Steamboat Pilot & Today

The Hayden Planning Commission on Thursday will see a final plat for the 150-home Dry Creek Village subdivision proposed off Routt County Road 37.

The Hayden Town Board is scheduled to consider the project for final approval Nov. 17.

It's been somewhat of a bumpy road for developer Jim Woods, who garnered the Planning Com--mission's approval for a revised preliminary plat in September.

The 3-2 vote followed a lengthy discussion about whether there would be enough demand for the project. One builder will construct all of the homes.

Planning Commission members may have based their demand concerns on raw lot sales, said Woods, who expects there is more demand for finished homes, considering the process and cost involved in building.

"That's a demand you can't really calculate because it's never been on the table," he said.

Earlier this year, the Planning Commission and the Town Board approved the 53-home Lake Village project slated for south of the Sagewood subdivision.

Dry Creek Village would be located just south of the Valley View Business Park and Crandall Avenue. It would be built on about 47 acres of land that the Planning Commission will be considering for annexation Thursday.

Representatives of the project said in September the first phase of the project would be about 26 homes and that the market would determine build out.

Woods said it's possible he may break ground on the project in spring 2006 if the Town Board approves it this month, though there still is "a lot to do" regarding the annexation agreement and other details.

Woods and business park developers plan to share costs to bring gas and electric to the area. For sewer service, the Planning Commission asked that Woods consider connecting to sewer lines west near Dry Creek Park rather than using a lift station.

Woods said he should know whether that is feasible when the project comes before the Town Board.

He is among developers sharing engineering and design costs associated with a proposal to re-align C.R. 37 from U.S. Highway 40. Developers also plan to contribute to construction costs.

A parkway in Dry Creek Village eventually would link a planned connector road between C.R. 53 and C.R. 37.

The Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m. at Hayden Town Hall.