Steamboat Pilot & Today

A planning consultant met with town officials Thursday to discuss the Hayden Planning Commis-sion's desires to revise the sketch plans for Sunburst Park North, the first phase of the planned 900-acre Sunburst Ranch.

Planning Consultant Tim Katers, of Katers and Associates in Loveland, was asked by the town to review the sketch plans and make comments and suggestions about the plans and the Planning Commission's desires and concerns. He met with Planning Commission members and Town Manager Rob Straebel and toured the property where Sunburst Park North is to be built.

Katers will present his findings at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Planning Commission meeting, where he will ask the developers questions for further analysis. The main thing Katers said he would be looking for is their reasons in planning certain aspects of the development.

He said he hoped to stick around Friday to once again walk the property with the developers.

"I want to find out what they're thinking," Katers said. "What I want to do Thursday is keep the talk constructive. This will save the developers some time and money at this stage."

Of several related issues in the Sunburst Ranch proposal, Katers said his main concern was drainage. He said the sketch plans do not contain adequate storm water drainage or retention plans, and the slope of the terrain could cause flooding problems for neighboring properties.

Katers said he agreed with the Planning Commission's questioning of the commercial zoning at the entrance of Sunburst Park North. He said there might be too much space zoned as commercial, and that the type of businesses occupying the lots would make a big difference.

"It makes a big difference if these are going to be 7-Elevens or welding shops," Katers said. "Either way, Hayden probably doesn't need a second downtown."

Like the Planning Commission before him, Katers addressed a problem with the road infrastructure, which he said "certainly doesn't jive."

"(The road structure) strikes me as a little off," Katers said. "It seems like (the developers) are taking a pretty normal subdivision and putting a pretty strange design on it."

Katers said with some of the roads of Sunburst Park North being major accesses to the rest of the residences and golf course of the entire Sunburst Ranch, some of the roads zig-zag and could be better made.

Katers said the road design and the commercial zoning at the entrance might pertain to the developers' overall plans for Sunburst Ranch, and he would have to discuss those plans further with the developers and the town before making any conclusions.

"The way I see it, the developers want to build a subdivision, but the town wants to build a town," Katers said. "To some extent, it's two different things. You can't approve a bunch of small developments of a larger development without encountering some kind of a mess. The town really has some legitimate concerns."

Katers said he would address some issues with open space dedication for the subdivisions proposed trail system.

At Thursday's meeting, the Planning Commission will review town codes for lot sizes within zoning districts and front lot footage, and discuss whether they are appropriate and if any changes need to be made, Straebel said.

Also, the Planning Commis-sion will review the draft plan for the parking layout that has been proposed to serve the Routt County Fairgrounds and Dry Creek Park.

-- To reach Nick Foster call 871-4204

or e-mail nfoster@steamboatpilot.com