Steamboat Pilot & Today

The majority of City Planning Commissioners said they wouldn't be opposed to rezoning land near the airport to accommodate light industrial uses, but they want to see a more defined plan first.

Developers came before the Planning Commission on Thursday night with a pre-application proposal to subdivide four parcels into 22 industrial zoned lots, ranging in size from 0.4 to 0.7 acres. The developers, Patricia Ann Scott Family Limited Partnership, asked to change the zoning from residential estate to industrial, and they wanted the city to annex one of the parcels. The parcels are on the west side of Routt County Road 129 and are just northeast of the Steamboat Springs Airport Terminal.

The plan also would realign Routt County Road 44 at its intersection with C.R. 129, a proposal by the Routt County Commissioners.

The lots would be intended for small businesses and light industrial uses. Walter Scott, part of the landowner partnership, said considerable research had been done, and they found most of the businesses wanted small lots with 10,000- to 12,000-square-foot buildings.

"They want small lots they can afford as opposed to the larger ones that they can't," Scott said.

Planning Commission Chairwoman Kathi Meyer said she would support annexing the parcel and rezoning the land. If the land is rezoned, Meyer said, she would like to see certain restrictions on the kinds of uses to ensure they were used for only light industry.

The buildings' architecture would be heavily scrutinized, Meyer said, and she said designing the buildings that had two frontages would be a challenge.

David Baldinger Jr. said he had concerns with the project and that he would not approve the plan as presented.

"I do favor this type of development in theory, but we have codes, and this doesn't even come close to meeting the criteria for the rezone," Baldinger said.

Baldinger said he did not see the required public benefit for the rezone or annexation, and he said the only way the plan would be approved was if the developer presented the board with the end product and included building envelope sizes.

"I don't think you have gone far enough to figure out what the end product is, and I wouldn't be in support of a land subdivision," he said.

-- To reach Christine Metz call 871-4229 or e-mail cmetz@steamboatpilot.com