Carbondale planning commission hears Buckman annexation options for 99 Garfield Ave., raises utility, access and affordability concerns

The Carbondale Planning and Zoning Commission on April 10 heard a work session presentation from property owners Josh and Michelle Buckman and consultant Mark Chane on proposals to annex 99 Garfield Avenue into the town and redevelop the 15,200-square-foot site with housing.

The Buckmans told the commission the lot sits adjacent to town limits, is served by town utilities, and has been in their family for about 25 years. Josh Buckman said the family seeks a type of housing that allows buyers to build equity rather than produce short-term rentals, and presented three broad concepts that range from a nine-unit residential high-density (RHD) building to lower-density collections of small or modular homes and tiny-unit clusters.

Commissioners and town staff framed the discussion around three practical constraints: the town's annexation criteria in the comprehensive plan, the capacity and likely upgrade costs for water and sewer infrastructure, and site access and emergency-response requirements.

"This piece of property feels like it's in Carbondale," Josh Buckman said, explaining why the family has pursued annexation for about 15 years. Consultant Mark Chane said the parcel lies immediately adjacent to town zoning districts labeled RHD and HCC and is located a half-block from Main Street. Chane said the assessor's records show a modular unit placed on the site in 1991 and confirmed the lot is connected to town utilities.

Why it matters

The town's comprehensive plan lists "phase 1 annexation areas" for properties directly adjacent to the town and says annexations should provide a "valued asset," citing three examples: public trails/open space, affordable or attainable housing that exceeds municipal-code minimums, or agricultural land conservation. Staff said meeting that annexation threshold for a very small parcel is challenging; the Buckmans said…