Steamboat Pilot & Today

Conceptual plans for an affordable, pedestrian-style subdivision in Stagecoach were approved by the Routt County Planning Commission on Thursday night.

Planning commissioners stressed that the plan was in early stages and that developers of the SunCove Village, which will be on a 9.5-acre lot at Meadowgreen at Stagecoach, have a long process ahead of them.

Planning Commissioner Wayne Adamo was the only commissioner present who voted against approval of the sketch plans. He said he could not approve the plans because the lot was zoned for commercial development and he felt that zoning should not change.

"I still have a huge, huge concern about giving away a commercial space," Adamo said.

Keeping the space commercial could be critical to the future of Stagecoach, he said, and would ensure that enough commercial space would be available.

The 26-lot subdivision plans include 25 single-family homes and additional caretaker units and duplexes, as well as a commercial lot that could serve as a convenience store. The homes would sit along a looped one-way road.

The sketch plans were first heard in December, but were tabled because planning commissioners requested more information.

Michael Olsen, the architect for the project, said that additional information, including conversations with the Stagecoach Property Owner's Association and details on street widths, had been provided.

Several people in attendance expressed their support for the development, and Bea Westwater, president of the Stagecoach Property Owner's Association, said the association firmly supported the development.

Some planning commissioners said they felt too many homes were planned for the space, while others felt the higher density was important. That higher density, they said, provided opportunities for affordable housing and could be a step to limited urban sprawl, which in turn maintains the county's rural character.

"If we don't want rural sprawl in this county ... then we've got to have density to accommodate growth," Planning Commissioner Diane Mitsch Bush said.

Planning Commissioner Fred Nichols encouraged the board to move the process along and approve the sketch plans.

"I think it's one of the best plans we've ever had come before us," Nichols said. "I think it's a neat little development."

The development is another sign of growth taking place in Stagecoach, planning commissioners said.

The Routt County Planning Commission also approved a water system for Hidden Springs, a land preservation subdivision southwest of Hayden. The subdivision plans 31 lots on about 480 acres, and the new water system involves a well that produces 50 gallons per minute without pumping.

-- To reach Susan Bacon, call 871-4203

or e-mail sbacon@steamboatpilot.com