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PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEETING
JANUARY 7, 2025
6:30 P.M.

CALL TO ORDER - PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - ROLL CALL - APPROVAL OF AGENDA

APPROVAL OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES. ALSO, APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR FOR 2025.

Minutes from the November 5, 2024 and December 3, 2024 Planning & Zoning Regular Meetings

Minutes from the November 5, 2024 and December 3, 2024 Planning & Zoning Regular Meetings to be reviewed and voted on for approval.

Presenter: Cheryl Lindquist, Permit Technician

Appointment of the Chair and the Vice-Chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission for 2025.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: There is no limit to the number of speakers, although public comments will be held to an overall time limit of 30 minutes.(Speakers have a time limit of three (3) minutes per person, may only speak once, and may not cede time to another commenter.)

PUBLIC HEARINGS

Resolution No. 1, Series 2025

Resolution No. 1, Series 2025, an application for site plan review and special exception (parking) for a fourplex at 422 E 3rd St.

Presenter: Nancy Dosdall, Contract City Planner

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

Transportation Master Planning Presentation

Micklane Farmer with Jones and DeMille Engineering will introduce and summarize their project efforts and will answer any questions the Commission may have.

Presenter: Micklane Farmer, Jones and DeMille Engineering

OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS

ADJOURNMENT

CITY OF CORTEZ
123 ROGER SMITH AVENUE
CORTEZ, CO 81321

01/07/2025

Agenda Item: 2.a.

MEMO TO:

Planning and Zoning Commission

FROM:

Cheryl Lindquist, Permit Technician/Deputy City Clerk

SUBJECT:

Minutes from the November 5, 2024 and December 3, 2024 Planning & Zoning Regular Meetings

BACKGROUND

DISCUSSION

RECOMMENDATION

Attachments

November 5, 2024 meeting

December 3, 2024 minutes

CITY OF CORTEZ
123 ROGER SMITH AVENUE
CORTEZ, CO 81321

01/07/2025

Agenda Item: 4.a.

MEMO TO:

Planning and Zoning Commission

FROM:

Cheryl Lindquist, Permit Technician/Deputy City Clerk

SUBJECT:

Resolution No. 1, Series 2025

BACKGROUND

Housing Solutions for the Southwest, Inc. (the "Applicant") is proposing a site plan and special exception for parking to construct four apartment units on a vacant property located at 422 E. 3rd St. A single-family home previously occupied the property but has been demolished. The Property is .24 acres and zoned NB. Five parking spaces are proposed instead of the required eight resulting in a three-space deficit. The units are proposed as affordable housing, although details are not yet worked out. Housing Solutions for the Southwest is a nonprofit organization devoted to providing affordable housing services in Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan Counties.

The Property is currently vacant and zoned Neighborhood Business, which allows a mix of multi-family, small scale commercial and single family uses. To the south, across E. 3rd St., properties are zoned R-2 which allows both single-family and multi-family uses. The surrounding land uses to this Property include multi-family (Madison and 3rd Townhomes) to the west and single family uses on all other sides. There are two other multi-family developments in the block, Madison and 3rd Townhomes, which are developed at a density of 12 units/acre and the Pueblos De Cortez which are developed at a density of 18 units per acre. The Housing Solutions project is proposed at approximately 16 units per acre.

DISCUSSION

The project as submitted appears to meet all development standards except for parking. The Planning Commission has the authority to grant special exceptions, if the applicable criteria can be met. The main reasons to request the exception are that in the experience of the Applicant, the 2 spaces/unit requirement is excessive. Although there is room on site for the full parking requirement, the Applicant wishes to preserve a more pleasant living environment for the residents with less pavement. There are a number of non-code related reasons that a reduced parking requirement makes sense for this project including that the site is less than ¼ mile from City Market and the Central Business District, allowing residents easy access by bike or walking to most household needs. The project will be deed restricted to affordable housing and owned and operated by an experienced affordable housing provider that can easily prevent the use of parking spaces for items such as recreational vehicles and restrict leases to tenants with only one vehicle if on street parking becomes a problem. Regarding the code criteria, the 3rd Street right-of-way is unusually wide in this block at 80', 3rd Street narrows to 60' of right-of-way in the next block to the east.

RECOMMENDATION

If the Planning and Zoning Commission so chooses to follow the recommendation of Staff, a possible motion the Commission could make is as follows:

I make a motion to approve P&Z Resolution No. 1, Series 2025, a resolution approving a special exception and site development plan for four residential units on property located at 422 E 3rd St., Cortez, Colorado, in the NB zone, with the following conditions:

1. All requirements of utility providers, City departments, CDOT and affected districts must be satisfied, as outlined in adopted City Codes and other regulatory documents. Specifically, all public improvements shall comply with the minimum requirements of the 2009 City of Cortez Construction Design Standards and Specifications.
2. The appropriate construction drawings and reports for the project, revised as required by the City Engineer shall be signed and stamped by a Colorado licensed architect or engineer, must be approved by the Building Official and City Engineer, and a building permit obtained prior to any construction on the Property.
3. Prior to issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy the Applicant's engineer shall certify that all improvements were constructed in conformance with the approved plans.

Attachments

Staff Report

Resolution

Site Plan

CITY OF CORTEZ
123 ROGER SMITH AVENUE
CORTEZ, CO 81321

01/07/2025

Agenda Item: 6.a.

MEMO TO:

Planning and Zoning Commission

FROM:

RACHAEL MARCHBANKS, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

SUBJECT:

Transportation Master Planning Presentation

BACKGROUND

City of Cortez Public Works is currently working on a transportation master plan. Jones and DeMille Engineering is the consultant team working on the project. The plan includes two phases. The first phase is planning for CDOT roadway projects along CDOT corridors. The second is planning efforts throughout the city.

RECOMMENDATION

None at this time.