Oak Creek denies Darling Annexation
Developer 'disheartened' after Town Board votes against proposal
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Oak Creek — The Oak Creek Town Board denied an annexation proposal during a lengthy and well-attended meeting Thursday night, saying the 24-acre Darling Annexation was not within the town's designated future growth area and citing concerns about soil stability.
The decision came after a 30-minute discussion amongst board members and public comments from community members in favor of and against the proposal.
Town Clerk Karen Halterman said Mayor J. Elliott voted in favor of the annexation, while Mayor Pro-Tem Angie KenCairn and board members John Crawford, Dave Fischer and Tom Bleuer voted against it. Board member Steve "Spike" Beven" did not attend Thursday's meeting.
The denial comes on the heels of the town's decision to update its 10-year-old comprehensive plan, which outlines how Oak Creek wants to grow.
In January, the Town Board told Heather Kline, the Stagecoach resident and Lynx Funding owner who proposed the annexation, that it wanted more time to address its comprehensive plan before making any decisions regarding future growth.
However, Kline did not feel that was what the board had done. She said denying the annexation was premature and "not what the town wanted."
"I felt like the last time it was tabled, the board wanted to look at the area plan to address some of those growth areas," she said. "They haven't done any work on it or changed anything."
The Darling Annexation would have brought 24 acres of land west of downtown Oak Creek and south of Twentymile Road into city limits. Kline intended to build 17 homes on the land, which she said is one of the last options for growth in Oak Creek.
"(The land) borders the town - it's just sitting there and it's a good place to build homes," she said. "I really feel this is a good plan for our town, and we need to look at making some of those non-growth areas, growth areas."
Elliott agreed.
"I think it's an excellent place to build because we need people coming to town," he said. "We don't have a lot of land to develop because we're geographically landlocked."
Elliott said he understood the other board members' "apprehension and reasoning" but hoped Kline would come back to the board with another plan.
"I hope they haven't given up on it and can come back with a more palpable idea that the rest of the board can agree on," Elliott said. "I think it's a good idea, and we need it."
Halterman said residents should attend upcoming comprehensive plan meetings in light of the decision.
"(The board) encouraged all the people in the room to attend these meetings when they begin, because if there's a huge public outcry for this to be designated as a future growth area, it can be readdressed," she said.
Kline said she plans to address the board in the future regarding the decision.
"I thought I was going to be a part of the discussion - how developers could pay their way, affordable housing," she said. "I was surprised because I thought we were going to work together."
KenCairn, Fischer, Crawford and Bleuer could not be reached for comment Friday night.
Comments
steamvent 6 years ago
The recent statewide media revelation that "Oak Creek has no gas" has more than one application. A pathetic little town that seemingly takes pleasure in self abuse and who's attitudes will keep it right where the citizens apparently want it to be ... always bitching about the economic success of others in Routt County and firmly imbedded as the local joke.
Slapper 6 years ago
poor heather- it's so sad she did not get her way even though the proposal had numerous serious issues.
she says- She said denying the annexation was premature and "not what the town wanted." another one who cries and does not live in town. poor heather
"(The land) borders the town - it's just sitting there and it's a good place to build homes," she said. "I really feel this is a good plan for our town, and we need to look at making some of those non-growth areas, growth areas." poor heather is another single individual who alone knows what is best for all with out regard for the rest of the residents.
heart broken heather goes on to say "I thought I was going to be a part of the discussion - how developers could pay their way, affordable housing," she said. "I was surprised because I thought we were going to work together." just because you brought this forward certainly does not mean it will happen. you bought this piece of property without doing the home work and now you are so so sad. poor heather-hopes dashed-life ruined.
bluntman 6 years ago
a "well-attended" meeting... with the exception of the local paparazzi, that is. kind of difficult to get the whole picture as to what actually transpired and the position of the other board members regarding this ill-conceived proposal. what a surprise that they couldn't be reached on the Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend (to provide comments for a story in the Saturday edition). but the injustice done to heather comes through clearly as the sp&t has so conveniently provided a tall platform for her to wail from. hang on a moment there heather, the tissues will be handed up shortly.
heather's statements smack of the arrogance that is commonplace amongst her ilk- the charlatans and carpetbaggers that like to claim that they are doing everyone a favor by covering every last square inch of undeveloped property with over-priced spec houses ("we have no control over what those builders do, we just provide the lots" do you remember saying that one, heather? so which is it?). remember a while back how her pal steinberg addressed the OC town board to tell them that their status as a "bedroom community" isn't such a bad thing, as if to imply that it is the best that OC can do and, ergo, we should accept our station in life and be grateful for what they are dishing out... because (thank goodness) OC is not a resort community. strange how everyone who lives outside of OC has the solutions for all of our problems.
heather's problem is that she made an extremely poor choice in the piece of property that she purchased. she didn't do her homework and now she turns to the town of OC to bail her out. her statement that "we need to look at some of those non-growth areas and make them growth areas" is self serving at best, because, guess what, her parcel lies outside what has been previously (and for good reason) designated for future growth. and please, heather, do tell how developers "pay their way" here or anywhere else for that matter. THAT is really what we are all waiting for.
bluntman
Wendy Villa 6 years ago
sbvor: before you start complaining too much, maybe all these people who can afford half a million dollar homes (and are in need) should start buying at Sierra View, there's plenty of those homes just sitting there waiting for some rich sole to purchase them.
I commend our town board for their wise decision to not allow this subdivision. We need to be able to maintain what we currently have before adding to the work load of the maintenance employees and the towns expenses.
Once Sierra View is mostly built out (with people actually living in them), then move forward with another annex that fits the town comprehension plan (you know the thing that says "what this town wants").
upstream 6 years ago
I think it is of utmost importance to point out that our current townboard is far from kneejerk anti-growth- although that seems to be the tone of this article. Anyone who has attended even 1/2 the meetings and work sessions I have since the Darling annexation was first proposed last fall would know that encouraging growth in Oak Creek is discussed nearly constantly. Everyone is looking for viable solutions and- hate to shock you folks- but these cats we elected as trustees are pretty f-ing intelligent. Put simply, the Darling proposal was L-A-M-E. There was not one aspect of it that suggested the developers had: A) read our comprehensive plan B) listened to our community concerns C) gave a crap about the town we call home Yeah, we want growth. We want responsible, relevant growth that puts the community first and the profit margin of the developer second...imagine the nerve of a town refusing to bend over for any old developer who wants her way with us! Heather Darling has shown she is clearly not the developer we are looking for. On thursday she stated she had "no idea there was any concern over the geologic stability" of her proposed development...for crying out loud Ms. developer lady...it was the consultant you paid out of your annexation fees that told us that months ago. Were you busy developing somewhere else that night, or what? Several months ago Ms. Darling suggested the private property owner most impacted by her planned developement did not need to disclose the development plans to prospective buyers...sneaky, but totally ILLEGAL, Ms. Lynx Real Estate lady. When I asked Ms. Darling and her sister just how much money would be required to build on these proposed sites, I was told with a snooty sneer that it involved "economics". Really? Economics? Well I'll be dang-dipped. Guess what ladies, a lot of us went to college too- some of us even majored in economics. The economic reality is that building on these lots would require a whole lot more than any Oak Cretian could ever afford. Hey- all you developers circling the OC, get back to the drawing board, start taking into account the demands of your market (capitalism 101) and try talking to the citizens of Oak Creek, not at us. We ARE listening. Are YOU?
Wally 6 years ago
It is called KARMA Heather. How can you expect the community to embrace your proposal with the reputation that you have created for yourself? You are known county wide for implementing immoral, unethical and often illegal business practices just to add an extra dollar to your pocket. I applaud the council for denying your annex project. If they do ever change their mind the town of OC will regret that decision for many years. If an annex is necessary in the future a development firm with honesty, integrity and a proven track record in the this type of development should be chosen. These are qualities that you do not posses.
whyquestion 6 years ago
oc twn board may be finally waking up to rape and pilage realtors. this property was not in the comprehensive plan to be annexed!!!! JUST HOW MANY BUSINESS OWNERS LIVE IN THE DITCH????????
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