Observer Name: Nanci Wendland
Agency: Windsor Planning Commission
Agency Website: https://www.windsorgov.com/651/Planning-Commission
Date & Meeting Time: June 7, 2023; 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Members Present: Gale Schick, Chairman; Timothy Reddick, Vice-Chairman; Ben Kirch; Cindy Beemer; Nathan Kinney; Jose Valdes; David Hassard - Alternate
Members Absent: Roger Colonnese
Others Present to Note: Victor Tallon, Town Board Liaison; K. Cinnamon, Deputy Town Clerk; Carlin Malone, Chief Planner; Sandra Mezzetti, Senior Planner; Dean Brown, owner & applicant GWIP LLC; Mark Cevaal, applicants’ representative with Redland; Julie Mikulas, Martin Marietta Materials Inc.; Pam Hora, applicants representative Tetra Tech, Inc.
Relevant Document Links:
Meeting agenda: https://windsorco.portal.civicclerk.com/event/746/files
Meeting packet: https://windsorco.portal.civicclerk.com/event/746/files
Recorded Meeting: https://wtv8.windsorgov.com/CablecastPublicSite/show/305?site=1
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Meeting Notes:
The Planning Commission’s responsibilities include preparation and maintenance of the Town's Comprehensive Plan, which includes the Town's Land Use Plan; review and implementation of provisions of zoning and subdivision ordinances, investigation and recommendation of amendments to master plans, zoning maps, conditional use grants, and recommendations of appropriate zoning classifications for all annexations.
Summary:
This meeting was professional, well organized, and somewhat relaxed. There were two (2) Public Hearing issues. The commission listened to the presentations and public comments, then voted unanimously to approve each issue and forward a recommendation to the Town Board.
Request for the Great Western 7th Annexation Plan.
Request for a Conditional Use Grant to allow gravel surface mining within the Great Western 7th Annexation. No neighborhood residents objected.
There were three public comments on separate issues.
Jillian Christenson: believes the building code has not been followed when a downtown developer raised a building height from 35’ to 65’. It is next to a historical building, and she would like the commission to reevaluate this project and keep the 35’ height. Citizens should have been informed sooner.
Kimberly Vitale: agrees with Jillian. There seems to be height issues in the downtown area.
Michael Christenson: opposes higher heights for the downtown area. Windsor citizens voted and agreed to 35’ heights. Please keep the building heights at what the citizens agreed to.
Public Hearing - The Great Western 7th Annexation Master Plan. Sandra Mezzetti, Senior Planner gave a presentation to the commission (see attached recording around 13:08). The Master Plan has been reviewed and meets all Town of Windsor requirements. The site was originally annexed in February of 2019. It is 349 acres with the Crossroads Blvd expansion included. The site has been divided into four (4) areas, and this request includes a Mining Plan. After mining is completed in an estimated six (6) years, the site will have a Reclamation Plan to return the land to Great Western and the Town of Windsor.
Public Comment:
John Demianycz (resident): he lives down the road from the site and is concerned about how the developer has handled tree removal and construction trash. Garbage is all over, weeds have grown high, and down tress are still laying in the roadways.
Dean Brown with Great Western addressed John’s concerns. Mowing has been done, was not aware trees were blocking roads, but he’ll take care of that, and the trash will be cleaned up. There are trash containers with covers, but Dean mentioned the constant high winds in this area. They will try to do better to keep trash picked up. Dean reminded residents present and the commission that everyone has his card and even residents can call him with any concerns.
Commission Comments:
Jose Valdez is concerned about additional truck traffic through town.
Commission voted to recommend the Great Western 7th Annexation Master Plan to the Town Board: Yes – 6 No – 1 Commissioner Valdes
Public Hearing – Request for a Conditional Use Permit to allow gravel surface mining at the Great Western 7th Annexation site. Sandra Mezzetti, Senior Planner gave a presentation to the commission board members. The conditional use permit is for approximately 150 acres of which 90.1 acres are mixed sand and gravel mining that will be transported to the Parson’s Mine site to the east via conveyor belt. Mining will be done in phases:
Cell A: 2 +/- years to complete.
Cell B: 1 +/- years to complete.
Cell C: 2 +/- years to complete.
Cell D: 1 +/- years to complete.
There will also be two (2) water storage reservoirs installed on the site to support any future needs within the site.
Commissioners Valdes and Hassard were both concerned about the conveyor belt and traffic impacts. Hassard wanted to know if this operation will create any additional traffic on Main Street, and Julie from Martin Marietta Materials replied, “Yes, if there are main street customers for sand and gravel then trucks will be used for transport.”
There was additional concern for reclamation plans after the six years of mining finished. Sandra Mezzetti, Senior Planner, responded that reclamation after mining is regulated by the State of Colorado and mining permits. There will also be a separate reclamation plan that will be introduced when mining is nearing completion.
Dean Brown, with Great Western let the commission know that he worked closely with the town on all four cells (areas) and when reclamation is finished, all cells will fit in with the town design wishes. There will be open spaces, parks, and trails along the Cache La Poudre River. Even Crossroads Blvd will be improved as a private road to help traffic move from east to west without using Eastman Parkway. Dean Brown sees this operation as a ‘means to an end’.
The commission voted to recommend to the Town Board a request for a Conditional Use Permit: Yes – 7 No – 0
Meeting Adjourned at 8PM.
Follow-up Questions: None, very straight forward presentations.