"Airport Land Use: County grounds plan for homes near Colorado airport"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thursday, April 12, 2007

County grounds plan for homes near airport
By Jason Starr
The Salida (CO) Mail


Chaffee County Commissioners Tuesday denied the sketch plan for a 15-lot
residential subdivision south of CR 140 from Harriet Alexander Field.

Commissioners echoed sentiment from planning commission members and
information in the airport master plan that residential development should
be minimized beside the airport.

The 38-acre parcel is zoned industrial and would need to be rezoned to
residential before the subdivision could continue.

Commissioners are reluctant to decrease the amount of industrially zoned
land in the county because recent public comment indicated a lack of
commercial and industrial areas.

Nancy McAninch, Salida City Council, member agreed. She spoke for the city
which co-owns the airport with the county.

"There is very little industrial land in the south end of the county," she
said. "I would hate to see what little bit there is changed to residential."

She noted the entire council has not been asked to review the application,
but city administrator Steve Golnar expressed his opposition in a March
letter to commissioners.

Applicant and parcel owner David Gertz envisions the neighborhood as a
community of pilots. Plat notes would disclose noise associated with living
near the airport.

He said adjacent parcels could be developed industrially to create a
mixed-use area.

"Having a residential pilot community might actually further the goal of the
county in attracting industrial development," Gertz said.

"I think it would be an appropriate mix to have some residential then have
some industrial to the west ... . It's not something everyone can offer and
you can look at it like that. It could be an advantage all the way around."

Commissioners recommended Gertz consider a planned unit development allowing
mixed zoning on the property. They allowed Gertz to roll over application
fees already paid to any new application received within one year.

"This plan is not going to work, however I think Mr. Gertz had some comments
that could be pursued," commissioner Tim Glenn said. "Perhaps the best way
would be the PUD route and working with the city, county and airport board
to come up with something."

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http://www.californiaaviation.org/dcfp/dcboard.php

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