Public Service Committee backs Harmony Valley zone changes, advancing plans for hundreds of housing units

CHEYENNE — The Cheyenne Public Service Committee on March 16 recommended approval on second reading of four zoning-map amendments across the Harmony Valley area and a city-initiated street vacation, moving multiple development proposals closer to final city-council consideration.

Morgan Dennis, a Planning and Development staff member, told the committee the first two requests reclassify parcels in Harmony Valley from PUD (Harmony Valley Planned Unit Development) to NR3, the city’s neighborhood residential high-density district, and that the future land use map “designates this area as mixeduse commercial.” She said the planning commission heard the cases March 2 and recommended approval.

The developer’s agent, John Sers, told the committee the project team has been through multiple rounds of plan corrections and recently resubmitted a site plan. “We resubmitted this literally last week on Thursday,” Sers said, and described the current plan for one site as “five 24 units apartment complex going in,” with exterior parking and several surface garages offered as optional spaces.

Sers also described on-site water-management steps the developer plans to use to limit city water demand: the company has diverted stormwater toward a detention pond, built a pump house and intends to use recycled water to irrigate parkland. He said the pump house is expected to “come online this summer” and that the developer has a well permit for irrigation backup.

Committee members pressed the developer and staff on topography, pedestrian access and traffic near schools. Dr. Aldridge asked whether the city and school district had coordinated about properties that abut school land; Sers said the developer has been working with the school district and with city engineering on pond and connectivity issues. City Engineer Tom Cobb told the committee a roundabout at Fox Farm and Walters is planned and currently scheduled for 2028, but he said the final scope will depend on available funding.

The committee also considered a separate zone change that would allow townhouse-style, cottage-lot development by rezoning an existing multifamily parcel to NR2 so units can be platted as individual lots. Conor White of Planning and Development said the change primarily affects financing and platting; Brad Emmens, the applicant’s agent, said pre-application inspections and reports indicate required fire-separation features are in place and that the zoning change enables mortgage financing options that are more favorable for buyers.

On a city-initiated administrative item, Planning staff presented a vacation of a portion of Frank Court and a small alley segment north of Rock Springs Street. Staff said the street is unbuilt, adjacent owners will receive the vacated land, and the city is finalizing easement language with the utility provider so water and sewer stubs remain serviceable. Planning staff said notices inform affected property owners that maintenance responsibility will transfer to them.

Votes at a glance: - Item 13 (zone change north of West College Drive / Harmony Valley PUD → NR3): moved by Dr. Aldridge; seconded by Councilman Leborn; committee recommended approval and will forward the recommendation to the full council for Monday night consideration. - Item 14 (zone change south of West Allison / Harmony Valley PUD → NR3): moved and seconded; committee recommended approval and will forward to council. - Item 15 (AG → NR3 northwest of West Allison/ Walters): moved by Dr. Aldridge; seconded by Councilman Leborn; committee recommended approval and will forward to council. - Item 16 (MR → NR2, East 29th Street & Central — allows platting townhouse units into individual lots): moved and seconded; committee recommended approval and will forward to council. - Item 17 (vacation of part of Frank Court and a small alley segment north of Rock Springs Street): moved and seconded; committee recommended approval on second and final reading and will forward to council.

What’s next: All five committee recommendations will be on the full City Council agenda on Monday night for final action.

Speakers quoted in this report appear in the city’s official transcript of the March 16 Public Service Committee meeting.