Commission postpones Green Valley Ranch East Filing 17 site plan after traffic and access concerns

Aurora — The Aurora Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 27 voted to postpone action on the Green Valley Ranch East Filing 17 site plan and two adjustment requests until Sept. 24 after commissioners and traffic staff identified unresolved technical and access concerns.

Debbie Bickmeyer, senior planner, presented the applicant’s proposal for 244 units on roughly 44.5 acres in an R‑2 (medium‑density residential) zone within the Green Valley Ranch East master plan. The filing is the final phase of an age‑restricted active‑adult community. Proposed product types include single‑family front‑loaded homes, single‑family motor‑court homes, two‑family (duplex) front‑loaded units, and duplexes on motor courts. The filing provides shared amenities and connects to the existing active‑adult neighborhood; staff reported 48 adjacent notices mailed and three signs posted.

The applicant requested two adjustments: (1) an adjustment to access and connectivity requirements (UDO §146‑4.5.0.3.b.1) to allow certain lots on North Sicily Street to be accessed by three local streets after departing the adjacent collector; and (2) an adjustment to exceed the maximum block perimeter of 2,800 linear feet (UDO §146‑4.3.9.B) because the drainage corridor limits vehicular connections and results in an approximately 4,200‑foot block perimeter in places. The applicant said the project is a gated active‑adult community and that reduced external access preserves the development’s intended security and privacy; the applicant’s planning consultant, Mike Wire, said pedestrian connections and 30‑foot landscape/open‑space tracks would break up continuous frontage and provide walkability.

Staff found the site plan meets most UDO criteria but noted the two adjustment requests; staff was neutral on the block‑perimeter request and supported the access/connectivity adjustment with pedestrian‑connectivity compensations. The proposed density is 5.5 dwelling units per acre, within the master‑plan allowance of 6.2 units per acre for the planning area. The developer’s materials show 259 guest parking spaces (exceeding the 52 required) and roughly 279 street parking spaces; all lots are within 1,320 linear feet of a park or open space.

Traffic and emergency‑access concerns dominated the hearing. Dean Kaiser of Development Services (traffic) said his unit had remaining comments and that the two‑access configuration required closer review. He described the applicant’s vehicle analysis as using a “two‑stage operation” assumption for some turning movements and said staff needed to revisit those calculations. Kendra Nagami from engineering confirmed that the proposed standard local street section (34‑foot pavement width within a 64‑foot right‑of‑way) should allow passage when parking is present, but commissioners remained concerned about fire and emergency access, cul‑de‑sac lengths, and the effect of a long block perimeter on circulation.

Commissioner Banka initially moved to approve the site plan with the two adjustments and one condition (resolution of outstanding technical issues prior to recordation and permits); Commissioner Bush seconded. After extended deliberations in which several commissioners expressed significant reservations about the adjustments and outstanding traffic questions, Chair Walls moved to postpone the decision to Sept. 24 to allow staff and the applicant more time to address technical referrals. Commissioner Hogan seconded the postponement. The roll call to postpone recorded approvals from Commissioners Jechek, Bush, Geyser, Reilly, Banker, Hogan and Walls.

Why it matters: The filing completes the planned active‑adult community in Green Valley Ranch East and requests UDO adjustments that, if approved, would change connectivity and block perimeter standards for this planning area. Commissioners flagged unresolved traffic review items and emergency access as material public‑safety and circulation concerns.

What’s next: The item is scheduled to return to the Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 24. Staff and the applicant were asked to provide more detailed traffic and emergency‑access analysis and to address remaining technical comments before the commission acts again.