Council approves rezoning for Matheson property to I‑2 after public hearing

Commerce City Council voted to rezone two vacant parcels at 6925 and 6980 East 50 Fourth Place from R-2 (single-family attached residential) to I-2 (medium intensity industrial), approving Z‑24‑006 after a public hearing and a planning commission recommendation.

The rezoning passed on first reading 7–0 with two members excused. Councilmember Ford moved to introduce the ordinance and Councilmember Teeter seconded; the clerk recorded the roll call vote in favor.

Jennifer Grant, the applicant’s representative and an architect with Quintessence Design Group, presented on behalf of Matheson Holdings. Grant said the parcels are surrounded by existing I‑2 zoned lots and that Matheson would use the property to support adjacent operations with daytime hours and roughly eight staff. She described planned site improvements including a surfaced lot, a landscaped detention area, new sidewalk work, a screening fence and a fire‑access loop sized for heavy apparatus. Grant said the owner prefers a recycled-aggregate surfacing but provided a geotechnical statement that an 18-inch aggregate section would support an 85,000‑pound fire truck.

Dalton Guerra, senior planner, told council staff recommends approval and that a concurrent development plan is under staff review to finalize drainage, surface, landscape and buffering details. Guerra said the area is within the South Rose Hill character area of the comprehensive plan; the plan’s objective is to enhance existing industrial areas with improved screening and site design. "The request simply put is to change those yellow rectangles into the purple that's surrounding it," Guerra said during the presentation of mapping evidence to council.

Councilmembers asked detailed questions about the proposed surface material and dust mitigation. Grant said the proposed recycled asphalt aggregate is similar to gravel, is pervious, and was proposed to promote infiltration; she also said the detention design could handle impervious paving if required. Grant said the applicant will comply with required landscaping and screening standards and that outdoor storage on the site would be limited to items related to the principal use (trucks and trailers tied to the service garage use on the adjacent lot).

No members of the public registered to speak at the hearing. Planning Commission had unanimously recommended approval at its April meeting.

Council approved the ordinance on first reading; the development plan will return to staff for administrative review for technical site elements such as surfacing thickness, drainage and screening.