood Insurance Rate Map

Pre-App EngComments

Pre Development Analysis

Proof of Sewer

Proof of Water

Water Sanitation and Metro Districts

Proposed ODP


Proposed Site Layout

The formal application has now been submitted by the developer. No word on public meeting dates, we will update as new information becomes available. Please do post any meetings for which you receive notice.
Initial Submittal
Addressing
Citizen Comments

For future reference (no documents uploaded as yet):
Review Process - Agency Comments
Public Hearing
Board of County Commissioners Hearing

From West Jeff Middle School PTA:

Jefferson County Planning and Zoning is accepting comments through Friday, April 27 on Conifer Heights, a proposed townhome development for a 25-acre area between Barkley Road, County Road 73, and US Highway 285.

Public documents related to the proposal may be viewed on the county website at
permitsearch.jeffco.us/index.cfm?fuseact...++RZ&PZPermitCase=RZ

The case manager for the Conifer Heights proposal is planner Nick Nelson, phone 303-271-8727 and e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Postal mail regarding the proposal may be addressed to Jefferson County Planning and Zoning, 100 Jefferson County Parkway Suite 3550, Golden, CO 80419. If you wish to send an e-mail or letter to the county about the proposal, correspondence must include the proposal case number, 18-107113RZ.

www.facebook.com/WJMS.PTA/photos/a.15204...1666/?type=3&theater

Heads up, Conifer: The Conifer Heights rezoning proposal at Barkley Road and Highway 73 will be heard in front of the Jeffco Planning Commission @ 6:15 p.m. Feb. 27 at the county building in Golden. Read prior reporting here: www.canyoncourier.com/content/tempers-fl...-housing-development

The developers are proposing a new planned development zoning that would remove community and commercial uses and allow up to 101 single-family attached or detached homes.

The Planning Commission recommends approval or denial of the rezoning case. It will then move forward for an official vote from the #Jeffco commissioners at 8 a.m. March 26.

Broadcast on CBS4 before the Planning and Zoning Commission Hearing:
VIDEO - Concerns Emerge Over Plan For New Townhomes In Conifer
By Joel Hillan, CBS Denver
February 27, 2019

Here is the powerpoint presentation that Jeffco Planning & Zoning uploaded to the case files from that hearing. All we did was export the slides from Powerpoint to movie form so we could upload it to our YouTube Channel, no modifications of any kind were made to the slides.

It appears in reading through the presentation that the Hearing Commission has approved the development as it fits within the County/Corridor Master Plan, there is enough water per analysis, and has satisfied all safety requirements. The next hearing is before the Board of County Commissioners on March 26th at 8:00am.
18-107113RZ Presentation.pptx


Aerial

Depiction of Property with Labels

Changes



Well Locations

WAA Map

Water Budget - Water Availability Analysis

Traffic

Conifer Loop

Proposed Official Development Plan (ODP)

Schools and Schools 2

VA 1

VA 2

VA 3

VA 4

Multiple people who were able to attend the meeting last night commented on our posts on Facebook about this with this correction:

...they were unable to get all of the speakers up to the podium and ended the hearing just before 11pm. It will be continued next Wednesday, March 6th at 6:15pm. Then followed up with the final meeting on March 26th.

So there will be another Jeffco Planning Commission meeting on March 6th, at 6:15pm,
Location: 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden Hearing room 1.

Live updates from the hearing by Deborah Swearingen

“I’m here for the continued hearing re: Conifer Heights development proposal. The initial Planning Commission meeting was last week, this is a follow-up.

The developers propose rezoning property at the intersection of Barkley Road and Hwy 73 in Conifer to allow about 100 single-family homes. #ConiferHeights

Commissioner Tim Rogers said there were 13 community speakers last week. I’d guess 20 people just stood to be sworn in to speak tonight.

Top concerns? Water availability, traffic, fire & more. Water was by far the most referenced during last week’s hearing. #ConiferHeights #Development

@ElkCreekFire Chief Bill McLaughlin is here tonight. Currently testifying that the fire dept does not have the staff to handle what the developer is proposing. Says overall growth rate in CO presents challenges and Elk Creek is operating on budget deficit.

McLaughlin notes the fire dept doesn’t have staff to support what the current zoning allows for either. #ElkCreek #ConiferHeights

“We can’t keep adding more and losing funding,” the chief says. Sharing some of the department’s funding woes, and noting that staff can be out of commission for 2-3 hours on ambulance calls bc nearest hospital is down the hill.

Chairman Tim Rogers said in his seven years on the Jeffco Planning Commission, he’s never heard a fire department say they couldn’t provide service for a potential development. #ElkCreek #ConiferHeights #Development”