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Commission approves Cottonwood Creek master‑plan amendment reducing oil‑and‑gas footprint and adding housing
Summary
The commission approved an amendment to the Cottonwood Creek master plan that reduces the area allotted to oil and gas facilities, returns acreage to residential use (adding ~532 units), removes one small internal commercial parcel, and makes street realignments. Staff recommended approval subject to outstanding technical issues being resolved before recordation.
Aurora planning staff presented a master‑plan amendment for Cottonwood Creek, a previously approved master plan covering roughly 1,232 acres in the city’s southeast. Staff said the amendment reduces the footprint of three oil‑and‑gas facilities (one well has been plugged and abandoned), converts a small internal commercial parcel to residential, reallocates public land dedications, and increases the total allowable units by about 532 (from 3,768 to ~4,300).
Ben Braverman, staff, told the commission that the amendment keeps overall density below the R2 maximum (5 dwelling units per acre) and that staff finds the revision consistent with the Aurora Places comprehensive plan and UDO approval criteria, subject to resolving outstanding technical issues prior to recordation.
Applicant representatives led by Alan Cunningham (PCS Group) described updated parcel boundaries, the naming of the west portion as Travera, and the rationale for shifting uses as a response to changed oil‑and‑gas conditions and developer ownership boundaries. The applicant said the amendment adds neighborhood park acreage and alternative secondary access options to improve life‑safety redundancy.
Commissioners questioned the applicant and staff about natural‑gas service in the area, environmental mitigation tied to removed oil‑and‑gas areas, and whether the amendment would preserve adequate commercial land for future grocery or services. Staff and applicant said infrastructure site plans and coordination with utility providers (Excel) remain to be completed at subsequent review stages.
After discussion, the commission voted to approve the Cottonwood Creek master‑plan amendment with one condition: outstanding technical issues must be resolved prior to recordation. The approval was recorded by roll call.
