Buena Vista trustees deny developer's request to use fee in lieu for parking and park dedication on Northside subdivision

The Buena Vista Board of Trustees voted on March 11, 2025, to deny a developer's request to accept cash payments in lieu of providing 32 required off-street parking spaces and the required on-site parks dedication for a proposed Northside subdivision at 415 North Colorado Avenue.

The planned development covers about 1.14 acres and would include 9 single-family attached row houses and 12 duplexes (33 units total). Town planning staff said code requires 54 off-street spaces for the project; the applicant's plan shows 22 off-street spaces and requests fee in lieu for the remaining 32 spaces (about 60 percent of required off-street parking). The applicant is also not proposing any dedicated on-site park or open space, and instead seeks to pay the park dedication fee in lieu.

Planning director Lorica Cott told trustees the town's Unified Development Code requires any parking fee-in-lieu request to meet four findings: (1) a substantial public benefit; (2) that the relief requested is the minimum necessary; (3) that reduced parking will not substantially impact adjacent properties or the zoning district; and (4) that the…