Commissioners approve Red Hawk Ranch filing 1; traffic and creek crossing draw questions
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Summary
The board approved final plat for Red Hawk Ranch filing 1 (37 cabins) with staff direction to study traffic impacts and the timing of a Crooked Creek crossing. Neighbors pressed for wildlife‑friendly crossings, clear buffer language and clarity on road paving and dust control.
The Board of County Commissioners approved the final plat for Red Hawk Ranch filing 1 — the initial phase that plats 37 detached “cabin” units — at its March 25 meeting after a staff presentation and public comment highlighted outstanding access and environmental questions.
What the board approved: Community Development Director Chris Manguso said the filing covers 37 detached cabin units on private roads and includes off‑site and on‑site construction obligations. The board moved to approve the final plat and directed staff to proceed with a targeted traffic evaluation to study the effects of the development on County Road 522, including the possibility of a closure or reconfiguration of the 522/522E intersection. The plat approval included standard final‑plat conditions (school fees, utility approvals and subdivision‑improvement agreements) and the developer will be required to build temporary turnarounds and meet fire‑safety requirements before development proceeds.
Outstanding questions and neighbors’ concerns: Several residents and adjacent landowners raised concerns at the meeting. Neighbors asked for (a) assurance that a 50‑foot landscaped buffer between existing homes and a proposed multifamily tract would be preserved (staff and the developer said the buffer is shown on the sketch plan and preliminary plat and will be honored in later filings); (b) clarity on the Crooked Creek crossing design and wildlife passage (an “open‑bottom” culvert is required by a prior agreement, but residents urged an aquatic‑organism‑passable design and larger wildlife passage where feasible); (c) dust and road‑maintenance issues on the unpaved short segment of County Road 522 that connects the intersection to local properties; and (d) whether the county should pave the short, currently unpaved section to reduce dust and maintenance costs if construction traffic increases.
Developer commitments: The developer’s representative, Jeff Bogle, said Red Hawk will follow best management practices for construction — water trucks, erosion control and staged improvements — and will construct the required temporary turnarounds and road improvements once permits and the subdivision‑improvement agreement are finalized. Manguso told the board that the county will require the Crooked Creek crossing be built before some later phases proceed and that staff will include a two‑year construction timeline tied to permitting for the crossing.
County direction: The board approved the plat and directed staff to scope and commission a traffic study to evaluate impacts on 522, and to consult with the county engineer on whether consultants already engaged by the county or the developer are appropriate for the scope. Commissioners asked staff to ensure adjacent property owners and town officials are included in follow‑up outreach and to look at paving options and timing as the project and construction schedules become clearer.
Ending: With the final‑plat approval, Red Hawk may move ahead on the 37‑unit first filing while the county and developer continue to resolve the Crooked Creek crossing, road‑paving options and mitigation for wildlife passage and dust control.
