Gunnison landowner seeks rezoning for 10-acre parcel near Old Indian Road

Jim Sanders, a landowner in Gunnison, told the Gunnison Planning and Zoning Commission on June 25 that he is seeking rezoning of a 10-acre parcel adjacent to Old Indian Road and U.S. Highway to allow sale to a prospective buyer.

The request would change the 10-acre parcel from A-1 (agricultural) to a commercial designation described in the discussion as “CC” to accommodate commercial development. Sanders said the sale would leave roughly 69 acres remaining as A-1. He told commissioners the site is near 200 West (Second West) and that an existing access road off the highway runs by his property. “We have a buyer, a potential buyer for 10 acres,” Sanders said.

The commission treated the item as discussion only because a public hearing had not been timely advertised. A planning commission member told Sanders that, if the commission later recommends rezoning after a properly noticed public hearing, the buyer would then be responsible for site design, access and utility arrangements. “If we were to, after the public hearings, recommend the rezoning, then you could sell it to them and then it’s their concern,” the member said.

Sanders and commissioners discussed possible uses and constraints. Sanders said there has been interest in the parcel along the Indian Road and that one potential use mentioned during the meeting was a medical plaza. Commissioners asked whether a medical clinic on the 10-acre parcel would have multiple access points for emergency access; Sanders said an access road from the highway appears to serve the site and that utilities could reach the parcel. He and commissioners also discussed how rezoning one portion could affect the remaining acreage and whether future development on the larger tract would be subject to planned-neighborhood or R-2 development standards.

Commissioners noted that the city already applies development standards and that any future subdivision or major development would be reviewed under applicable standards. One commissioner asked whether the city council is considering a new zone for planned neighborhood subdivisions farther north; the transcript records discussion that the council and staff are examining broader zoning options for larger parcels but contains no formal commitment or decision.

No formal rezoning motion or vote occurred at the meeting. The commission emphasized that a public hearing must be advertised before a formal recommendation is made to the city council. The meeting later proceeded to other business and was adjourned by a motion that was seconded and recorded as passed in the transcript.