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Larimer commissioners approve short-term rental at Horsetooth Lake Estates with conditions
Summary
The Larimer County Board of County Commissioners approved a special-review short-term rental permit for a 4-bedroom home at 4901 Sandstone Drive, imposing 13 conditions including emergency contact requirements and wildfire-mitigation measures.
Larimer County commissioners voted 3-0 on March 23 to approve a special-review application allowing a four-bedroom, eight-guest short-term rental at 4901 Sandstone Drive in Horsetooth Lake Estates.
Planner Laura Collier told the board the applicant, Timothy Mather, sought approval under the county’s short-term rental standards and that staff found the proposal meets the applicable review criteria in the land-use code and development standards. Collier said the county notified 143 property owners within 1,000 feet; three community members submitted comments (two opposed, one in support). The Planning Commission earlier recommended approval, 7-0.
Mather, who identified himself as the property owner and as a vice president of the Spring Canyon Water and Sewer District, described road access, wildfire-mitigation work he has completed and operational controls in an owner operations manual. “I have updated my operations manual to prohibit smoking on the property with a $500 fine,” Mather said, adding that he will set a five-day minimum stay to discourage short weekend rentals.
Commissioners pressed the applicant and staff on safety and neighborhood impacts. Commissioner Kafales asked whether the access roads meet county rural roadway standards; Mather said the roads meet the standards and that their steep, winding character tends to slow drivers. Commissioner Stevens emphasized wildfire risk and asked whether the operations manual includes evacuation instructions and sign-up information for local emergency alerts; staff confirmed that Larimer County’s required emergency alert (LITA) sign-up language and other emergency information will be included and verified before issuing a license.
Collier told commissioners staff recommends approval subject to the conditions listed in the staff report; commissioners referenced Condition 13, which requires the owner to mail property-manager contact information to all properties within 1,000 feet. A commissioner moved to approve the application “subject to the conditions that are listed in the planning commission staff report attachment 8,” and the board voted 3-0 in favor.
The permit’s approval includes fourteen referenced safeguards in the record: the county’s short-term rental standards (including safety and floodplain standards), specific operations-manual requirements, a minimum rental period and neighborhood-notification measures. The applicant and staff said they will correct a typographical error that appeared in the operations manual before the license is issued.
Next steps: staff will finalize the permit paperwork and confirm the required operations-manual contents and neighborhood notifications before issuing the short-term rental license.
