HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Estes Park Planning Commission 2024-03-19Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, March 19, 2024
Minutes of a Regular meeting of the ESTES PARK PLANNING COMMISSION of the
Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held in said Town of Estes Park
on March 19, 2024.
Commission: Chair Matt Comstock, Vice-Chair Matthew Heiser, Charles
Cooper, Chris Pawson, David Shirk
Attending: Chair Comstock, Vice-Chair Heiser, Commissioners Cooper,
Shirk, Community Development Steve Careccia, Senior
Planner Paul Hornbeck, Recording Secretary Karin
Swanlund, Town Attorney Dan Kramer, Town Board Liaison
Barbara MacAlpine
Absent: Pawson, Shirk
Chair Comstock called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. There were eight people in
attendance.
AGENDA APPROVAL
It was moved and seconded (Heiser/Cooper) to approve the agenda. The motion
passed 3-0.
INTRODUCTIONS
PUBLIC COMMENT: none
CONSENT AGENDA APPROVAL
It was moved and seconded (Cooper/Heiser) to approve the consent agenda. The
motion passed 3-0.
ACTION ITEMS
Election of Officers:
It was moved and seconded (Heiser/Cooper) to table the item to the next scheduled
Planning Commission meeting. The motion passed 3-0.
Development Plan Dream View Inn on Fall River Senior Planner Hornbeck
Hansen/Dale LLC, owner/applicant
The proposed development includes 11 new accommodation units in four buildings and
one existing cabin. Also proposed is a swimming pool, laundry facility, and guest
parking. On-site development is limited to Lot 1, where topography, while considerable,
is less steep than that of Lot 2, where no development is proposed. Off-site
improvements include replacing the private access drive and bridge on the property to
the east. Staff recommended approval of the Dream View Development Plan and Minor
Modification requests, subject to the following conditions:
1.All staff and outside agency comments shall be addressed prior to issuance of
the first building permit;
2.Applicant shall have a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) or Traffic Letter accepted by
CDOT prior to issuance of a building permit;
3.A CDOT State Highway Access Permit must be issued prior to beginning any
work in the Fall River Road ROW and prior to issuance of a building permit. A
Town ROW permit is also required based on the CDOT Access Permit;
4.Floodplain Development Permit (FDP) shall be provided and approved before
Construction Plans are submitted;
Planning Commission – March 19, 2024 – Page 2
5.The Floodplain Development Permit (FDP) and bridge design submittal shall be
approved prior to the Town Engineer signing the Development Plan;
6.Construction plans shall be approved prior to issuance of first building permit;
7.No Certificates of Occupancy (COs) will be approved until the off-site bridge is
constructed and the FDP is closed out;
8.An erosion control plan sheet shall be required with the construction plans for the
development, in accordance with the Mile High Flood District Urban Storm
Drainage Criteria Manual and other current standards. The erosion control
measures must be installed prior to beginning any grading or work on the site;
9.A Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment COR400000
Construction Stormwater Discharge Permit is required and must be in place prior
to beginning any grading or work on the site;
10. Density Agreement shall be recorded prior to issuance of first building permit;
11. Landscape Plan shall be finalized with the Development Plan in accordance with
staff comments prior to the Development Plan being signed by the Planning
Commission Chair;
12. Reciprocal parking license shall be amended to guarantee the use of off-site
parking for a minimum of 10 years in accordance with EPDC §7.11.G.1.d and be
recorded prior to issuance of the first building permit;
13. All exterior light fixtures shall be dark sky compliant in accordance with EPDC
§7.9; and
14. Trees and vegetation shall be protected in accordance with EPDC §7.3 and as
depicted on the Landscape Plan.
Vice-Chair Hieser stated that he has a business relationship with the applicant and that
no discussion of this project has occurred.
Discussion:
David Bangs, Trail Ridge Consulting Engineers, was available to answer questions.
Stormwater drainage will collect on the northeast end of the parking areas. Most flow is
captured in curb and gutter and rock bed and dispersed through vegetation before
discharge into the river.
Attorney Kramer explained that the number of conditions included was to speed up the
approval. The Commission can continue the project; however, if the review criteria are
met, moving forward with the conditions is okay. A suggestion was made that a
Planning Commission Resolution could help simplify this type of situation in the future.
Chair Comstock had concerns with the removal of trees. Code states that if you remove
one, you need to replace it with two. It was explained that an exception to this is for
expressly approved construction activity (7.3.d.5 of the Development Code).
Borrowing parking and dumpster use from the adjacent property, which the same owner
owns, was discussed. The Development Code requires use of off-site parking which
must be guaranteed for a minimum of 10 years.. The density agreement will run with the
land.
Public Comment: none
Planning Commission – March 19, 2024 – Page 3
Heiser spoke on future developments like this, stating that challenges should not restrict
owners from utilizing their property. This plan works well with the land.
Bob Choat, legal counsel for the applicant, explained the exception of the tree
replacement to the Commission, stating that it encourages good planning and doesn’t
swallow the rule.
It was moved and seconded (Heiser/Cooper) to approve the Development Plan and
Minor Modifications, according to findings recommended by Staff, including the findings
listed throughout the Staff Report and with the conditions recommended by Staff.
The motion passed 3-0.
REPORTS:
Development Code rewrites will be discussed with the Town Board on March 26,
emphasizing the RFP. A complete rewrite would be preferred.
With two open positions and only one applicant, filling the positions for the Planning
Commission is actively being discussed.
There being no further business, Chair Comstock adjourned the meeting at 2:40 p.m.
_______________________________
Chair Comstock
Karin Swanlund, Recording Secretary