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Commissioners table Sinclair minor subdivision after neighbors ask for time to respond
Summary
The Board tabled a proposal to split a 55-acre Sinclair property in Coaldale into two parcels because of unresolved access questions over a private easement; commissioners asked for letters of support or acknowledgment from owners of Lots 19 and 20 before reconsideration on Nov. 10.
FREMONT COUNTY — The Fremont County Board of County Commissioners voted to table a minor subdivision application for the Sinclair property at 350 Sangre De Cristo Drive to allow the applicant to obtain written acknowledgment from neighbors who use a recorded private easement.
The applicant, represented by attorney Gwendolyn Allen, sought to split approximately 55 acres into a ~20-acre lot that contains an existing dwelling and a ~35-acre agricultural parcel. Planning staff identified the central issue as access: the property is served by a recorded private easement and not a dedicated public road. The application included requests for waivers from multiple Fremont County subdivision regulations governing public-street frontage, access, lot sidelines and access standards.
Planning staff recommended denial of the waivers because the proposed lots would not front on a public street. The Planning Commission, however, recommended approval with standard contingencies (recording a declaration of easement, driveway access permit at time of development, drainage and soils information at time of OWTS, and a Division of Water Resources reclassification letter). During public discussion, the commission members emphasized the potential long-term effect of creating additional residential density across a private easement and asked for clear, documented support from owners of Lots 19 and 20, who are servient to the easement.
The applicant’s representative asked that the commission approve the waiver requests with the standard contingencies so the prospective buyer would not incur extra expense before receiving certainty. Commissioners were reluctant to act without written neighbor support; one commissioner said letters should be in the file for review rather than accepted as a post-approval condition.
By motion, the board tabled the application to the Nov. 10 meeting and instructed staff and the applicant to provide letters from the owners of Lots 19 and 20 confirming their understanding and consent to the access arrangement. The hearing will resume Nov. 10 with the applicant’s additional documentation.
