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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.0 Staff Report BOCC 07.20.98k1--"- r,cc ttzotsb REOUEST: APPLICAIT{T: PLANNERS: ENGINEERS: GEOLOGIST: BIOLOGIST: CULTURAL RESOURCES: ATTORNEY: LOCATION. SITE DATA: WATER: PROJECT INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS Planned unit Development and Sketch Plan review for the Rose Ranch aPPlication Roaring Fork lnvestments, L' L' C' Norris Dullea ComPanY High Country Engineering, Inc' - civil and traffic EVO Consulting Services - civil Zancanellaand Associates, Inc' - water MTI GEO Hepworth-Pawlak Geotechnical, Inc' Kirk H. Beattie Merill Ann Wilson Delaney & Balcomb, P.C. An operating ranch located west of the Roaring Fork River' uppro*i.ut Jy 2-5 miles south of the City of Glenwood Springs' anb directty south of the West Bank subdMsion' Section 1 and 12, Township 75, Range 89W' A 440 acre tract to be combined with the Wesi Bank subdMsion golf facilitie:.fbt u total of 533.5 acres. To develop a292lot residential subdivision and an associated golf facility, with additional recreational and open space amenities. Historic consumptive use credits, surface diversions from the Roaring Fork River, junior rights for on-site ponds an{ryrface diversiins, senior #gation tightt with the Glenwood Ditch, senior irrigationsrights in tne noUertson Ditctu and West DMde Water ConservancY District Aspen Glen Water and Sanitation DistrictSEWER: Page 1 of 20 ACCESS: EXSTI]TIG ZONING: ADJACENT ZONING: 9-qyry Road (CR) 109, State Route (SR) 154, and State Highway(srr 82 Agricultural/Residential/Rural Density PUD subdMsion to the north AIR/RD and Open space to the south A/R/RD to the west A/R/RD and Commercial to the east The Proposed Land Use Distrias map for Study Area I shows the zubjea site as within both aHigh Density Residential (two or fewer T-r.rpo dwelling unit; districi and Low Density (morethan 10 aces per dwelling unit) district. The dlsignation Irhigi density is based upon theavailability of central water and central sewer senrice to the *u3e"t site. rne low densitydesignations are located along the river corridor and west of County no"a ioq *d are basedprirrarily upon wildlife and physicavenvironmental constraints. tr. PROJECT INFORMATION A' Site Description: The subject site contains an active ranch to the east of CountyRoad lo9 which is being phased out of active production, and steeply sloped aniundeveloped terrain to the west of County Road 109 which is considered rangeIand' The land along the Roaring Fork Valley to the east is gently sloping *lil"the land-west of County Road 109 is steeply sloping above Jay p"r""nt (60%). Vegetation on the site consists predomin*ity oiruge with j"ridr trees. Four (4)habitat types are present on_the subject property ana includi ripanan transitioqirrigated pastureq sagebrush-rabbitbrush and prnyon jrnipe.. ihe site containsvarious buildings associated with the household and the ranching operations including three (3) historically significant strucfures. An abandoned railroad gradetraverses the property to the east. An historic irrigation ditch traverses theproperty in a north-south direction. B' Adiacent Land Uses: West Bank Planned Unit Development is located to thenorth of the property and is connected to the subject site through a thirty (30') easement, and Teller Springs Subdivision is located to the routh. The Roaring Fork River forms the eastern boundary of the site, and the western boundary of tn" site is bordered by land zoned agricultural. Page2of 20 t. C. Development Proposal: The applicant is proposing to create a Planned Unit Development whicir will consist of 292units, including both l7l sinqfe family dwellings, 74 duplex units, and 47 club homes on a 440 acre tract. The site will also contain u go[f.o,rrse which will link with the West Bank golf facilities to create an eighteen (18) hole golf course with associated facilities including a restaurant and maintenance building. Additional recreational amenities are proposed including a fishing parlg overlooks, trails, greenhouse, garden plots, and iecieational facilities such as tennis courts, a swimming pool, playground and picnic area. REVIEW AGENCY AND OT}IER COMMENTS A. Review Agency Comments: Colorado Geological Survey: the State of Colorado Geological Survey cannot recommend appioval of theapplication due to the geologic constraints of the site for the type oldevelopment proposed. The Geologic Survey's letter is still valid. The report noted the following potential geologic hazards: Severe hydrocompactive soil properties problematic for roadways and slab on grade pavements. Fot.ntiut ground subsidence in the majority of the alluvial fans where development is proposJd resulting in ground subsidence, sinkholes, ground fissuring, and piping soil dissolution. potential ground settlement and subsidence in the residential areas surrounding the proposed ponds within the alluvial fan areas due to severe wetting of these hydrocompactive soils by the ponds. The Colorado Geologic Survey's most recent report of l5 May 1998 states that "Our largest conceiwith the developmentwith Rose Ranch is the lack of water *onogrirnt and the apparent lack of the understanding, shown in plat design, of the pioblems that the iitrduction and saturation of a thick column of collapsible soiis can pose. It is easily seen in the plat design that the potential soil hazards were givin little eonsideration in residential lots, streets, ponds, and gold course tayi*. Much of the infrastntcture and residences, as proposed, will be surrounded by water sources." The report points out the following flaws in the plan design: The applicant should avoid placing ponds on the site to deter potential collapsing of soils adjacent to the Ponds. The development plan indicates irrigated golf course holes 1l and 12 immediately above County Road 109 where we can, therefore, expect a continuation of road damage. Page 3 of 20 ) Matrix supported gravelly alluvial fan soils can be highly collapsible but cannot be determined by swell-consolidation testing since undisturbed samples are impossible to collect. Gravelly soils can also be hishlv permeable where water can move Iaterally at depth. Foundation perimeter drainage systems will not intercept deeper water through gravelly layers within the alluvial fans. As a result, homes will be subject to breaks in their foundations. Liners may break when the pond is at it's full water capacity if differential settlement of several inches occurs beneath them. Even if a geo-grid reinforcement is used, it is unlikely that a liner could withstand the strains. Theie will still be the problem of adverse wetting of the soils by the irrigated golf course holes upgradient ofthe proposed residential units. In conclusion, the colorado Geologic Survey report states that ... . . our recommendation to the County is that additional work is required prior to approval of the Rose Ranch P[ID and Sketch Plan in its current fom, and Ievel of investigations and mitigation design., See Figure 2. Division of Wildlife: the State of Colorado, Department ofNatural Resources, Division ofWildlife (DO!$ sites their former letter as still valid in having reported elk winter range over most of the site and severe winter range west of County Road (CR) 109 and east of 109. The report also noted mule deer winter range and severe winter range west of CR 109. Black bear and mountain lion are also noted as inhabiting the area west of CR 109. Aside from big game, the riparian habitat is also noted as home to owls, raptors, and eagles including a golden La$e nest site. The east side of the river is pointed out as an active great blue heron iookery which is the largest and one ofthe last viable rookeries on the Roaring ForkRiver. Bald eagles also utilize the heron rookery during the winter months. the report stated that "Eagle use and presence in this valley [ar"J dctermined by the effectiveness of the riparian habitat to provide adequate feeding, roost, and perch sites. These ffeas become less effective with development pressures and associated disturbance os the areas along the river [oreJ developed." The Division of wildlife's most recent letter of 4 May l99g points out impacts including the following: Herons wiII most likely abandon the nests in the tree on the west side of the river due to the close proximity of homes and associated disturbence. The 4 May 1998 Division of Wildlife letter of puts forth the following elevan (t t) recommendations: Placement in the protective covenants (under Art. ry, Sec. l2.c), as a condition of approval, the placement of educational signs at the primary overlook regarding golden eagle nesting , and the closure ofthe ridge south of the €agts,s nest from 15 March through I July. Page 4 of 20 Closure of the upper golf course and ridge to human activity, excluding maintenance, from I December through 3l March with a gate and a sign. Installation of habitat improvement measures on the upper bench west of CR 109, the development of a site plan with the DOW, and the maintenance and protection from disturbance of the native vegetation outside of the golf course. No construction of the water tank and line west of CR 109 from 15 March through I July due to golden eagle nesting. Creation of a vegetative screen plan approved by the DOW, and planting of vegetation along the east boundary of proposed Lots 1 08 through I 1 8, 70 through 80, and T6tlrou$t77. No tree removal along the river and the wetland .ueas except for exotic and invading species. Creation of an educational brochure for homeowners on how to live with wildlife. Provide a 50-foot setback from the wetlands to the home-site' Maintenance of the 110 foot buffer between Rose Ranch and Teller Springs in native vegetatioq and installation of vegetative screening along the lot boundaries' Provision of a public fishing easement along the West Bank property downstream from the bridge. No construction of the primary overlook from 15 March through 1 July. Regarding the Great Blue Heron rookery, the Division ofWildlife report of 4 May 1998 recommends the following six (6) conditions: Planting of vegetative screening along the east boundary of proposed Lots 108 through 118 to screen homesites and backyard activity. Placement of vegetative screening before any construction activity. No construction of homes from 15 February through 31 May on proposed Lots 94 through 96 and 108 through I 18. No human activity in the riparian and wetlands areas below proposed Lots 94 through 118 and across from the rookery from 15 February through 15 July by the use of fencing and signage. Installation of an artificial nesting platform on the east side of the river by the rookery. No second story decks and/or balconies facing the rookery for proposed Lots 108 through ll8. See Figure I. Division of Water Resources: the State of Colorado Office of the State Engineer Division ofWater Resources finds that ". . . the proposed water supply will cause material injury to decreed water rights and is inadequate." Arl augmentation plan has not been finalized with the water court. See Figure 3. Mount Sopris Soil Conservation District: the Mount Sopris Soil Conservation District has not responded to this application- J. 4. Page 5 of 20 5.Bureau of Land Management: the United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management has not responded to this application. carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District: the carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District notes that the developer should submit an addressing plan for review by the County and by Emergency Management. The Fire protection District recommends that the water supplies from the Rose Ranch development be made available for future extension to these areas. ln addition, the code requires a minimum flow of 1,500 gallons per minute (gpm), whereas the applicant has indicated an undersized flow of 1,000 gpm. Furthermore, the development is subject to impact fees adopted by the District which are due prior to recording of a final plat. See Figure 4. Roaring Fork School District RE-l: the Roaring Fork School District RE-l is requesting cash in lieu of the calculated dedicated land, to be paid at the time of subdivision approval, to compensate for the increase in school children generated from this proposed developmerrt. See Figure 5. Roaring Fork rransit Agency: the Roaring Fork Transit Agency's (RFTA) initial report indicated that, because of severe automobile congestiorq the number of potential vehicle trips diverted to transit requires additional transit capacity or an entirely new service, which the developer is, in some cases, required to provide funding to mitigate the projected impacts. The report stated that such findings may include passenger shelters, pull-offs, and lighting. According to the report, service to the proposed site could be linked with service to West Bank and other neighboring developments resulting in potential cost sharing. The report also recommends looking at how the proposed site design will link up with future transit improvements in order to alleviate congestion in the valley, and how the proposal contributes to sharing the burden of the costs of such improvements. The report made the following two (2) recommendations: The development should mitigate its impacts on the existing or the future transit system. The development should be designed to ma:rimize the opportunities for transit use and to minimize the necessif for automobile use. The report lists the following four (a) requirements: Rolling stock capacity equivalent to sixty-three percent (63%) of an additional transit bus resulting in a cost of $167,000 and a life span of twelve (12) years. Additional operating subsidy in 1998 dollars of $18,300. Park and Ride facility adjacent to SH 82, including a transit shelter and thirty-nine (39) parking spaces, with an estimated cost of $201,500. Parking lot maintenance and snow removal of a cost of $9,500 per year. 7. 8. Page 6 of 20 9 RFTA's subsequent report, prepared by LSC, Inc. consultants, estimated that the number of potential transit trips that the proposed development could generate per day would be 129. This latest report states that "the substantial increase in service requiredfor Rose Ranch, dnot accompanied byfundingforfixed costs, would only exacerbate the imbalance in regionalfunding. . . If the proposed project were located in Pitkin or Eagle Counties, a substantial portion of this anmral funding requirement would be generated through increased sales tm reyenues, as both counties hove dedicated public transportation sales tu. Garfield County, however, does not currently hwe a dedicated source offunding for transit services." See Figure 6. Roaring Fork Railroad Hotding Authority: The Roaring Fork Railroad Holding Authority (RFRHA) has indicated that the Park and Ride lot location proposed is on RFRHA property and that the applicant has not contacted the authority regarding use of this property. Their letter to the County states that the proposed density and the cul-de-sac design are not considered transit oriented and friendly development. RFRHA also states that the proposed access would have to cross the rail corridor to get onto SH 82 which may require a grade separated crossing and which the developer should pay their fair share of the costs to construct. See Figure 16. Eagle County: Eagle County reminds the Garfield County Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners that the proposed Rose Ranch PUD and Sketch Plan should be evaluated in accordance with the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan goals. See Figure 8. Pitkin County: Pitkin County also reminds the Garfield County Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners that the applicant should adequately address the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan goals particularly with regard to mass transit, by payrrg an appropriate share of the construction costs for a Park and fude facility; and with regard to affordable housing, by providing units on-site that are affordable housing for the service workers which the project will require for home and golf course maintenance. See Figure 9. Comments from Organizations : Roaring Crystal Alliance: The Roaring Crystal Alliance members site scientific evidenCe for a greater buffer of one-thousand feet (1,000') from home sites at the southern end of the proposed project as well as management of the rookery area. The Alliance also recommends that a continuous conservation easement be placed along the riverfront greenbelt for the length of the project. The Alliance further not.. the potential for river contamination through runofffrom the golf course and supports water quality monitoring efforts and monitoring of the riparian health. 10. 11. B. 12. Page 7 of 20 13. See Figure IA. Glenwood Springs River Commission: the Glenwood Springs River Commission met with the applicant on 6 May 1998 to review the proposed modifications to the plan design. The River commission provided the following four (4) recommendations in accordance with their prior letter: Avoid erosion along the river bank that may occur during high water where construction has occurred by establishing a setback for buildings lots at one hundred feet (100'). Avoid the loss of natural vegetation along the river banks, which provides protection for wildlife, by establishing a Wildlife/Vegetative easement/buffer along the river corridor. Establish a trail along the west side of the Roaring Fork River as a Link between carbondale and Glenwood Springs and construct the trail along cR r09 to Glenwood Spring's Rivertrails specifications. Develop a progr.Lm for monitoring surface water quality, and limit the use of pesticides and fertilizers. See Figure 17. Roaring Fork valley Biological Inventory: the Roaring Fork Valley Biological Inventory pointed out in their prior letter that the great blue heron rookery located on the proposed development site is listed in Colorado Natural Heritage Program Report. The program report recommends that aYz mrle radius conservation boundary be implemented to protect the rookery, and that a one thousand foot (1,000') buffer be provided around the nests to protect feeding areas. The report notes that, of the ninety (90) to one hundred (100) nest sites located in the state, only three are found in the Roaring Fork Valley, and the one located at the Rose Ranch property is the largest. See Figure 27. Carbondale Affordable Housing Corporation: the agency responded at the public meeting before the Planning Commission to the applicant's letter date 20 May 1998 regarding the donation of $1,000 per unit at the time of building permit to the Board of Realtors and $1,000 per unit at the time ofbuilding permit to the Housing Corporation. The agency stated that the financial contribution will not adequately address the need for housing between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs. The agency also stated that affcrdable housing should be provided on-site. See Figure 7. 14. 15. Page 8 of 20 16. Glenwood Springs Board of Realtors- Inc.: the Glenwood Springs Board of Realtors suggests that the County should establish a measure and a rate to determine what amount of affordable housing a development proposal should be required to address. The board of realtors also suggests that any payrnent should be made by the developer or be rendered no later than at the closing date of a lot. The board added that any funds received would be used for either first time home buyers or for affordable housing groups and projects. See Figure l,5. 17. Garfield County Housing Authority: The Garfield County Housing Authority reported that its agency could effectively use the contribution offered by the applicant of two hundred dollars ($200) per units for land acquisition, rehabilitation of a residence, local matching funds for affordable housing development, project dwelopment costs, or a combination of the above. See Figure 28. C. Letters from Concerned Citizens See Figures Il-11, 18-26, and 29-36. IV. MAIOR ISSUES AND CONCERNS A. Zoning: The subject site is currently zoned Agricultural/ResidentiallRural Density which allows for a two (2) acre minimum lot size and agricultural uses, parks, single-family homes, and accessory dwellings by right. Community buildings are allowed by conditional use, and two-family dwellings, trails, golf course facilities, and commercial recreation facilitieVparks are permitted by special exception. The proposed PUD calls for an average density of 0.54 units per acre. The plan proposes single family units, duplexes, club houses, golf facilities (including a restaurant), recreational amenities, and open space. B. Subdivision: The proposed PUD calls for 292 homes on lots ranging in size from over one (1) acre to 8,000 square feet. The club houses will have a density of six (6) units to the acre. , -'Tf#:I,Htti,ifiiiiji,lL, :- si'fe as r','ws : ' 15,000 Square Foot Residential District ' 9,000 Square Foot Residential District: iffirofi{t:l}#ifl:s" Page 9 of 20 C.Comprehensive Plan Compliance: The Garfield County Comprehensive Plan of 1994lists housing, transportation, traffc mitigatioq street desigrr, visual corridoq recreation, open space, fishing/rafting activities, rural landscape, trails, wildlife habitat, water and sewer systems, environmental constraints, natural drainages, wetland and riparian areas, soil constraints, ecological resources, and excessive cut and fill goals which apply to this proposal and which must be met by the applicant. Soils/Topography: The "Preliminary Geotechnical Study Rose Ranch Development County Road 109 Garfield County, Colorado" reports that alluviat fans form an alluvial apron along he base of the bluffin the eastern part of the project area. River alluvium is present along the river channel and five (5) terraces are adacent to the channel. Sinkholes of trventy (20') to two-hundred (200') feet are presert on the site and have a depth of between one (l') foot to twerty (20') feet. Additionally, smaller sinkholes are present on the property. These sinkholes result from the collapse of zubzurface voids in the formation rock and in terrace deposits. The report states that the more severe constraints are associated with the alluvial fan flooding and the potential for sinkholes which may require some modification of the project design. The report also notes that the ephemeral channels and the alluvial fans are susceptible to debris floods and viscous debris flow landslides associated with intense rain and snow melt. Additionally, the entire fan surface is considered a potential flood area, therefore, channel and bank stability may be critical. The report recommends a minimum setback from sinkholes of twenty (20') feet. In addition, subsurface voids should be considered when planning building site foundations. The report also recommends a minimum building setback of 2:1, horizontal to vertical, asi measured from the edge of the river channel, and protection against erosion through revegetation and rock rip-rap. Furthermore, no grading should be considered on slopes greater than thirty (30%) percent. Road/Access: The proposed PUD will utilize an easement though the West Bank subdivision through a canyon to access the golf holes located atop the steeply sloping terrain. The application has not addressed the potentid for debree flow resulting from precipitation within the canyon as a result of the construction of the cart path. Fire Protection: The Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District notes that the plans should be completed in accordance with the Uniform Fire Code (UFC) Appendix Itr-A: Fire Requirements for Buildings; and that fire hydrants must be located in accordance with the UFC Appendix III-B: Fire Hydrant Locations and Spacing. D. E. F. Page l0 of 20 G. H. I. Water: The application did not include evidence of a water court approved augmentation plan. An adequate potable and irrigation water supply available to all units has not been demonstrated per the requirements of the Subdivision Regulation [Section 9. 5 I ]. Wastewater: The applicant will need to secure adequate sewage treatment capacity from the Aspen Glen wastewater treatment plant for the project [Section e.621. Road tmpacts: The applicant has provided staffwith a Highway Access Permit. Access to the highway has been granted as evidenced by this permit. However, no indication of a request for signalization of the intersection was included with this submission. The Traffic Study contained within the application notes that signalization of the intersection is recommended to improve an otherwise failing intersection whose condition will worsen with the proposed increase in development. PUD Requirements: The applicant has not met the requirements for approval of a PID in terms of providing innovations in design,lessening impacts, encouraging preseryation, avoiding incompatible elements, according an appropriate relationship to its surroundings, and exhibiting general conformance with the Comprehensive Plan. RECOMMENDED FINDINGS: The Rose Ranch applicant team has made substantial progress toward addressing the concerns of County residents and agencies, as well as meeting County regulation issues. Much of the changes have been an improvement over the former site design and several have firlly mitigated initial conflicts. ln particular, wildlife issues have been nearly fully addressed to the satisfaction of the reviewing agencies. Additionally, the County has been presented with some of its first financial offers to help offset traffic and housing impacts. However, the plan as presently proposed still leaves numerous questions unanswered and many critical issues without adequate solutions. Most particulary, the severe geologic constraints of this site pose many serious problems for which no assurances are provided in the studies presented with this proposal. tn additiorl the most pressing issues facing the County today regarding the severe shortage of attainable housing, the alarming rise in traffic congestion, and the rampant loss of agricultural land in this Valley have not been thoroughly addressed by a means which meets the level of demand which this proposal will place upon the County. In most cases, the proposal before us further exacerbates an already stressed situation. J. V. Page ll of 20 A. Recommended Conditions of Approval from the Garfield County Planning Commission to the Board of County Commissioners: Regarding the Underlying Geologt and Soils: l. The applicant will adhere to all recommendations contained within the reports of their consulting engineers including the following: a. establish a minimum setback from sinkholes of twenty (20') feet. In addition, subsurface voids will be engineered for stability when planning building site foundations; and b. protect against erosion through revegetation and rock rip-rap. Furthermore, grading will not be considered on slopes greater than thirry Q0%) percent [in accordance with the The Preliminary Geotechnical Study Rose Ranch Development County Road 109 Garfield County, Coloradol. 2. Ponds will be located in the area of least geologic impact and will be lined with an industrial grade liner in accordance with the geotechnical recommendations with the exception of those ponds which are existing [Garfield County Zonrng Resolution Section 408.05(7XE)(iv), Subdivision Regulations of Garfield County Section 9.12, Garfreld County Comprehensive Plan Section ltr.8.5 Objeaive and 8.5 Policy, Section m.8.1 and 8.7 Policies, and in accordance with the State of Colorado Geological Surveyl. 3. The developer and his consultants will rebuild the road or provide the finances to do such should irrigated golf course holes I I and 12 immediately above County Road 109 result in a continuation of road damage [Garfield County Zorung Resolution Section 408.05(7XEXi9, Subdivision Regulations of Garfield County Section 9.12, Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section m.8.5 Objective and 8.5 Policy, Section Itr.8.1 and 8.7 Policies, and in accordance with the State of Colorado Geological S*eyl. 4. The developer and his consultants will indemnify the county from any claims by a homeowner associated with the following: a. homes which will be subject to breaks in their foundations due to collapsible underlying geology and highly permeable soils and the effects of irrigating the golf course holes and the lawns; b. liners which may break when a pond is at it's full water capacity if differential settlement of several inches occurs beneath than; Page12of 2O c.severe hydrocompactive soil properties which are problematic for roadways and slab on grade pavements; potential ground subsidence in the majority of the alluvial fans where development is proposed resulting in ground subsidence, sinkholes, ground fissuring, and piping soil dissolution; and potential ground settlement and subsidence in the residential areas surrounding the proposed ponds within the alluvial fan areas due to severe wetting of these hydrocompactive soils by the ponds [Garfield County ZomngResolution Section 408.05(7XE)(iv), Subdivision Regulations of Garfield County Section 9.12, Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section III.8.5 Objective and 8.5 Policy, Section III.8.1 and 8.7 Policies, and in accordance with the State of Colorado Geological Surveyl. The applicant will provide plat notes regarding the need for specialized engineered foundations on areas composed of hydrocompactive soils [Garfield County Zorung Resolution Section 408.05(TXEXrv), Subdivision Regulations of Garfield County Section 9.12, Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section m.8.5 Objective and 8.5 Policy, Section tII.8.1 and 8.7 Policies, and in accordance with the CO Geological Surveyl. The applicant will provide detailed plans on the mitigation of the collapsible soils for all building foundation and road construction proposed [Garfield County ZonngResolution Section 408.05(7XE)(iv), Subdivision Regulations of Garfield County Section 9.12, GaIfield County Comprehensive Plan Section Itr.8.5 Objective and 8.5 Policy, Section m.8.1 and 8.7 Policies, and in accordance with the State of Colorado Geological Survey]. The applicant will provide details plans on the proposed foundation stabilization designs of the proposed pond [Garfield County ZonngResolution Section 408.05(7XE)(iv), Subdivision Regulations of Garfield county section 9.12, Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section ltr.8.5 Objective and 8.5 Policy, Section III.8.1 and 8.7 Policies, and in accordance with the State of Colorado Geological Surveyl. The applicant will make use of native vegetation which requires less water consumption by reguiring the planting of native grasses @on all fairways and lawns on the site. The plan will abide by the recommendations of the consultant's golf course management report - which to date the planning department has not been provided a copy of [Section 408.05(7)(EXiv) of the Garfield County ZonrngResolution and the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section m.8.2 Objectivel. e. 5. 6. 7. 8. Page 13 of 20 Re gardmg Water C onsumptive Re quirements : 9. Include evidence of a water court approved augmentation plan for review prior to approval of the preliminary plan for this project by the Board of County Commissioners [Subdivision Regulations of Garfield County Section 9.51, and in accordance with the State of Colorado Office of the State Engineer Division of Water Resources]. 10. Ensure that an adequate potable water supply will be available to all units [Subdivision Regulations of Garfield County Section 9.51, and in accordance with the State of Colorado Office of the State Engineer DMsion of Water Resources]. Regarding Sewage Treatment: I l. Secure adequate sewage treatment capacity from the Aspen Glen wastewater *o{af. " treatment plant through committed number of taps for the project [Subdivision r:la.cr-zrtr' Regulations of Garfield County Section 9.62 andin accordance with the State of'fft *,tolorado Office of the State Engineer Division of Water Resourcesl.p\a^- t$la^\tcd f+"r. Re garding Wi ldlile Prote ction : 12. The applicant has agreed to comply with the Division of Wildlife's conditions including the following: a. Place within the protective covenants (under Aft. fV, Sec. l2.c), as a condition of approval, the placement of educational signs at the primary overlook regarding golden eagle nesting, and the closure ofthe ridge south of the eagle's nest from l5 March through 1 July with fines imposed on those found in violation; b. Place within the protective covenants the closure of the upper golf course and ridge to human activity, excluding maintenance, from I December through 31 March with a gate and a sign and fines imposed for any violation thereof; Install habitat improvemant measures on the upper bench west of CR 109, undertake the development of a site plan with the DOW, and provide for the maintenance and the protection from disturbance ofthe native vegetation outside of the golf course; Forbid the construction of the water tank and the line west of CR 109 from 15 March through I July due to golden eagle nesting activities; c. d. Page 14 of 20 e. Create a vegetative screen plan approved by the DOW, and plant vegetation along the east boundary ofproposed Lots 108 through l18, 70 through 80, and 76 tfuough 77; f. Forbid the removal of trees along the river and the wetland areas except for exotic and invading species; g. Create an educational brochure for distribution to all homeowners on how to live with wildlife; h. Provide a SO-foot setback from the wetlands to the home-site; and i. Maintain the 110 foot buffer between Rose Ranch and Teller Springs in native vegetatiorg and install vegetative screening along all of those lot boundaries [Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section m.8.6 Policy]. 13. Provide a public fishing easement along the West Bank property downstream from the bridge [Garfield Cotrnty Comprehensive Plan Section m.5.3, Policy and 5.3 Programl. 14. Forbid the construction ofthe primary overlook from 15 March through I July [Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section ItI.8.6 Policy]. Regarding the Great Blue Heron Rookery: 15. The applicant has agreed to comply with the Division of Wildtife's conditions including the following: a. Plant vegetative screening along the east boundary ofproposed Lots 108 through 118 to screen homesites and backyard aaivity from the rookery; b. Place vegetative screening before any construction activity; c. Forbid the construction of homes from 15 February through 31 May on proposed Lots 94 through 96 and 108 through 118; d. Forbid human activity in the riparian and wetlands areas below proposed Lots 94 through 118 and across from the rookery from 15 February through 15 July by the use of fencing and signage as well as fines imposed for any violation thereof, e. Install an artificial nesting platform on the east side of the river by the rookery; and Page 15 of 2A f. Prohibit the construction of second story decks and/or balconies facing the rookery for proposed Lots I 08 through I 1 8 unless a screening plan subject to approval by the Division of Wildlife is submitted [Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section III.8.6 Objectivel. Regarding Fire Protection Services : 16. Install vegetative screen to block the effects of increased traffic through the development of a screening plan for the Richard Weinberg property. 17. Ensure that water supplies from the Rose Ranch development are made available for future extension to these areas for fire protection purposes. Stub and size the lines appropriately so that they are available for future tap-ins for fire flow [in accordance with the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District]. 18. Require a minimum flow of 1,500 gallons per minute (gpm) [in accordance with the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection Districtl. 19. Provide inrpaa fees adopted by the District which are due prior to recording of a final plat [in accordance with the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District]. ZO. Complete plans in accordance with the Uniform Fire Code (nC) Appendix trI-A: Fire Requirements for Buildings [in accordance with the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection Districtl. 21. Locate fire hydrants in accordance with the UFC Appendix III-B: Fire Hydrant Locations and Spacing [in accordance with the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District]. Re garding School District Service s: 22. Provide cash in-lieu-of the calculated dedicated land, to be paid at the time of strbdivision approval, to compensate for the increase in school children generated from this proposed development. The cash amount will be set at the time of final plat [Garfi eld County Zonng Resolution Section 4. 08. 05(E)]. Regarding Pub lic Transportation Semices : 23. Mitigate the development's impacts on the existing or the future transit system by contributing a fair share of the costs associated with providing public transit service to the site including the Park and Ride facility, a transit shelter and parking spaces, rolling stock capacity, operating subsidy, and parking lot maintenance and snow removal. Page 16 of 20 The applicant has offered $750.00 per unit for the construction of the Park and Ride facility to be paid at the time of submission of a building permit application [Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section IIL3.l and 3.3 Objectives, Section IIL3.3 and 3.6 Policiesl. Regarding Protection of the River Conidor: 24. Avoid erosion along the river bank that may occur during high water where construction has occurred by establishing a setback for buildings lots at one hundred feet (100') [Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section III.5.0(A) Goall. 25. Avoid the loss of natural vegetation along the river banks, which provides protection for wildlife, by establishing a Wildlife/Vegetative easement/buffer along the river corridor on the preliminary plans for staffreview [Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section III.5.0(A) Goall. 26. Ensure that the trail along the west side of the Roaring Fork River is a continuous link; and construct the trail along CR 109 to Glenwood Spring's Rivertrails specifications [Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section III.5.0(A) Goal]. 27. Develop a progrilm for monitoring surface water quality, and restrict the use of pesticides and fertilizers [Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section m.5.0(A) Goall. 28 Create a six (6) acre conservation easement along the riverfront of the project [Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section [I.5.0(A) Goal]. 29. Eliminate the potential for river contamination through runofffrom the golf course and support water quality monitoring efforts and monitoring of the riparian health [Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section m.5.0(A) Goal]. Regarding Housing Provisions, Traffic Improvements, Viewsheds, and Historic Features: ,.-\\( lO ) -?rovide-furten-pere€nf(t096ff+ffitrousing:uni*proposed as-altainabte\-'/ jeet+i+* The applicant should work with the Carbondale Affordable Housing Corporation, the Garfield County Housing Authority, the Housing for Tomorrow Commissioq and the Glenwood Board of Realtors. t'rynent of atv fu Usin="e apprevaftcarfield County Zonrng Resolution Section 4.M,4.07.01, and 4.07.03 and Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section III.2.l Objectivel. bO% d , r.da-- [n*u>r.t -f Fronsrzt- +l^.z'" \b "P -L'tncar'r Page 17 of 20 31. Construct a controlled intersection as proposed upon approval of the first final plat unless the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) requires a grade separated intersection. In which case, the applicant will contribute its fair share of the total cost to construct a grade separated access at the intersection of SR 82 with CR 154, which is the preferred improvement design by both the CDOT and the Roaring Fork Railroad Holding Authority for primary public safety reasons. The cost of such an improvement is estimated to start at two million dollars [Garfield County ZorungResolution Section 4.04, 4.07.01, and 4.07.031. 32. Provide payment of the applicable road impact fee at the time of final plat approval. 33. Construct improvements to CR 109 between tlardwick Bridge and the first entrance to the subdivision [Garfield County ZonngResolution Section 4.04, 4.07.01, and 4.07.031. 34. The proposed PUD will b€ permitted to provide the possible use of a morimum building height ofup to thirty-five (35') feet based upon the application of preliminary plans which will be evaluated for potential impacts resulting from an increase in building height on the site specific locations [Garfield County Zorung Resolution Section 4.07.04(l)(2X3)(5) and Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section m.2.5 Objectivel. 35. Save and repair Building #8. Evaluate the potential to save and repair the cold storage cellar as a part of this proposed PUD [Garfield County ZonngResolution Section 408.05(7XG)1. Regarding Commercial Uses and Canyon Development: 36. Provide the total area of proposed nonresidential floor space prior to the PUD hearing before the Board of County Commissioners. [Subdivision Regulations of Garfield County Section 3.32.I.51. 37. Ensure that the cart path proposed within the drainage channel of the canyon will not increase the rate of runoffand debris flow and that mitigation structures are installed to manage these factors [SubdMsion Regulations of Garfield County Section 3.40.D and Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section m.5.0 Goal, and Section Itr.8.2 Policyl. Page 18 of 20 38. Provide a design of the canyon golf cart path whictr, from a geotechnical and debris flow model within the canyon are4 will be safe for pedestrians and for homesites located down gradient [Subdivision Regulations of Garfield County Section 3.40.D and Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section III.5.0 Goal, and Section III.8.2 Policyl. \tia-f df a,- i^Ctr?cnd""-* ea^o1 Nef,,t W::1.Ai &*,^.S1 g[^sdsr^J ...ro n^,Hrif\r'r*,ti74na1 Regarding Agricalture: r€asu\:< 5 39. Require xeroscape landscaping measures for all homes proposed within the development as part of the covenants [Section 408.05(7XE)(iv) of the Garfield County ZonngResolution and the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section III.8.2 Objeaivel. 40. The applicant will adhere to all recommendations of conditions of compliance as contained within the letter from Wright Water Engineers dated 2l May 1998. Regarding Homesites: 41. No outdoor lighting will shine offof the property, but rather shine down and in towards the structure; and the PUD will minimize outdoor lighting. 42. The applicant will provide $2,200.00 per lot to be paid at the time of final plat. 43. A limitation will be instituted of two (2) wood burning fireplaces in the clubhouse. All other structures and residences on the Rose Ranch development are prohibited from having wood burning fireplaces or stoves. 44. The applicant will abide by the "Conditions/Recommendations Agreed to by Rose Ranch Developers for Approval" as submiued by the applicant at the public meeting before the Planning Commission. B. StaffRecommendation of Conditions in Addition to the Planning Commission's Conditions : Regording the Great Blue Heron Rookery: 45. Establish-a-one-theusar.ld-feettt atoteafeedins @rehensivePlan SectionJtr-8.5Stfeetivel . Page 19 of 20 Re gardin g Lot C onfi gur ati on : 46. sed along the Rsaring Fork River to twn (^) ae+es-in{i*@ designated Area l map [Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section ItL8.7 Objeaive]. Re garding Agri ca lture : 47. The applicant will provide a tract of land reserved for community gardens at a size sufficient for each unit to manage a plot for home use [Garfield County Comprehensive Plan Section [I.5.0(A) Goal, Section I[.5.](A) Objective, Section Itr.6.0 Goal, and Section m.6.1 Objective, Section m.6.2 Poliry, and Section III.6.5 Programl. B. C. Recommendation of Staff: It is recommended that the Garfield County Board of Commissioners put forth a recommendation of disapproval of the application for the Rose Ranch PUD and Sketch Plan. The primary reason for this disapproval is the severe geologic constraints which this site presents for the type of development design proposed. A secondary reason is the inability of the present proposal to meet the major issues facing the County regarding a lack of affordable houshlg, an increase in traffic congestion, and a loss of agricultural land. Page20 of 20 Attaclment A 818 Colorado Ave. P.O. Box 219 Glenwood Spnngs. Colorado 81602 {970} 945-7755 TEL 19701 945-9210 FAX 1303) 893- r 608 DENVER DTRECT L|NE May 21, 1998 Victoria Giannola Garfield County Planning Department 109 Eighth Street, Suite 303 Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81601-3303 RE: Rose Ranch Revised P.U.D. and Sketch Plan Submittal Technical Review Dear Victoria: At the request of Garfield County, Wright Water Engineers, Inc. (WWE) has reviewed the Rose Ranch P.U.D. and Sketch Plan Submittal dated February 1998. This letter report presents our technical review of water supply, wastewater, water quality, drainage, soils/geology, wetlands, utilities, and traffic/roads issues. FINDINGS Based on our review, we offer the following comments. Water Supply 1.Based on the information in the Zancanella & Associates report, we believe an adequate physical potable water supply can be obtained through either a surface water diversion from the Roaring Fork River or from a well field in the alluvial aquifer. A surface water diversion is proposed utilizing the Robertson Ditch as the primary source and directly from the Roaring Fork River within the project as a back up. The water demand and EQR calculations are inconsistent with the previous submittal. However, the pending augmentation plan covers more than enough water demand for the project. 3. The storage tank site is currently shownwest of County Road 109 onthe south end of the property along an existing access road. It is our understanding that the tank will be buried to minimize visual impacts. A -eeotechnical analysis of the site should be conducted. 2. DENVER (303) 4BGl 700 DURANGO 197 0l 259- t- 4 1 1 BOULDER - (3031 473-e500 Victoria Giannola Garfield County Planning Department May 21, 1998 Page 2 4. 5. We believe fire flow requirements will be 1,500 to 2,000 gpm for two hours (18,000 to 240,000 gallons). The storage tank requirements will likely increase. Tank overflow should be piped across County Road 109 to a suitable location to avoid erosion and wetting of hydrocompactive soils. From an engineering point of view, a water augmentation plan can be developed as outlined in the Zancanella & Associates February 20, l99S letter report utilizing the Robertson Ditch, Glenwood Ditch water rights, and on-site storage. Contract water from the West Divide Water Conservancy District or other sources could be utilized in place of on-site storage and/or the Glenwood Ditch water rights. An application for a plan for augmentation for the potable water system was filed in the Division 5 Water Court on October 31, 1997 in Case No. 97CW236. Irrigation of the golf course will be by existing water rights and transfer of a portion of the Glenwood Ditch in Case No. 96CW319. The final court decree or a state approved substitute water supply plan should be obtained before approval of the preliminary plan. Soils/Geoloe.Y As noted in the geotechnical report, there are two major alluvial fans. One located on the north end and one located on the south end of the site. The debris fans flow from west to east across Counfy Road 109. A mitigation plan has been developed to address the Northeast Dry Park drainage and debris flow. However, the minor debris flows have not been addressed. In addition, we are concerned about development on the alluvial fans in areas not historically irrigated and the impact of wetting the soils from irrigation, water features, and stormwater infiltration. The project proposes the use of ponds and infiltration systems for stormwater, water quality, and water features. As noted in our review, we encourage these practices, but caution that designs must consider the effect of water on the soils and subsurface conditions. Although the ponds are proposed to be lined, the geotechnical engineer should review all ponding locations, infiltration systems, irrigation proposals, and water features. Note that the October 29, 1997 Geotechnical Report by Hepworth-Pawlak Geotechnical, Inc. states that "water should not be allowed to pond which could impact slope stability and foundations. " In addition, they recommend landscape irrigation be restricted. These restrictions may affect the concepts used for the sketch plan and P.U.D. We recommend that at Preliminary Plan, lots should not be approved over the smaller depression areas until more detailed site specific studies are conducted. 6. Victoria Giannola Garfield County Planning Department May 21, 1998 Page 3 Wastewater 8. 7 . This proposal includes 292 units, a clubhouse, and associated uses (day care, etc.) for a total of 330 EQR's. Based on the agreement presented in the sketch plan submittal, the Aspen Glen Water and Sanitation District (AGW&SD) could provide up to 428 EQR's for the Rose Ranch. The AGW&SD has indicated that it can and will serve the proposed 330 EQR's. Based on conversations with AGW&SD, they agree with the estimated 330 EQR's for the project. Wetlands Wetlands have been delineated along the river corridor of the Roaring Fork River. This wetlands boundary and the 100-year boundary coincide in many locations, both running parallel with the river. As previously recommended, the back lot lines have been revised to extend no further than the wetlands and 100-year floodplain boundaries. A field inspection of the Rose Ranch property has been made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to ensure that all 404 permit issues are adequately addressed for that property. However, the proposed reconfiguration appears to eliminate existing wetland areas and replace them with ponds and turf. An Individual 404 Permit would be required including an alternatives analysis. Ditches The Robertson Ditch flows through the center of the site and is approximately parallel with the Roaring Fork River. It has been proposed to utilize the ditch for potable water supply, irrigation, and water features including several ponds and minor drainage ways. We recommend a formal agreement be made between the development and other ditch users (i.e., Westbank) on how the ditch will be operated and maintained in the future. Culvert sizing and capacity needs to be agreed on. The drainage plan on Sheets 2 and 3 of the Sketch Drawings show the use of the Robertson Ditch to collect some of the stormwater uphill of the ditch. Our recorrmendation is to discourage this due to concerns for water quality (potable water supply) from surface water runoff from areas exposed to fertilizing, pesticides, and overloading the ditch. We recommend a buffer zone be maintained along the Robertson Ditch and that surface water runoff be directed away from the ditch itself. 9. 10. Victoria Giannola Garfield County Planning Department May 2L, 1998 Page 4 Drainage 11. t2. 13. 15. 16. The Northeast Dry Park Drainage Ditch is proposed to be maintained in its current configuration and discharge runoff directly to the Roaring Fork River without any alteration except as noted above for debris flow mitigation. The channel does not appear to be stable and some stream bank restoration may be necessary. This should be evaluated in conjunction with the debris flow mitigation analysis. The Northeast Dry Park Drainage has characteristics of a debris channel. The drainage report presents a concrete grade stabilization structure and settling ponds above County Road 109 to mitigate the debris flow hazard. The debris flow mitigation should be reviewed by the geotechnical engineer since it differs slightly from recommendations in the October 29, 1997 report by Hepworth-Pawlak. The Northeast Dry Park Drainage and Robertson Ditch intersection appears to have been reworked several times in the past. This crossing should be addressed as to its adequacy and/or improvement. 14. The drainage report recommends the use of settling ponds or wetland ponds for water quality of on-site stoffnwater. We recommend the County encourage the use of these types of Best Management Practice (BMP). Pond design should consider the impacts on soils and slope stability. The drainage report recortmends the use of culverts sized to accommodate Z5-year storm and, in Some cases, the 100-year Storm. We recommend that a minimum culvert size be 18 inches in diameter and be constructed with headwalls and end sections. The drainage report recommends the use of rapid sand filters and other infiltratin-e BMPs to treat surface water runoff from parking lots. We recommend the County encourage use of these types of BMPs with consideration of the geotechnical issues discussed herein. The precipitation depths used in the drainage report appear to be low when compared to the NOAA Atlas II, Volume III for Colorado which indicates that the Z1-year,24- hour storm has aZ.2-inch depth and the 100-year, 24-hour storm a2.7-rnch depth (versus a2.0" and.2.4"). All other calculations appear to be adequate for this level of detail. 18. The plan should provide adequate setback buffers for all development, from streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and ditches (potable water supply). t7. Victoria Giannola Garfield County Planning Department May 2L, 1998 Page 5 19. Maintenance of all drainage structures including the debris flow structure should be identified with an appropriate enforcement mechanism. Water Ouality 20. The project submittal discusses several BMP practices that will be used for the golf course which includes minimizing watering, optimizing fertilizer usage, use of sand filters and grass swales for the golf course. We recorunend that BMP practices be extended to individual lawns and parks, especially those areas that are in close proximity to water courses. 21. The submittal proposes to improve water quality through the use of the noted BMPs. We recommend that a water quality sampling and monitoring plan should be developed to identify existing water quality for surface and groundwater resources and monitor any changes due to construction and after development. 22. We recommend a snow storage plan be developed including any area that will be used for storage of snow that has been plowed and removed. 23. A maintenance plan should be developed for all BMPs. Golf Course 24. The golf course design should include the following design recommendations. a. Direct runoff away from sensitive areas such as streams, shallow groundwater, wetlands, etc. into areas where ponding and infiltration can occur. b. Include buffers for Robertson Ditch and the Northeast Dry Park Drainage where they transverse the golf course. c. Select seed mixtures for turf and native grass that are compatible. d. Preserve and reuse existing topsoil. e. Consider underdrains at tees and greens for storage and passive treatment of contaminated leachate to protect groundwater. f. Provide adequate setback buffers for all development from streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Victoria Giannola Garfield County Planning Department May 21, 1998 Page 6 g. Strictly limit the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Use appropriate types for site conditioning on a management unit basis. h. An Integrated Pest Management Plan should be developed, including use of Biological Treatments (i.e., use of pest resistant turf grass, establishing populations of natural enemies, maintain balance turf grass ecosystems, use of mechanical seeding, etc.). Develop source controls, spill prevention, and spillway emergency plans for storage and handling of pesticides, fertilizers, and fuel. j. Develop record keeping systems. Final irrigation issues must be addressed for the golf course including effects on subsurface soils and stability and water source for the upper (western) golf course. 25. The section of golf course located on the western portion of the site is on very steep terrain and will require extensive erosion control, not only for construction, but also under developed conditions. 26. The Northeast Dry Park Drainage is subject to flash flooding. The golf cart path to the upper holes (15 through 18) traverses the drainage channel and creates a safety concern for the public. Appropriate signage is recommended to warn of the danger. 27.Golf course Hole 10 fairway is laid out over the Northeast Dry Park Drainage and will need to be adjusted. The proposed Westbank Golf Course addition includes reconfiguring nine holes into seven holes. It appears that wetland areas are impacted by the proposal. A drainage plan for this area should be included in the submittal. TrafficiRoads The Access Permit issued by CDOT requires the intersection at Highway 82 be redesigned to operate at Level of Service C. The traffic report indicates that the current conditions are at Level F; with the Rose Ranch development, the intersection will continue to be a Level F. Furthermore, the traffic study indicates that even with the addition of accel/decel lanes, the service will still be at Level F. Therefore, we believe that signalization would be required in addition to accel/decel lanes to upgrade to Level C. At this time, CDOT has not approved a signalized intersection at this location. No other alternatives were presented such as the use of the existing si-enalized intersection at the C.M.C. furnoff on Highway 82. 28. 29. Victoria Giannola Garfield County Planning Department May 21, 1998 Page 7 The proposed intersection presented in Figure 17 of the Traffic Study has been approved by CDOT. The realignment, grading, and retaining walls appear to be confined to the existing right-of-way. The CDOT Access Permit reserves the right to stop left-hand turns onto Highway 82. It does not clarify the circumstances under which this could happen. We believe that unless a signalized intersection is approved by CDOT at this location, left-hand turns will need to be eliminated for safety reasons. The existing CMC turnoff intersection would be utilized for left-hand turns to serve this project. Please call if you have any questions. Very truly yours, WRIGHT WATER ENGINEERS, INC. Michael J. Eri Vice Preside MJE/dIf 92r-047.030 30. 31. i /.. FTqJRE 1STATE OF COLORADO Roy Romer, Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AN EOUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYEB John W. Mumma, Director 6060 Broadway Denver, Colorado 80216 Telephone: (303) 297-1 192 5-4-98 Garfield County Planning 109 8th St., Suite 303 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 RE: Revised Rose Ranch PUD and Sketch PIan Dear Ms. Giannola: f will refer you to my LO-7-97 letter to you for a description of I,7ildlife use and potential wildLife impacts from the proposed Rose Ranch PUD. The revised PUD and Sketch PIan have 4ade many p o s i ! iv e . r, a r " r, " f i-iE i' E na n s E=t t o "n in-im f 2€.*i,ip-aqt:-i;Tffi!L{Hu...--- -r:-4-_ *-J:-iry*-.^r-.rn additiEil +..-'"..-freier-En-Site on 4-9 and 4-30-98 to discuss wildlife concerns with the Sketch PIan. Mr. Heggemeier has been very receptive to my recommendations and has agieed to implement mosl all of them. I appreciate his cooperative nature and willingness to tisten and change his p1an. The following are positive changes made in the new PUD and Sketch PIan submission. I have also included reconmendations which Mr. Heggemeier agreed to during our site visits of 4-9 and 4-30-98. fheie changei and recommendations will help to minimize impacts to wildlife:1. Floe-lg1rj: l-a*r*qiqihe;men's Par,E,- and pedestrian trail aroncr southern river f ront tGt=- hi+a tr"tnt=emavaA. " .......'.-...<----. -'#@23--: -1- 1e-:* rp-p -eg*r-e 9-r 9--+ i gI-? I park has been rg1_oygg DIVISION OF WILDLIFE 4. Area west ofto the upper golf 3. Agreed to remove the secgndary overlook and conne,cting trai I f rom the*p?iniafy ^onerffioft t'6*6lroEfte't- "thd-'qdlden 6a61e iFs-trnq, " -E-dmeiT'6-fre1---sici-ns' ilir.l--sEif rb6.-p1-ac-ed.-eE.-Eh6---- britfr-a;f ovEloo dqe soqth to tlre eaglers nest from Marc[ 15 - JUl_y-L- This change needs to - IVr Sec - 12 (c er on 5-4-98 indicated that the change would be made. 109 Road and the course and ridge lf,ztrail acce_E_q ea closw actrvr-ties.The 1fltrail exc ding golf maint l-1 be sated-and signed. DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, James S. Lochhead, Executive Director WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Arnold Salazar, Chair o Rebecca L. Frank, Vice Chair r Mark LeValley, Secretary Louis F. Swift, Member o Bernard L. Black, Member Chuck Lewis, Member o John Stulp, Member r James R. Long, Member iz Paqe 2 serviceberry, etc. shrub species. specific site ptan ui-11-be -iointlv develoned bv Rose Ranch a-nd tEe DOw. Native eesr greens, cart path) and areas of habitat improvement tri1l be maintained and not disturbed. 5. Agreed and committed to-habitat inproyenent neasur n he upper bench weqt_o-f,6i1T-Tnvcrlve cuttings@nd ieseeding with sagebrush, oakbrush, Agreed to&_sonstructio!_ sf lggte and line from l,tarch l-5 eaqfe nesti 7.Agreed to create a v_egetative screening plan and plant Live screen fo en gfPA and 76/77. The plan to be rev and the 6. 8. Agreed to Eodify the southern most Roaring Fork Rivet overiook .anq mo bacf-E6-EI6 LoE vb. m; wffi be.-fenced and sig:eed du-t.cl the heron's ica\_ nesting periffiury 15). -r'nrs baslcarry removed ffiwhich red d.orrrn- to tne river across iron the heron rookery. 9. Reduced home density and increased ]ot size alongr the river from the original plan 10. No tree removal alonq the river and wetland areas 11: Agreed to <rge$ =pl_educational brochure for hs''menwqers which wirr be prbvia Lry r=tgy tP live with wildlife and any special restrlcEions in place to i:ntmtze:*rnp:ml--Ed w i 1 d f i f e . L2. Agreed to and has moved Sec. 9, Art.VII of theprotective covenants regarding dogs to Art.IV, Sec. r.2. Inaddition, the language was changed to aIlow only 1 dog/home. L3. 50' wetland buffer will be met for all lots except for Lots 82-84 where there will be a ninimium 25' buffer L4. Agreed to supply water to the larger trees, notclassified as a safety hazard, along the Robertson Diteh (which will be lined). hletlands below the ditch will be monitored by Rose Ranch for any impacts due to the lining of the ditch. Water will also be supplied to the wetlands if needed. L5. Rose reed to maintain the 11o' wide buffer between the e -VE'"gfEtEt.rOn. A logor sp 1 fence-w o@ndaries Page 3' with vegetati Ef6ctive. -- * 4 L6. Jury-1F- Jhis willfencing, if needed.5. fnstallation of stirr bEinq aECf and may effectiveness designed. 1anvlty to vide a public fishing ea nt along thg eam fromrt We bridqe. fiaintainirrg ffiintegrity of the bridge and minimizing disturbance ovJ for c Esninq whlle wetlandsto the epenA upon the screen which is upstream from the rookery. The PUD/Sketch Plan states that the golf course provides opportunity for wildlife migration. Mule deer and elk will use tir! qolf course and I discuised this with l{r. Heggemeier as well as the potential for damage to the course, especially the upper 4 holes. When golf courses are built within big garae winter range areas, there wi:-f be damage. I explained that it is not lawfuI for deer or elk to be hazed from the course. He agreed to the following on 4-30-98: Rose Ranch, including golf course maintenaice personnel, shall be prohibited from chasing, scaring, disturbing, nazingr or other forms of harassruent in an atternpt to coerce big game (deer/etk) off of the golf course and open space areas. Rose Ranch has the right to locaIIy restrict big game from the golf course gireens, tees, landscaping by using temporary fencing or other passive means. Distances to the building envelopes from the heron rookery were made and mapped for Lots LO8-LL8. For those lots directly across from the rookery, distances varied from 628' to 752t. The largest distance was g55, for Lot 1O9. These distances combined with rear yard setbacks, the river inbetween the rookery a!d. Iots, and iegetative screen to be planted should help to minimize disturbance io the rookery. Literature recommendations vary between 2O0m - 25Om (656' - 820'). Mr. Heggemeier agreed to the following to help minimize impacts to the rookery: l_. Planting a vegetelillqscreen along east boundary of foai2. V screen hril construct Lots 94-96, 108-11-8 from b.L5-Ma 3L. (11 be a con 4. No a from Feb. 1-5 slgnlng anoaccomplr artificial nesti atform on east side willsw probably be abandon ? C- i .t Lits +a) rlose- In addition, I have recommended that there be 4o seco Iconies facinq the rook fo desigmstill and beingof the vegetative Page 4 Included in the application was a section titled frReview by Kirk Beattie of Relevant Portions of Rose Ranch Sketch PIan PUD Comments and Deficienciesrt. In this section Mr. Beattie addressed those comments and defici.encies which were environmental or wildlife oriented. I would like to respond to his comments as I disagree with many of his comments and conclusions. I have discussed this section of Mr. Beattie's comments with Mr. Heggemeier and Larry Green, District l{ildlife Manager, Glenwood Springs. DWII Green agrees witn my comments and offered suggestions which I incorporated. Mr. Heggemeier was receptive to my conments. My responses correspond to the cornment number of Mr. Beattie. did not write a response to all of them. Comment #t ft is stated that the PUD will not unreasonably destroy or displace wildlife but yet in comment #L2 l4r. Beattie states that much of the present deer forage east of County Road 1-o9 will be eliminated by the subdivision, refering that not as many deer will be present after construction. There will be loss of winter range habitat and some displacement of wintering wildlife. with construction of the golf course on the upper bench west of 109 Road there will be direct loss of critical mule deer winter range and e1k severe winter range. There will be a habitat type conversion from sagebrush to grass. Depending on the winter, deer and elk need the shrub type forage species whichstick up through the snow. Sagebrush, oakbrush, serviceberry, bitterbrush, and other shrubs are very important during the winter months for mule deer and eIk. The applicant has agreed to conduct some habitat improvementprojects to help ninirnize this impact. Comment #S I question how a conclusion regarding heron nesting not being impacted can be made. The applicant is taking some measures to try to minimize any impact. However, once the subdivision is built and the vegetative screen planted, it will be very important to control the homeordners use of the riparian areas during the critical nesting period. It becomes a matter of enforcement of the measures adopted to protect the herons. Ifthis is not done, then there will be negative impacts to the herons. It is hard to predict no impact with approximately l-,ooo more people living across from the rookery. In addition, the single nest tree will probably be l-ost. That is a negative inpact. The applicant has agreed tostructure on the other sideoffset this impact. No-oneeffort but it is a positive install an artificial nesting of the river near the rookerY to can predict the success of this and hopefully beneficial step. I am optirnistic about its success. Page 5 Comment #g and 10- It is during the harder winters that elk will use the sagebrush fields east of 1O9 Road and that is taken under consideration by the definitions of severe winter range' 91kwill not always use the area in normal winters. Mr. Beattie's field surveys lrere not conducted after some of these harder winters. Witn Ur. Rose,s cattle operation, elk would get into the feed lines with the cattle during these harder winters. As the valley continues to develop and more winter range is Iost, the remaining shrublands will receive more winter range use and pressure. Comnent #l-1 In my original letter I indicated the use of black bear west of 109 R-oad. This was a statement of use and potential use by black bear west of LO9 road, which the Rose Ranch is part of. there has been black bear use in the lower 4-Mile area. In drought years as well as other yearsr W€ have had problems with beari in subdivisions and in towns such as Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, and Aspen as they look for food. Bears have been kilIed on Highway -AZ across irom the Rose Ranch and gotten into beehives behind Lhe Sopris Restaurant. This could occur in the Rose Ranch. However, development of the Rose Ranch will not negatively impact the black bear population as it does not contain prime-bear habitat. Howevel, if trash, Pet food, etc. is not properly taken care of, increased bear problems should be anticipated. Comment #12 - mountain lions are sotitary animals and are not readily observed by most people. Lions do occur and occupy the area aiound the nose Ranch, including the ranch. Lions will fo}low their main prey source of mule deer into subdivisions. This is well docurnented tnroughout Colorado. Not all mule deer use east of l-09 Road will be eliminated by development of the Rose Ranch. Lions could come into the subdivision after the deer, resident's pets such as dogs and cats, and other wildlife species such as raccoons, skunks, marmots which are attracted to the subdivision due to food sources such as trash, gardens, compost piIes, etc. I believe that residents of the subdivion snouta be made aware of this possibility and properly educated. There is currently a Iion adjacent to and sometimes within a subdivision in loier a- miIe. I have also had lions within city limits of Carbondale, Ranch at Roaring Fork, ?s well as other locations in the lower Roaring Fork Val1ey. Comment #tl and 14 I disagree. I have watched and observed the bald eagle use in tbe valley for the last 13 years. As devetopment continues along the river system, there -has been a change in eagle use. I don't believe that you can just look at one ima1l aspect or picture of eagle use and say it will not inpact the birds. A11 subdivisions, including the Rose Ranch, which develop along the river impact the use of the river by the eagles. You must look at the cumulative impact of all subdivisions, not just one since the one contributes to the whole. Without pr5tection of certains areas along the river, Page 6 cont,inued bald eagle use is threatened by development of the riparian areas along the river. Comment #ts and 16- I disagree that e1k and mule deer will not be negatively impacted by construction of the golf course west of L09 Road and carrying capacity of that area reduced. By construction of the golf course west of l-09 road, important winter range browse species will be lost which are needed in heavier snow years. Mule deer are primarily browsers and rely on sagebrush, oakbrush, serviceberry, bitterbrush, etc. during the winter. Converting this type of habitat to grass will not be beneficial to the deer. Elk will undoubtedly use the area in the winter. In lighter snow years they will readily qtaze on the course, but in heavier snow years when this area is covered deeply in snow, the loss of browse is significant. It takes much more energy to paw down through the deep snow to graze on the short grasses below. Browse species are more readily available and take much less energy to forage. With loss of this habitat type, the nule deer and e1k will be negatively inpaeted. I disagree that elk and mule deer will not be displaced. Mr. Beattie already stated that there will not be as much deer use east of i-o9 Road. Conbine that with the habitat conversion west of LO9 Road and I believe they will be displaced to other areas. There will sti1l be use but not in the amount their currently is. Closure of the area west of removal of the upper activethe e1k and mule deer and I discussed earlier will also 109 Road to human activitY and recreation area wil-1 be beneficial to support it. Habitat improvement be positive and heIpfuI. Comment #18 - Floaters park has been elininated Cornment #tg - We have agreed to several measures to minimize the irnpact to the main rookery area. Installation of an artificial nest structure may help replace the single nest tree which will probably be abandoned. comment #zo - Fishing Park has been elininated Comment #21- I disagree with his conclusion of no irupact to the herons. Whether the rnain rookery area is impacted or not will depend upon the effectiveness of the measures recontmended and their enforcement. fhis will be especially important at buildout when the residents will be living and recreating in the subdivision and along the river. He asked why the birds are not impacted during the heavier raftingr rnonths of June and July. At this time the riparian vegetation and trees are leafed outproviding visual screening and more security. In addition, the herons have young in their nest at this time and are much more resistant to abandon the nest and their young as is reported in Page 7 the literature. The most sensitive times when the herons could be disturbed and abandon the rookery is early in the nesting season (nid-feb - Hay) during courtship and egg laying when.tlere is very little screeiring. T[ere is very litt]e rafting activity on the river at this tilne. There are fishing boats at this time but they are usually more quiet and float by. fn his example of the Chatfield State Park with its viewing.decks and shelterl the viewing decks are closed during the sensitive time period. so not to disturb the herons. The shelters are still open but screen the public more than the viewing deck thus providing less disturbance. Most all researchers recommend buffer distances of 20O 25Om. Comment #22 - The secondary overlook and connecting trail have been eliminated after our 4-9-98 site visit. The educati-onaI sign at the primary overlook is still a good idea. Comment #24 - Recommend that the dog restictions be placed under Sec. L2, Article IV. Recommend that the executive board not be able to allow more than one dog/home. This change has been made. Comment #25 - There are means to reduce Canada geese damage to golf courses. The U.S. Fish and Wild]ife Service can issue a perrnit for specially trained dogs to chase geese off of golf courses. (geese are consid.ered migratory waterfowl which faI1s under the iuthority of the U.S.Ili;h & Wildlife Service) - Comment #28 - Vegetative screening definitely needs to be in x::;:=3:'"I"=ilL T:i::;:'i:""ff , :ni Effi6tEructed outside of the sensitive period and error on the si is- Comments #29, 3O, 33, 36 - The floaters park, fishermens park, upper recreational area, and secondary overlook and connecting trail have been elininated Comment #37 f aintain that the primary_overf"gX =no"fa not e golden eagle's mateto the asanestingmary overlperch site during this time. The effort the more successful it will less disturbance be. Comment #44 agree with removal of exotics or invasive species Comment #+5, 61 f sti}l recommend that a public fishing easement be granted along the Roaring Fork River- Mr. Heggemeier has agreed t6 grant a pu6tic fishing easement along the river downstream from the Westbank bridge along the Westbank portion of sIT,tI FIGI]RE 2 flATE OFCOLCMDC COTORADO CEOTOCICAL SURVTY Divisi<rn of Mint:ntlr ,rrrd t,r.ology Dcplrlnrr,nt of N.rt.r,rl Rt':uurccs I 'l I I 5hc.rnr.rn lt rt'r,1. ll,, ',tt, , , ' f)r'rtver, C,:rlor.rrt0 0(tJ tJJ Phonc (10.')) 06b-26 I I FAX 11931 866-:4r, I I')EI'AI{TMENT O':NATUt{AI T€SOUT(CES May I5, I\4s. Victoria Ciannolrr Carfickl Coun(y Dspartlnct'rt Building and Plaruring l0() Stir Srrcct, Suire 303 Glcnwood Springs. CO 81601 Rose Rnnch PUD and SPGeologicrl Uazard Review Rc.suhnrittal Dcar Ms. Cianrrola: Al your rcque.st and in irocordilnce to Scuate Bill 35 (19721this oftrce ha.s rcvie'wcti the nratcrials sLrbr))ittcd lbr thc resubnrinal of lhc proposed PtlD and SI'of Rose Rirnch. T]rc ranch was previottsl) revicncd by this offir:e in n lcttc'r dal.cd Octobcr J0, 1997. Fronr what we cln scc in thc nerv proposal thc dcvch.rpcr has rnodcstly rcduced lot dcnsity and chiurged rotrd alignmcnts hul llrc basic plan has renraincd rrnchangcd. Insludcd in the sullrnittal we reviewcd were: A Prclirnirrary Ccotcchnic:rl Stutly dal.cd October 29, 1998 and a Supplenrentary Geotechnical Study for thc evaluation of sinkhttle rclncdiation datcd Februiuy 12. 1998, both prepared hy |l!:pworth-I'awlak Gcotcchrrical. Inc.; A Drairragl'Rept>rt lbr Skctch I'lan Subrninal by. IIigh County Enginecring datr.'d July 7, 1997. rcvised Fehnrary I2, 1998: urcltr Gcotccturicaland Ccncral Enginecriug Observutions lcttcr lronr EVO Crusultir)g Scryices, lnc. datcd Fehruary 12, 1998. We offer tlic tbllowing discttssiott of thesc rcporli lbr your considcration irr this land u.sc application. Our largcst concem with the du'vr-'lopnrent with l(clsc Ranch is thc Jack oI water managcnrent aucl the apparent lack of the undcrstanding. shown in plat dcsign, o[ the problcnis that tlrc in(rodttctiorr of nroistttre and saturatiorl of a thick colurun of collapsible soils.on por". lt is easily scet: irt the plat dc:sigu thal tlrc poterrtial soil hazards wcrc givur little considr:ration in resiclcntill lotr, strcet.s,and golIcourse uc ir o I t hc in frirstru c t u re an d rc s i de uffi iilx-d', Lrc surrou w'ater sourccs. Wc rt"itcrate I'lrosc poinl.s ntaclc in tlrc October 30, 1997 rlcmrt with fgrther discussiop in italics tThe soils of thc alluvial tans and colluvial slopc wash ilrcas arc alnrost entirely clcri'cdhr:nr tltc lragle Vallcy Evaporitr'. Thcse soil.s have propcrtics of low dcn.sil,y, k:w rloisture con(cnt, attd catt havc high pcrcentages of gypsum plccipitatc. Thcse soili, whcn wctted, lur Ron:pr lcr'r:rnor l.rnti... S Lu( hh,x,j Err. r.ulrvI I)irertI Mrr lt.u.,l B Li;ng l)rr*trlr l)irlr-ru Vrtlt (.rnr.trl 5l,itf (;Folr'*,\r Jnd OrrLt. tur Poet-lt'Fax Nole 7671 ,o," s/rq fr13!,> B to trcmg-t fuL,{e CoJDept.c".a 5- Phonc ,'!93: a? ?- P /z ? Fett Q'lo ?t{5-Tg5 Fdx, Rrrrc ((irtsh (,U() SP. (,rg: ?. bccome problernatic by collapsing or hydro-conrpacting. Not only do they collapse upon wetting, btrt the then saturatcd soil can bccomes highly conlpres.siblc 'fhis coltapsc and consoliclaliot"t .scttlctttcnt cltn creatc severe problenrs with foundations. slabs-on-grade, pavemcnts, attd catl break utility lines. [vcn with dccpcrfounclations, it'the soil cr'rluurp i.s wcned below thc cnd-bearing tip clcvation, (lic cntire soil colunrn scttles arrd pulls thc dcep forrndation wi(h it. Thc undulation.s atd danragcd areas on County Roari l0(), iurrncdiltely to the south of Rose Rrtnch, arc the result of nearby clcve'lopnrcnt and uncontrollcd u,ater introduction to .sub-pavcment antl subgrade soils. Ue deve.lttpmcnt plttn indicttle.; irrjlslllilLselLcoursc hrtlc.s' No I I tmtl l2 )lt appcars that the rnajority of the ulluvial thns are sage covcrcd and huvc rlcvcr bcen llood irrigated. 'Ihc introduction of watcr to tltese arcas can casily re.sult in ground sulrsiclcnce, sirrk holc's. and grouud fissuring and piping .soil dissolulion. ,loil Tesling wilhin lhe IIP Gcotet'h rt:port.rrorr,s low, dcns'ilics', r.l11, l6y, ntois'ture contcnt,t, und vuriuhle gradutions in thosc drill hole.s, No 2,-1,8, and 9 drilletl ahovc the Robertsttn irrigtttion &mdl inro lhe olluviul Jiurs. T'he totul :;oil coltttrttt thickncss is unkntn,n .rince borittgs 4, 8, und 9 v:ert: .vloltltcd al .| I /i:et. l4utrix-.tupltorlcd pruvelly dlluviul.fon.soils c:utr ltt: highlr t:ollupsiltlc. htrt rrrn',il llL dctermincd by :itycll-con,utlidutittn lesting .vincc uruli.tlurbad ,sanrylcl; urc intpcts,sihle. to colltcl. (jravell), soils can also ba highlv rternrctthlo v'h,,"a u,ntr t'utt move Iuterall), at deDth. Founckttilmperiueler drainuge.\),.tlcnts v+'ill not iiltarc(tpl ,lt:t:par wdtcr lhrough gravelly layers u,itlin thc ulln,ial./an lScveral Ponds are proposed within thc alluvial fan areas. Thc severe wr:tting of thr: low ticnsity, hydrocompar:tive soils by thcsc ponds could ltavc far reaching consequL.llccs tbr g:'ound scttlcrncnt and subsidence in lhc rcsidcttial area.s that surround thcrrr. This vvill also be true ft:r thc residcntial alcas and roads downgradienl of portions of tlrc irrigated gr-rlf course. Thc lctterfvm liVO Cons'ulting.l'cn,icr:sJ'/(Tft?.r thut itnlt<trt;itttt.t' lincrs *'illba u.scd for all pt6nfl5, .tlttalt.t, uni clitchtts on thi,y davclopntenl ll/a could not find a liner design in lhc clct,clopnwnl sttbmiltul. Wlwl ttssuronL'e will llte tl,:t,cloltar tncl lheir c{c:;ign anginaer give lhul thc:;e liners'v,ill not l.trettk t+,hcn the Ltontl i,s rtl it'.t'.lull iry, d tlifferential .rclllcmcnt of' sevorul incht',t oct'ur,s !)g- id rcinfoicunutt k-il i.t tmlike !hc,ttains.Likchrokcltvvatamahe,linur.rp[it,t,lhctlttntugci,s,dtlnc.The vvorsl thul c:un he done to thc.se soils ct/icr tluvtltry)mettl ltu.r oc'ctu'rc,cl i.; to flool tht:m. f, *,ll.rlill thc pruhlem rl'advers( ut(ttin7 M h o I e,r tt uli ail I u n-iVffi w o s ed r eill u t t i' i'l'he Drnirrngc PIan ltas corrcctly identit'ied thc Northcust Dry Park Drainirgc as a rlclrris Ira' l!r!:Ia)Il; diutcly uhove QlAl Ro,rrl t WJ ta'a I L I Zu68=Ac 'r\llflS-O=A-O-'tO3 t.lU v-2. l6 A6-@Z -AUt'l t1)(.tt c r I(u:c lLrnutr !UE) Sp. page 3 flow basin. As such, it is the opinion of tliis office that thc dcvclopcr be rcquircd to conttttission a Dcbris Irlow Drainagc attti Mitigation Plan durirrg thc Sketch Plun irpproval process. tl Droinage Plun revi:'el February 12, 1998 hy f ligh (--orrntrl' linglnet,ring wa.t inc:ludetl in lhi:; submittal that contuins tlcbri,s.flow, mitigution. It ltrtryutsa.s u concrcle uih grutlu stuhilization stnn:lurc v,ith :;cttling ponds bc t:utt.slrut'la.tl wilhin thc druinage wu)t rtn,ine above C.R. 109. Pruvidc:d their recorrtrrtcndution.s' in this rqtorl ure tomplied with vve l1(ve nofurthcr u)ncarns vyith dchri.sflov' itttltttct.\' on lhi.r propct'ty Sontu ntea,tures neecl to bc taku.fitr ntuintenctncc of this structure. As I rladc awarc to you on May 15, 1998, tlte geotecluticlrl r:onsultant, or1 behalf of'his cllcnt, called this r:ffice about this develilpment. I expru'sscd thc CCS's conccrns to hirn. FIe nrr.rrtioned the devclopcr.s dcsire to have a meeting with us, but is was too late for this submittal deadline. Ile also had mentioned the possibly of doir Iuviitl lLrns above thc ilrigation canal. Wc alc availablc to consult with thern on test nrcthadology nnd rc'vicw cr sul[.s. The developer needs to understantl, thougl,-ihat r:-Erely?oing thc tcsrc-Aoeslili automatically urcan good rcsults. Reccnt rescarcir in thick packages of collapsihle soils shr-rws that prewctting is not always effc'ctive to reduce longcr tcnn ditlbrcntial scttlcrrrcnt. bclow the irriqation ditch that have been sheet hrr rlarry ycars where t ffisandaremuchthi overlyinq river territcu I Whilc thcrc are cot'rcctns wlill s piping of the fine saturatcd soils, and void collapsc within tlre cvaporitic bcdrock, thcy can be properly engineercd iutd mitigated where comcctly iderrtificd. Sonre risks cxists cvc'n iu those arcrs by urilmown evaporite treclrock subsidence zoncs that are not, or hirve not y$, nranifcstcr'l thcm.sclves at the surface. At this point in tinre orrr rcconrnrcndation to the $>unty is that atlditional work is rcqqlled!.&Ilq val oltthc Rr-rse .in its c:urrcnt Ibrrn. andlcvel olinvestigations and nritigation de.sign. TIic CGS is available to r*,icw additional invcstigations, st'ril subsidence testing rcf'crrcd to by the gcotr.ch cr>rrsultant, arrd rlolc pr,.'cise engineerecl mitigation plnns if rcquested. If you havc any questiolts please corrtact this olfice ar (303) 8e4-2167. Sincerely, Irlr. I lcggemcicr, N1anager. Rooring Folk Inve.stnrcnt, L.L.C., ."v/invoice -) Tl:crc arc dcvclopablc arcas of thc Rose Ranch where rtur conccrns are reducccl: tltosu'arcas ''J-(. _2@___Z_!-!__J; Jorrathan L, White Engineering Geologist za'4 cc; bLtzr6g9a=-,,\uns-o3=-o-'Io3 !.1 t, nz: ta e6-a z-AtrLr FIq]RE 3 5T{TE OF COLOIUDO OFFICE OF THE STATE ENCINEER Division of Water Resources Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman Street, Room 8'18 Denver, Colorado 80203 Phone (303) 866-3581 FAX (303) 866-3589 Roy Romer Covernor James S. Lochhead Executive Director Hai D. Simpson State Engineer Victoria Giannola Gadield County Building and Planning 109 8th St Ste 303 Glenwood Springs CO 81601 Re: Rose Ranch PUD and Sketch Plan Sec. 35, TOS, RB9W & Secs. 1,2 & 12,T75, RB9W, 6TH PM W. Division 5, W. District 38 Dear Ms. Giannola: We have reviewed the modified proposal to subdivide a parcel of approximately 533.5 acres into a golf course, community areas and 249 residential lots (on 1 13.91 acres), which will contain a maximum of 292 homes. The development will include a 223.18 acre golf course with a clubhouse, community facilities and a multi-use irrigated field. A Community Park will consist of 2.14 acres and Community Open Space willencompass 168 acres. Water featureis such as ponds will be incorporated. The applicant proposes to provide water services via surface diversions through separate raw and potable systems pursuant to irrigation water rights decreed in Case Nos. 96CW319 and an augmentation plan. Sewage will be through a central system by inclusion in the Aspen Glen Water And Sanitation District. An augmentation plan, Case No. 97CW236, is pending with the water court. Due to the lack of a water court approved augmentation plan, the State Engineer finds pursuant to Section 30-28-136(1 XhXl), C.R.S., that the proposed water supplv will cause material injury to decreed waler -1ghllq_ild is inadequate. lf you or the applicant has any questions concerninQ this matter, please contact Craig Lis oi this offide-IoFE5si5iance. Sincerely, May 15, 1998 ;$iili'iTtr#ffi1,, Y' . fr i l:i :' i :i ii';': i:i i:5 .i Steve Lautenschlager Assistant State Engineer SPUCMURoSe Ranch 2.doc cc: Orlyn Bell, Division Engineer Joe Bergquist, Water Commlssioner, District 38 FfGURE Garbondale & Rural Fire 4 Protection District - May 12, 1998 Victoria Gannola Garfield County Building & Planning Department 109 8th Street, Suite 303 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 RE: Rose Ranch PUD and Sketch Plan Application Victoria: 300 Meadowood Drive Carbondale, CO 81623 (970) 963-24e1 Fax: (970) 963-0569 j?Fi*r'''fi it ttAr f i Jtl=!,.;-r . ' ' 0*rrrat-O I reviewed the sketch plan application for the Rose Ranch project. I would offer the following comments. Emerqencv ResDonse The fire district has a station (Station 4) at the HLazy F trailer park which lies across the river to the east of the proposed development. Emergency response to the development would come from both Station 4 and Station I in Carbondale. Access The general road layout is adequate for fire apparatus. Addressins The current county policy is to address PUDs using the same system as for the rural county roads. In the past varying systems have been used. Some existing subdivisions use more than one system (i.e., Aspen Glen, Dakota Subdivision, Ranch at Roaring Fork) This has resulted in considerable confusion in locating homes during emergencies (especially medical emergencies). The current addressing system which is based upon distances can be especially confusing within PUDs which often contain very short and/or looped roads. We would like to see addresses assigned uniformly and sequentially within the PUDs rather than being assigned based upon distance. We propose that Ihe developer submit an addressing plan for review by the County and appropriate emergency resDonse asencres. - Water Supplies for Fire Protection The proposed water system consists of a 300,000 gallon storage tank with proposed minimum fire flows of 1000 gallons per minute Required fire flows for the project should be in accordance with the Unifrom Fire Code (UFC) Appendix III-A: Fire Flow Requirements for Buildings, with fire hydrants located in accordance with UFC Appendix III-B: Fire Hydrant Locations and Spacing. The code f depending up-onTui size and o f b u i I d i ng c-61 st ruEi o n with hi r.l:l, rl The proposed Rose Ranch development is close to areas of existing commercial and residential properties that have developed without adequate water supplies for fire protection. These areas include the area at Highway 82 and CMC Road, areas offOld Highway 82 (County Road 154) and areasoffCoryellRoad.Thefiredistrictwouldliketoseet PUD made available for fu Ranch the existing public service easement near the proposed surface water diversion point. This would allow for future expansion of the water system across the river to Coryell Road and Old Highway 82. It would also allow for future looping of the water system to the Saunders Ranch area. It is assumed that all of the new water systems in the area will eventually be serviced by the Aspen Glen Water and Sanitation District. The development is t iees by the Diqtrrgl Fees are subject to review bv t 'ees are based upon the per ed by the Di$lgt q! time of execution of an 'eement een the develo Zistrict. Please contact me if you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance. Bill Gavette Fire Marshal periodic the time Impact Fees 2 .,,.,,.,, j::i....:::::: i ..:::.:.:. ,j.,,....,.., : Roaring :::,:Fnr*..,,'.SCttoo!,.;r'DiStiict RE-1 . ,..,,..,. ,:,.: , i ..,.,,]. ,,,, 1405 Grand Avenue Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81601 ', f0lephone (970) 945-6558:' ,,i' May 15, 1998 Garfi eld County Planning Department 109 8th Street, Suite 303 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Re: Rose Ranch PUD ....''::: ::::::::: FRED A. WALL, Superintendent 'I{AFTONSTALL, Assrslar, Supeinlendent SHANNON :PELLAND,""Finance Director To Whorn It May Concern: The following is submitted in response to your request for comments on the Rose Ranch PUD: As you are aware, Roaring Fork School District has developed a formula for determining school site land dedication or fees-in-lieu-of Iand dedication for residential development within the district's boundaries. Application of this formula (see attached resolution) results in total land dedication of an amount less than the minimum requirement for a school site. Accordingly, the District is requesting cash-in-lieu of land dedication to be calculated in accordance with tlre The District recognizes that this land dedication standard has not yet formally been adopted by the County. At the County's request, we are working with Garfield Re-2 (Rifle) and Garfield l6 (Parachute) in an effort to develop a common standard rvhich can be applieci for all three school districts. The necessary data has been collected and incorporated into Roaring Fork's resolution (attached) and has been provided to Garfield Re-2 and Garfield 16. Each of tlieir Boards of Education will need to adopt a resolution in support of the formula. Because we believe the attached resolution closely approxirnates what you lvill see in the final resolutiorr. we are reotte*.ting application of the fonnula described therein. We hope to have a resolution to you soon for all three districts so that a uniform land-dedication standard might formally be adopted by the County prior to final approval of this subdivision. Finance Director Enc. EARFI€LD CCI!'ilrY /r\ ',a-,n natJ/L(Awl.____.-- ,rl , v Page 2 RESOLUTION OF TIIE ROARING FORK SCIIOOL DISTRICT RE.I BOARI) OT'EDUCATION REGARDING STAIIDARDS FOR LAI\ID DEDICATION AI\[D CASH IN LTEU OF LA}ID DEDICATION 1998 A. THIS RESOLUTION IS PREMISED ON TI{E FOLLOWING: l. Roaring Fork School District ("Distict") has experienced annual student enrollment increases ranging from l.5Yo to 6.90/o from 1988 to 1997 and averaging 4.4o during that time: Year Enrollment 1988/89 3301 1989t90 3495 1990/91 3708 199U92 3921 1992193 4013 1993t94 4288 t994/95 4473 t995/96 4668 t996t97 4737 1997/98 4863 2. The District recognizes the impact of new development on the need for public land for new schools and has prepared the following formula to calculate a standard for school land dedication: Land area provided per student x students generated per dwelling unii: Land Dedication Standard 3. According to current school site size recorrmendations and reasonable building capacities, the District has determined that 1,776 square feetof land per student should be provided for future school sites as reflected in Exhibit A. 4. The District has determined the number of students generated per type of dwelling unit according to data provided by THK Associates as follows: Single Family 14u1fi-pamily Mobile Home, Trailer 0.49 0.38 0.71 Page 3 5. Application of the formula results in the following suggested Land Dedication Stendards: Single Family Multi-family Mobile Home, Trailer 870 sq. ft per unit or.020 acres 675 sq. ft per unit or.015 acres 1,261 sq. ft per unit or .029 acres 6. At the District's discretion, a developer of residential housing may make a cash payment in-lieu of dedicating land, or may make a cash payment in combination with a land dedication to comply with the standards of this Resolution. The formula to determine the cash-in-lieu payment is as follows: Market value of the land (per acre) * Land Dedication Standard t # of units: Cash-in-Lieu For example, for a property having a market value of $50,000 per acre and I single family unit on it, the payment would be: $50,000 * .020 * I : $1,000 B. NOW, THEREFORE, T}IE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF ROARING FORK SCHOOL DISTRICT RE-l RESOLVES as follows: l. The Counties of Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin, Colorado; the City of Glenwood Springs, Colorado; and the Towns of Basalt and Carbondale, Colorado ("Entities') adopt a Land Dedication Standard as set forth in Part A of this Resolution. 2. The Entities require land dedication or a payment in lieu of Land dedication as specified by the District in response to specific subdivision requests as set forth in Parts A. 5 and 6 above from all residential land developers. 3. The provisions of this Resolution shall serve as the general criteria for the imposition of school fees to be required of all residential land developers as set forth in C.R.S. 30-28-101, et seq., as amended, with specific modifications or deviations herefrom to be made as the District responds to specific subdivision requests as required by statute. 4. This Resolution shall be amended periodically by the District to accurately reflect the student yields existing within the District. FIGI]RE 6 May 12, 1998 Ms. Victoria Giannola Senior Planner Gadield County Building and Planning Depadment 109 8th Street, Suite 303 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 RE: Rose Ranch PUD Dear Victoria: The Roaring Fork Transit Agency (RFTA) has conducted a review of the Rose Ranch PUD to estimate the potential impact upon the public transit system. The transpodation-consulting firm of Leigh, Scott & Cleary (LSC), lnc. analyzed the potential order of magnitude cost impacts for RFTA, A copy of the LSC analysis is attached for your consideration. ln general, LSC estimates that the Rose Ranch development will create the demand for approximatelv 1 29 additional transit winter dav. This demand could requrre appro 000 in annual subsidy, the need for 2/3rds of an additional transit bus costinq a total of $167,000 01 expenses of approximately $9,500 per year. RFTA is currently struggling to identify sufficient resources to maintain existing service levels, improve inadequate bus stop/park and ride infrastructure, and replace obsolete vehicles. Garfield County currently provides no subsidy to RFTA. Unless the potential cost impa eloper, it is unlikely that RFTA will be in a financial position to meet the projected transitdernand. I hope this information is useful. Please let me know if you have questions. d^fu,^.t^ Dan Blankenship \ General ManaoerX 1 ("$*t dd+ 2c3) cc: Board of County Commissioners, Pitkin County Ellen Sassano, Aspen/Pitkin Community Development Department Roaring Fork Transit Agency Board of Directors FOBK TBANS'T AGENCY 5l Service Center Drive Aspen, Colorir,J,r Sl6t1 Til:970'9lO'1905 Fax:970 910 2864 FIGURE 6 ccntinued TRANSPORTATION PLANNING & TRAFFIC ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS 2690 Lake Forest Road PO Box 5875 Tahoe City, CA 95145 530/5834053 FAX: 530/583-5966 MEMORANDUM DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT: May 11, 1998 Dan Blankenship, General Manager, RFTA Gordon Shaw, PE, AICP, Leigh, Scott & Cleary, Inc. Impact of Proposed Rose Ranch Development on Roaring Fork Transit Agency Operations and Subsidy Requirements As requested, Leigh, Scott & Cleary, Inc. has conducted an evaluation of the impacts on the Roaring Fork Transit Agency (RFTA) that would be generated by the proposed Rose Ranch Planned Unit Development between Glenwood Springs and Carbondale, Colorado. Our evaluation includes an assessment of potential transit trip demand, the number of additional transit buses required to serve these trips, and the additional annual subsidy required to operate service that meets these demands. Transit Trip Demand With regards to factors that impact transit demand, this proposed project consists of the following land uses: A total of l2l multi-family dwelling units, including both duplexes and club homes; and > A total of 171 single family dwelling units In addition, the development includes a golf course and community park. For purposes of this analysis, it is assumed that these uses would generate an insignificant level of demand for transit service. The most accurate means of estimating the number of transit passenger trips that would be generated by the new development is to compare the land use quantities with similar nearby Rose Ranch PUD RFTA Impact Memo Page2 May 11, 1998 activity centers currently served by RFTA. Specifically, the residential land uses were evaluated by calculating the transit trip generation rate for Carbondale. The current population of Carbondale is estimated at 5,000 by the Carbondale Planning Department. As shown in the top portion of Table A, the number of average daily transit trips made by Carbondale area residents on RFTA (over both a peak surlmer and peak winter day) was divided by the estimated population to identifu a daily transit trip rate of 0.09 transit trips per capita in the summer, and 0.17 transit trips per capita in the winter. Multiplying by the estimated population of Rose Ranch at buildout (759), the estimated number of one-way transit trips generated by residents of development is identified as 68 over a summer day, and 129 over a winter day. As the winter hgure is substantially higher than the stunmer figure, the remainder of this analysis will focus on winter transit needs. Annual ridership can be estimated by applying the existing observed ratio of annual RFTA ridership on the Downvalley service in the Glenwood Springs fare zones to the average winter daily ridership. Using this ratio, Rose Ranch can be estimated to generate approximately 32,300 RI'TA passenger-trips per year, at fu1l buildout. Impact on RFTA Required Bus Fleet A key question regarding additional RFTA resoruces required to serve this increase in passengers is the number of additional vehicles required to provide the necessary services. At presenr, all of MTA's available fleet is required during peak periods. With regard to the "Downvalley Service" between Glenwood Springs and Aspen/Snowmass, the existing ridership particularly fully utilizes the available fleet southbound during the A. M. commute period and northbound during the P. M. commute period. This full condition (which often requires passengers to stand for long periods) is generally occurring across all operational seasons, and for the entire route between Glenwood Springs and Aspen. It is therefore necessary to evaluate the potential transit capacity that would be used by Rose Ranch residents, in order to ""r*e thut .*irti. are not precluded from transit service by nerv Rose Ranch passengers boarding first. There are two factors that reduce the number of potential Rose Ranch transit passengers that will impact fleet requirements: > Not all Rose Ranch passengers will travel in the direction that has capacity limitations. Specifically, it can be expected that some passengers will travel northbound toward Glenwood Springs in the morning, and southbound from Glenwood Springs in the afternoon and evening -- periods during which adequate capacity is available. The best source of information regarding the expected distribution of Rose Ranch passengers on the RFTA service is the survey data regarding trip patterns for existing RFTA passengers boarding in the area of the site -- the unincorporated Garfield County portion of the route. As shown in Table B, 36 percent of these passengers are traveling to and from Glenwood Springs, while the remaining 64 percent are traveling in the peak direction southward to Carbondale, Basalt, Aspen, and Snowmass Village. Multiplying the expected number of daily transit round trips generated by Rose Ranch (129 divided by 2, or 65) by 64 percent, approximately 4t passenger round-trips per day can be expected to be generated in the Rose Ranch PUD RFTA Impact Memo Page 3 May 11,1998 peak direction. Of this total, 27 (or two-thirds) will be traveling to Aspen or Snowmass Village. ' In addition, not all passengers traveling in the peak direction will travel during the peak period when capacity problems are most severe. RFTA winter Downvalley service ridership by run data (as presented in Table 24 of the Roaring Fork Transit Development Plan Final Report) can be used to identiff the proportion of Rose Ranch ridership in the upvalley direction that will require additional transit fleet. It is necessary to consider a four-hour peak period, as this is the "cycle time" of the round trip route (defined as the period between the departure of one vehicle-trip and the time when the vehicle is next available to make a trip in the same direction). A review of Table 24 indicates that 54 percent of the ridership in the upvalley direction occrus during the peak four-hour period (from 6:00 A. M. to 10:00 A. M.). Applying this second factor to the number of Rose Ranch passenger-trips that will impact RFTA fleet needs in the peak direction (41),22 will occur during the peak period. While the existing buses typically used for Downvalley Service have 42 seats, it is not reasonable to expect that all additional buses put into service will be fully utilized, due to variation in demand over the peak period. Assuming 35 passengers as an average vehicle load (which is relatively conservative compared to the 30 average passengers assumed in the evaluation of the impact of light rail on RFTA fleet requirements), 63 percent of one additional bus would be required to serve Rose Ranch transit passengers. (Assuming that additional development will occur along the County Road 109 corridor, it is appropriate to consider fractions of buses, rather than "rounding up" to a full additional bus.) Impact on RFTA Subsidy Requirements As passenger fares do not cover RFTA operating costs, the ridership generated by Rose Ranch will increase the system's subsidy requirement. This figure can be identified by estimating the marginal operating costs associated with the additional services, and subtracting the estimated increase in passenger revenues. The top portion of Table C presents an estimate of the additional services that would be required to accommodate the increase in passengers generated by Rose Ranch. As peak-hour buses are typically full throughout the year, additional service would be required in all seasons. Ridership for non-winter seasons can be estimated based upon the estimate of winter ridership presented in Table A, factored by the relative ridership for the Downvalley Service in the various seasons. Dividing seasonal ridership by 35 passenger-trips per bus-trip to identif,z the number of daily bus-trips, and multiplying by the number of days in each season, an increase in the number of bus round-trips of 377 per year is estimated. Assuming that these additional nrns are operated between Aspen/Snowmass and Glenwood Springs (in accordance with existing operating plans), RFTA buses would have to operate an additional 33,932 vehicle-miles and 1,508 vehicle-hours per year. The cost of this service (in 1998 dollars) can be estimated by applying RFTA's current marginal cost allocation equation: Rose Ranch PUD RFTA Impact Memo Page 4 May 11, 1998 Marginal Operating Cost: $0.8937 x Number of Vehicle-Miles + 523.9847 x Number of Vehicle-Hours Applying this equation, RFTA's operating costs would be increased by approximately $66,500 per year in order to serve Rose Ranch transit passengers. This figure, moreover, does not include any funds for RFTA's "fixed" (or "overhead") costs, such as facility maintenance, administration, or marketing. At present, these costs equal $9.97 per vehicle-hour of service, which would indicate atotal allocated overhead cost of $15,000 for Rose Ranch service. Much of these costs are currently funded from public subsidies, Iargely generated in Pitkin County. The substantial increase in service required for Rose Ranch, if not .accompanied bv al &dirg To provide conservative (i.e., low) cost impact estimates, however, these costs are not considered further as part of this analysis. Rose Ranch passengers can be expected to generate substantial farebox revenues to offset a portion of the operating costs. Fare revenues can be estimated by multiplying the annual passenger-trips between Rose Ranch and various destinations (as shown in Table B) by an average fare per passenger-trip to each destination. While the "base fare" for RFTA service ranges up to $6.00 per one-way trip, a variety of discount fares are available (such as the half-fare punch pass, a monthly pass, a zone pass, and free service for children and seniors) which reduce the average fare substantially below the base fare. A review of RFTA data regarding the use of the various fare options, as sununarized in Table D, indicates that Rose Ranch passenger will pay an average ranging from $0.54 (for trips to Glenwood Springs and Carbondale) up to 52.47 (for trips to Aspen and Snowmass Village), as shown in Table C. Factoring ridership figures by average fare per rider estimates, the total annual farebox revenues generated by Rose Ranch passengers can be estimated to equal $48,200. Subtracting these farebox revenues from the marginal operating cost, services required to meet Rose Ranch's transit demand will increase RFTA subsidy requirements by approximately $18,300 per year, as shown in the bottom of Table C. This estimate does not include any potential change in administrative or facility costs. If the ect were located in P_t1!in otlagle County, a substantial portion of this uirement would be generated through increased sales tax revenues, as both Eounties have dedi lc County, howevelJeeq nell currently have a dedi source o for translt services. Transit Center/?ark-N-Ride Lot Requirements A final consideration regarding the impact on RFTA is the need for a major transit stop to serve Rose Ranch passengers, as well as for park-and-ride spaces to accommodate passengers who drive from their homes to transfer to transit buses. With regard to the transit center, at a minimum a shelter will be required, costing on the order of $6,500 to purchase and install. Rose Ranch PUD RFTA Impact Memo Page 5 May 11, 1998 The need for park-and-ride parkin larly strong for Rose development is not an existing RFTA route. In order to avoid delaying existing passengers on Glenwood Springs and Aspen/Snowmass, it would not be reasonable to route the existing service along State Highway 82 into the development, other than to serve a transit stop located adjacent to SH 82. Given current schedule constraints and additional factors that can be expected to add additional delay, it is not feasible for RFTA to divert into new subdivisions. RFTA is currently striving to keep the Downvalley Service route strictly along State Highway 82. corridor could warrant the institution of a new RFTA route along the roadway, this service clu1not be assumgd at present. Moreover, it is very doubtful that such a service would be pt""rdtd "bt""t " d.dicated source of transit funding in the Roaring Fork Valley portion of Garfield County. Barring the provision of a local transit route serving Rose Ranch, the development's transit ridership will be required to drive to the transit stop (as is very corrnon for many transit passengers living in nearby residential areas). Particularly in winter, when biking and walking are difficult, it is reasonable to assume that 7 5 percent of Rose Ranch transit passengers would drive, with the remaining being dropped off or picked up. Assuming an average of 1.25 passengers per vehicle , the 129 winter daily transit trips generated by Rose Ranch residents would require 39 parking spaces, as shown: 129 one-way trips x 75 percent access by auto x 0.5 round trips/one-way trip / 1.25 passengers per auto : 39 vehicles at peak Experience in other mid-valley areas indicates that, if these spaces are not provided as part of the project, Rose Ranch residents will drive to other nearby park-n-ride lots (such as in Carbondale or El Jebel), thereby exacerbating existing parking shortages at these other locations. Even if land is available at no cost to the transit system, surface parking spaces cost on the order of $5,000 per space to construct (depending upon parcel configuration, required grading and water quality remediation, and access requirements), as indicated by the recent construction on CDOT right-of-way in Basalt of i05 park-and-ride spaces for approximately 5500,000. These spaces would therefore require on the order of $195,000 to construct. In addition, plowing and pavement maintenance for surface parking costs on the order of S0.75 per square foot per year. Assuming an average of 325 square feet per parking space, annual maintenance costs would require approximately $9,500 per year. Conclusion As documented above, Rose Ranch, at full buildout, is forecast to generate approximately 32,300 RFTA passenger-trips per year. To serve these passengers, RFTA would require the following: Rolling stock capacity equivalent to 63 percent of an additional transit bus (equaling approximately $167,000 in bus purchase cost, and lasting on the order of twelve years); run TABLE A: Analysrb of Rose Ranch lmpact on RFTA Ridership and Fleet Requirement Transit Passenger Trip Demand Residential Land Use Estimated Population RFTA Carbondale Daily Transit Trip Generation Rate (One-way Psgr-Trips per Capita) Rose Ranch Ratio of Annual Ridership to Average \Mnter Daily Estimated Transit Trips per Year 5,000 (1) 75s (3) Ridership on Glenwood 427 0.09 6B Service 844 0.17 129 250 32,300 (2)(2) (4) (s) (4) lmpact on Required RFTA Bus Fleet Proportion of Transit Demand in Peak Direction 64% Daily Passenger Round-Trips in Peak Direction 4j Proportion of Transit Demand in Peak 4-Hour Period S4o/o Daily Passenger Trips in Peak Direction in Peak period 22 Average Vehicle Occupancy 35 Required Number of Additional Transit Buses 0.63 Note1:Source--CarbondalePlanningDepartment.lncludespopulatioh Note 2: RFTA counts, adjusted by passenger surveys to identify location of residence (rather than location of boarding). Note 3: Assuming an average of 2.6 persons per dwelling unit Note 4: Assuming that the golf course and restauranUbar generate negligable transit ridership. Note 5: RFTA boarding/alighting counts. Table B: Winter 1997 RFTA Downvalley Seruice Ridership Trip Pattern From Unincorporated Garfield Gounty Sfops Estimated 1-Way Passenger-Trips Total Trips Surveyed Aspen Unincorporated Pitkin County Snowmass Basalt Eagle County Carbondale Garfield County Glenwood Total Total Upvalley of Project Site 606 31% 3% 11% 8% 4% 7% 0% 360/o 100% 40 4 14 10 5 I 0 47 129 82 47 10,013 969 3,553 2,584 1,292 2,261 0 11,628 32,300 20,672 11,628 : RFTA survey of ridership trip pattern from unin TABLE C: lmpact on RFTA Operating Cosfs and Subsidy Requirements Summer Offseason Winter Total Estimated Daily Peak-Season, Peak-Direction 13 17 22 Ridership by Season (1) Average Vehicle Occupancy Additional Round-Trip Runs/Day Days per Year Total Runs per Year Miles per Run Hours per Run Service Quantity per Run (2) Service Quantity per Year Mile-Related Costs per Vehicle-Hour Hour-Related Costs per Vehicle-Hour Total Operating Cost per Year 35 35 35 0.77 0.98 1.26 100 121 144 77 119 181 377 Miles Hours 904 33,932 1,508 $0.8937 $30,300 $36,200 $66,500 $23.9847 Change in Total RFTA Subsidy Required $48 200 $18,300 Note 1: Summer and offseason figures estimated based upon proportion of 19g7 ridership by season for existing service. Note 2: lncluding deadhead travel to and from bus maintenance facility. Estimated Transit Fare Generation Annual Psgr- Trips Average Fare per Fare RevenueTrip End '-T Aspen Snowmass Unincorporated Pitkin County Basalt Eagle County Carbondale Gaffield County Glenwood Total 10,013 3,553 969 2,584 1,292 2,261 0 11,628 $2.47 $2.47 $1 62 $1.63 $1 12 $0.54 $0.54 $0.54 $24,732 $8,776 $1,570 $4,212 $1,447 $1,221 $0 $6,279 32,300 TABLE D: lnput Data for Analysis of Average Fare from Rose Ranch Fare per One-Way Passenger-Trip Percentage of Riders by Fare Type Full Pass Punch Pass Full Pass Punch Pass Free Aspen Snowmass Unincorporated Pitkin County Baialt Eagle County Carbondale Garfield County Glenwood $6.00 $2.27 $6.00 $2.27$3.00 $2.27 $3.00 $2.27 $2.00 82.27 $1.00 $2.27 $1.00 $2.27 $1.00 $2.27 $3.00 $1.53 $3.00 $1.53 $1.50 $1.53 $1.50 $1.53 $1.00 $1.53 $0.50 $1.53 $0.50 $1.53 $0.50 $1.53 3% 30 8% 10% 10% 11% 11% 11% 4% 4% 4o/o 4% 4o/o 4% 4% 4% 8% 8o/o 7% 5o/o 5% 0% ooA 00h 55% 30%55% 30%66% 15% 81% Oo/o 81% 0% 85% 0% 85% 0% 85% 0o/o FIGJRE 7 ROARII{G FO RK IIYVESTMEI,ITS, L. L. C. a Colorado Iimited liability company May 2O,l99B TO: Victoria Giannola, Senior Planner Don Deford, County Attorney RE: Rose Ranch PUD and Sketch Plan Supplement to Section 4V and Section 8G In the two previously referenced sections of our PUD and Sketch Plan submittal we had offered to contribute $200.00 per residential unit sold to a Garfield County Housing Authority Fund or to the Glenwood Springs Board of Realtors Affordable Housing Fund. We hereby want to supplement and clarify those sections by offering the following additional amounts to the groups specified: GARFIELD COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY 400 Seventh Street South, Suite 1000 fufle, Colorado 81650 GLENWOOD SPzuNGS BOARD OF REALTORS AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND 1316 Grand Avenue Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81602 CARBONDALE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORPORANON 511 Colorado Avenue Carbondale, Colorado 81623 $200.00 per unit sold $1,OOO.OO per unit sold $1,000.00 per unit sold We propose that the foregoing amounts would be collected by Garfield County at the time each residential building permit is issued and then paid over to the foregoing groups within a reasonable time thereafter. Sincerely, ROARING FORK INVESTMENTS, L.L.C. Ronald R. Heggemeier, % HEGGEMEIER & STONE. P.C. l9-i63 E.IVIAINSTREET. SUITE 200. PARKER. COLORADO 8013-t PHONE: (303) 8-ll-8072 FA-X: (303) 8+l-8073 By: anager Community Development Department (970) 328-8730 Fax: (970) 328-7185 TDD: (970) 328-8797 Eagle County Building P.O. Box 179 500 Broadway May 18, 1998 GABFIEL! COUNIY COMMtSSI0 r,tEilS Garfield County Board of County Commissioners 109 8th Street Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 VIA FAX: 945-7785 Rose Ranch Dear Commissioners: Thank you for the referral on the above referenced land use application. The proposal, as referred, is for a golf/residential community of 292 dwelling units located approximately 5 miles south of Glenwood Springs. The Garfield County Comprehensive PIan should be carefully considered as this development proceeds through the review process. As you know, the purpose of a master plan is to direct growth and development to the most appropriate locations based on guidelines and policies set forth in the plan. It's important that the decision making process incorporate the philosophy and concepts found in the Plan to ensure compatibility of uses. No doubt countless hours of time, effort, and energy went into the long range "vision" that was created by the citizens of Garfield County. Given the scale and scope of the project and its proposed location, there will likely be impacts of a regional nature beyond the boundaries of Garfield County. As we all know, impacts of development do not stop at jurisdictional lines. Therefore we request that you carefully evaluate the potential effects on the adjacent and nearby communities of Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, El Jebel and Basalt as well as Eagle and Pitkin Counties. Western slope communities have lately been required to address large recreational/residential developments. It is important that these planned communities be integrated into the existing fabric of an area. One of the ways to accomplish this is to assure some degree of public access to the proposed facilities. Other regional concerns that must be addressed are impacts on roads, service providers, affordable housing, schools, wildlife, airshed & watershed quality and public safety. Each of EAGLE COUNTY, COLORA , Colorado 81631-0179 HAY 19 fiis Garfield Board of County Commissioners May 18, 1998 Page2 these factors could effect the quality of life the existing and future citizens of the Valley are seeking to maintain or enhance. As you move forward in the review process, do so cautiously and carefully. Thank you for consideration of our comments and good luck in formulating a decision. We would also like to thank you for your referral of the Cattle Creek Crossing proposal. In the likelihood that this site is resubmitted to you for development, we would appreciate the opportunity to comment and assist you in your land use decisions. Sincerely, lSrA-4'd*':t'- George A. Gates, James Hartmann, County Administrator Keith P. Montag, Community Development Director Johnnette Phillips NAY-13-1998 ?,E-126 FRON FSPEN/PITKIN CUI1 DEU TO: FROM: RE: DATE: EIGURE 9 MEMORANDUM Viotoria Giannola, Senior Plarurer Garfield County Building and Planning Deparbnent Ellen Sassano, Senior Long Range Planner Pitkin Coun ly Communi ty Develo pm ent Departnrent Rose Ranch PUD and Sketch Plan Application Refenai Comrnents May,12, 1998 9-94>',t tA> P.U2 The Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners appreciates your effbrts to make us aware of larger scale development proposals which are currently in your plaruring review process. These referrals help us evaluate issues in a more comprehensive manncr on a regional scale, and give us a better look at the big pictrue! With respect to regional implications of the Rose Ranch development proposal, Pitkin Cor.rnty forwards the following comments: Mass Transil: Based on the applicant's taffic analysis, ttre proposed subdivision will generate a significant number of daily trips on Highway 82. While the site is not ideally located with respect to mass transit options, at a minimum it is recommended that the arplicant fay an ^nnronriate share to facilitate construction of a park-n-ride in.a location to be determined by RITA in ooordination with Garfield County. As recommended by the applicant's Fansportation consultant, more detailed service analysis should be required of the applicant to determine the incrernental cost to RFTA.to provide capaciry for "Rose Ranch" trips to Aspen. Affordable Housing: To faci[ate Garfield County's goal of ensuring "...the availability of housing including affordable housing," it is recommended that in addition to the $58,400 contribution offered by the applicant for off-site affordable housing, affordable llildlife: It is recommended that where applicable, the river corridor analysis prepared ibr Unical for the adjacent Sanders Ranch property be considered as part of the County's review of riparian habitat concerns on the Rose Ranch. units be included in the mix of housing provided on-site. TOTRL P.A2 Fignrre 10 V l0{orr, a- Dear Garfield County Commissioners and Planning and Zoning Commissioners : It is time for Garfield County to give serious consideration to air quality, water quality, wildlife issues and low cost housing. Hundreds of people showed up for the Sanders Ranch hearing and many more wrote letters in opposition to Sanders Ranch. Most of those who expressed concem were not Roaring Crystal Alliance members. A surprising number of people mentioned concern for the great blue heron, deer and elk habitat and the water quality of the Roaring Fork River. The citizens of GarFreld County care about wildlife and yet up until now the county has chosen to virtually ignore wildfire and environmental concems when making a decision about developments. Responsibledeve1opersalsocareaboutwildlifeiSsues,theenvironmentandto*.ffi houiing. The Roaring Crystal Alliance gave the Rose Ranch developer a list of tntl[.f - following concerns: tr" E low cost housing H -i{ great heron.ooli"ry ffi + deer and elk habitat G, =air qualiw fHSt -: water qualiry l==3 -,ffi The Rose Ranch developer responded by agreeing to donate 5642,000.00 to provide for low cost housing, create a conservation easement on six acres next to the great heron rookery, create habitat for the deer and elk on and adjacent to the golf course, prohibit open hearth fireplaces and wood burning stoves and use best management golf course maintenance practices to minimize the use of toxic chemicals. What Rose Ranch has agreed to do is an example of how developers can be sensitive to environmental issues and low cost housing and still make their project profitable. The county is operating under the misperception in reviewing developments that wildlife, the environment and low cost housing must be sacrificed in order for the developer to succeed. The citizens have spoken loud and clear about their desire to preserve the beauty, wildlife, rivers, and air quality which is our legacy and our heritage to pass on to future generations. At least one developer has demonstrated that all developers need is some guidance as to what is important to the residents of Garfield County and they will and can propose responsible projects which meets the social and environmental needs of the communiqv. If Garfield County exerts leadership and speaks out on these issues, then other developers will start to follow the example of Rose Ranch. There is nothing to prevent the Commissioners from speaking out in general about growth. And the Commissioners should direct their planning staff or a private consultant to draft revisions to the planned unit development regulations which would encourage or require clustering of housing, open space, wildlife habitat, emphasis on air and water quality, emphasis on mixed uses and providing for low cost housing. -L.IJ aU)t) ==OC-)>- )? O(..)aJt! Lcc (5 Page 2 The continued lack of guidance from vague planned unit develoment regulations results in the clashes between developers and citizens which occurred with the Sanders Ranch hearings. Without guidance, developers come to the drawing board thinking that anything goes in Garfield County. This philosophy may have been true five years ago, but the mood and sentiments of the citizens have dramatically changed. In the past, developers have used planned unit development proposals to merely justifl/ asking for double, triple or quadruple the density of the underlying zoning without satisfiing the criteria of innovation, creativity, mixed uses, compatibilty with the surroundin g area and mitigation of impacts to the community. Developers have the absolute right to put one house on every two acres. When a developer comes to the county with a planned unit development, the developer is asking for the privilege of getting approval for a project usually of a scope far exceeding the rights to which he is entitled by the underlying zoning. Developers have repeatedly stated that they are concerned with environmental issues and low cost housing but do not want to be put at a competitive disadvantage by addressing these issues when the next developer is not willing to do so. Planned unit development regulations that either give incentives or require developers to consider air and water quality, wildlife habitat, and low cost housing will put everyone on a level playing field. It would cost about $10,000.00 to retain a private planning firm to draft proposed revisions to the current planned unit development regulations. Jim Rose and the Rose Ranch developer should not have to be the only ones being responsible to the community for air and water quality, wildlife habitat, and low cost housing. The cost of planned unit development revisions is much lower than the expense of a moratorium and much lower than the social, enviromental, and financial damage resulting from rampant growth. Please put the Roaring Crystal Alliance on your next agenda so that these issues can be discussed. Calvin Lee Susan Hassol Bob Shultz Roaring Crystal Alliance FTG]RE 11 May 19, 1998 Dear Planning and Zonng Commission: I would like to address grave flaws in the Rose Ranch'development plan you should consider before recommending high-density zoning to the county commissioners. We must consider what natural resources the citizens of Garfield County hold dear and strive to protect them. At the top of this list would be protection of the area's wildlife and the beauty of the lower Roaring Fork River. These concerns were addressed in the long-term county plan calling for the protection of the.Rbaring Fork Rivervisual corridor. This unprecedented high-density development along the river and the river's wetlands would severely diminish the experience for fishermen, rafters and kayakers who use this resource heavily and be a huge detrement to the wildlife who depend on it. If such an extremely high-density development is necessary the Rose Ranch could be redesigned to put much less pressure on the lower Roaring Fork. The wildlife corridor allowing passage through the project is woefully inadequate. It is but a narrow alley leading to a steep embankment. At the river end of this corridor there is no open space but only high density housing lining the embankment. The extremely high density housing throughout the project allows no other wildlife access to the river. If the developer is not willing to relieve pressure on the roaring fork by redesigning more open space along it, he should at least be required to make this an adequate corridor by eliminating lots#77,78,79 80,81,82, and 83. This would create an adequate wildlife corridor and make it continuous with the wetlands on the south end of the development. This development would be out of character for the area. To the immediate south is the Teller Springs development. The houses are on large lots and the area near the river remains undeveloped. Across the river to the east the houses are on two to fifteen acre lots and are set well back from the river. The Westbank development is on a high bluff above the river and consequently does not impact it. The high- density of this development along the river's shore and wetlands would surely chase away the eagles and herons currently feeding there. The lower roaring fork is heavily utilized for recreation in the summer. Thanks to the intelligent, low- density development currently lining its shores it remains very remarkable with the feel of a wild and scenic river. The Rose Ranch development would make it more like an inner city canal. This does not need to happen. The developer could, as was done in the Teller Springs development, place the open area; in this case the golf holes, by the river. I suppose this would make the development less lucrative but would surely save one of our most significant resources. the scenic lower Roaring Fork. It is unfortunate this comes before you so closely after the much publicized and emotionally debated Cattle Creek development plan. The people of Garfield County may be somewhat burned out on politics right now, but I believe they feel strongly about r 5coq\ =.r, Eo- i J' ..-1 .-t.t .t.t-l ),1 i:( \ FIGJRE 12 $ear Garfield County Commissioners and Planning and Zoning Commissioners: .Jf/e are losing the Roaring Fork River. Twelve miles of Gold Medal fishing. Rafting on champagrre water. fffr. g""i Ul.rie ii"r* *itt the most stunningly elegant neck of any bird species. The river is already sick Lryl i';* ne great Dlue neron wlth the most Stunrungly elegant necK oI any DlrO SpeCles. I he nver lS a]feady Slcl( rb,itf, . coli and ammonia. The more houses stacked along the river, the more diseased the river will become.4 the derelopers come, one after another, with their legion of expert consultants, promising protection from pollution and dangling untold riches &om the spin offs of Planned Unit Developments. Bankers will make money offof interest to contractors and entrepeneurs. Contractors will build multi-million dollar second homes on golf courses. Shop owners will sell trinkets to decorate expansive mansions. Lawyers and accountants will labor over the minute details of deals put together and then gone sour. All will profit. Meanwhile, the proposed new jail will become full and obsolete before it is even built. Social services and law enforcement will be overwhelmed. With rapid growth comes rapid social disintegration. There is an overemphasis in Garfield County on private properry rights. No one would deny a rancher or farmer the right to pass to their sons and daughters land held for generations or to sell the land to a buyer to continue the uses of the land as farmed or ranched for generations. It is when a farmer or rancher wishes to sell the land to a developer for millions of dollars that the welfare of the community must be given equal consideration. There is a balance that must be struck between the properry owner's desire to sell for millions and retire in Sun City, Arizona and the community's interest in mitigating the massive social and environmental impacts of a golf commercial, or residential Planned Unit Developments. The developer is not coming before the counry to ask that they be allowed to continue to farm or to build the legally allowed one residence per two acres permitted by the zoning code. The developer is asking in a Planned Unit Dwelopment for upzoning which will allow for unimaginable and sometimes obscene profits. County government has an obligation to the cunent residents and their children and their grandchildren to ensure that all impacts are considered and eliminated, not just mitigated. It is easy to demonize the dweloper. However, the dweloper will always ask for as much as th€y thinkthey *can gey away with if the developer perceives a lack of governmental and community will to impose restictions, conditions or sanctions. Rose Ranch is a prime example. The Roaring C.ystal Alliance asked Rose Ranch about woodburning stoves and fueplaces and the use of pesticides on their proposed golf course. Rose Ranch immediately suggested an alternative to fireplaces and woodburning stoves and immediately hired an internationally recogrrized conzultant on the mitigation of use of pesticides on golf courses. When confronted, responsible developers will respond. Since there is no goverutrental or community pressure to provid housing for service workers, Rose Ranch has not provided for the housing of employees and low income families. If approved, Sanders Ranch and Rose Ranch will need hundreds of four dollar to eight dollar per hour maids, gardeners, and clerks. There needs to be a percption among developers that the county government and Roaring Fork Valley residents care not just about second homeowners, retiring ranchers, bankers, conuactors, lawyers and accountants that the massive projeas will benefit, but that there is concern about the common worker that the projects wil inevitably lure to the valley. The choices we have to make about these projeas are not just financial, social, and anvironmentat there iis also a critical moral choice which must be made.Every dollar the low incomb worker earns is made through hard labor, hour by hour. Every additional million dollars the developer reaps is made beczuse the Roaring Fork Valley lacked the political and community will to require the developer to do what is right. If Sanders RanclU and to a large extent Rose Ranc[ are approved in their currert configuratioq then we will not only be mourning the loss of the elegant neck and brilliant plumage of the great blue heroo, we nnill also be composing songs to the memory of the scnse of community and place which was the Roaring Fork River and it's inhabitants. 4 ';r# Iil{ffify;ru CAnffiDmHfY 0St[{lSSloNEHs ?lanning and Zoning Boand FTGJRE 13 0405 Counts Iload /62 6lenaood Spyr,C0 8t6otFeb. 6, 1998 nlte-ld County TAtt' letten irt concenni-ny. tAe I?oae ?nopentu. It u venu evLde-nttAey tntend to ute tAe nLven" connLdoi {ri'o""nLdto".--TA;';ludetq {*htn* acceA, ond a boati-ng acce-,L./l.' Theu Aare orttune.d. ne tAeLn {uthennen wul not {iuA ^ {ah dowr, LAe nLv"en aa my pnopenty. TAey Aave acAnowledged tAat th.z/. do not own tAe nLvent edge {nommy pnopeRty to lltlet //oluba. 1il,1. c,r'rcenn b tAat tAeq. cannot"lLve upll lA"::1tynu7:;. . TAey attuo"2 uo. tl"y *Ul 7;";7 tr-"rr""1,J. "u,"nottnclx wLl/- tzeep Lhet-n homeownena oli thirt pant o{ tAe nLvenbanA. TAeucLctbn to 3,Lve ua acceAA to oun pn'o'pent; tlAnu ae'cert t o! LAeLn dureloolment. u{{eni-ng}o put ,up o .lq:"A"/, g-:t" tu lzeep tAeLln Au^"u*n"o" ui#oun alvenbanlz. l,hey.u1ul no.t buLld a {ence to'pnotect tAe poopentyl,',to I cannot tee Aoi tAU gnte wil! ,urL. -- -- t tAtt deve/up**? //o,1 ca\ tAey aay tAat /000 on mone people tAat wiil be lLrino indevelopment will not tnertneru? TAle a'AenL/h u/!i"o ,l,ron n,3 A,,not tne,tpeat-2 TAle alAeng!fu offLcz du,"n. nr? Aor" 1A1 1*oryen to ,!{un"u,uuo,pnp.its ^;gAt; -'[A;; ,L;;-;;1;';;i i;'^; t1:: y:Laomental' pnoblem tiy ,^U "itg,lT"^". it-,70;;;l tA"yatJ nut Ao,.'LAe extna manpowen'tu "u^" uX.t X"n". I Aere pald taxet on tAi-a pnopentt4 {on tALntu-ntne ttertna. TAe tax nu no u / { Lee -Aa,t told me Lt' d;i;ir *irti";" il-r t' i."'2"tr7';;; "^'lr';;A' I hcwe paLd taxet on thi aALeRoL^ o{{Lee -Aat told me Lt' dde,tnt" matten loi b.tg yo"un nLvenbanApnoplnty u1L. tA"y tax Lt 1o tu .Aow many buLldtng luL" tt """t".t ^. tpRopenLy La, xhey tax ct at to hou mang buL own tuto. )tnce ny pnopeaty, wltAout thpou,own tuo. )ince ny pnopeaty, wltAout- itnpnovenetzt^ u ,alued at $t65,ooo lyn..4u,l', _an( tAey" ane ,'taAitrq,",244l l/ *y ot""n- to*,-f t"J- t-t "i "-t r"nLu.en .banA, I {eel tAey ,aAoul/'be wLllino t, oony +, t1,4i T,rii,oooi bL;;fr";"t\'"i^-^rLt' "i;;i';7 fii""i"glota wLll" lr. JLoL"tl"-E;];.2;,' nnnnon+,,lota wLll" b. JLo"""tly be-,\tnd iy' pno'peaty. TAeu Aave ottued me tAat tAe.pnopenty tn guerttLon tt not pant o{tAeLn d.rn-lup*ent bit I /""1 ti t". Could ^you pleate taAe ny conceRnA L,Lto conaLdenetLon be{onz anarttinathe 'l(ote 1)ev.e,/-opment.a go aAead? I nealLTe tAat I cannot /t l.rt \A"tn 4 Ti.I?t,- but do {eel they intend to taAe my piopenty wLtAout' dre compin-LAtLOn. €nclo,ted La a copy .u{ *y 4unyqy qnd a map ,thowi-ng Pf?0?fr?YS tAat ine Ln- volved.Sincenelg--',r--.='r-' r- r')'/acrtLL( 'Jr', F-* l,tatalte !. 1andnen 7_AU trt a copy ul *y letten to tAe Countu ?lannLng Bocrnd.I would a/,Lu' "lLAe to poLnt oui tAqt rLncL LAe fianLtctnr;. meetLnq o{ tAe koanLnq fonh. ItzretLne,ztt fl 'local DaDeR Aat neponted "tAat tlAeu wLll' do' crua.u wLtA 4 'tAeLn boatena panh and /Uh'einent pnnh..' At the lonuonlg meetLng tAJy cutrrunedut tAe atLll |ntended .tlo ute ct {tal.Atng accea^ id *u"l"d Aave booatLig aceetain tAe blue henon nooheny exce/L duni-ng netti-ng ^eaAon. FIqJRE 14 fiicfiafl G.Llleinberu !:.-i,-<;:ilTqFg1C-- i i 'ro ^ *o ,{l E.r rfirrrr L, I i 0086 Westbank Road - Glenwood Springs,1 Fax97O-524-2060 - Home Phone 970-928-9876 - Email weinberg@rof.net \--,.rr!r i tLLJ cCt-+i iY March 10, 1998 Garfield County Planning Board 109 8th Street Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Dear Sirs: On Feb. 24,1998I attended a meeting sponsored by the Rose Ranch Developers. The meeting was held in the Clubhouse at Westbank. They responded to numerous questions from the interested parties. At previous meetings it was estimated that the traffic on County Road 109 (Rte. 109) 'uvould triple, including a marked increase in truck and construction traffic. With that n mind, I asked the developers if some sort of vegetative screen could be planted on the southrvest side of Rte. 109. They said that it could easily be accomplished, and later on at the same meeting, they recommended that I write to the county to reinforce this proposal. sort ofdense trees on the southrvest side nt whe itch c 109 (a fbrv d feet southeast of Westbank ,:y-il Road)gqa point where Rivervierv Road intersects with Rte. 109. I believe this w.ould minimize the environEffi increased traffic This proposal has not been formally coordinated or the homeowners adjacent to Rte. 109. I doubt will publish it in the next communiw newsletter. with the Westbank Homeowners Association , if anyone rvould oppose the project, however I I hope I can depend on vour office to make this oroject a requirement tbr the development of the Rose Ranch. Thank you for your help, I?-L*/e(/,2,^>* Richard C. Weinberg / Rose Ranch Developers WEstbank Homeowners Association Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 (970) 945-9762 MLS FAX (970) 945-4769 .FAX (970) 94s-7263 May 20,1998 Garfield County Commissioners l0g g6 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Dear Commissioners, HAY 2 1 1998 GAHFIETO COUI.$Y COMMISSONERS .., ,.,IbP Glenwood Springs Board of REALTORS@ takes great pride in its own Affordable Housing j Fundwhich we have been operating forthe last 5 years. The Direaors of the Board would like to inform the Commissioners that we support the concept of developers contributing fees per lot to various Affordable Housing Groups. Some initial concerns are as follows: L The Directors feel some sort of attention and study needs to be done to determine what the reasonable and appropriate dollar amount should be. 2. T'heDirectors do not feel that this amount should be paid by a buyer at the time of building permit application. We would suggest a finat plat payment plan by the developer or payment upon the closing of each lot. 3. The Glenwood Springs Board of REALTORS will determine how any monies donated to our Affordable Housing Fund will be spent. This may include donating some of it to otheraffordable housing groups and projects in addition to the awards to first time home buyers that we are presently granting. Please note that the Glenwood Springs Board of REALTORS@ in no way zupports any specific housing development but we do endorse the concept of developers contributing to affoidable housing in some manner. We do appreciate the plan offered by Rose Ranch Development and their efforts to address affordable housing in Garfield County. For the Glenwood Springs Board ofREALTORS@, fu o&a Jill West Executive Officer c: Rose Ranch Development c/o Rue Balcomb rJ. uc/zo/96 ruE 17:4/ t'ar vlu lu4 cz65flfIIH rrsrx' 16 *' Roaring Fork Railroad Holding Authori P. O. Bot 127O, Carbondale, CO 81625 Raymond C LloYd Executive Drector Memorandum George County Building and Planmng Dept. r4 001 ?tt970-704-9282 Fax: 970-704-9?84 To: CC: From: DaE; Ray Lloyd 05n6198 Re: Rose Ranch PI-ID application Iu response to your requ€st for review of the subject development RFRHA submits the follorving: . The application addresses expansion of the "RFTA park and nde lot on the property" and uegotiations with RFTA to expand it. The lot is actually on RFRFIA right of way and we have not been contacted by the developer on the subjecL . Gross residential density of 0.54 dwetling uoit po acre is uot considered transit oriented development. I would Sualify that statement with a note that as an agency R-FRHA is not in the zoning bustness. . The development is made up primarily of cul de sac 's wbich are also considered transit unfriendly. . The project access is on Corurty Rd 109, but the packet includes an a€ess permit for Highway 82. In either case the traffrc for the project would have lo cross the rarl corridor at some point to get to ilighway 82 and would be in excess of &e 35,000 risk opportunities proscribed by the Public Utilities Commission to trigger a need for a grade separated crossing. i wouid assume therefor that the county would want to ensure the deveiopers pay their fare share of thts impact. Thank you for thew opporrunity to comment on this application, Victona FIGI]RE 17 GtFrreLD C()t f.{ryMay 26, L99B To: Garfield County Planning Commission From: Gl-enwood Springs River Commission RE: Revised PUD PIan for Rose Ranch Ron Heggemeier of Roaring Fork Development qave a brief presentation of the amended Rose Ranch PUD to the River Commission at our regular meeting on May 6. The River Commission submitted a letter to P&Z dated October 24, L997 |in which we listed several concerns the commission had regardinq tl" original plans for this development. While the commission r-s still has strong concerns for the effects Rose Ranch will have on wildlife, water quality, native veqetation, and other concerns j-n our letter, we feel that the developers have made a conscientious effort to address these i-ssues. According to the presentation, Roaring Fork Development has agreed to a public trail through the development,paralleling County Road 109 | according to specifications in the rivertrail-s plan adopted by the City of Gl-enwood Springs. This road will be separate from the road, allowing pedestrians and bicycl-es saf e travel. They have also created larger lots along the Roaring Fork River, and along the south rj-verfront portion, are allowingpublic fishing access, while creatj-ng a buffer between the river bank and the homes. They al-so propose to keep thebuilding envelopes of homes on these and other river frontIots from B0 to 150 feet from the 100 year high water elevatj-on mark, which is more than the 30 feet currently required by the county. They also have removed the fishermen's park and the floaterspark, which could have adversely affected the heron nesting sites, since the parks would have received the most useduring critical nesti-ng periods. (l;l-ir-) ; I i:,ti l:,:i::,)i,.! ; ; fii}r L---._*--:i.*. : mU26tees We also received a list of "best management practices, presented by a representative of High Country Engineers. While we wiII wait for more input from Wright Water Engineers, we feel these steps are being taken in the rightdirection. These aspects of the revised plan are welcomed by the commission. Members of the commission, collectively and asindividuals, may wish to make further comment throughout theprocess, but would like this opportunity to express our thanks to the developers for their efforts in addressing theissues that are of concern to the community. Sincerely, "J*rr- 4r"/- Tamie Meck Glenwood Springs River Commission 2 Rose Ranch FIqJRE 18 6/aSt a? // 5 6 ,Qrrncla Q-: |-l-x- Rra-- Q,o.,-l, /\Ar-^ ,t-,u-;r L)f -wt-c) r: C -><*- lc</r-yuj-Lr- 1\.,t-O,rd./-,4.L,. cLL /.t_ nt-bt_, T Q-r.+-V't t-; WFA-)4d-W ?tt6 L&u,tucr- 1- / +-&- *&prc>, A*.*l Ea! GAFF}€LD OOUNTY I llprt-r-, Fl-Li,ultlr, /_'t^, /r_/_t_ ( ld-u O,"-CYJ A-A-{=- f-i-co-,on et^ f t,t'-fzr-fa--ft--', A I z.r.-.\ v _, _V f\ Richard Y. Neiley, Jr., P.C. Eugene M. Alder, P.C. Figr:re 19 NEILEY & ALDER ATTORNEYS 201 North Mill Street, Suite 102 Aspen, Colorado 8161i (970) 92s-9393 FAX (970) 92s-9396 July 15, 1998 5157 County Road 154 Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81601 (970) 928-e3e3 Board of County CommissionersGarfield County 109 Eighth Street, Suite 303 Glenwood Springs, CO 81501 Re:Rose Ranch Development Application/Roaring ForkInvestments, LLC Dear Commissioners3 This office represents Maria E. Maniscalchi. Ms. Manis-calchi owns a 2l acre 1ot and a residence at 5157 County Road L54 tGlenwood Springs, Colorado immediately adjacent to and across theRoaring Fork River from the proposed Rose Ranch Development. Ms.Maniscalchi opposes the developrnent proposal as it is presentlyconfigured and urges you to deny the developer's application forPlanned Unit Development and Ske':ch plan Review. In the event you determine that the Rose Ranch develop-ment application should be approved, the conditions proposed hereinshould be made a part of your approval, in addition to those condi-tions recommended by the Garfield County Planning & Zoning Commis-sion and the Planning Office and those offered by the developer. Ms. Maniscalchi's objections relate to (1) the proposeddevelopment's failure to comply with the Garfield County Compre-hensive Pran, (2) the overall excessive density of the project,(3) failure to provide required open space, (4) failure to adhereto the maximum building heights permitted under the Land Use Code,ald (5) failure to mitigate adverse impacts to the Roaring ForkRiver and the river corridor. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Before PUD rezoning can be approved, the proposar must befound to be "in general conformity with the County,i Mister,/Compre-hensive plan(s). " The Land Use Code states: It is intended that pUDs shal1 be planned toinsure general conformity, both in substanceand location, with the goals and objectives ofthe master/comprehensive plan through inte-grated development. Letter to Garfield County Board of County CommissionersJuIy L5, 1998 Page 2 The Rose Ranch development plan is inconsj-stent with the Garfield County Comprehensive PIan as to both the proposed uses and density of the project. PROPOSED USES The Comprehensive PIan map for Study Area 1 identifiesthe Rose Ranch as appropriate for residential development. Theapplicant's proposal seeks to incorporate significant commercial and recreation components into the development. Over 141 acres ofland, or over 32* of the property, is proposed as a golf course with attendant club house, restaurant and other commercj-aIfacilities. The Comprehensive Plan does not allow these uses on the Rose Ranch. The developer proposes to construct "approximately 25r000 square feet" of club house, restaurant, bar and other cornmercialfacilities in addition to golf course development itself. This is a significant commercial component not permitted on the Rose Ranch property by the Comprehensive PIan. In order for the developer to proceed, the Comprehensive Plan must be amended. In this regard, it is pertinent to note that uses pe::nitted in the underlying zone district may be pe:mitted inPIIDs. The A./R/RD Zone District does not i-dentify golf courses, restaurant and bar facilities, or attendant commercial facili-tiesas "pe:mitted uses. " Under that zone district designation, "golf course driving range, golf course practice range" and "commercialrecreational facility/park" are j-dentified as "special uses. " Absent approval of an amendment to the Comprehensive P1an, the Rose Ranch application is premature. Approval of the development proposal without an amendment to the Comprehensive PIan would violate the reguirements of the County's PUD regulations. DENSITY The Comprehensive PIan map for Study Area 1 identifiesthe portion of the Rose Ranch to the west of County Road 109 andthe river corridor approximately 200 to 500 feet in width as lowdensity residential (10 and greater acldu). These areas comprise approximately 230 acres of the 44O acre ranch. Under the Compre- hensive PIan, a maximum of 23 residential units are appropriate in these areas. The balance of the ranch, approximately 2LO acres, isidentified as high density residential (1ess than 2 acldu). Whilethe Comprehensive PIan does not establish specific minimum lot sizes in the high density residential area, both the Plan and the Letter to Garfield County Board of County CommissionersJuIy 15, 1998 Page 3 PUD Regulations require a demonstration of compatibility with andan appropriate relationship to the surrounding area. The Compre-hensive Plan identifies land use compatibirity as a "criticalfactor" in determining appropriate high density development. Theprevailing lot size in the surrounding subdivisions ranges from 1]acres to approximately 6 acres, exclusive of comrnon open space. The prevailing lot size on the east bank of the Roaring Fork Riveris over 2 acres. The Comprehensive PIan identifies a total of 350 acresappropriate for high density residential development in the CattleCreek sub-area. This area includes both the Rose Ranch and the Sanders Ranch. At "average density" (1 dwelling unit for each L.25acres), the Comprehensive Plan identifies the potential of 280total dwelling units for the Cattle Creek sub-area. The Rose Ranchproposal will utilize more than that entire allotment. A-l-Iowing development within the high density residentialarea on the Rose Ranch in accordance with "average density" pro-posed for such areas by the Comprehensive Plan justi-fies no morethan 158 units (210 + 1.25 acres) for that property. An analysis of surrounding residentj-al land uses is bothnecessary and appropriate to determine an acceptable density forthe Rose Ranch. (See Attachment "A") The developer,s proposed average lot size, exclusive of open space, is 0.39 acres or lessthan 17r000 square feet per Iot. The developer proposes densitiesas great as 5 units per acre. The largest lot is only 1.23 acres. Teller Springs Subdivision to the south of the subjectproperty contains lots ranging in size from 5 acres to 11 acres,exclusive of open space. The prevailing lot size is approximately5* acres. The West Bank Subdivision, to the north, contains lotsizes ranging from I acre to 3.58 acres excrusive of open space.The predominant lot size is approximately 1.5 acres. West Bank Mesa, to the west, contains lot sizes rangingfrom 1.03 acres to over L2 acres exclusive of open space. Thepredominant lot size is in excess of 2 acres. The properties adjacent to the Rose Ranch on the eastbank of the Roaring Fork River range in size from 0.55 acres toL4.87 acres. Only one parcel on the entire east bank is smallerthan 1 acre. The predominant lot size is approximately 2 acres. The properties adjacent to the Rose Ranch on the west bank of the Roaring Fork River range from 2.34 acres to 4.11 acres. Letter to Garfield County Board of County CommissionersJuly 15, 1998 Page 4 The balance of the property adjoining the Rose Ranch iseither public land or designated under the Comprehensive PIan as medium density residential (6 to less than 10 acldu). ft is apparent that the requirement of compatibilitymandates lot sizes for the proposed Rose Ranch developmentsubstantially larger than those proposed. There should be no lotswithin the PUD less than 1 acre in size. The lots bordering the Roaring Fork River, for which the Comprehensive Plan establishes 1.0 acre minimr,rm lot size, should be no smaller than 2 acres each. Tota1 density for the project should be considerably lessthan 292 units. Allowing 23 units for the low density residential areas and 168 units for the high density area yields a generous 191units, total. The density proposed by the developer should be reduced by at least 100 units to reach even marginal compatibilitywith surrounding subdivisions and minimal compliance with the Comprehensive Plan. OPEN SPACE The development proposal does not satisfy the Coderequirement for open space. First, Rose Ranch is comprised of 440.4 acres, not 533.5acres as represented by the developer. The developer attempts toincorporate the existing West Bank Golf Course into its PUD forpurposes of calculating both open space and density. This isinappropriate. The West Bank GoIf Course is already part of asubdivision. Furthermore, that property is not contiguous with the Rose Ranch as reguired by the PUD regulations. While the developerhas apParently negotiated an easement to connect the properties,this easement does not satisfy the code definition of "contigrrous. "(Code 54.01.05) Second, the golf course property itself, over 141 acresof the Rose Ranch, does not satisfy the definition of Cornmon Open Space since that property is not "intended primarily for the use orenjoyment of residents, occupants and owners of the Planned UnitDevelopment." (Code 54.01.01) It is intended for public use. Third, of the remaining approximately 299 acres of theranch, 170.14 acres are identified by the developer as open space.This caLculation appears to be erroneous. (See Attachment "B) Thetotal amount of Common Open Space is actually less than 99 acres.Furthermore, the vast majority of this open space has averageslopes in excess of 25* t limiting its use as coillmon open spaee. Letter to Garfield county Board of county corunissionersJuIy 15, 1998 Page 5 The developer is obligated to provide not less than 110acres of common open space. of that amount, 44 acres may belimited use open space, that which exceeds an average slope of ZS*. Even a cursory evaluation of the developer's plan establishes thatapproximately 100 acres constitute limited use open space. The developer has also included in its ',open space" areaswhich are clearly portions of the golf course and the HolyCross/Public Serrrice Company utility right-of-way traversing thaproperty. Portions of the "open space" are used for golf cartaccess and underpasses and are directly adjacent to golf facil-ities. Arbitrarily identifying these areas as "cormlon open space"is inconsistent with the Land Use Code requirements. The utitityright-of-way is fuJ-ly developed with overhead power lines andtowers and underground high pressure gas transmission lines. Theseareas appear to comprise approximately 5 additional acres notproperly characterized as open space. Finally, the PUD reg-ulations require that conmon openspace be "adeguate in terms of rocation, area and t1pe. " tn thisapplication, there is virtually no common open space incorporatedinto the residenti-al component of the development. Virtually aIIof the common open space is undewelopable wetlands, riparianhabitat, water, steep slopes or utility easement. The only commonopen space incorporated into the residential portion of theproperty is a 2.L4 acre community park. HEIGHT LIMITS The developer proposes 35 foot height limits on manypresently unidentified lots in the subdivision. The sole basis foithis increase from the maximum pe::rnitted 25 foot height limit is toa1low "more articulated roof forms and more creativity in archi-tectural design. " This argrrment does not satisfy the eUO regula-tions. It is pertinent to note that the proposed area ofdevelopment slopes gentry from county Road 109 1o the river.Articulated roof forms and architectural creatj-vity are not in anyfashion hampered by the geography of the site. on the other handlincreasing building hei-ghts will have negative impacts on virtuallyall surrounding property owners. The development merely proposesto increase the bulk and mass of the development in a way thaCwillobstruct view plains and adversely affect adjacent properties withno identifiable benefit. There is simply no justification underthe PUD regulations for any increase in building heights in thisproject. Letter to Garfield County Board of County CommissionersJuly 15, 1998 Page 5 NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON ROARING FORK RIVER In its application, the developer acknowledges that "alldrainage run-off shall be conveyed to the river. " No proposal is made to mitigate the negative impacts of this run-off. Run-offfrom 292 homes, including fertilized lawns, a club house andrestaurant, paved parkJ-ng areas, golf course chemicals, and over 25acres of roads will be conveyed directly into the river. First, a reduction in overall density will help minimize adverse off-site impacts. Secondr dn appropriate plan for retention of run-off on-site to settle out pollutants should be required. Third, a formal commitment should be required of thedeveloper to utilize environmentally friendly golf coursefertilizer and other maintenance products. This commitment should be in the form of a written plan identifying the specific productsto be used, maximum amounts and locations. The developer should berequired to monitor water guality and insure that water gualitydown-river of the development is not negatively impacted. Fourth, the developer should be requi-red to make a formalcommitment to maintain the natural vegetation along the rivercorridor for a distance of 100 feet from the edge of the river.This commitment should specifically require that the large standsof cottonwoods and other vegetation not be manipulated or removed. CONCLUSION The developer's application should not be approved assubmitted. The developer needs to submit an application for Comprehensive PIan amendment, needs to substantially reduce thedensity of the project, and needs to address the other concernsraised herein and those identified in the Planning Staff andReferral Agency Conunents. The Rose Ranch Planned Unit Development and Sketch PIanApplication should be denied unless the applicant agrees tosignif icant modif ications . Should the Board of County Commissioners decide toaPprove the Rose Ranch development application, the followingadditional conditions should be appended to any approval: units.1. Overall density should be reduced to no more than 191 Letter to Garfield county Board of county commissionersJuly 15, 1998 Page ? 2. All lots along the Roaring Fork River should be atleast 2 acres in size. 3. Open space must be caLculated in accordance with therequirements of the Land Use Code to the satisfaction of thePlanning staff to insure not less than 110 acres of "comnon openspace. " 4. Open space should be incorporated into the residen-tial development as required by the Land Use Code to the satisfac-tion of the Planning staff. 5. The height of all buildings and structures within thedevelopment should be limited to 25 feet. 5. The developer should present an engineered plan tolimit to the greatest extent possible all run-off and discharge ofsurface waters into the Roaring Eork River. The plans shouldinclude vegetation and berms as well as settling ponds to avoid theentry of pollutants into the river. A water quality monitoringprogram should be required. 7. The developer should present a written plan inconnection with the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizersutilizing organic, non-polluting products to the greatest extentpossible. 8. The developer should be required to maintain naturalvegetation along the Roaring Fork River for a distance of 1-00 feetfrom the river, minimizing manipul-ation and removal of vegetation. The developer should propose plans to comply with theabove conditions which satisfy the Planning staff and-the Board ofCounty Cormissioners prior to final plat approval. Thank you for your attention to this matter. truly yours, Y & ALDER RYN/agk Enclosures It'44,- Y. Neiley, Jr. ' ..j :i -' "'RosE RANCH puD SURROUNDING PROPERTIES Range of Subdivision/Parcel Lot Sizes West Bank Ranchl 1 - 3.SB acres 1.S acres West Bank Mesaz 1.03 - 12+ acres 2+ acres Teller Springss 5 - 11 acres 6+ acres East Bank parcetsa 0.SO - 14.87 2+ acres West Bank parcelss 2.34 - 4.11 2+ acres lCounty records show gg lots on 142 acres for an average lot size of 1.(l acres. The predominant lot size was determined exctusive of open space. 2County records showthe West Bank Mesa Subdivision as having 67 lots on 285 acres for an average lot size of 4.25 acrqs. The predominant lot size was determined exclusive of open space. 3County records show Teller Springs Subdivision as having 21 lots on 175 acres for an average lot size of 8.33 acres. The predominant lot size was determined exclusive of open space. 'The east bank parcels total 29 separate lots comprising 70 acres bordering the east bank of the Roaring Fork River and adjacent to Rose Flanch. The average lot size is 2.4 acres. sThere are 3 lots on the west side of the Roaring Fork Biver adjacent to the Rose Ranch. They are 2.34,2.34 and 4.11 acres in size. ATTACEMEDIT 'A' Predominant Lot Size ROSE RANCH PUD OPEN SPACE Gross Acres Residential Planned Areas Roads Golf Course (per plat) Total "Open Space" Limited Use Open Space exceeding 25% slope (approximately 100+ acres x 60%) TOTAL "Common Open Space" ATTACEI.IENT 'B' 440.40 (1 13.91) (26.27) fi41 .211._--,, 159.01 acres 99.01 acres NOtel Cdculation of Common Open Space includes all land areas remaining after deducting the developer's expressed calculations of residential planned areas, roads and golf course. Certain of the remaining property is not properly considered "open space," such as areas adjacent to the golf course providing access to the underpasses which are clearly a part of the golf course and the 100 foot Public Service Company easement which is undevelopable by the applicant but which contains Public Service Company improvements. FICJRE 20 Gib and Lee Plimpton 189 S. Third Street Carbondale,CO 81623 Garfi eld County Commissioners Garfield County Planning and Zoning Committee Members 109 8th Street, Ste 303 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Gentlemen: May 25, 1998 We are writing this letter to add to the concern shown throughout the area that our quality of life and the reason people have always come here is in danger. The following are our concerns not for Rose Ranch only, but for the allowable growth in the Comprehensive Plan: 1) Quality of Life: Most of us recognize that there will be growth in this valley; however, the rate and nature of that growth as regulated and approved by the Commissioners, should be reasonable and in the interests of those of us who live here. We ask that you consider the residential areas already in existence such as Westbank and Teller Springs. These lot sizes, open, common and riparian areas are more consistent with the lifestyle and environment in this part of the valley. To approve hundreds of homes on only a few hundred acres seems extreme, overtaxing present systems. Perhaps the Comprehensive Plan needs some revision. Rose Ranch standing alone is one ffng; Rose Ranch as viewed along with other developments from Carbondale to Glenwood is quite another. We request that you consider, as much as possible, reducing dwelling units and/or rework of layout of all proposed projects to insure maximum open, riparian and wildlife areas. The enclosed Denver Post articles, compared to local news articles, show that wisdom is prevailing in Douglas County with voluntary down-zoning. People and developers alike are realizing that quality of life, even economic feasibility, makes lower density and more space a better idea; an idea that here, may ultimately prevent urban sprawl of one continuous town from Carbondale to Glenwood Springs. To put this issue in perspective, even with all the land available in these front-range areas, here are the numbers that have been down-zoned: Bell Mt Ranch - 2,040 acres: Spruce Ranch -2,306 acres: Douglas Park - 2,942 acres: Keene Ranch - 2,255 acres: 7,400 homes to 305 3,400 homes to 150 3,545 homes to 35 (35 acre parcels) 750 homes to 247 Page 2 Carbondale to Glenwood Valley Proposed/existing: Sanders Ranch - 280 acres: 502 homes ( Includes 71 acres Open Space, + 76 acres CommerciaVT 08,000 SF) Coryell Ranch - 2651300 acres: 130 (2 acre) + golf course (a919 public?) Rose Ranch - 533.5 acres: 292 homes + golf course (public) River Valley Ranch - (existing) - 520 acres: 685 homes + basebalVsoccer field, tennis courts and golf course (public) Surely, let's be smarter than the mess that has been created in many areas on the Eastern Slope where previously rural property has been developed unchecked, and control this growth now. Just because Pitkin County, where large ranches still remain despite intense growth pressure, and Basalt don't want growth there, it doesn't mean it all has to happen down here. Perhaps a moratorium on larse developments should take place for a short time to get aclear direction for reasonable future development. Of course if these huge developments are approved, housing may be needed for those who build them, but then what? Wouldn't a slower growth approach, less burdensome to the job market, schools, public services, wildlife and the environment be more advisable. 2) Winter Wildlife Migration: As more and more of these projects are approved access to the river is cut off for deer and elk. Already there are many areas where it is almost impossible for them to get to the river and there are herds on County Road 109 wandering confused trying to get through, bunching and trampling each other rvhen they do. You need to see this to realize the extent of the problem. With such complex issues, it seems time is required to sort through them and find the best solution. In closing, may we please urge you all to be cautious in planning for the quality of life of Garfield County residents, their children's futures and the wildlife using these lands for winter survival. Most of us are already busy working and raising families, making it difficult to constantly be responding to powerfi.rl developers, whose only objective is to get these large developments approved, built, realize a huge gain and move on. We count on you for the reasonable development of this area. This is your challenge - to plan so as to protect and benefit the interests and lives of the citizens of Garfield County. We have always found the County Offrces to be a dedicated group with which to work. Thank you very much for your favorable consideration of this information. May the valley continue to be a most wonderful place to live for man and beast. Sincerely, f tl -o h i-Lct -{-.} FIGJRE 21 GARTELD COU NIY COIilMISSIO NENS 4?28 RD 154 Glenwood SPringe, Co' 81601 ApriI 17' 1998 (97O) 945-78O3 To the Editor, Uany letEers exPreselng opposttion to Eeveral propoEed develoPments' incruding the noee Ranch and Sandera Ranch, have appeared in the }ocar PaPers' we are aLI coneerned abouE the impact that the resultlng growth wlII have on the quality of IIfe in the Roarln! rorr valley. To repeat theEe concerng would be redundant, but r would rike to convey gome thoughte that r have' I have dlacusged these iesues with many local reeidente' I have yet to find anyone, one eingle Person, who favors any of theee developmente' Whoarethegepeop}ewhothreatenthebeautyandruralsettj.ngweenjoy? Developers Eeem t-o trave two thlnga in common' None of them are residente of the area they lnvade, and afEer ihe develoPment, they are gonel Itiedifficulttoimaginethatourelectedofficialgcouldconceivably aPProve arry P}ang that wi}I eo nagatiwe}y impacc our valley. I,m glad I,m not countyCommiggionerburdenedwiththereeponaibilityofdecidingtheee iaguee. I have confidence in our elected officials and I can't believe that they will let ue down' S incerelY, cc: Garfield CountY Garfield CountY Commiegionere Planning and Zoning APR 24 1998 FTGURE 22 May 27,1998 Garfield County Department of Building and Planning 109 Eighth Street, Third Floor Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 RE: Public Hearing - Rose Ranch Dear Sirs: I understand that the application of Rose Ranch for a PUD and sketch plan approval will be considered by the Planning Commission on May 27,1998. Because I am a neighbor from the east side of the Roaring Fork River, I would like the Department to consider my comments on the development. As the development was originally proposed (since withdrawn from the counfy approval process), I had two concerns. The hrst concern was that the wells, which were proposed as a project water supply, would adversely affect my domestic well and those of my neighbors in the immediate area across the river from Rose Ranch. Second, the lot sizes proposed along the river which front on my property were smaller in size than the lot sizes on our side of the river. The manager of Roaring Fork Investments, Ron Heggemeier, requested us to attend meetings to discuss any concems or problems we had with the project. I identified the above two problems as did several of my neighbors. I note now that the revised Rose Ranch proposal has eliminated its reliance upon wells and now utilizes surface diversions of the Roaring Fork fuver. This mitigates my concern over injury to my individual domestic well. Also, as revised, the plan shows considerably larger lots immediately across the river from my lot. The lots are of approximately the same size as those on my side of the river. I believe that this is satisfactorily resolves my second concern. FIG.]RE 23 May 27,1998 Garfield County Department of Building and Planning 109 Eighth Street, Third Floor Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 RE: Public Hearing - Rose Ranch Dear Sirs: It is my understanding that the application of Rose Ranch for a PUD and sketch plan approval will be considered by the Planning Commission on May 27,1998. I would like the Department to consider my comments on the development. As the development was originally proposed,I had two concerns. The first concem was that the wells, which were proposed as a water supply, would adversely affect my domestic well and those of my neighbors in the immediate area across the river from Rose Ranch. Second, the lot sizes proposed along the river which front on my property were smaller in size than the lot sizes on our side of the river. The manager of Roaring Fork Investments, Ron Heggemeier, held meetings to discuss any concems or problems we had with the project. I identified the above two problems as did several of my neighbors. Now that the revised Rose Ranch proposal has withdrawn its application for wells and will utilize surface diversions of the Roaring Fork River, this satisfies my concern over possible damage to my individual domestic well. As revised, the plan shows considerably larger lots immediately across the river from my lot and are of approximately the same size as those on my side of the river. This also satisfies my second concern. I believe the current proposal has addressed my concerns and those of my immediate neighbors, therefore I have no objection to approval ofthis project. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Very truly yours, L'- r 'z'| ) --r-----< lL-) --lS- 05/27/08 10:51 FAI 870S274970 EASALT f,.S. FIGIJRE 24 Victoria Glannola Garfield County Planning Deparunent Rs ltose Ranch Revlsed PUD I Sketch Plan Submlttal Dear lvts GLrnnola: As golf coach of the tsasalt/Roaring Fork Hfgh School golf teams, I have seen fir.st hand wh:rt golf course development has done for both interest and opportunity in the sport ermong the youth of the valley. The combined high school [eam has grown from approximately ten to over forty parti- cipants in just two years- Both River Valley Ranch and the Roaring Fork Cluh have proven to be enthusiastlc supporters of the high school program, giving of both their time and facilities. I would crpect Rose lhnch to offer that same support to the Glenwood High School golf program and to junior golf in the valley- Westbank Ranch has had a uadition of strong support for these programs and lndications are that this strong support will continue- Increased golf and job oppofiunities for youth will result from the development of Rose Ranch. Sinccrely; @oz -z:i ---?f*'/.*-,.-,---' John R Tesmer GolfCoar:h Basalt/ Roaring Fork UiSh Schools FIqJFE 25 REAL ESTATE 6-WD May 22, 1998 Garfield Counfy Planning Commission 109 8th Street Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Re: Affordable Housing Fund I am writing in support of the concept of developers donating fees to various affordable housing funds throughoui the valley. I have had t}e opporrunity to beinvolved with two transactions that required the financial help of t't . Glenwood Springs Board of Realtors Affordable Housiing Fund. Without this help, neither ofmy clients would have been able to buy a home in this valley. I believe that expanding the resources of this fund through donations by developersis an excellent way.to help people buy homes in this vall-ey. The increased donations would allow the affordablshousing fund to help more people into thehomes that they lvant. It has been my experience that this fund combined rvith thebroad reach of the Board of Realtors-is far superior to other attempts of affordablehousing in this area. .-2.4--Z-'Z--t-zZ--, Todd Leahy Broker AssociAt I Mason & Morse Real Estate Mason & Morse Real Estate MlsoN E MoRSE Jeanne Casey Cle rvooo Spnrxcs, Cor-onaoo 8 t 60 I (970) 928-9ooo FrcsrvrLE, (97o) 928-o977 FIGJRE 26 lvlly27,L998 Vft:toria Giannola ffield Cotry Deprtment ofBuilding ssl plurning lO9 tt Sreeq Suite 303 Gtcnwood Sfrog+ CO 81601 Re: Rosc Ranch Dorelopmeut Dear Victoris: I would like to go onthc rccord as srpporting thc Rose Ranch Developmert 8s Proposed bV Rouing Fo* Imcstrrerts, LLC. I had thc privilegc of rneeing with thc dsvBlopcn to gci an roaerstrnaing of thcir plans forthe ranch. I camc away impressed with thc site .-*pt, cnvirumcntal snrdieq and community issues as proposed by thit gronp. -fr"y heve otviqrsly inveSed a lot oftime and money to bring a concept tro the coudy that app€ars to mest thc criteria ofthe coutrty's mast€r plur fur dlvelopmeot I arn dso impressed by the rescarch dorre in thc aress of pcsticides and firtilizas that ue eovironnentally sefe for tbc golf course. I also srpport this development becaus€ it brings a first-class golf cause to our commuoity. Golf is onc of the frste€t Srowitrg puticipAion sporB in tbc couury, artd ell we need to Oo is look arouod orr valleys to scc tbc prmf ofthat- This type of course will b'ring pcople irno our town to play therc, increasing thc cconomic impact for thc comty. It also-p'rovides thc prblic with an lE hole cqrrse for what will Probrbly bc reasonable fecs. I hsyc tivcd in Glencrood Springs for ovetthirty ycrrs. t wasbom haq and my family has called Glcuwood borue for five gacrrtioru. A lqt h8s chuged iniust the P8$ tunuty yars, but chenge is inariable. We rre fsccd with a challcngc. Morc erd rcre people *.rt to live ia our rrc& Wc cr.nnot prs a ftocc around thir rnlley to kccp peoplc an! wen though rhd is what mmc residem *ould likc to do. tt is idcrc*ing to Ec that many of those wto wmt to limit growth arc actelly people who hnrc rcved isto tbc co5ty wirhin tbc paS five to tca )rcars s65artc it lpPolcd 19 lhcm as a small town- Thcy;ccd to realizr thd tbsy arc psrt of thc growth issues thcmsclva, rnd canrpt p/rsvfft otb€rs ftom moving here ju$ as thsy did just a fe* years ago. Wc nccd to u,ork togeher with dceelopers srch rs RFI, I.I-C to ensurc q"dity development and rn lrrhaacod communiry. Sirselv.5;ftu- 5t-* B.t;+t- Fiqare 27 October 27, 7997 Garfield County Planmng 109 8th St., Suite 303 Glenwood Sp.i.gr, CO 81601 RE: Rose Ranch and the Roaring Fork Vallev Bioiogical lnventorv Dear lvls. Giannola: . The follozoing .letter was sent to the Garfield County Commissioners. I wanted yott to haae a copy since it relates to the Rose Ranch and the impoitance of the great bbte heron rookery. Dear Commissioners: As Project Coordinator of the Roaring Fork Valley Biologrcal lnventory I lvoulci Iike to thaxk you for your letter of support to Greai Outdoors Cilorado for a grant to continue this prolect. Garfieid Courrtv-beiongs to a partnership of over 30 pafres rvho support this project. .}1 yo,, knor,v, the first stage of this projecr was conducted in the Roaring Fork Valley.this past summer and rve are now pioposrng to expand the project into ilre entire watershed of the Roaring Fork River. Tlus vrdl rnciide srudvrng piint !r,a arumal s.pecies in three counties and I agree with vour statement in-yorir^letter of support that"it makes sense to studv this area rn its enhretv rnstead of b-eing constrained b;r poiitical boundaries." As I mentioned above, ihe tirst stage of the inventory was conducted thJs past sumrner and rve are currentlv arvaiting a final report from the Colorado Natural Hbitage i-ro_-gram.to be readv sometirne in December. This report.,vill outline specific areas in tfie VaXey ',vtr-ich are critcal for piant and animal speciei and/or natura-l cbmmunities. Anv area ln the study area wtLichhad an "element oc.urr"nce" of an important species w.dl ' be recomrnended as a "conservation srte." -tccording to the Colorado Nalural Hentage Program, "conservation sites focus on capfuring the ecologrcal processes that are n€cessarv to suppot'c the continued existence of a particuiar element of natural heritage sigmficanci. The goai of the process is to identifv a land area that can provide the habitat and ecologrcal procesies upon wi'Lich a particular eiement depends for their continued existence-" The Heritage Program,retes on the principles oT wildlife biology to determine conservation recommendatiors. These recommendations wrll be suggestiolis to consider, and it is up to private landowners and local government to decide-how to best implement these zuggestrons. There will be appro>omately 20 conservation sites in the Vallev outlined in this report. Since this report w-ill not be available unti-l December, i wanted to let vou know that one conservatoh site wiil be the great biue heron rookery in &e rrrcinitv of the Ros" Ranch and ihe Sanders Ranch. -{ccording io the Site Survev Sommary, "Current land use in the area mrnirnizes human disturbance to the great blue heron rbokery, however, continued urban deveiopment on either side oi the nver couid negativelv rnhuence ihe rookerv." The Coloraa<j Xarurai Heriiage program wili recommEnd thit a 1/2 mile radius conserwati.on boundarv be Lmplemented to proteci the rookery, and more specifically, that a 1,000 foot buifer 6e provided around the nests to proiect feeding areas and to protect the herons foom human djsturbance. 7-.----_ *'3I-#rc.LD €ill t : 0Qi 2;?' 1#":r trEge 2 - According to the Heritage Progra:rt, this rookery is important because it is the 9$y_9"".located on the stetch of the river from Old Snowmass to Glenwood Springs. The Heritage Program reports that there are 90 to 100 rookeries in the entire stite r,frth only 3 located - tt " Roaring Fork Valley. The rookery at the Rose Ranch is the largest on the river and it has been increasing armually. Accoiding to Mike Sherman, zoolSgist for the Heritage Program, "There is not a lot of habitat repiesented on the river corri-"dor for the great blue heron. The biggest asset to this site is that the appropriate habiiat is adjacent right up to ihe river, and that there is curently a low ievel-of disturbance around the nests." lvlike Sherman expresed interest in attending the planning commission meeting on November 12, but he has a prior commitrnent. He wanted me to make his phone number availabie to you should you have anv questions regarding the Heritage Program's recommendations and protocol for outlining conservaton sites in the state. His phone number is 970-497-3342- Once agarn, I wou-id like to thank you for your suppor'r of the proledc and I hope vou find this information usefr:1. On a dosing note, I wou-ld like to reiterate that this - project's primary goal is to make rmportant information on plant and admai spectes ln the watershed available to iocal deqsion makers such as yourself. The final report on the first stage of this project rvill be avaiiabie in Decembei. Please feel tree to iail me or Nlike Sherman should you have any questions. Thank you for yor:r involvement and support. Sincerely, r-l ---t L-a Jamey Fidel, Projedc Coordinator - Roaring Phone Number - 927-7741 Fork Valiey Biologrcal lnventory cc: lvls. Giannoia and Mr. McCalfertv Figure 28 GARFIELD COUNTY HOUSINC AUTHORITY 400 Seventh Street South, Suire ]000 Rifle, CO 81650 Phone (970) 625-3589 or (970) 945-0779 Fax (970) 62s-0859 November 5, 1-997 Victoria Giannola, Senior Planner Long Range Planning Division 1-09 Bth Street, Suite 303 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 RE: Rose Ranch Planned Unit Development Dear Ms. Giannola: Thank you for the opportunity to review the Application andSketch PIan for the Rose Ranch Planned Unit Development. I am conmenting specifically in response to the applicantrsproposal to contribute $2OO per unit constructed for use bythe Garfield County Housing Authority to further its goals toprovide affordable housing. The Housing Authority could very effectively utilize thesecontributions for land acquisition, a revolving fund forresidential rehabilitation loans, local matching funds for anaffordable housing development, project development costs,and/or other similar uses which would directly meet the mostcritical housing needs of the residents of Garfield County. We would welcome the use of these funds and encourage thePlanning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners to make them available for the purposes outlined qbove. "\r*"*' n d$).xtd5^ Joseph Forinash Executive Director 7;t:l 1".":'."f,'.'lf Fisr:re *oaul^;:- A'w-e" bd't- 4728 Rd 1s4 Glenwood Springs, co. 81501 July 5, 1998 94s-7803 JUL i'J ngS SARf [iD fo ur,l_ry Cqle,,tsSt0irlEfi s GARFIELD COUN?Y COMMISSIONERS, We have lived on the Roaring Fork Rj-ver across from the Rose Ranch for nearly 30 years. From our picture window, nearly everthing we can see is the Rose Ranch, so we are very concerned about the proposed development by the new owner, the Roaring Fork Investment Company. We feel very fortunate that the developer appears to be making a gerioug effort to minimize the impact on the county and surrounding neighbors. They have made several changes in their origlnal proposal; and while we're dubious about their placement of the golf cart path through the narrow canyon to access the upper four holes, our main concern is density. The County Planners have labored for several years with a Comprehensive Maeter PIan for the county. This plan envisioned a minimun of 10 acres for river frontage lots and 2 acre lots for other residential sltes. We realize that this is a ptanned unit development, but the density proposed by this development far exceeds anythlng anticipated by the planners or anyone else- We ask that you, our elected officials, carefully review the density being proposed, especlally along the river, and bear in mind that your decisions on this project will greatly influence decisions that will be made on future projects. ?he guality of life in our beautiful valley is deminished by every dilution of our master plan. You will be making an important decision, and we feel thet what you decide on this project wiII have an enormous impact on the guality of life in our valley forever. We have confidence in you. erely, CARBO N DALE CHIROPRACTIC Dr. John H. Philip Carbondale, Colorado 81623 75 So. (303) 963- RE: Rose Ranch PUD I just wanted to share with you two thoughEs on the Rose Ranch PUD and how it rnight be improved and benefit Ehe counEy best, now and well into the future. l. Keep and preserve the whole river bank and cooridor from being built upon. In other words, require Ehat al1 of the homes on Ehe sest bank be set back from the actual river bank so that no property owners actually own or use any of the river bank footage. Some of Ehe golf holes could even be moved, so Ehat they could/would become a buffer zone between houses and Ehe river bank. 2. Eliminate the mesa just. west of the actual development from having any buiding or golf course holes or activity on it, and al1ow it to be dedicaEed as (pubtic) open space. The Rose Ranch PUD project could be Eriumed down by abouE 107" of its current proposed house numbers, and Ehus, al1ow enough room for the 4 golf holes that are planned for thaE. tnesa, to be located on Ehe valley floor where Ehey could besE serve Ehe whole project best.. Some reasons why building 4 golf holes up on Ehe Eesa is a bad idea, and will only function more badly in the fuEure if builr: A). To cut into the exisEing slopes Eo get a golf carc path up there will only promoEe to and contribuEe Eo Bore and more erosion of thaE hillside. B). PuEEing a golf cart path up Ehe hillside to serve the 4 mesa golf holes will also require the access and use by service vehicles, which are quite larger and heavier Ehan golf carts. C). There will undoubtedly be accidenEs in the future between golf carts, be- t\"/een golf carts and service vehicles and between golf carts, service vehicles andpedestriansl wether Ehe pedestrians be golfers on foot, pedestrians going for a hikeor a picnic or wether they happen Eo be kids just playing or goofing off, weEher they are on foot, bicycle, roller blades or skate boards.D). Pest.icides and herbicides that will be used. on the 4 mesa golf holes, will noE only concenErate/bio-accumulat.e and run down the existing draw in concentrations noE only planned upon, but in eoncentration thaE will do damage to the people, pets, children and ecology of Ehe lands and soils that the draw drains inEo. Any pest.icide and herbicide use on the mesa will also obviously bio-accumulaEe and eause a Ehreat Eo Ehe eagles that nest and feed up on EhaE mesa. E). There will undoubtedly be times and situaEions in the near fuEure of puEtinggolf holes uP on the mesa where some golf carcs are just going Eo run out of gas orelectric charge and sErand golfers and cuase accidenEs. Golfers will undoubEedlf, aE one time or anot.her, drive a cart off of one of Ehe paEhs going up Eo or down fromthe mesa and clos/) serious injury from tipping or severe rol1ing, once off Ehe paEh. Figure J July 9, 1998 Garf ield CounEy Corrmissioners 109 8rh Glenwood Springs, C0 81601 Dear County Commissioners, re1y, t\/nli S ince Johnt- e|t,; D.c Figure 31 To The Garfield County Commissioners andresi-dents: Three bravos to Regina Waltsak and Keegan Nadon of Gl-enwood --*Springs for their letter to the editor expressing opposition to thetotally unnecessary Rose Ranch housing development. I cannotmaintaj-n my silence any longier and not openly express my oppositionas we11. Rose Ranch will do absolutely nothing to contribute to theguality of life in the Roaring Fork Valley and will do everythingto destroy it. rt is just another prime example of yet anotherself j-sh non-resident greed monger ruinj-ng our way of life andpadding his bank accounts with dirty money. Ron Heggemeir is notto be trusted. He is a snake in the grass. He has offered to ante up at least $460,OOO for anttaffordablehousing'r phase of his sprawling mess. That money j-s a carrot onthe end of a stick letrs not be the jackass who follows it. Forcatrs sake, Aspen Glen with it's $1,OOO,OOO ugly boxes can beconsidered I'affordablerr because someone can afford to Iive there.r saw a great bumper sticker in Loveland a couple of years ago.rt read: 1'Destroy a piece of art and you I re carled. a vandar ,-destroy a piece of nature and you're called a developer.rt Heggemeir j-s from the front range--parker specificarly.Parker is located in Douglas County--a county with the dubiousdistinction of being the nationrs faltest growing county. Have you been to Doug:Ias County 1ateIy? I travel-Ied throughDouglas County last summer. Here is what r saw: homes, a sea orrooftops, cars, more cars (it was not even rush hour) | apretentious, yuppified park Meadows Marr, surrounded by a spaciou=parking lot with thousands of spaces for, you guessed it, more carsand, oh, y€s, open space--in the form a gbtf tourse. r recently finished readingr a frightening book. No, it wasnot a ghoulish horror story or the l-atest iuspenseful techno-thriller, but a ctrilling tale stilt the same. The book, r'The Angrywest; A vul-nerable Land and its Future,rrwas written in 19g2 bithen Coioracio Gov. Richard D. Lamm ano journalist Mj-chae1 McCart.hyirn their book, they portray an American west on the brink 6reconomic, social, political and environmental upheaval anddisaster. White some of their predictions did not fu1-ly see totalrealization, such as share oil development, much of their bookbrings forth their bittersweet forecastL 16 years later. In the bookts prologue, Lamm and McCarthy wrote ltThere wassomething special about the West in the 1950s and 1960s. It was aunique and wond.rous place for those who loved the outd.oors, whocared about the land. rts air had an unbel_ievable quarity. rtliterarry sparkled. rn the mornings, the mountains and d.esertfarmland stood out in crystalline clarity. And the sun shone witha bril-liance, a counter point to the cool mountain air... JUtI4HO c{,+Fsl p m1;l{rY Page 2 "civilization has a way of creepingr up on human consciousness, and.few westerners fu1]y understand, even now, that Iand. use decj_sions|ave already been made that will filt up the remaining open spacebetween the westts citj-es. we will soon see backyards-whlre g-r""nfields once 1ay. we have citified, already, *rr-"r, of our landedheritage. It In, Chapter one, the authors wrote trAs Colorado stands on thethreshold, it asks these guestions: in a decade, in two, will th;land be habitabLe? wil1 the streams be dry? will the space t;gione? Will the people survive?,, - Il chapter Four, they continued, "Environmentali-sts have saidfor a hundred years that no man can reach his n"*""l"tentia1 in amilieu of concrete and steeI, that he needs space, breathing r;om,beauty to enhance his Iife. what, then, ha- pens to communitiesthat 1g.g (of never have) their open space. what happens whencondomj-nium clusters burst out of co-w pastures and pristine r"ri"v=turn to dust- wllat happens when the 6ndless silence of a mountain9ty disappears in the ioar of earthmovers and jackhammers? whathappens to the people?" And in chapter Five they wrote rrAs long as the pattern holdsin colorado or anln^rhere erJe, it is a fact that no amount ofeconomic movement will help it. rt wilr g.or-. -Erhaps it wirlpIlilBI:,. But, as in the days of the euggenheirni and [n"Roclcerfellers, it will not control its own dest-ily. No one knowswhat Yn" future holds. But it is certain that the boom in thesunbelt will contj-nue--perhaps until it creates a crisis. A; 1;;;as the west continues to be seen--accurately or not--as an economicmecca, people wil1 migrate there. il rn chapter one, they argued, r'ways of life change forever.Values, attitudes, customi--the core of- western 1i-fe--shatter. Newcities. plagued by crime and violence and nonexi-stent social- andeconomic services cannot deal_ with the change. ,, irrt is the past then, that makes the doomsday nightmarereality' In the westr rro reason exists to think that yesterdaywi]I not become tomorrow and that, again, it wirl not bear witnessto its own destruction. rr Pretty bIeak, eh? Darn right it is; and prophetic, too. Iur9'e the county commissioners to seriousry consider what r haveshared' The last thing w€, as concerned residents of thesepristine varleys need, i= more upscale homes, more cars, morepeople, more concrete and certainly'notlnother thirsty gorf course(better make that a nine-hole graii_ng ringe for deer and e1k). A golf course requires an immense amount of water. ,Water,cool-, clear, water,']r Lne Sons of the pion"eis-;";;. water isprobably the American west's most precious resource. A resource farmore precious, than the gord and Jil.r"r that were mined from thisvalleyrs mountains 1OO a-r,d *or" years ago. Page 3 In 1869, Maj. John Westey Powell, a hard.scrabble, one-armed Civil War veteran explored the Colorado River and its environment in the Grand Canyon. He foresaw that eventually, the demand for the Westts water will exceed its capabilities. He recorded this visionary statement j-n his journal: rrAII the waters of all the arid lands wiff be taken from their natural channefs and there is not enough water to supply the land.rr We dodged a bulIet with the Planning and Zoning Boardrs denial of the grotesque Sanders Ranch/Cattle Creek Crossing development, and the developerst hasty retreat. But the P&Z board fired a shot across our bow with their approval of Rose Ranch. As for River Valley Ranch, Aspen GIen, Hendricks Ranch, the second phase of Westblnk, and the Stillwater development, it is sadly too late. Irm from the Front Range, and. I do not tike what has happened toir. f find it disturbingly ironic that the Roaring Fork A11iance, a citizents group that so strongly opposed SR/CCC and helped lead to its defeai, cln turn an about face and welcome Rose Ranch with open arms just because it has a few environmental provisions included. The RCA has betrayed this valleyrs citizens and, most sadly, betrayed itself by this demonstration of a contradictory, two-faced, deceitful mentality. Lamm and McCarthy summed up their book in the l-ast paragraph of Chapter Ten. ttThe West, not now, not ever, can take its end.angerment lighti-y. It must cherish its 1and, hold it cIose, shield it and nurture i-t. Protect it from marauders. Every tree, every thicket, every grain of desert, every scrap of rock, every flower. Every branch of sage. Environmentalist Enos Mills believed. that rr rThe Great Power behind all never spoke to man except to follow through the eternal heavens, the rushing winds, the fountains of great streams, the all generatingl earth.rrt The West may well remember this. The riders are at the gates.rl The County Commissioners must fully deny in any form the Rose Ranch development. By denying it they will help preserve this beautiful piece of the American West. By approving Rose Ranch, they wiII betray their constituents of this county and will become an enemy within. They will make their contribution to and be responsible for thej-r part in the rape of the American West. The choice is theirs. The future belongs to aI1 of us. S incerely, Chris Q. Mecham, a concerned valleY resident Fign:re 32 DONNA K. SMITTI P.O. BOX 836 srLT, co 81652 KE 1 Rose f{pnrh May 26,1998 Garfield County Planning Commission 109 8th Street Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Dear Sirs: I have received financial help to buy a home from the Affordable Housing Fund provided by the Glenwood Springs Board of Realtors. This is an approach to the affordable housing problem our valley has that I strongly support. Without this aid I would have been left r,vithout any hope of owning my orvn home. This fund allowed me to purchase a home in an area I r,vanted. By or,vning my home, I will be the one to benefit from the appreciation. I think that an increase in donations to the Affordable Housing Fund to help more people to buy homes is a wonderful approach to the housing problem. -' tSrncerelv - '- * lxt(uWYffi DONNA K. SMITH Figure 33 May 27, 7998 Chairperson Garfield County Planning and Zoning 109 8tl' Street Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Dear Planning and Zoning Committee: As a developer and a homeowner of Westbank Ranch and Westbank Mesa subdivisions I support Roaring Fork Investments, LLC and the developers of the Rose Ranch in their development plans. I feel they have addressed the issues. The developers have made or are making positive approaches to these issues and questions ofconcern. The redesign and reconstruction of the existing 9-hole Westbank Golf course into a Championship 18 holes is very positive. The improvement on 109 road and the redesign of the intersection of 154 road and Hwy 82 along with a traffic light is a very good improvement and safety item. I feel the majority of Westbank Ranch and Westbank Mesa homeowners support Roaring Forks development. I urge you to consider this request favorably. Sincerely, 47"-- Fig,r:re 34 Euzrrne B.HelnIctr 0086 Westbank Road - Glernvood Springs, Colorado 81601 Phone 970-92&9876 - Email sua,v1@juno.com June 29, 1998 Garfield County Building and Planning Dept. 109 8th Street Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Dear Building and Planning Department: ffiF5Lo G,.}rrY This letter is in reply to your undated public notice sent to my home. According to this notice, there will be a public hearing on July 20th at 2:30 AM (l repeat, 2:30 AM), at the Garfield County Courthouse. At that hour of the morning, you need not worry about any opposition to the Rose Ranch development. lf it was a typographical error, even 2:30 PM wouldn't get much reaction - most of us work. You should think about an early evening event. I have two major points: 1 . County Road 109 was not designed to accommodate the amount of traffic that the Rose Ranch development will generate. The developer readily admits to a tripling of traffic on Road 109. With this in mind, I think we can realistically anticipate an increase of four to five times the amount of present traffic. Don't you think it's in the best interests of the developer to minimize any estimates of increased traffic. lf they didn't, they'd be fools. l, for one, am not foolish enough to believe those figures. With the above in mind, I strongly believe you should require the developers to acquire the necessary land to build a bridge across the Roaring Fork River in order to create a direct route ftom the north side of the Rose Ranch, to a new access intersection on Rte. 82. This is an expensive fix, but in comparison to the proposed costs of Rose Ranch lots and future homes, it's a drop in the proverbial bucket. These developers are so desperate to have County Officials and local residents praise this project affirmatively, that they are trying to placate people, promising large sums of money for affordable housing in Glenwood and carbondale, revamp the intersection of Rte. 82 and County Road 154 (which should be a County or State funded project), possibly financing a traffic light at the same intersection, and buying up Westbank propefl to afford access between the two sections of the golf course. Spend the money where it's needed. The overwhelming traffic that this development will generate on Road 109 and 154, will undoubtedly reduce property values throughout the Westbank development and all other property adjacent to the high traffic routes. JUL g 6 t99S a- z-- 2. Allow me to address a County philosophy or policy. County officials are elected (for the most part), as representatives of the people. Although this is fairly elementary, they are charged with accepting the will of the voters and enforcing it. lf you were to ask the voters in Garfield County what they thought of the rapid growth in building and development, they would almost all agree that property development is going too fast. The developers and construction crews, along with some merchants, are happy with the windfall. But the majority of local people and homeowners want it the way it is. We all know that change is inevitable and status quo is impossible, but we certainly can proceed into a "slow growth" County philosophy. My goodness, give us a chance to catch our breath. Don't believe me, put it on the ballot and let the voters get their two cents in. Sincerely, 0"4 L-btlr-,e'J-(S Suzanne B. Weinberg Eigiure 35 JofmE. & JeowO. Woad P.O. Box 1095 Gk-ruvood Springs, CO 8L602 July 9, 1998 Board of County Conrnissioners, Garfield County, State of Colorado c/o Garfield County Building and planning Department 109 Bth Street, Suite 303 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 In response to a Public Notice mailed to us by Delaney & Balcomb outlining the application of Roaring Fork Investments for a planned Unit Development, ncw referred to as the Rose Ranch P1an, we welcome this invitation to express our thouEhts regarding this proposal. We have lived in this wonderful val1ey for 47 years now and have seen a multitude of changes brought, about by the impact of growth, - many of these changes definitely r:ndesireable. There are those who advocate stopping further growth in this area by whatever means they can muster. However, it should be obvious to any thinking person that future growth is inevitable and it behooves us all to see that this growth is managed in a way that r,ril1 bring about an orderly and desireable result. We are members of the Westbank Ranch Homeowners Associ-ation and have at'tended all of the meetings our Association has had with the Rose Ranch Developers. our feeling is that these men will do their utmost to create a Conununity that we will be proud to be adjacent to and that they wi1l handle the attendant problems created, such as increased Lraffic flor+, in such a way that r^re may all ultlmately benefit from their solutions. May we take this opportunity to express our whole hearted approval of The Rose Ranch P1an. l,a-,/ J.HN E. wocD 1 y'\ vt't,' , ,',*/e v'-'0 i lt-'r'a "J' (.4 JEAN o. wooD '2a,{ JUL I 5 t998 ilr.:- .--. . -?-1 ; rffii- Figure 36 1-g|.3^'" "t/ c' JUl. I8 6,s cq8r"rtocouruIyc0fi4]t4rsspru.ns ),,/7 tt, 1 /-zt ,-Yy+adW fil enitK. walter & Associates IIII H FAX TRANSNflISS[ON] G@VER SHTLETT PH[t K. &.J@AN L. WALTER ofl89 MEAD@W d=AN]E GLENW@@D SPRINGS, @@ E{60fl 970/945-7005 FAX: 970/945-70'15 JULY 18, 1998 ro: GARFIELD COUNTY BUILDING & PLANNING OFFICE ATTN: MS. VICTORIA GIANNOLA, SENIOR PLANNEB FAX: 970/945-7785 FROM: PHIL &JOAN WALTER RE: ROSE RANCH DEVELOPMENT WE ARE OPPOSED TO THE ROSE RANCH DEVELOPMENT AS THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION HAS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL. THE COUNTY SHOULD REQUIRE THE DEVELOPER TO REDUCE DENSITY. THE GARFTELD COUNTY COMPREHENSTVE PLAN CALLS FOR ONE (1) UNIT PER TEN (10) ACRES. THE CURRENT DENSITYOF 2.56 UNITS PER ACRE IS TOO DENSE. WE RECOMMEND NO MORETHAN 136 UNITS. THECOUNTYSHOULD REOUIRETHE DEVELOPERTO INCREASE LOT SIZE. THE GARFIELD COUNTYCOMMISSION SHOULD BEOUIRE THE DEVELOPER TO IN-CREASE LOT SIZE ALON HE-BIVEE-TOA MINIMUM OF 2 ACRES PER LOTAND REDUCE THE38 LOTS PROPOSEDTO24 LOTS. TH E COU N TY COMM I SS ION ERS S H O ULD ATT EM PT TO P_BQIEQLTHL _BIVEBF FIOM POLLUTION. REOUIRE A DRAINAGE PLAN AND REOUIRE THE DEVELOPER TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE EXISTING VEGETATION WITHIN 1OO FEET OF THE RIVER. THE COMMISSION SHOULD NOT BE "BRIBED'' BYTHE DEVELOPER'S OFFER OF $3,OOO PER UNIT FOB AFFORDABLE HOUSING. lM PO RTA NT: This communication contains privileged and confidential information and is protected from unauthorized disclosure under applicable state and federal laws lt is intended solely for the use of the persons named above or others authorized to receive it. lf you are not the named recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the named recipient, you are here by notified that you have received this document in error and that review, dissemination or copying of this communication is absolutely prohibited. lf you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by calling telephone number 97O1945-7OO5 and return the facsimile document to P. O. Box727 , Glenwood Springs, CO 81602. Return postage guaranteed. tl97o/s4s/7015 m7/18/98 O6:13PM D1/1 Figure 37 JUL-28-9A A7=A6 Ar'1 ROCKY MOUNTAIN GARDENS 97A945567 1 P.gL Figure 38 Patrlcla [Ulosa 40gG CountY Road 154 GlEnwood SPrings, Cotorado 81601 July 20, 1998 Garfield County Board of Commisgionere nttn llt Victoria Giannolla, Senior Planner Reg: Rose Ranch" Roaring Fork lnveetmentE L L C' To whom it maY concern: I have owned my home on 154 Road for nine years and have been ln this valley.lor over 20 years l have watched thie va,ey grow in leaps and Uol,.iiorlitne past.iJ y;are and tebl tnat the proposect deveropmenr of the io-Je-nan"n stiri neadsiJ-J"J"-nn"a ueiier r ieatize deveropment if raw land ls inevitebre. ae county -cl-mri.iloner. rt rs ),o-u,iJponJiuirit), to rhe citizens of this county and its "nrir"*unt to makb eound decisions lor its future leeues ti:j,::i:J:irt"lf,,tHt;:f;,,on, (Fertirizers, pesticide', etc rr not taken into consideration wlll add major Pollutants.)'2. heduce Denslty of number of unlts' i. in"r"".. rJi EizLs along the river to no less then 2 ecres' 4. Prohibll building heigh[a in excees of 25 feet Thanf You for Your time 07/2A/1998 05: L7 97A9455272 SHAIJ CONSTRUCTION Figure 39 Tom end Joanic Dykema 0267 Co. Rd. 107 Glentrcod Springa, CO 81801 July 18, 1998 Mo Victoria Giannole, Scr*or Plenner Gerfiel<l County Building and Plannlng Departmont 109 Eighth st, sutte 303 Glenwood Spdngs, Co 81601 Decr Mc Giannola, Pleaae rogistor our opiniona regarding the Roae Ranch with the County Commissioners as follovs: 1. Apprcval of this projec{ will con$nue the Ucnd torerd the "Aspenization' of the valley bccauge ir only indirec{ly addrssses the need for houeing for peope of middle and lowgr incomes, We have seen from the expcrien@ of other cornmunities wtrat heppens when lt cannot houre ite citizens. 2. We inaist that before thie project is voted upon that each commirsioner and Ure entip plannlng gtaff come to vieu, the tsaffic p,roblems in the arle noyv, and ttren oonsider the impact wtrich 4000 + vehicle trips will have on rn elrmdy unworkable eituaton. The interaection of CR 154 and SH E2 at the C}lC tumoff ie not funclionrl ceveraltimee each day, and will ceese to funcilion et ellwith that many addltional vehlclcr. 3. We ene oppose<l to any variations from the Garlield County Compmhenglve Plan, and oxlstlng Zoning, with regarU to denoity and building holghts. 4. The Roaring Fork muat be protected from abuoe of any sort. You am e scryant of the public, end you must teke eteps to insure fi* fias and all other proiects do nothing to squander thia mafor nosourae that helps ue all. You muat reguim ovory developmcnt proporalto cddrgae eewage trsaknent, Etom drainage, end otherforme of pollution. PAGE AL '/1,<lVlr'7Yr- r ' t omas P. Dykema Figure 40 July 17, 1998 Dear Marian Smith, Garfield County Commissioner: I am writing you concerning the proposed Rose Ranch Development, its lack of conformity with the county comprehensive plan and its subsequent impact on the Roaring Fork River. During the Planning and Zonng meeting, the developer sited the county comprehensive plan as reason to expect approval of high-density housing. He rightly stated that anyone proposing a development has access to this plan and should be expected to develop in a way that conforms to the plan. He then clusters his proposed housing in the portion of the property along the Roaring Fork River that is designated low density, absolutely contrary to the comprehensive plan. The developers of the county comprehensive plan recognized the importance of the Roaring Fork River as a natural and economic asset to the community. During the summer hundreds of local people, as well as tourists, fish, raft and kayak this beautiful stretch of river every week. The threat to the river is significant. High density development along its banks will unalterably diminish its attractiveness. The requested increase in building height to thirty-five feet will make it even worse. Eagles and herons that frequent its shores will no longer do so. Its appeal to tourists will be gone. There is no precedent for this exception to the comprehensive plan. The surrounding development is placed to protect the river. Teller Springs to the south has a large common areaby the river and only two lots as per the comprehensive plan. The neighborhood to the East is on much larger lots and the houses set further back, especially towards the south end. Westbank is on a mesa above the river and not visible from it. Even Aspen Glen has much lower housing density along the river and further setbacks than this proposed project. ..aa July 17, 1998 Page2 Please protect the Roaring Fork from being ruined by this type of development. The developer had and has access to the comprehensive plan and could develop a proposal that conforms to it with more open space by the river. The Roaring Fork is one of Garfield County's best features and a major tourist attraction. This development would set a terrible precedent. The lower Roaring Fork and Garfield County will be greatly diminished if the river loses its wild and scenic nature. Sincerely, ,l ,,', il.ko*'&*il-W,y, C"L' PS: I will not be able to be at the County Commissioners meeting as I will be on a long ago planned family vacation. I did help collect signatures of people who also value the Roaring fork and know that these concerns are widely held. People do not go to the meetings because they feel it is futile. I felt this way after the planning and zoning committee meeting. The lack of conformity with the county comprehensive plan was brought up by the department's staffand several speakers BUT WAS NOT EVEN DISCUSSED. I hope this will not be the case at the commissioner's level and that you will seriously consider the consequences of high-density development along the shores of the Roaring Fork. Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns. ,:, 1s e8 oe:48p VaIued Customer Figure 41 970-928-8964 9.2 SHANNON & PAMELA SWEENEY July 19, 1998 To the Garfield County Planning and Zoring Commission: - % T. wtiting !o you to exlrress out concern fot the proposed developmenrof the Rose Ranch- Ve feet as though this ptopo".d d.o.lopment needs to tcduce the density, inctease lot size, proniuit building heights -tr. than 25 feetand ptotect the river. Thc developet in our opinion is only thinking about T"kitg a quich dollat and is not concemed about the long-r.r* effects thisdcvcloprrcnt vill have oo oru valley, we arc not oppoid to developing, however we arc opposed to the way they want to develop it. We hane attended , f", meetings and it does.not ev€tr seem as though the commissiooers zre. hgaung what the people have to sry. It seems as th-oughtthe couaty commissioners ate -or.-.orcerned with the affordable houstg ftrnd thaa with the ovetall long-term effects of this development. With the density that is ptoposed and the increase in number of families a1ld chilrlrcn that will be living in the aret; 109 road and 154 rcad, should have sidewalks. W.e fcd as thowh it is the monl tesponsibility of the developet and the cornEnissioners to enstue the safety of everyorr. lio.ir,g in the area. We donot want the qudiry of life to diminish because of this development. Sincetely '/ft,LL //L,.*Z S'hannon & Pamela Sweeney 427 COUNTY ROAD 167 . GLENwooD SPRINGS, Co . 81601PHONE : 97 0-928-8964 . FAX: 970_g}g_9964 7-18-1998 2,'lgAM FROM R T MOOLICK 974 9r',5 9477 fl= \.f.";G^^n L "Tlo,no', MocLtcKSqn\o. ? G^^nRrr ",ii{i{,,;iY:Loo,#*,R.v- ^ ?)o- a+s-\)e+.9?o Phone (hq g4.S.sssl FAx (*)sag4zz cornment on Rose Ranch DeveropmentPubIic Hearing 7 /ZO / ge My l?me i-s Richard T. Moolick. r riveat 5109 county Road L54, dlrectiy-gPposite the Rose Ranch on 5 acres--Lots 1 and Z of the lae Minor- -' Sfbdivision. This is a grorioys spg! on the RoaringFork Riverl and I roiliA hate to see itspo i l ed . Py !h" hi.gh dens r ty -h;us ingacross the River, as propoied o Yesterd.y, fry wife and. I drove up alongthe Roaring Fork lookinq at TeIIerFprilg=, eipgl GIen-a;d-then on down tothe River yalley nanch--tn. one current 9gr" l opment in tne ,raf f ey thai - fconslder ygry, and one tfrat i -reer wilrdeteriorat6 i; time- it is also theg?]y gne in the valr"y that rooks to meI' i ke it cour.d resembr6 f rre Rose Ranchas proposed. , Thls is a smalr valrey and we shourdn,ttolerate a potentiai -6y.=ore ! My recomfirend.at ions are as f ollows : 1. fncrease the lot sj_ze along ther j-ver to a minimum of , at leait . twoacres. P. 1 7-14-1 998 2.2AAM FROM R T MOOLICK 2- Reduce the house heights to not toexceed 25 feet. 3 - Protect the natural growlh arong thefoarr?g Fork from aamage--this is vitalto maintaining the neiity of-tne River. 4. The current dg:ign wilr certainlycontaminate the Riv6r, and, shouldn ' t betoleratgd.. Y- t \'"'\'' .-'rrL'(r' 5 ' The developer's desig! of an entryonto Hlghway a_z i s aosuia, and shouldbe re-d6sigied. 6 , The d.eveloper has sl ipped theGtenwood Ditch back -i;t; the waterd."='gr -after agreeing to excrude it. rtshould be remoied. \r 7. The water supply should bethoroughly "xa*ined forerarpl;, a reoccurrance 3F"8H3"5;offil.of L934 ,yould p{ob;bIt rend.er the water::pglf f o. the- d"ygrofiment- .totarryr-nadequatg-. . ( old t ime- ranchbrJ -corrf i rmthis do=sibiii[y. I 8. Before anylhing is approved., ity9"]9. -ppear- to me that'th; ;;6posedarchitecture shour-d be -examined. f oresthetlcs. we want this -vari"v-to remain beautiful I Remember, the developer will go back to 974 945 9477 P_2 \- 7"18-1998 2'21AM FROM R T MOOLiCK 97A 945 9477 P.3 ; Parker. Hedevelopment wonrt stay here once. thisis created. 9. The "so-ca11ed affordablecont ribut ton i s aI l " hype ,' ,the home purchaser. housepaid for by 10. The County should. seriouslvconsider a 50% real estate-[;;'assessrnent where. Il" property ownerd6es not l ive within i[;- comfrrunity f orat least 6 months out of each y-.r.Thi s woulC h_e1p cor.i tn. overal lsupport of the- community whicn-wourdotherwise, of nec?:s Lii. be Corered bythe furr time resideniS'of th; "orrrrty.ff< Richard T,7/Le/e8 Moolick (\1 sIqD l0 I'llHoll & tUBE Figure 43 410 West First Streetr Glenwood Springsr CO 81601 (e70) e45-11r8 July L7 , 1998 ATTN: County Commissioners: I live here in Garfield County and own a couple of properLies and a business with about 20 employees. Just about 7 years dgor my family and I moved here for the same reason most of you are here. We love open space, wildlife and the beauty of nature. A1l of those things \^re seek as part of t,he reaL quality 1ife. f knew then that what I saw others would see the same things and they woul-d move here the same as I did. I knew this area would def- inetely gro\,/ someday. I also knew that we as a community need to grow smart and in a controlled manner. I've seen to many towns and areas grow toofast and in a somewhat uncontrolled manner. The end result was not very pretty Itve also seen areas that did not grow and ended up depressed. No matter how.pretty the area is people were not coming to stay and I they \^rere moving. a\^ray for many reasonsr €Sp€cia11y economic reasons. Now that's downright scary! I was fortunate enough to travel- and have done business on 4 continent,s and in 14 countries. Irve also dealt wit.h some develop- ment projects myself. As of yetr I have not met a group of people (so-called developers) who have done more research and spent alot of money and effort to insure t.he quality of living for the people who already live here and who will be living here in the futurer then this developer. FROH.: LRULEY NOTORS LLC Figu-re 44 pHoNE No. i sz@ 4L7 92A2 Jul. 2A L998 16:15Rt1 P2 Linda Pineda 1.550 Co.Rd. 109 Glenwood Spgs.,CO 81601 Garfield County Building and Planning Dept. Garfield CountY CourthouseSuite 301 109 8th Street Glenwood Springs, Co 8L5oL RE: Rose Ranch development proposed by Roaring Fork fnvesCments, LLC Ladies and Gentlemen: As regards the July ZO puific hearing on the application for the Rose Ranch deve)-opment, pleasE accept and record my statements and views on the matter as a pioperty- owner and neighbor who will be affected by this proposed development.-I am unable to attend the meeting in person- I am confident that if the'planners and developers keep their sensitivity -to the fragile ecology of'the area as well as the abundant wildlife alfeady residing h6re, the potentia] exists to build a community to be proud-of. As i fos R5ad reiid.ent'since 1985, f am concerned to see the "country" feeling of the setting slipping away and I ask all consideration be given to roaintaining afrd prlier*ilng Ln" rural nature of this area of Garfield County- Because thls is i rural s5tt.ing and we share the space with so many specS-es of wild1ife, f feel city-size iots for homes is unacceptable in this setting. As has been done in the-Teller Springs area, homes on lots of 2+ acres would best maintain the rural setting. I realize fewer homes means less money for the developers though, again, tensitivity to the rural nature is what is needed mo3t here. fen years into the future what will make us most proud when we loo]< at what wai Uuil-t here? T\,/o hundred homes with three hundred ;;;= parked in their respective drives, or perhaps one hundred homes with deer ind e1)< grazing in ih" open space areas provided? To those with an "ye ana feel ior oui beautifui ruril setting,- it is surely the latter. Aga1n, pi""=" give strong consideration to the reality of the existing rural setting ot this special corner of carfield County. With so many potential residences being planned, I ary great-Ly concerned to see how the- i3sue of waste treatment will be addressed. I ask that I be gi""ii ""iifiEation -na/or written details when you get to the specifics on this topic Since 1985 we have seen the traffic ao from perhaps fifty relatively slow moving vehicLes daily to well over one hundred vehicles movinq _at speeds of ioi mifes per noui. Again, please pool your intelligence and creativity to move most oi-tf," Lrafiic ie-nerated-by tiris new development onto nighway g2 where the volume c:an fe U6tter handled- We already Jose enough deer and smalL gahe t" ""iiisions with fast moving.vehicles, not to rnentj-on the near misse-s-humans encounter when we walk or bike on 109 Road. FRON : LRULEY I4OTORS LLC PHONE NO. . 52q 4t7 92A2 Jul. 2Z L998 16:16RN P3 -paqe2-Linda Pineda 1550 Co.Rd. 109 Glenwood Sprj.ngs, Co. Last, bug not Ieast, T add my vo5-ce to those who Iament tfre infringrnent onthe feeding and watering areas for the deer and elk, not to mentiofr theffaqile environment for our waterfowl. In your planning please, please,please make allowances .for trails to the r-iver ana open lreas ioi unimpededfeeding for the_existing wildlife. From your adwance-information I see thereis open space planned for human recreation out of doors. Please also giveconsideration ald planning for the wildlife that has existed here for manyyears. I_ speak from huppy experience when I telL you there is nothing morebeautiful than watching a herd of deer or e1k feed.ing in the early m5rningsand then ?9ain gathering under the trees in your "yaid', to bed down for thecold evening.ahead. This, is our daily rernindEr that we are part of Godrsbeautiful universe and we are able to co-exist and share tha 11fe in one ofthe most special, beautiful, fragile areas in the country. f close by-reminding you aII to keep in rnind what yourd ultimately like tosee yourselves do with this planning issue--from the vantage point of 10years from now- What will Jnake us ALL proud? E*.tb,trYs Cr$ + fesidqr;ha\ 00c a',"'d Spt,. gla^ -1 cO Aeiucal*o1 tfi.atr o,^ "4n41 ,-_dti"y o€ prb1,a --t- I ?LY.- ( fn."ls cF*k- 4 ffit*-? Sfl"ij*tr"^s ce. z'-') ---*( _lzl' c-C, -lA/a_ v' .\.(sV,L' v')A- V)I o. 7ag ST t) le*\ut ?ouj 6.f)W:X-n4aalqs r J,-lu Wd\-dod.)\,(, ),ay',,-qr,F"t Oullr na .F Pr(se^*a\0.,)(ose Ka""rl". Prgs.^fration -,lfo*s ,\rr(tte W P;o..=r {hn SA.ae,+ Opition to €u.., {?a,'"l. Phc,\b + n"'P Q-,hart 21^a C,I.lar1, JVZ,os ,-Mt'Ae @ti-tl,." aF GolF Cou*se 'fn I IlII Lrr :+ Exlu b;t C- !-'igt'Pe 38 Patrlcla Mosa 4e96 County Road 15tl Glenwood SPrings, Cotorado 81601 July 20, 1998 Garfield County Board of Commissionere Attnr Ms Victor]a $1311911a, Senior Planner Reg. Rose Ranch Roaring Fork lnveetments L L C' To whom it maY concern: I have owned my home on 154 Road for nine years and have been ln this valley.lor over 20 years l have watched thie vatley grow in leaps and #ir.i. "riithi past few vear' and feelthat the proposed devetopment of rhe nole-nin"n stili needs iJ-i"J"tin"o better. I realize clevelopment if raw land Is inevit.ble. Ae county -co*mlssioners it is ;l"rr, rerp".siuility to thB citiz8ns of this county and its environment to make aound decisions for its fulure' leeues that need to be addressed: 1. protect our river from pollutionl (Fertilizers, pesticideE, etc lf not taken into consideration wlll add major Pollutants.)-2 iteduce Denslty of number of unlts' 3, lncrease lot Eizes along the rivsr to no lesE then 2 ecres' 4. Prohiblt building heighti in exceee of 25 feel' Thank you for Your time. al/ zal Laa6 ac;,Lt ata)qJJZtz JI IFW lUI 1J Flgure 39 Tom and Joanie Dykema O2A7 Co. Rcl. 167 Glenrood Springa, CO 81601 July 19, 19!18 Ms Victoria Giannole, Scnior Plsnner Garlield County Building and Plannlng Departmcnt 109 Eighth st, sutto 303 Glenwood Springs, Co 81601 Deer Ms Giannola, Pleaae regieter our opiniona regarding the Roae Ranch with the County Commissioners as follows; 1. Apprcval of this proJect will continuo the bend torard the "Aapenizetion' of the valley bccauge it only indirectly addrssses the need for housing for peopb of middle and lower incomes. We have seen from the expcrience of othar communaties what happens when lt cannot hous€ its citizons. 2. We inaist that before thie project is voted upon that each commirsiorrcr and the en6rc plannlng Etaff coma to visrrr the baffic probbmE in the anre noyrr, and then conlidsr the impac{ wtrich 4000 + vehicle trips will have on en elrcsdy unworkabl€ eituaton. The intere€ction of CR 154 and SH 82 at the C}lC tumoff is not funclional several timea each clay, and will caese to funclion et altwith that many addltional vehlclcs. 3. We ere oppose'd to any variations from the Gsrlield County Comprehenglve Plen, and exleting Zoning, with regard to deneity and building helghts. 4. The Roaring Fork muat be protected from abuge of any sort. You qle I sotvsnt of the public, end you must take steps to insure th8t fiis and allodrer prorocb do nothing to squander thia mafor nasounqe that helps us all. You muat reguire evory devekcpmcnt propoeal to eddreaa eewage treatment, ctom drainage, End otherfurme of pollution. Figure 40 July 17, 1998 Dear Marian SmrttU Garfield County Commissisrer: I am writing you concerning the proposed Rose Ranch Development, its lack of conformity with the county comprehensive plan and its subsequent impact on the Roaring Fork River. During the Planning and Zonng meeting, the developer sited the county comprehensive plan as reason to expect approval of high-density housing. He rightly stated that anyone proposing a development has access to this plan and should be expected to develop in a way that conforms to the plan. He then clusters his proposed housing in the portion of the property along the Roaring Fork River that is designated low density, absolutely contrary to the comprehensive plan. The developers of the county comprehensive plan recognized the importance of the Roaring Fork River as a natural and economic asset to the community. During the summer hundreds of local people, as well as tourists, fistU raft and kayak this beautiful stretch of river every week. The threat to the river is significant. High density development along its banks will unalterably diminish its attractiveness. The requested increase in building height to thirty-five feet will make it even worse. Eagles and herons that frequent its shores will no longer do so. Its appeal to totrists will be gone. There is no precedent for this exception to the comprehensive plan. The surrounding development is placed to protect the river. Teller Springs to the south has a large common area by the river and only two lots as per the comprehensive plan. The neighborhood to the East is on much larger lots and the houses set further back, especially towards the south end. Westbank is on a mesa above the river and not visible from it. Even Aspen Glen has much lower housing density along the river and further setbacks than this proposed project. July 17, 1998 Page2 Please protect the Roaring Fork from being ruined by this type of development. The developer had and has access to the comprehensive plan and could develop a proposal that conforms to it with more open space by the river. The Roaring Fork is one of Garfield County's best features and a major tourist attraction. This development would set a terrible precedent. The lower Roaring Fork and Garfield County will be greatly diminished if the river loses its wild and scenic nature. Sincerely, ,I,'" l-i ilL*k ,jA"*|'fury, C"{-' PS: I will not be able to be at the County Commissioners meeting as I will be on a long ago planned family vacation. I did help collect signatures of people who also value the Roaring fork and know that these concerns are widely held. People do not go to the meetings because they feel it is futile. I felt this way after the planning and zoning committee meeting. The lack of conformity with the county comprehensive plan was brought up by the department's staffand several speakers BUT WAS NOT EVEN DISCUSSED. I hope this will not be the case at the commissioner's level and that you will seriously consider the consequences of high-density development along the shores of the Roaring Fork. Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns. Figure 41 SHANNON & PAMELA SWEENEY lr'E' July 19, 1998 To the Garfield County Pla:roing andZonirrg Commis5jel; - We 1e writing to you to express our concetn fot the proposed developmentof the Rose RancL we feel as thoqgh this ptopo..d d"o.lopme,,t oeeds toredpce the deasily, inctease lot size, proHbit building heights ^tr. than 25 feetand protcct the dver. The developc in our opirlott is only thinking about T"kitg a quick doltat end is not coocerned about the long-tetm effects thisdcvdop*cnt will have oa oru valley- we arc not opposed to developing, however we ,ue opposed to the way they want to develop it. We hane artended a'few meetings and it does.not even seem as though thecommissiotrers ere. heanng what the people have to say. It seems as tf,oughtthe couflty gs'..,i5si6rers ate more concerned with the affordable houstgft*d than with the ovetall long-term effects of this development. With the densiry tiat is proposed and the iactease in number of farnilies and chil.lren that witl bc }iving in the area; 109 road and 154 road should havesidewalks. Wc fed as though it is the moral responsibility of the developer andthe comrnissionets to eosure tlre safety of everyo". ti"ir,g in the area. We donot w,nr the qualiry of life to diminish because of this deJelopment. Sincerely, '/ryg'LL- 4L'>.*Z Shanson & Pam.ela Sweeney 427 COUNTY ROAD 167 . GLENWOOD PHONE 970-928-8964 . FAX: SPRINGS, CO . 8T601 97 0-928-8964 l-llj- l |1ljt5 Z: IiJAM f l(UM l( I l'lUUL.l'L/N Jtu Jgr r4t t $ \.il"i..G^ n L";;^,:,MocLtcKsqn\..v- ? (*'^nRrr 'iii*{;l"A:z;i{),(-\-.+- ?:O- <i+S_\)eS .'9?o Phono (b, %S.s3slFAX (fu) saggazz comrnent on Rose Ranch DeveropmentPubIic Hearing 7 /ZO / gA My l?me is Rlchard T. Moo1ick. I Ilveat 51-09 corrnty Road 154, directlygPposlte the Rose Ranch on 5 acres--Lots 1 and 2 of the Ice MinorSubdivi s i-on . Thi s i s a grori-ous spg! on the RoaringFork River I and I ,oi,f a hate [o see itspoiled. Py !h" high d.ensity nousingacross the River, as propo3ed. Yesterdry , my wj_f e and I drove up alongthe Roaring Fork rooking at relrerFprilg= , e_S_pgl Gten and' then on down tcthe River valrey Ranch--the one currentdevelopment i-n tne valIey that rcons l der ugry , and. one tfrat r - f eer wi 1rdeterlorat6 Ln time. rt is also the9?1y gne j-n the varley that r.ooks to melike it courd resembl6 the R;aa Ranchas proposed. ' This is a smarr valrey and we shouldn'ttolerate a potential 6y"sore ! My recommendations are as follows: 1. fncrease the lot size along,theriver to a mi-nimum of , at 1ea6t, twoacres. +lr+ r- I I - t o- I JJ(} Z,: ZV)Atlt |-llulwl Ia I l'|UULl\-N JIV) J4J 2- Reduce the house heights to not toexceed 25 feet. 3 - Protect the natural groy^rlh arong theIo.ring Fork frgp aam-ge--this is vitalto maintaining the leiity of-tne Rlver - 4 ' The current ogpign w1Ir certainlyggltaminate the Riv6r, and, snouldn,t betoreratgd. v"Yu 5 - The developer's d,esrg! of an entryonto Highway a_z i s absurd, and. should,be re-desigied. 6, The {.yeloper has slipped theGlenwood Ditch bacti-i"[o the waterd."=igt after agrgeing to excrude 1t. rtshould be remoied.. -r 7. The water supply should bethoroughly "x-miirea io; - erarplE, a reoccurrance 3F"9n"3"5;"ffil.of 1934 =ygr}.d probabrv rend.er the water::pBlf f or the- deverofiment_ .totarlyr-nadequate-. _( old time ranchb;;-Eorrf irmthis do=sibiiilv. I 8. Before anylhing 1s approved, ityg,r,r9. -ppear- to me that' iha pi"posedarchitecture shourd ba -examined. f oresthetics. We want tnis vafi"y toremain beautiful I Remember , the devel oper wi 11 gio back to 7.2 f}atJlvl lr( I lwluuLl'reN Jtu !*r e't ' Parker. He wontt stay here once. thisdevelopment is creat6d. 9. The "so-calred affordabre housecontributlon is all "hype"--p.ia for bythe home purchaser. ' r --Y L 0. The County should. seriouslyconsider a 50% real estate tax' 3:::=:T:rrI. Ih.rg. .tl" ploperty ownerl:"i^i:I ]i::_yllhi; fn?-Ji*il,uiitv for FI_ 1.,?:L q p91ths out "i ;;;h-;;;i.Thi s woulc help corr"i in"-Ji"riir :yppg_ll of tt.- conrmunity whlch wouldvr \4r \:Il"il+i.l* :I ig!"=Jiat; !;-.";verea bythe fuII time resida;i's'of the a"IIti] ff< Ri-chard T.7/Le/e8 Moolick LNWLLI IIUIUI\J LLV I rrurrL l:U. . JC.V) ql( ><O1 Jur. z0 L>>a L0;L>HI1 Yz Linda Pineda L550 Co.Rd. 109 Glenwood Spgs.,CO 81601 Garfield County Building and Planning Dept. Garf iel-d CountY Courthouse Suite 30L 109 8th Street Glenwood Springs, CO 81501 RE: Rose Ranch developrnent proposed by Roaring Fork fnvestments, LLC Ladies and Gentlemen: As regards the JuIy ZO puific hearing on the application for the Rose Ranch devel6pment, pleasL acclpt.and record my statements and views on the matter as a ploperiy- o*n"= and heighbor who- will be affected by this proposed devel}pmlnt.- I am unable to attend the heetlng in person. I am confident that if the-planners and developers keep their sensitivity -io tr,"-i;;;ii; ;;ai"gy "i "th" area as well as Lhe abuni:lant wirdlife already iesiaing h5re, rhe p5tenrial exists to build a conmunity to be proud-of- As a 109 Road resident since 1985, I am concerned to see tte "country" feeling "r-in"- iEiting-iripping away ana r ask al-I consideration be given to ,.i"Iiini"g-;f,a pt'"'i"iiing trr" rural nature of this area of Garfield county- il;.;;;'ini= is i rural s6tting ana we share the space wlth s9 malrY species of wildlife, r-teef-"iir-;tze i"ts for nones il ,n!."ePtable in this -setting. As has been done in the-Te}ler Springs area, homes on lots of 2+ acres would irE=t-*"i"tii1 th. rr=-I setting.-I realize fewer homes means less money for the developers tf,ougn, again, iensitivity to the rural nature is what is n..a"a moit here. iei y6ars'into the fulure what will make us most proud when we looi< at what *a3 Uuilt here? TVo hundred homes with three hundred ;;;; pur["a in their r"sp""tive drives, or perhap? -ol: hundred homes with de"r ind e1k graziig in ine open space argas providea? To those with an .Ve una feel i"i-oC b...,tifui ruril settins,- it is 5,urely-:l:_13!!:f - Aqain, please give stiong Zonsiaeration to t-ire r"aiity of the exl-sting rural setting Lf tfris-special c5rner of Garfield County- With so many potential residences being- see how the- issue of waste treatment will given notification and/or written details topic. planned, I am greatly concerned lo-be addressed. I ask that I be when you get t,o the specifics on this Since 1985 we have seen the traffic go from pernap! fifty relatively slow ;;;i;9-;"iri"i"I-aii:.v-Lo weti over oie hundr-ed veticles moving at speeds of 50+ miles per hour. egainl please -pool y?ur intelligence and creativity to move most "i-ti-r"-rrariic q"';Eiir.d'by tiris new deveropment onto-Highwa}' g2 where the volume can be #aL;r-nanatla. We.already lose enough deer and SmaII game to "oifisions with-i"it moving.vehicles, not' to rnention the near misse-s humans encounter when we waIX or bike on 109 Road' FRSM : LHULtsY MUIUI(s LLU I'HUNE NU. Z 52l, 4L I 9'2BI Jut. za ty9a lu:1bHf1 P5 'page 2 -Linda Pineda 1550 Co.Rd. 109 Glenwood Springs, Co- Last, but not Ieast, I add. my voice to those who lament the infringrnent on tt,E i.Eaing and watirring areis for the deer and elk,.not to mention the fragil.e eniironment lor our waterfowl. In Your planning please, please, ;I;;;;-*ii" iffowances .for trails to the r-iver ana op?n. areas for unimpeded i""aing for the existing wild.1ife. From.your adwance information I see there is opefr space planned f5r human recreatlon out of doors. Please also give .or,=ia.ration ind planning for the wildlife that has existed here for nany yeir=. I spea]< froir h-rappy-"*perience when I_te11 you there is nothing more beautiful than watchin|- i n"-ra of deer or e1k feeding _in the gaf Iy mornings ina tf,"n again gatheriig uniler the trees in your "yard" to bed down for the Eofa """"ing an6ia. Thi;, is our daily rerninder that we are. p"5!-of ,9d'"U"""tif"r Giverse and v/e'are alrle t-o co-exist and share the life in one of the most Special, beautiful, fragile areas in the country. f close by reminding you aII to keep in mind what you'd ultimat?fy li-ke to =""- yo11==ltr"s-a;-;ith this plannin! issue--from the vantage point of 10 year- from now- what will,Jnake us ALL proud? 6$'6} IO IilIH OIL a tUBE cAn WASH AUIO DETAIL Figr:re 43 4I0 West rirst Streetr Glenwood Springsr Co 8160I (e70)945-1118 July L7, l99B ATTN: County Commissioners: I live here in Garfield County and own a business with about 20 employees. Just about 7 years agor my family and reason most of you are here. We love beauty of nature. A11 of those thingsquality 1ife. a couple of properties and I moved here for the same open space, wildlife and the we seek as part of the real I knew then that what I saw others would see the same things and they would move here the same as I did. I knew this area would def- inetely grow someday. I also knew that we as a community need to gro\^r smart and in a controlled manner. Ilve seen to many towns and areas gro\,r toofastand in a somewhat uncontrolled manner. The end result was not very pret ty . I I ve also seen areas that matter how.pretty the area they were moving. away for Now thatrs downright scary I was fortunate enough to travel and have done business on 4 continents and in L4 countries. I've also dealt with some develop- ment projects myself. As of yetr I have not met a group of people (so-called developers) who have done more research and spent alot of money and effort to insure the quality of living for the people who already live here and who t"ri11 be J-iving here in the f uture, then this devel-oper. did not grow and ended up depressed. ;. is people were not coming to stay and , many reasonsr €sp€ciaI1y economic reasons. ! SENT BY:Ncilcy t Alder ; ?-16-98 : 10:45 ; Neiley & Alder-*abtk ++ ERIENDS OT'TIIE ROARING EORI( Oo lue 1, 199t, ttc Garfictd Couoty Pleaniry A, M3 CmninOoq by t I a tyotr, reonEcadcd apptrarel of the propocod reaoning and Plroqed UElt Dvufopnmr fu rDG Rorc R.[ch- A. TIE.ARING EEFORE TIIE GARFIELD COI,JNTY BOARD OF COLINTY COMMESIONERS IS SCHEDULED FOR ruLY 20. 199t. AT }3O PJTA IN TIIE COMIdESO}IEn''S MEETING N,OOII,( AT 1O9 EIGIITII STREET. GI.E{q''OOD SPRING(I, CO t16O1. Your ottcudaace ar thtr bcaring ir ialnrtmt if you cerc rbout prreocndng rbc Roulag Fort Rfucr corridor fto overdr*,elo1mcnt, hrbttrt dcgrld.ric end lnllutiou- YOTTR. RNZM. IS SIILL ffi BY IEE PROPOSEI) DE\IELOPME,hIT ON TTIE ROSE RAI\ICH Thc dcrrcIopcr rdtr proporcrr ''td P&Z brs remcudcd aplrovd d . gZ roridoltiel uDits on 113_9 ri:rG. of IlDd irnortuueU rdiaent to rbc norriag Fork R.ircr . e &nrity of 2-55 mitsfiicr rcrc blrotrrirS thc nctdogr .Iory tho Riccr. ate Crerfcld County Coaprchcnrtuc PIrn cellr fur ac (1) unit IEr t?n (1O) acru d@S ttc Rivcr-- a jIi fror bldans beicbr", lO GGr hltha;. fiia pcrdtted rmdcr lodat rorulrtior. 3t hoc+ 3tI ftct high el6ag the 8'tOO frot Roarflg Fort Rivcr ftootege o Iotr E anr-rl rr q4rruimcly oc-brlf of o tse-Altnoriadcll 4JOO rs vcLidc rripr per dey a Cmq, Rods L(I, & 154.3 Poiiutirru of abG Rorring Fo* Rn[r iim arliorgc, fcctilizcr+ gcrrft:atc+ hsftlddG., rEd trub - tbe dcv=Ioper icbmladgcc "rll &rinege rrnoff rhrll f,s conrryGd o lto tirrot-" r TLc Cooocy rhould rcguirc thc dcvekptr to: REDLTCE DENSIfY: Ttc F-ricodc of 6c Rolriag Fort rtcooocsd aa orutdl rodaction ia tho roubor of unlts on thc Roac RErn to Do urorrE tbra l9L (Jader cdrttf z'ttrlitl,S rlla dcnatolg €Utd p16 !o Oorc thr- 136 rnitl oo the denelopef g.le,l. DTICRE.ASE LO/ISUZE: L6 .!on, &c rtrrcr rhflld bc no lc..rau 2 taalD dD rnd rhodd bo rrdncod fio,E 3t lotr to m Eorrr Lra !{ tsgl PROIIIBIT BITILDING HEI(}frrIT IN EXCESS OF 25 EE.ET. PROIECI T}IE RMR FROM ROLLLITION: Rcqrrire r drrin4e pLp thd rctetu runocltrm thc dcvclopncrr oD dtc. Rqqdsc ttc Oarcfo,pcr !o prEGct eod pcc*.nc ofrtinf vcastetioa wItHD l(X, fr€t ol r;to river. IF YOL' CAI{}€T /TTTEYD THE PLIBIJC }IEARINC oN TTIXS DEVELoPMEhrr' FAx YoLrR CoMMENTS b tbe Garfcld co'ory &ildiag od nuninf OfiEcc, lO9 FiEhth Stre.el Suitc 303, Gbnwrcd Sptinfr' @ t16O1, Alr L!+ \/icoriaclannolr, Scntir Ploncr, fixluobcr (97O) 94i5-Trgi by ro oo hf,odry, ftIt 2(), 1994- IT'S YOLIR, VALIEY - I:PS YO['R RTT'ER - IET YOUR. \/OICE EE IIEARD. ERIENDS OT THE ROARING FC}RX. Medr Meaircale.hi RicL Ncilcy Dict end Eciher ldmflcl DicL ead GDdy nyoa Eilt rod fudy Slrttcry md rrrrry otbcr cooccmcd citizenc 97092E9393;t 1 !, oPP,srN G'"ffiff J11['ff$$", Lopon* Nr We, the undersigned, appreciate the lower Roaring Fork River as one of Garfield County's most scenic attractions. We feelthe proposed Development of 292 homes on the Rose Ranch fiails to comply with the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan and will greatly diminish this resource and set a negative precedent for future development along the river. We request the County Commissioners to follow the County's Comprehensive Development Plan and protect the rivers and shores from this type of high.density development. We request the County Commissioners to either reject the Rose Ranch development plan or significantly reduce the density of the proposal. We further request that the County Commissioners requirethat all lots along the River be at least 2 acres in size. .<r o g Co r'x/Ty Rl t -tYGLr^rrr raOI SPRr r.{Gc ,Cc PIGl 1 ESrr4E,€ D. 14 cour c lc. \ reh c0 1 L*rSA/< --'a,-t .,4 ru( :,gnarure Print Name/Address Cifirnr'Fcrilion O1l1lohS rLG n-o lrncl neUryrof Pr6o Cc nri xn. i I crw'l.n o'Qld Signature fTRr =omr-Print Name/Addressfo5 Brafu .4.e G-s. Rr *tri--e rt ll}..*s-\lu-r.-C-c[ Print Name/Address Gf.l,*. BtoUp {trr:F 6-r o.\ Fnn ,,4y1,,'ch qJF A\*c av- B,t nZr.r.,Fo I #J-*+={nr"rU" tr'f'r' Signature Ci6mmr'Ptclitim Olltl-hs rLG nG SrnrL Ucuolr|lreof Paap - Print Name/AddressLet A. Nie 1'r,+e ttne- \[tt :,D /1 ,J\a)- lrL l)1a.0, Prirt NamdAddress I -rrultz QR,dL 4 v''frJt- Signature Ilovelopmonl. Print Name/Address cO\<r.iJcH) <CCi*$ <€. tl{,-\ ,.a.,/ .- ( ,,, Print Name/Addressf<a? &.zt^ /s: Print Name/Address /'n/€r tt-trC 9) rt.t rl3' J u 01 Print Name/Address S oq/ 3,/,/( .F ? , Prirtt NamCAddress / '>nL- '. " er , e " /V etl ir a:,,i' T r < ( S il tQSrlLE- ress . .:aauce 'dao D .-/\J Print Name/Address I iS -Wup Citizenc' Petitinrm Oppaing nonc& Ilevclopmont, n--/f[^fl- Print Name/Address ;- FlSorr.t d). B?r-trr.rr rS I rrnArn-r :T- APh 3 nr€c^-: c Atf<Q . Cfr kl(e(-/? Print Name/AddressZ7l 7a.-*fr.- Print Narib/Address Wn-^/l,W--Signature ,/ Name/Address Signature Print Name/Address Signature Print Name/Address Signature Print Name/Address Signature Print Name/Address Signature Print Name/Address Signature Print NamdAddress Cilizer'F*fahn e1nttC llr Bco leurl IlGVclotrsDA trtrtrtrtrTtrtrTtrtrt]trTtrtrtrtrtrrtrtrtrtrtrTtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrTtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrTTtrtrtrtrutrtrutrtrtrtrtrutrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtruTtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrr ExXb,tI CovIMLINITY IvTpACT AxeLYSN Rosp Raxcu Gorr CounsB GInTIELD CouxrY COTORADO Pnnpmru Fon Roanrxc Fonr ImrrnsrMENTS, LLC Economic & Market Research / Land & Development Planning Landscape Architecture / Community Planning & Design Golf FeasibilitY AnalYsis trtrtrtr trtrtr T tr tr trtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrTtrtrtrutrutrtrtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrruuuTtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrutrtrtr[trtrrtlrutrtrutrtrtrtrtrtrutrtrtrTtrtrtrutrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrutrtrtrtrtrtrTtrtrtrutrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtruuutrtrtrutrtrtrtrtrtrrTtrtr CovrMr.rNrrY IvTpACT AxeLYSrs Rosp Rexcn Gorr Counsp GInTIELD CouxrY COTORADO Pnrpa,nro Fon Roa,nrxc Fom IxvBsrMENTS, LLC N[.rv 27, 1998 Economic & Market Research / Land & Development Planning Landscape Architecture i Community Planning & Design Golf FeasibilitY AnalYsis u tr tr Ttru PRomcrno AoorrIoNAL EcoNotrtc Iupa.crs FRoru ruE, PnoposBn RosB Raxcn l8-sorn Goln' CounsB In addition to serving as a tirst-class recreational amenity fbr the local community, the proposed Rose Ranch golf course will have the potential to generate a variety of economic benefits fbr the area. Typically, a golf course of the caliber of the proposed Rose Ranch course will have a significant positive impact on its surrounding economic environs. In the following three tables, THK examines a few of the more fundamental ways in which the proposed course will impact the local economy. THK has employed a very conservative approach in making its projections, which suggests that the actual economic benefits may ultimately prove considerably more substantial. In the first table, THK quantifies one of the course's more obvious economic impacts. Based on THK's cash flow analysis for the proposed course, it's estimated that the facility will have an annual payroll in excess of $500,000 in 2000. By 2009, total payroll will approach $700,000. To determine how much of this payroll rvill ultimately be spent at area retail establishments, THK first makes allowances tbr taxes and housing, transportation, medical and education expenses, and then estimates the portion of the remaining payroll (disposable income) that will be spent locally. As shown, THK estimates that approximately $200,000 of expendirures from golf course employees will be subject to area sales taxes in 2009. Table B isolates the sales tax impacts from pro shop and concessions sales at the proposed golf course. In its cash flow analysis, THK projected that the combined pro shop and concessions sales would jump from $230,000 in 2000 to over $525,000 in 2009. Given Garfield County's current sales tax rate of 1.0%, the county should collect just over $42,300 over the ten year period. A sizable percentage of the proposed course's golf rounds will be played by nonresidents, and the bulk of the nonresident rounds played at the course will be played by either golfers with second/seasonal homes in the area or golfers staying at area hotels. As shown in Table C. hotel guests are projected to play an average of nearly 7,000 rounds annually at the proposed course. This round play equates to an average of approximately 3.050 hotel room nights on an annual basis. Over the ten year projection period. golf'ers staying at area hotels will spend close to $2.7 million on hotel rooms - all subject to bed taxes - and approximately $4.7 million at area retail establishments - all subject to sales taxes. Additional Economic Impacts From the Operation of the Rose Ranch Golf Course B. Sales Tox Intpucts From Pro Shop & Conccssion Sales Year Projected Total Pro Shop Sales Projected Total Concessions Sales Total Pro Shop/ Concessions Sales Estimated Sales Tax Revenues From Pro Shop/ Concessions 2000 200 I 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Average Total $ I 12,500 $ I19,050 $ 17 r,866 $212,426 $22 1,s85 $228,232 $235,079 $242,t31 $249,395 s256,817 $206,914 $2,069,142 $ I 17,s00 $ 14s,230 $ 179,504 $221,861 $23 r,433 $238,376 $245,s21 $252,893 $260,480 $268,294 $216,110 $2,161,103 $230,000 $284,280 $351,370 s134,293 $453,017 $466,608 $480,606 $49s,024 $509,875 $525, r 7 l $423,025 s4,230,245 $2,300 $2,843 $3,s l4 $4,343 $4,530 $4,666 $4,806 $4,950 $5,099 ss,2s2 $4,230 $42,302 Source: THK Associates, Inc. .j Additional Economic Impacts From the Operation of the Rose Ranch Golf Course C. Sales & Bed Tax Intpacts From GolJ'Visitors Staying at Area Hotels Year Projected Non-Resident Golf Rounds Estimated Non-Resident Golf Rounds Played by Hotel Guests Estimated Hotel Room Nights Generated by Golf Course /l Estimated Room Night Revenues Subject to Bed Tax /2 Expenditures By Golf/Hotel Visitors Subject to Sales Tax /3 2000 200 l 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Average Total 7,000 8,400 12,960 15,550 15,150 15,750 15,750 15,750 15,750 15,750 13,841 138,410 l,000 2,220 6,590 8,990 9,000 8,790 8,590 8,370 8,150 1,920 6,962 69,620 440 970 2,890 3,940 3,950 3,860 3,770 3,670 3,580 3,470 3,054 30,540 $33,000 $74,933 s229,9s0 $322,901 $333,432 $335,61 0 $337,6 r 8 $338,523 $340, I 28 $339,567 $268,566 $2,685,661 $57,200 $ r 29,883 $398,580 $s59,695 $577,949 $581,724 $585,205 $586,773 $589,555 $588,583 $465,5 15 $4,655,146 l\ Assumes 35% will play more than one round, 45olo would visit without course, 40% will have more than one golfer/room, and average stay is 3 nights. 2\ Assumes average rate of $75lnight in 2000, inflated at3.Uo/olyear. 3\ Assumes fwo persons/room and average daily expenditures of$65/person/day. Source: THK Associates, Inc. June 24, i998 Ms. Marian Smittr" Chairperson Garfieid Counry Board of Commissioners Garfieid Counry Courthouse, Suite 109 Glenwood Springs, CO 81.601 RE: Rose Ranch PtrD Dear Marian, At last night's meeting, the Ciry of Glenrvood Springs Planning Commission heard a presentation from the Rose Ranch proponents. Several represenrations were macie during the presentation that rvere of particuiar reievance to the Cir-v of Glenwc,:d Springs. These included. the follorving: t The pool. tennis and goif facilities r,vould be made ryailable to the Cit-v of Glenrvood Springs Recrearion Deparrn:enr tbr their programs. In addition, Rose Ranch offered. to sponsor an annuai fundraiser to finance transportadon costs from Glenwood. to the Rose Ranch or donate money to the city to subsidize this cost. t The golf course faciliry wouid be available for the Glenwood Springs High School golf team. I The donation of 5 i000 per drveiling unit to the Ciry's Housing for Tomorrow Commission. This sum wouid be payable at the time of building permit issuance. This donation would be above and beyond the 52200 currenrly proporld for housing assistance programs. The Glenrvood Springs Planning Co-mission supports the Rose Ranch proposal. The developer has demonstrated a wiiiingness to meet commr:nity needs including employee housing on site, the support of Glenwood Springs Recreetion Departmenr proposali, the support of affordable housing programs regionally, and their prior resfonse to tire iisues cited by th. City,. River Commission- The development has created. a ne.r/ standard tbr environmenraii;r sensitive subdivisions in the lower Roaring Fork Valley. 806 CooPER AvEliuE GLEN-!?'OOD sPRINGS, coloR,\Do sr60l c)70lc).ii-ri;< Fry. ozi( 1(o7 Er[ib;t J ln Washington, eagles quadrupled in number to 600 nesting pairs in 15 yeans As bald "ugl" rumbers soar,so do complaints Bylim Carfton Rocky.Mountain News ,Sat., Ma)l 9,*998 E1(\*b;t M TUB IxsnB Srony 1he Wall Street Jrntntal "I-waved my arms and yelled,', Rose recalls. But the wild bird attempted a sec_ ond pass, leaving the zoo birdsiquivering in tear. . Eagle lovers exulted when Interior Sec- retary Bruce Babbitt announced Wednes_ {aylhat about two dozen species, includir th6 b;il ;il[, ;;;;#I;ffi E]Jffi:i:1-rne Dato eagle, no longer need Endansered )Recies Act protection. Babbitt, speaiiing infront of a paii of nesting Uata eagf ,ii sala' the number of nesting pairs haJsoared to more than 5,000 fmm just 500 three de_ SEATTI"E - Bald eagles are no longer Consider the latest squawk at Seattle,s Woodla;rd ParkZoo. _ Zoo keepers were startled when a gang of wild bald eagles showed up here an? " started picking fights with the zoo,s tame avians. Ernest Rose, Woodland park's rap- tor.specialist, says he was tending the owls, turkey vultures and the zoo's tame bald , . '919ii,us'g', cades -'s'a3.U$iild'6n' 65tr1 Ld. Associated Press - I Jul - }o- g,a 11:58A p.o1 Dear Ioe, -- on anr:l CountY RoaO ll'r' '---- lilithrespect,: jh:-Il"^p-T: j,#;r,.,fl :,t:tl:iii".Ii*:::#i,#ffi I$:THT ;d;-,,;iil#.etrt"s..mg:H{**i:r""i#i'dit:l*-:TH'silffiffi .tix$gffi".mrustt:tr:*[T:fl ?'l'-H;;;;;[raspa*'r"re ffiATroN r:,iljY,1l::'s ,',0'',,'o ig;ot z+o''zro JulY 16, 1998 loe HoPe ,iioit Countw Engtneenng szi cooPer Avenue Glenwood SPnngs' CO 81601 Region 3 Traflic Dear Ioe, warTiurrD qv '--- f applioattOn.o.""tt Pernrit for You If you have any questions' please gve me a cail' SincErely, S"UalJSL-='--' Xlffi:+ffiEngineer xc:file ROARIA{G FORK IA|VESTMENTS, L. L.C. a Colorado limited liability company May 21, 1998 VIA FACSIMILE: (97O) 94s-4981 Calvin Lee, Esq. Roaring Crystal Alliance 811 Blake Avenue Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81601 RE: Rose Ranch PUD and Sketch Plan Dear Calvin: The purpose of this letrer is to conflrm our agreement on the following items we discussed on the telephone on May 20,7998: (1) We agree to the limitation of rwo (2) wood burning fireplaces in the clubhouse. All other stmctures or residences on the Rose Ranch will be prohibited from having wood burning fireplaces or stoves. Gas fireplaces and stoves will be allowed. (2) We agree to all of the screening recofirmendations contained within Kevin Wright's letter dated May 4,1998 to Ms. Giannola. This is recommendation number seven (#7) of sard letter. We also aSree to the other recorrmendations made by Mr. Wright in his May 4,1998 letter numbered one (1) through six (6) and eight (8) through sixteen (16). (3) We have agreed to make additional contributions of funds to various affordable housing groups (see attached letter which was hand delivered to Ms. Giannola on May 20,1998). (4) We agree to abide by and implement the recommendations contained within the Integrated Management Plan and the Integrated Pest Management Plan which are currently being prepared by Environmental & Turf Services, Inc. of Wheaton, Maryland. % FTEGGEMEIER & STONE. P.C. 19563 E. MAINSTREET. SUITE 2OO, PARKER, COLORADO 8013] PHONE: (303) 841-8072FA,\: (303) 8;ll-8073 By: ) (5) We agree to visit with members of the Roaring Crystal Alliance and various conservancy Sroups concerning coluervation easements near the blue heron rookery and along the riparian zone along the Roaring Fork River. We will accomplish these -""tingtbetween May 27,1998 and July 20,1998 which are the respecrive dites for the Carfieid County Planning & Zoning Commission meeting and the Garfield County Commissioners meeting for the Rose Ranch PUD and Sketch plan. We agree that items one (1) through four (4) can be made a condition of approval. Because we can only agree to meet and discuss item number five (#5) I dont rlri"kwe can make it a condition of approval at this time unless you want to make the holding of the meetings a condition. Let me know your thoughts on this. I appreciate all of the time you have given me to discuss issues related to our development and we look forward to seeing you at the meeting. Sincerely, ROAF-II.IG FORK iN\aESTMEi\iTS, L.L.C. 1691mfl Ronald R. Hegg-emeier] Manager