The Larimer County Planning Commission on June 18 recommended that the Board of County Commissioners approve the Hansen Conservation Development preliminary plat (File 21Land4184), a request to divide 35 acres into one new residential lot and a 19-acre residual parcel with a four-acre building envelope.

The recommendation, made following a staff presentation and public comment, advances the application and two appeals to sections of the Larimer County Land Use Code — one to allow existing portions of Living Springs Lane and Hidden Springs Lane to remain private and the other to allow on-site septic within a sanitation district boundary. Justin Curry, county planner, told commissioners that "Development Services recommends that the Planning Commission recommend to the Board of County Commissioners approval of the Hansen Conservation Development" subject to conditions in the staff report.

Curry said the proposal is on 35 acres northwest of the Larimer County landfill and east of Horsetooth Reservoir, is currently zoned RR2 residential, and would use Fort Collins-Loveland Water District service, the South Fort Collins Sanitation District boundary (with the applicant proposing an on-lot septic), and Poudre Fire Authority for fire service. The proposal is structured as a conservation development with a 50/50 developable-to-residual-land ratio; under RR2 zoning that requires at least 17.5 acres be retained as residual (open/agricultural) land and up to 17.5 acres may be developed. Neighbor notification within 500 feet produced no comments to staff prior to the hearing, Curry said.

Applicant Thomas Hanson and his wife, Karen Hanson, spoke to the commission. Thomas Hanson said they "have met all Larimer County requirements for the CD subdivision. The roadway meets private roadway standards, and one additional lot does not necessitate a traffic study or roadway improvements."

Several neighbors and a homeowners association representative opposed the subdivision in public comment, saying the new lot would be placed amid an existing open area and would affect longtime residents' views and property values. Bill Burd, speaking as a member of the Hidden Springs Road homeowners association board, said the neighborhood is "against subdivision" and that the HOA had amended covenants after prior decisions; he said he nonetheless recognized that the Jacobs and Hansen subdivisions predate the amendment. Burd added, "we do feel that there's potentially a hit to our property values, by taking the lot size down and increasing the density and putting a house in this green space." Resident Lee McEndaffer told the commission that nearby homeowners "are the ones whose property is gonna be affected the most."

Burd and other commenters noted a court ruling the HOA lost that requires the HOA to permit the Hansons' subdivision; Justin Curry confirmed the county's review focuses on land-use code criteria. No party during the hearing contested the staff analysis that the engineering department supports the request to keep the existing roadway portions private and that the sanitation district has no objection to the property applying for a septic permit because it is not currently in the district's service boundary.

Commissioner John Slutsky, during deliberations, said he supported the proposal and encouraged neighbors to continue discussions about placement and design to reduce impacts. Commissioner Jordana Barrack moved that the commission recommend approval of File 21Land4184 and the appeals to Articles 5.31.a and 4.35.a(2)(a) of the land use code, subject to staff conditions; the motion passed on roll call. The commission will forward its recommendation and the staff report to the Board of County Commissioners for final action.

The staff report and conditions referenced by Curry outline specific platting, utility, and access requirements; those conditions will be considered by the Board of County Commissioners along with the commission's recommendation. The final decision date was not set during the Planning Commission meeting.