Commissioners continue Running Creek RV storage EDZ plan amid traffic and floodplain concerns

Elbert County commissioners voted to continue the Running Creek RV Storage economic development zone site development plan (EDZ-2024-3548) to their next regular meeting, citing unresolved traffic and floodplain/runoff questions raised by residents and commissioners.

County staff presented the application for a storage facility on a 50-acre parcel off County Road 13 north of Elizabeth. The site plan proposes an approximately 7.5-acre gravel storage area for outdoor RV parking (applicant materials referenced up to 340 RV spaces), with setbacks of 800–900 feet from the road frontage and more than 400 feet from the rear property line near Gold Creek. Staff recommended approval with conditions including a solid, at-least-6-foot fence outside flood hazard zones, removal of public-hearing signs within seven days, payment of fees, and recording of the site development exhibit within 180 days.

Why it matters: Several nearby landowners told the board they are worried about traffic safety on County Road 13, the potential need for left-turn or deceleration/acceleration lanes, and the risk of spills or runoff reaching creek and floodplain areas. Commissioners asked county engineers and consultants for additional traffic detail before taking a final vote.

Project and staff findings - Project: Economic development zone site development plan on a 50-acre parcel with a proposed gravel storage footprint of about 7.5 acres (roughly 15% of the parcel). The applicant is CJ Kerst (Tahoe Consulting); property owners listed as Barbara and Daniel Gaudreau. The plan shows a roughly 900-foot access drive and a detention pond with a water-quality feature. - Screening and environment: Plans include planting 31 evergreen trees (15-foot stock) and either additional screening on an existing deer fence or construction of a continuous 6-foot solid fence outside any FEMA-designated flood hazard area. Staff noted none of the storage area is within the mapped floodplain after recent engineering and a FEMA letter-of-map-amendment process but acknowledged neighborhood concerns. - Sanitation and infrastructure: The site does not require on-site wastewater treatment; Elbert County Public Works and Public Health provided no objections in referral comments. The project was referred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Colorado field office because of a listed small mammal noted in the referral materials.

Public comment and the board’s concern Multiple nearby landowners and operators spoke at the hearing, raising related concerns: heavy existing traffic on County Road 13 (including school buses, landscape trucks and farm traffic), the location of the site at the bottom of a hill where speed changes, and potential flooding or contamination of creek bottoms during high flows. A retired architect and local residents urged the board to require a left-turn lane or turning improvements; other residents emphasized flood history and potential impacts to creek bottoms.

Staff and the applicant said the application responded to referral comments, that traffic consultants reviewed trip-generation assumptions, and that a multi-stage detention pond with a water-quality basin is included to reduce runoff risk. Several commissioners said they wanted clearer traffic data and to consult with county road and engineering staff and third-party consultants before voting.

Board action A motion to continue consideration of EDZ-2024-3548 to the board's next regular meeting (June 11) carried unanimously. The board directed staff to provide additional materials and to coordinate follow-up with road and bridge staff and traffic consultants so commissioners could review new information before the continued hearing.

Next steps The applicant’s team and county staff said they would supply additional traffic and floodplain information before the continued hearing. The board asked for any memos or updated referral responses to be shared with commissioners with sufficient time for review ahead of the June 11 meeting.