Longmont City Council, Tuesday night, narrowly upheld the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission approval of the preliminary subdivision plat for Peakview Estates, over the lengthy objections of neighbors over drainage and environmental issues.
The council voted 4-3 to back the decision by the planning board, with Councilmembers Joan Peck, Polly Christensen and Tim Waters dissenting. Three residents filed an appeal to the city council, asking that the planning board’s April decision be overturned.
Christensen told the council the subdivision plan needs more assurances the development won’t adversely affect water wells for parcels immediately to the east in unincorporated Boulder County.
“There are concerns … there is a need to make a few more conditions,” Christensen said.
Councilman Aren Rodriquez — who is the city council liaison to the planning board — said the planning body properly addressed the issues raised by the residents — Rose Marie Gutierriez, Jennie Gershater Lopez and Adam Sirois.
The development application would subdivide a seven-acre property located at 2725 Ninth Avenue — south of Ninth Avenue, west of Hover Street, east of Airport Road and directly across from Twin Peaks Golf Course — into 29 lots for single family residential homes.
The planning and zoning board agreed there were three conditions of approval:
- The applicant must provide written verification of no objection form Platte River Power Authority.
- The applicant must provide a statement of no significant impacts from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
- The applicant must submit a migratory bird nesting survey to be completed within one week of construction activities if construction begins between March 1 to August 31.
The neighbors told the council development would hurt water wells on the agriculturally-zoned properties within unincorporated Boulder County to the east. Drainage and stormwater runoff could also be problems, the neighbors told the council.
A city staff report states that “the developer will need to adequately demonstrate they are not adversely affecting groundwater levels for adjacent properties with the construction of their development.”
Gershater Lopez told the council the land being developed would be better served being turned into an urban garden. As it stands now, the development “would have a direct impact on the peace and quiet of the area,” Gershater Lopez said.
