Erie will not move forward with development of a property in the southwest corner of 111th Street and Arapahoe Road, with council members saying the area needed traffic and water drainage improvements before adding more residential units.
The Erie Town Council voted 5-1 to not pass the high density residential zoning ordinance, with only Councilmember Dan Hoback voting to approve the zoning. The Tuesday meeting was continued from the June 11 meeting after more than three hours of public comment.
The 19.33 acre property was annexed into the town in March, and does not have a designated land use. The developers Thompson Thrift requested high density zoning, which allows for 15 to 25 dwelling units per acre. At the June 11 meeting, Marcus Pachner, partner at the Pachner Company and developer representative, said that the proposed development would have 336 units with 40 designated affordable housing units.
Mayor Justin Brooks stated that while the property does meet the town’s qualifications for high density zoning, like being within walking distance of commercial areas and near transit routes, the town owed it to residents to improve the drainage, traffic and utilities in the area.
“We’re not ready for this development at this time,” Brooks said.
Brooks and Mayor pro tem Sara Loflin said that the town needs to improve its affordable housing stock, but the town first needs to direct its attention to improving the 111th Street and Arapahoe Road corridor.
Councilmember Emily Baer also said that the area does not have the adequate infrastructure to support the addition of 336 units.
“We’ll get there, I believe entirely that we’ll get there and I think this will be a good site for future development, but I agree, I don’t think we are there right now,” Baer said.
During the June 11 meeting, the council heard comments from more than 80 Erie and Lafayette residents expressing their concerns about the proposed development. Pachner previously stated that the development would help detain stormwater and improve traffic by adding turning lanes at the intersection of 111th Street and Arapahoe Road.
Councilmember Andrew Sawusch said when that many residents come to a meeting to express their concerns about a development, the town needs to listen and take their concerns into serious consideration. He said that adding the development could fix the traffic and drainage issues, but there was no guarantee and the council was only approving the zoning at the Tuesday meeting.
Town Attorney Kendra Carberry said there is “no such thing as conditional zoning,” and the council could not agree to the high density zoning with the promise from the developers to improve traffic and drainage.
