Grand County commissioners on Dec. 16 opened a public hearing on a request to rezone a 3.46‑acre portion of a larger Bates property, staff said, so the parcel can be subdivided into six roughly half‑acre single‑family lots.

Planning staff told the commission that Kenneth and Julia Bates own a roughly 15‑acre tax parcel split by Spanish Valley Drive; about 11.13 acres of that parcel are subject to a conservation easement held by The Nature Conservancy that extinguishes development rights. Staff said the rezoning request applies only to the remaining 3.46‑acre portion at about 4747 South Spanish Valley Drive and seeks to change the zoning from rural residential to small‑lot residential.

Staff said the requested rezoning would allow a six‑lot division of the 3.46 acres and that the proposal is consistent with the recently adopted Spanish Valley land‑use plan. The county planner also summarized the Planning Commission’s prior consideration, saying a motion to approve the zone change was made at the commission meeting and that one commissioner abstained because of a work relationship with The Nature Conservancy. The planner noted an earlier Planning Commission vote did not meet the commission’s four‑vote bylaw threshold and that the Planning Commission ultimately forwarded the item to the county commission without a recommendation.

The county commission did not act on the rezoning request on Dec. 16. Chair members left the public hearing open for additional comment and set a written‑comment deadline of Dec. 31, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.; staff said written submissions are preferred so all commissioners receive them. The county will consider written input before any final action.

No formal county action was recorded at the Dec. 16 meeting; the public record from the Planning Commission was noted in the staff presentation.