The Jefferson County Planning Commission on Sept. 10 unanimously recommended approval of the Cimarron Peak Subdivision preliminary and final plat, a proposal to subdivide a 30.562-acre parcel southeast of North Turkey Creek Road into three approximately 10-acre lots. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners for final action at its Sept. 30 meeting.

Staff told commissioners the plat meets applicable land-development standards and recommended approval subject to the conditions listed in the staff report. "Staff finds that the plat does meet the requirements of our regulations and we recommend approval subject to the conditions summarized in the staff report," Case Manager Laura Armstrong said.

Why it matters: the property lies adjacent to FEMA Zone A floodplain along North Turkey Creek and requires a separate floodplain permit for improvements to the creek crossing; the project also involves water-rights and wildfire-safety questions that the county and external agencies must clear before building permits are issued.

What the proposal includes: the application, filed by Cimarron Corp., would create three single-family detached lots, each roughly 10 acres. Access is proposed via an existing driveway off North Turkey Creek Road that would become a private road and be extended to serve the new lots; the director granted relief on intersection-spacing standards and capped future development using that access to five lots. The subdivision design includes two existing water-quality ponds that will be used for stormwater treatment; runoff from the ponds discharges via a pipe and riprap channel the last 100–150 feet to North Turkey Creek, staff said. Homes would rely on septic systems and electrical and natural gas service from Xcel Energy; fire protection would be provided by Conifer Fire Rescue and each home would be required to include an automatic fire sprinkler system, noted in plat note 20.

Water and wells: there is no active well on the parcel. The applicant provided a water-augmentation plan that, according to the applicant, supplies the water rights necessary for three future wells. "We were advised by the Bill Blachley and Division of Water Resources... our existing permit was in effect voided by the water augmentation plan so we lost that permit or gave it up in exchange for submitting our water augmentation plan which is going to provide a well permit for each lot," applicant Damien Davis said. Armstrong told the commission that well permits and any geotechnical borings will be required and verified before building permits are issued; plat note 16 references that wells will be drilled and certified at the building-permit stage.

Floodplain and drainage: staff and the applicant modeled the proposed crossing of North Turkey Creek and determined that the creek would overtop the crossing by about 2 feet in a 100‑year event. The applicant must obtain a separate floodplain permit for the crossing. Staff supported a request for relief from stormwater detention because the applicant provides water-quality treatment and the runoff flows downhill through the subdivision to North Turkey Creek, which staff said reduces the risk of impacts to neighboring properties.

Public concerns and applicant response: nearby property owner Richard Finney testified at the hearing that "there are numerous, just countless items that... aren't properly addressed," citing concerns about the western boundary line, missing drainage easements, signage and driveway use. The applicant responded that many of Finney’s claims had been the subject of prior litigation and that a Jefferson County court had entered summary judgment dismissing those claims. "There was a summary judgment on the property line by the Jefferson County Court, this... dismissing his claim and there was also a summary judgment by the Jefferson County Court establishing that all of his other complaints were thrown out, dismissed," Damien Davis said.

Commissioners’ review and vote: commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on water-permit status, wildfire mitigation and runoff design. Commissioner Little Rock asked whether the division of water resources had formally forfeited the old well permit; staff and the applicant clarified that an earlier permit was replaced as part of the submitted water-augmentation plan and that new well permits cannot be pursued until the lots are legally created. Commissioners also confirmed that the Colorado State Forest Service had accepted an initial fire‑mitigation plan and that additional defensible-space requirements will be enforced at the building‑permit stage. After deliberation, a motion to recommend approval carried unanimously; the commission’s recommendation is advisory and the board will act on Sept. 30.

Next steps: the planning commission record notes the requirement for a floodplain permit for the creek crossing, geotechnical borings and verification prior to building permits, and final water‑right/well permitting tied to the submitted water‑augmentation plan. The commission’s recommendation and the staff conditions will be forwarded to the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners for a final decision on Sept. 30, 2025.