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Developer tells Aurora committee Hay Day townhomes aim to be more affordable than ownership; committee approves plan
Summary
Developers presented a final plan for Hay Day Aurora, a 108-unit townhome rental development the committee said will increase parking and reduce curb cuts; the committee approved related plats, vacations and an encroachment agreement, and asked staff and developers detailed questions about traffic and affordability.
The Building Zoning and Economic Development Committee voted June 11 to approve the Hay Day Aurora final plan and related easement and maintenance agreements, clearing the way for a 108-unit rental townhome community intended to preserve parking, reduce curb cuts and connect to existing detention infrastructure.
Senior planner Joan Morgan summarized the proposal as a final plan for 21 buildings containing 108 townhome units on about 8 acres. She told the committee the plan moves to rear-loaded units (garages and driveways at the rear) to reduce curb cuts on Independence Drive and increase green space. The package included plat vacations to remove conflicting easements and an encroachment and maintenance agreement to allow a drive aisle across a city-owned parcel; the developer will maintain that connection.
Developer representative Ryan Swengruber said the project was originally entitled in 2022 and that his firm has contracted with the prior developer's family trust to move the project forward. Swengruber described product features — two- and three-bedroom townhomes, two-car direct-access garages with electric-vehicle charging capability, and what he described as higher-end finishes — and said the product is designed as a rental-to-homeownership pathway. "We're 17% to 30% more affordable on a monthly basis," Swengruber said, citing a market-rent benchmarking methodology that includes taxes, insurance, laundry, repairs, landscaping and snow removal in the rent.
Committee members raised traffic and access questions. One member expressed concern about vehicle congestion where Constitution feeds to Galena; Chief Development Services Officer John Curley responded that Nelson Lake connects to Galena with a right-turn-only, and that traffic is likely to split between Nelson and Constitution, citing prior studies done with earlier approvals.
Swengruber said the team increased parking capacity from earlier designs (citing an additional 114 parking spaces compared with a prior plan) and emphasized walkability, internal courtyards and reduced curb cuts. Planning staff said the final plan is substantially consistent with prior entitlements and recommended approval. The committee approved the related resolutions and agreements by voice vote, 4–0.
Next steps include implementing the encroachment and maintenance agreement and recording plats as needed; staff and the petitioner will coordinate on the legal details.
