Salida council approves 5H LLC annexation and zones 15-acre parcel R3 after heated public hearing

The Salida City Council voted Aug. 12 to annex roughly 15.06 acres owned by 5H LLC and to zone the parcel R3, a higher-density residential district, in separate but related votes that followed an extended public hearing and council discussion.

Carolyn Poison, the city’s senior planner, opened the hearing and told council the annexation application had met state requirements and that staff recommended approval with conditions: city utilities and park dedication, pedestrian and street connectivity to ensure emergency access, and a cap limiting the total number of primary residential dwelling units to 96. “Street connectivity shall be provided through any future proposed subdivision to accommodate appropriate emergency access and as per city standards,” Poison said, emphasizing police and fire concerns about dead-end connections harming response times.

Bill Hussy, a civil engineer representing the 5H team, presented two concept plans. He said the developer preferred R3 zoning and offered a condition limiting primary residential units to 96; he also displayed a newer 72-unit concept created to respond to neighborhood concerns. “With R3 and the 96-unit limit, we kind of get the best of both worlds,” Hussy said, arguing R3’s dimensional standards allow smaller lots and more housing variety than R2.

Neighbors filled the council chambers to press the council to slow the process, seek more study or adopt the lower-density concept. Residents raised safety and traffic worries if the property were developed at higher densities, asked for a traffic impact study and said the R3 designation would be out of character with adjacent neighborhoods. “I don’t understand why the city would annex a property for which it has no clear plan for using it,” said Ryan Delaney, who urged waiting for traffic analysis. Several speakers recommended deferring zoning until the city’s updated land-use code is finalized.

Council members weighed those neighborhood concerns against the city’s stated policy goals for more housing options and workforce housing. Council members who favored the 96-unit cap and R3 noted that the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance requires roughly one in six units be deed-restricted for workforce housing, meaning a larger total unit cap produces more deed-restricted units. "The more units constructed, the more units that are able to be deed restricted," Poison said during the item.

After debate, council adopted Ordinance 2025-14 to annex the 15.06-acre parcel subject to the staff-recommended annexation agreement and conditions, including the 96-unit cap (motion moved by Council Member Papenfort, seconded by Council Member Fontana). The roll call on the annexation recorded Narado: yes; Cretelli: no; Papenfort: yes; Martin: yes; Montana: yes; the motion passed.

Council then opened the related zoning hearing and, after public comment and additional discussion, voted to zone the property R3 high-density residential by adopting Ordinance 2025-15 (motion moved by Council Member Narado, seconded by Council Member Martin). The vote on zoning recorded Cretelli: no; Narado: yes; Papenfort: yes; Fontana: yes; Martin: yes; the motion passed.

What happens next: annexation and zoning create the regulatory framework but do not authorize construction. A subdivision application — which must include civil plans, required studies and any inclusionary housing agreement — must be filed before roads and lots are finalized. Staff and council emphasized that traffic studies and specific subdivision-level improvements are reviewed at that later stage.

Council members and residents expressed mixed feelings following the votes. Some said the 96-unit cap will yield more deed-restricted units under the city’s inclusionary housing rules; others warned the rezoning will change neighborhood character and asked the council to use agreements to lock in connectivity and affordability measures. The council also adopted companion resolutions and approvals later in the meeting related to other subdivisions and agreements.