Planning commission recommends approval of Woodland Station Filing 2 amid park redesign concerns

The Woodland Park Planning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend city council approve an amendment to the Woodland Station Filing 2 preliminary plat and to approve the subdivision's final plat, a step that would subdivide about 6.69 acres into three lots and two tracts to support downtown mixed-use development. The applications were filed by Tava House Properties LLC and include Lot 1 (site of a restaurant under construction) plus Lots 2 and 3 and two tracts for future development.

The action matters because the project will change access and parking around Bergstrom Park and trigger revisions to Highway 24 access under Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) review; staff and the developer said the commission's approvals are conditioned on resolving easements, utility alignments, drainage, landscaping and related documentation before final recording or occupancy.

Staff planner Karen told commissioners the property consists of 6.63 acres plus a 0.06-acre strip conveyed from Beer Garden Lane development, giving a total of 6.69 acres. The site sits south of U.S. Highway 24, is bisected by Saddle Club Avenue and lies adjacent to Bergstrom Park and Woodland Hardware. Karen summarized the project history: a DDA foundation plan and a Woodland Station Overlay District guide development in the area; a plan of development accepted in 2023 established four phases; the subdivision development agreement (SDA) recorded in October authorized some construction sequencing; and the building permit and zoning approvals for the restaurant on Lot 1 have already been issued.

Commissioners and staff flagged several conditions that must be met before recordation of the final plat or before a certificate of occupancy is issued. Staff's recommended conditions (which the commission adopted) include reconciling conflicts between easement locations and the final landscaping plan; confirmation from the project engineer that stormwater capacity can handle the added turn lane on Highway 24; an updated final drainage report; verification that city utility service lines align with each lot; resolution of all red-line comments from city and external reviewers; and finalized, signed drawing sets for the preliminary and final plat documents. Staff also required that the final landscaping plan include an irrigation system and that the transportation capital fee of $67,984 be paid prior to recording.

Karen and the applicant's civil engineer, David Mijares, explained that the design submitted to CDOT includes a new eastbound deceleration/turn lane on Highway 24, relocation of the existing sidewalk to accommodate the lane, and closure of the South Center Street driveway into Bergstrom Park with a new access from Bergstrom Alley. The design will remove several trees adjacent to Highway 24 and three trees to set the new parking-lot access point; staff said compensation for park impacts remains to be finalized with city council and is required prior to a certificate of occupancy. Karen said the city has hired Logan Simpson to lead a Bergstrom Park reimagining process and that community meetings and an advisory committee are scheduled to refine the park design in light of the project's impacts.

Karen also noted environmental due diligence: a Phase I environmental assessment was completed in February 2024 and submitted to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). The developer's team told the commission they expect CDPHE to require recording environmental use restrictions (EURS) that would, in preliminary drafts, prohibit use of groundwater for domestic consumption and require notification to CDPHE on ownership changes and further land-use actions. Staff said a finalized EUR recordation would trigger a plat note if it were available at the time of final plat recording.

Applicant Mark Weaver said the ownership team (including Derek Wagner and Mary Sekowsky) and their consultants have worked closely with staff and are satisfied with the conditions and timeline. Weaver stated, "It's been a long time coming to get to this point." The project engineer confirmed the sidewalk in front of Bergstrom Park will remain roughly the existing width (about 6.5 feet) moved to accommodate the turn lane, and reiterated that the developer submitted updated CDOT access permit materials two days before the hearing.

The commission took two separate motions consistent with staff recommendations. For the preliminary plat amendment, a commissioner moved to recommend approval with the six staff conditions and Ken Hertzfeld seconded; the commission recorded a 5-0 vote in favor. For the final plat, a motion to approve the final plat subject to the staff conditions carried 5-0 as well. The roll calls recorded all five members voting yes.

Commissioners and staff set a tight schedule: the applicant and staff are preparing materials for city council on May 15 (the next scheduled council meeting), and the developer said it hopes to obtain a certificate of occupancy for the Lot 1 building in March of next year, subject to the unresolved items being satisfied. Staff emphasized that a number of technical items must be finished before recording or occupancy, including the recording reception numbers for the 15-foot conveyance strip and for public utility easements shown on the final plat.

The commission closed the public hearing with no in-person public commenters; staff reported one written comment in the packet. Commissioners asked staff and the applicant to continue coordinating with CDOT, CORE Electric and other external reviewers to resolve red-line comments, confirm utility alignments and finalize landscaping and irrigation plans. The commission directed staff to forward the recommendation to city council with the conditions it adopted.

Looking ahead, staff and the developer said the final plat may be recorded after all conditions are met, including submittal and resolution of red-line comments, finalized drawings with signatures, payment of the transportation capital fee, and recordation of required reception numbers and potential CDPHE environmental use restrictions. City council is scheduled to consider the project on May 15.

The commission adjourned after brief reports; staff said the commission will meet again in two weeks and that the city is continuing to finalize a clean copy of updated code language for future packets.