Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Timnath Landing Sketch Plan Amendment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission approves Timnath Landing sketch plan amendment after water concerns
Summary
The Timnath Planning Commission on Jan. 7 approved a sketch plan amendment for the Timnath Landing subdivision that reallocates units and replaces a proposed northern lake with park and trail features; staff found the amendment consistent with the town—s land-use maps and comprehensive plan, and the commission approved the item 4-0.
The Timnath Planning Commission on Jan. 7 approved the Timnath Landing Sketch Plan Amendment No. 1, a revision to the north phase of the Timnath Lakes community that would reallocate units and replace a previously planned retention lake with a linear park and trail connections.
Staff recommended approval after reviewing the roughly 252-acre amendment against the town—s sketch-plan criteria and the town—s comprehensive plan. The commission voted to approve the amendment 4-0 at the meeting.
The amendment affects Planning Areas 7 through 15 and would authorize 746 dwelling units within that amended boundary, an increase of 72 units in the phase compared with the prior planning-area allotments. Staff said the change does not raise the overall Timnath Lakes maximum unit count of 1,210 established by the original sketch plan; Jeff Norberg of PCS Group, the project planner, said, "This is a very simple boundary change for the north phase of the community. We're not requesting an increased number of units for Timnath Lakes." Staff and the applicant described the submittal as a conceptual sketch plan that identifies land uses, circulation, open space and density for later preliminary and final plats.
Public comment at the hearing focused on water-supply concerns. Resident Peggy Nelson told the commission she was worried about adding density given recent summer rationing and the water district—s timeline to build infrastructure, saying, "I request that the city take a look at the density of this project." In response, applicant and development representatives said portions of the project were already allowed under the original sketch plan and that they have coordinated with the district. John Prestwich, who said he prepared the original 2015 sketch plan, noted the original plan allowed a 15% unit transfer mechanism and that the proposal would remain below the transferable total; he said the proposed 746 units would be less than an allowed 775 in that calculation.
Nick Montalbano, representing the development team, described steps the applicant has taken with the Fort Collins-Loveland Water District to accelerate water-line construction and to limit irrigation work during the drought, saying they had "voluntarily agreed not to continue installation of sod and seed throughout the summer" and that they were pursuing additional conservation measures and native-seed areas to reduce irrigation needs.
Staff explained the amended design relocates the previously proposed northern retention pond to a different basin and replaces it with a linear park containing both hard- and soft-surface trails, four pocket parks and other usable open spaces. The amendment also shows connections to the town—s regional trail network and keeps proposed densities within the limits of the underlying zoning districts (R-U, R-3 and RMU).
The commission asked staff and the applicant to continue coordination with referral agencies, especially the water district, and to provide more detailed neighborhood meeting documentation in future submittals. With that, a motion to approve the sketch plan amendment carried 4-0.
The commission—s approval includes staff—s standard condition allowing the planning department to work with the applicant on minor, non-substantive edits before final signatures.
