HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Estes Park Board of Adjustment 2026-03-03Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, March 3, 2026
Minutes of a Regular meeting of the ESTES PARK BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT of the
Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. The meeting was held in the Town of
Estes Park on March 3, 2026.
Board: Chair Jeff Moreau, Colin Godsey, Steven Neilson
Attending: Chair Moreau, Vice Chair Godsey, Member Neilson, Director Steve Careccia,
Planner II Kara Washam, Senior Planner Paul Hornbeck, Town Board Liaison Bill Brown,
Recording Secretary Karin Swanlund
Absent: none
Chair Moreau called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. There were approximately 25
people in attendance.
INTRODUCTIONS: New Board Member Steven Neilson was introduced.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
It was moved and seconded (Godsey/Neilson) to approve the agenda. The motion
passed 3-0.
APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA
It was moved and seconded (Moreau/Godsey) to approve the Consent Agenda. The
motion passed 2-0 with Neilson abstaining.
PUBLIC COMMENT: none
ACTION ITEMS:
1.Wetlands Setback 1754 Fish Hatchery Rd Senior Planner Hornbeck
Planner Hornbeck reviewed the staff report. The applicant has submitted a subdivision
application that depicts approximately 100 dwelling units and associated road and
infrastructure improvements. Roads and associated earthwork and grading are
proposed to occur within the 50-foot wetland setback required by Estes Park
Development Code (EPDC) Section 7.6.E. The EPDC goes on to describe activities
prohibited within the 50-foot setback in Section 7.6.F.1:
Prohibited Activities. No person shall engage in any activity that will disturb,
remove, fill, drain, dredge, clear, destroy or alter any area, including vegetation,
within stream or river corridors, wetlands and their associated buffer/setback
areas, except as may be expressly allowed in this Section or Code.
No disturbance is proposed within any wetland; however, the applicant requests a
variance to EPDC Section 7.6.F.1 to allow activities that would disturb areas within
wetland buffer/setback areas as indicated in the table and map in the staff report, plus a
10% margin of error to allow for field changes during construction or other unforeseen
circumstances. Factoring in the 10% margin, the variances would allow disturbances
with the following setbacks from wetlands: 8.7 feet in area B, 15.6 feet in area C, 25.8
feet in area H, and 22.5 feet in area I. Staff recommended that the BOA approve the
variance requests subject to the following condition of approval:
1.Best management practices outlined in the application materials shall be
adhered to prior to, during, and after construction.