Severance Planning Commission approves Platte Valley Veterinary site plan, requires FEMA mapping or restrictions

The Town of Severance Planning Commission on Jan. 21 approved a conditioned site plan for a new Platte Valley Veterinary Clinic, directing the applicant to resolve a floodplain mapping issue with the Federal Emergency Management Agency before development begins.

Planning staff presented Resolution PC 2026-O1R recommending approval with conditions for the proposed two-story, 7,850-square-foot clinic on Lot 5, Block 1, Scotch Pine Commercial at Timber Ridge PDU, a roughly 1.5-acre vacant parcel in the town core. Staff said the plan provides 35 parking stalls, two access points (Blue Spruce Drive and Mahogany Way), public water and sewer, and adequate drainage.

Staff and the applicant flagged a narrow northeastern portion of the site that FEMA currently maps as a floodplain. The commission required the applicant to either secure a FEMA map change — discussed as an electronic Letter of Map Amendment (eLOMA) or similar map revision — removing the property from the floodplain or to comply with applicable floodplain regulations before construction. Planning staff also asked that the resolution language be corrected from "floodway" to "floodplain." The resolution was approved with that amendment.

Owner Dr. Julie Kidd, who said she has operated Platte Valley Veterinary for more than two decades, told the commission her current clinic is constrained by its location in a mapped floodway and cannot expand there. She said a new building would allow the practice to grow and add staff and services for Severance residents.

Hunter Julander of Raptor Civil Engineering, the project engineer, said the team is pursuing an electronic Letter of Map Amendment and expected an initial FEMA eLOMA review turnaround of roughly 30–60 days. Julander described the site's northeast corner as being approximately five feet above base flood elevation and said the team has contingency design revisions if FEMA does not approve a map change.

Commissioners asked technical questions about utilities and screening; Julander said utility connections and detailed utilities would be shown in later construction-phase plans and that screening details would be addressed in final design. Staff also noted the applicant must add a sidewalk along the northern frontage to provide contiguous pedestrian access.

A commissioner moved to approve Resolution PC 2026-O1R with conditions — including replacing "floodway" with "floodplain" in the resolution and requiring FEMA documentation and final technical corrections — the motion was seconded and approved by roll call. The recorded roll call in the transcript shows the commissioners voting to approve in the recorded sequence.

The commission also conducted routine business at the meeting, including appointing a planning commission chair and vice chair and receiving planning department and town engineering updates, including a CDOT-funded trail design project expected to be advertised for bid in February.