Greeley planning commission recommends approval of new three‑mile plan covering Hankins Farm and Carestream

The City of Greeley Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council approve a three‑mile plan that conceptually describes infrastructure, land use, parks and transportation for areas up to three miles beyond the city limits, including the Hankins Farm site and the Carestream site.

The three‑mile plan is intended to satisfy Colorado Revised Statutes section 31‑12‑105 and to preserve the city’s legal ability to annex properties should landowners petition for annexation. Michael Franke, the planner who presented the item, told commissioners the plan “generally describes the infrastructure, land uses, parks, open space, and transportation services necessary to annex land outside of the currently adopted long range growth expected area known as La Raga, but no further than 3 miles from the current municipal boundary limits.”

Commissioners and staff emphasized the plan is conceptual and does not itself effectuate annexation. Franke said the proposed services and land uses are conceptual and “shall be overridden by any formally adopted document by the city,” and that the Planning Commission’s role was to make a recommendation to City Council. The presentation identified two focus properties: Hankins Farm, described as south of U.S. Highway 34, west of County Road 17 and north of County Road 56, and the Carestream site, located south of Eastman Park Drive and east of State Highway 257 near the Poudre River corridor.

Staff described concept infrastructure elements for both sites: conceptual collector or arterial routes and intersection improvements for transportation, and conceptual water and sewer lines prepared with the city’s utilities divisions. For the Hankins site staff said a main water line crosses the property and “the property is not currently served with water” but could be served by Greeley water; staff said Johnstown likely could not serve the Hankins site from its existing system. For sewer, staff said service to either site could require lift stations or agreements with Town of Windsor for treatment.

The plan drew an objection letter from Jeremy Gleim, planning and development director for the Town of Johnstown, who told the commission the Hankins Farm site has been in Johnstown’s long‑range planning boundary since about 2006 and warned that adoption will create overlapping three‑mile areas with neighboring jurisdictions. Gleim said the Town of Johnstown’s concern is that approving Greeley’s plan creates “this conflict overlapping area, which, could create tensions between the municipalities.”

Staff and commissioners discussed interjurisdictional agreements and how overlapping three‑mile plans are resolved. Commissioners were told that intergovernmental disputes over annexation and competing plans are typically resolved by cooperative agreements (IGAs) or, if contested, by court review when an annexation petition is filed. Staff also noted the intent to update the three‑mile plan annually and to coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions and existing IGAs.

After discussion the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval to City Council. The motion found the proposed City of Greeley three‑mile plan consistent with the statutory criteria in Colorado Revised Statutes section 31‑12‑105 and recommended that City Council approve the plan by resolution.

The recommendation now goes to City Council for final action; staff said the plan will be updated annually and that any future annexation would be decided later if and when a property owner petitions to annex.