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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.01 Cover LetterRiverEdge COI.ORAI)O 7999 HWY 82 CARBONDALE CO 81623 970-945-2113 Jan 24, 2010 Commissioners, I am proud and excited to submit for Planned Unit Development (PUD) and Preliminary Plan approval our plan for the development of a progressive and environmentally -sound clustered residential community at Cattle Creek and State Highway 82. Unlike past plans for the property built on unrealistic expectations and absorption rates, this plan represents a "real world" design that offers a wide array of detached and attached housing types at pricing levels to meet the needs of current and future Garfield County families. Taking our cues from the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan 2030 (Comp Plan) and dealing with the limitations imposed upon us by the denial of our proposed metropolitan district in the late summer of 2010, this proposed PUD includes only 366 single family homes on about 160 acres of the original 283 acres of land, nearly 50% of which is committed to some form of open space. The clustering, as proposed in our plan, maximizes infrastructure efficiency, limits environmental impacts, conserves and enhances the values associated with the adjacent Roaring Fork Conservancy (RFC) Conservation Easement, avoids areas subject to hazard, and creates a community that considers and incorporates the best in neo -traditional neighborhood design. Unlike a golf course community, the open space in our community is actually "open" to the residents. We have included gardening plots and locations for orchards, walking, and exploring. We also have active open space with play fields and courts, parks, tot parks, open grass areas, and a community center with day care, cafe, and meeting rooms to serve the residents. We believe, and the Comp Plan documents, this is one of the best locations in Garfield County for higher density residential development. It does not impact any county roads; lies along the route between major population centers in Garfield County for the Sheriff's Department patrols; is located in the Carbondale Rural Fire Protection District and is easily serviceable from their fire stations; is on the RFTA bus route with easy access to bus stops; and is served by the RFTA Rio Grande Trail. Further, this location for workforce housing benefits traffic in Glenwood Springs. By locating residential development south of Glenwood Springs, rather than down river to the west, traffic will be better balanced during peak periods, thereby reducing congestion across the bridge and through Glenwood Springs. Our PUD application is laid out following the Unified Land Use Resolution (ULUR) and meets or exceeds all the technical requirements therein. Because the PUD and Preliminary Plan are combined and the PUD represents a final PUD and not preliminary PUD under the the new requirements of the ULUR, our application is comprehensive and our plan is based on strong technical analysis and detailed engineering as opposed to the "high-level" planning analyses normally completed for a first review by the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners (BoCC). This may be what is intended by the ULUR, but we are concerned that this represents a new way of doing business in Garfield County and leaves very little room for discussion. Regardless, we look forward to our discussions and presenting the justification behind our decisions. I asking the Planning Commissioners and BoCC for approval of our development plan as contained in our submittal. Thank you for considering our application for River Edge Colorado. Sincerely, �� Rockwood Shepard l