Planning commission recommends city council approve Pines at Tamarack final plat

The Woodland Park Planning Commission on Nov. 13 voted to recommend that city council approve the Pines at Tamarack Subdivision final plat, a plan to convert 20.61 acres north of Highway 67 into 39 single-family lots.

Senior Planner CJ Gates told the commission that all noticing requirements were met, staff received no public comments and the current proposal reflects previous approvals: a 2019 master plan and a 2024 PUD/preliminary-plat amendment that increased lots to 39. "Staff is recommending approval based off of the findings in the staff report and presented here at public hearing tonight," Gates said, while listing conditions the applicant must satisfy prior to final plat recording.

The developer, Tom Martinez of Valiant, told commissioners the phasing change — flipping the previously approved construction order so the northern portion is built first — was intended to reduce construction disruption to existing homes near the frontage. Martinez said Phase 1 will include 18 lots and most of the public and off-site improvements, including a CDOT-required deceleration lane on Highway 67 and upgrades to Sourdough Road. He said the team plans to start some presales in spring 2026 and expects the first 18 lots to reach finished-lot status around July 2026.

Commissioners pressed staff on availability of water taps and how the city documents that availability. One commissioner asked for a verifiable, dated record showing the tap-management plan includes the taps needed for this subdivision; planning staff responded that the utilities director administers the tap-management plan and that council reviews the plan annually. The commission requested that meeting minutes reflect that the council-reviewed tap-management plan serves as the verifiable document required under Woodland Park Municipal Code 17.24.0.09.

Staff also flagged follow-up items: the fire department had not yet returned comments confirming final hydrant locations and staff will relay any required changes to the applicant's construction drawings. The applicant reported a recent local fire-flow test showing more than adequate pressure, and said pressure regulation may be required in final design.

After discussion, a commissioner moved that the planning commission recommend city council approve the final plat subject to the staff conditions and record that the council-reviewed tap-management plan satisfies code requirements. The motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote with the present commissioners recorded as voting yes; the commission will forward the item to city council for final action.

Next steps: the developer must obtain required permits and either record a final plat with all improvements in place or enter an SDA with acceptable financial guarantees; the applicant must comply with CDOT requirements for the Highway 67 deceleration lane; and staff must confirm hydrant placement with the fire chief before plat recording.