Planning commission recommends 16‑lot subdivision off Highway 145 despite neighborhood concerns about traffic and services

The Montezuma County Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners approve a proposed 16‑lot major subdivision and rezoning application submitted by Paul and Dana Weiland (agent Cody Maxwell) for a 91.76‑acre site west of Highway 145, south of Road M.

Planning staff reported the development would include single‑family stick‑built homes limited to one dwelling per lot, a private internal road and utility easements. The developer has submitted a CDOT access permit and a traffic study; planning staff said CDOT has received the information and the permit application was in process and later confirmed as approved during the hearing. The Montezuma Water Company does not yet have a water main in place to serve the site; the developer described a plan to extend main line infrastructure so that 5/8‑inch service taps could be supplied to each lot once construction of the main line is completed.

Neighbors voiced strong opposition during public comment. Noah Herman, a longtime law‑enforcement officer who lives on Highway 145, said the county’s emergency services, police, fire and EMS are already stretched and expressed concerns that more subdivisions will increase traffic, calls for service and slow emergency response times. “Increased congestion means a slower emergency response times and greater risk for accidents,” Herman said. Amy Herman, who lives at the same address, said the project would surround and reduce privacy for her family’s property, increase traffic near a church and school, and displace wildlife. "This road already carries heavy volumes... Adding subdivision traffic into this mix creates serious safety risks for drivers, children and pedestrians alike," she said.

Commissioners questioned groundwater and septic capacity; the developer said test pits were conducted by Wickstrom Engineering and site areas where septic systems would be placed are elevated above a wetlands delineation. The developer also said roughly 35 acres of the 91.76‑acre site would be retained as a single large parcel (not part of the current development application) and could be sold later; commissioners noted that any future development of that parcel would require a separate application.

Despite public concerns, commissioners found the proposal consistent with the land‑use code and unanimously approved a motion to recommend it to the Board of County Commissioners, with a condition that new owners be notified of the county land‑use code. The planning department will forward the recommendation, the CDOT approval documentation and staff materials to the BOCC for final decision.