Planning commissioners recommend approval of Country Style Investments high‑impact permit amendment

At a Montezuma County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, commissioners unanimously recommended that the Board of County Commissioners approve an amendment to a high‑impact permit for Country Style Investments LLC, agent Kevin Rice, for property at 7500 Highway 160‑491. Staff said the amendment would add the newest building on the east side of the property to the permit record and capture prior uses that were never properly documented.

Planning staff (identified in the record as “Jay”) told the commission there is “an existing storage unit business on this property” and that the amendment is intended to “include the newest building on the east side of the property.” Staff said the City of Cortez had no concerns, that the property lies within Cortez’s one‑mile zone of influence, and that Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) reviewed the application and found the proposed change would not increase the permitted use by more than 20 percent.

Neighbor Howard Game, who identified himself as living at 2302 South Broadway, spoke in support of the applicant, saying the business has “been very good neighbors,” contributes sales tax and employment, and that he “wholly support[s] your growth.” A citizen speaker asked why an existing high‑impact use required an amendment after additional buildings were added; staff and the applicant explained that previous administrative actions from 2018 had not been recorded and that several uses (including used‑car sales, trailer and RV sales, and storage) needed to be captured in a formal permit file.

During commissioner questioning, a commissioner raised whether a new building encroached on required setbacks. The applicant acknowledged confusion about setback requirements and told the commission he had reduced the setback by five feet and said, “I screwed that up,” indicating the need to include a reduced‑setback request as part of the amendment. Staff confirmed the application includes a reduced‑setback component and advised that future developments increasing traffic volumes would require a new CDOT access permit.

Commissioner (mover) made a motion to recommend approval, finding the proposed use conforms to the land‑use code and “shall not generate any significant adverse impacts on other property in the area” and that public utilities and services are available or can be made available. The motion was seconded and the roll call vote was unanimous Aye. Staff told the applicant they would follow up to complete the official high‑impact permit documentation.

The commission’s recommendation now goes to the Board of County Commissioners for final action.