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Agricopia time extension approved with modified condition allowing director to decide on traffic study after record review
Summary
The Planning Commission approved a time extension for the Agricopia major subdivision but modified the traffic-study condition to allow the director to decide whether an updated study is necessary after reviewing records the applicant can provide, including a claimed five-acre parkland donation.
The La Plata Planning Commission voted to approve a multi-year time extension for the Agricopia major subdivision, adding a modification that gives the director of community development discretion to require a new traffic study only after examining any documentation the applicant supplies.
Director Dooley presented the Agricopia request and said staff had been unable to find complete records for a prior extension. "This time extension is to cover the period 08/03/2025 through 08/03/2026," Dooley said; he also summarized the subdivision's history, noting an original 1999 approval for up to 1,200 units on 255.03 acres and a 2022 amendment that reduced the plan to 708 units in its current configuration.
Owner RJ Earnshaw told the commission the project had donated five acres of parkland ‘‘a year and a half ago’’ and offered to supply the deed to staff. Earnshaw said he did not oppose providing a traffic study if required but questioned whether another study would yield useful mitigation proposals, noting prior county and state work on nearby intersections and the costs of studies he might be asked to pay.
Commissioners and staff discussed the scope of a possible updated traffic-impact study and whether town or applicant records might satisfy staff's need; Dooley said staff would accept copies of any prior traffic studies the applicant could find. Councilman Guttenberg and others raised concerns about safety at the subdivision's single major entrance and indicated a higher degree of scrutiny may be appropriate.
Ultimately the commission approved the time extension with the planning director authorized to re-evaluate condition 10 (the traffic-study requirement) after review of any newly supplied documentation; staff will also continue to work with the applicant to document parkland dedication.
