In a session lasting just 50 minutes on July 5, the Salida City Council and Planning Commission heard two presentations as well as heard three preliminary annexation/zoning reviews.
Extraordinary Teen Council (ETC)
Incoming ETC liaisons to Salida City Council Jasper Coen (left) and Ben Smith (right) introduce themselves to council members. Dibby Olson/FYI photo
Newly appointed youth representatives Ben Smith and Jasper Coen, outlined summer plans for Salida teens, including a “Don’t Be Dumb” impaired driving event on June 22.
Coen described plans for working with the Partnership for Community Action on a “safe spaces” program for teens in the upcoming school year.
When asked what Council might need from the ETC, Council Member Harald Kasper suggested that the ETC review all council agendas, looking for topics where youth might be directly affected or could provide balancing perspective. Member Alisa Pappenfort urged that the ETC work with the Boys & Girls Club to see if the second floor teen space there might be used for teen game nights.
Solvista Health And Salida Police Discuss Co-Responder Program
Representatives from Solvista Health, together with a Salida Police Sgt. Lance Cliff then offered first-hand accounts of their teamwork in the new co-responder program that seeks to deescalate and provided timely resources in situations involving those in metal health crises.
Annexation and Zoning Requests
Council and Planning Members Consider Preliminary Annexation and Zoning Requests
611 Oak Street Annexation
The annexation for the new Salida Fire Station drew a few questions from Planning. Giff Kriebel expressed concerns about proximity to the schools and asked for all-way stop emergency traffic controls. Community Development and Planning Director Bill Almquist explained that CDOT largely controls that, given it being Hwy 291, but there were multiple options for safety.
Image courtesy of the City of Salida.
New Planning member Brian Colby asked about future infill in the area and it was suggested that it would be more of the same; C-1 Commercial and R-4 Residential with a possibility of a future “Institutional” Zone for the fire station site.
Fire Chief Doug Bess stated that just 15 percent of their 1,100 calls per year are with lights and sirens and that staff is used to being cautious leaving the current downtown site. Bess also responded to Council Member Critelli’s inquiry and said they hoped to have cooperative programs with the nearby schools to help students learn about firefighting work at an early age.
With the City being the property owner, the annexation will move forward through a somewhat abbreviated process, but one with a public hearing.
Newman Annexation – 7680 County Road 140
A conceptual Review of the Newman Annexation and Zoning applications followed where applicant Christopher Newman is requesting R-3 High Density Residential Zoning for his 1-acre property. The site is surrounded by a mix of both R-2 and R-3 properties.
The applicant indicated he had no immediate plans but that he might do workforce housing in the future. It was noted that annexations follow state statutes and the Chaffee County Comprehensive Plan. As there were no further questions, the annexation will continue to move through the process.
West End Subdivision Lot 15 Zoning – County Road 140
Applicant Tory Unchurch has applied to rezone Lot 15 of his previously approved West End Subdivision from R-2 to R-3, adjacent to the proposed Newman Annexation and the under-construction Angelview subdivision. The Lot 15 proposal is for three duplexes (6 units, with room for a seventh, all facing CR 140). Planning Vice-Chair Francie Bomer advocated for one or more of the additional units to also be under inclusionary housing (IH) provisions, in return for the R-3 zoning.
After further discussion, the applicant indicated that the entire Lot 15 will be built under IH rules, but that Phase 1 financing only pencils out with six IH units at this time. Upchurch indicated that a Phase 2 financing plan might make a seventh IH unit possible. Planning member Kriebel asked about the timing of these IH units in proportion to the total build-out. Upchurch responded that some of the IH units will be within the first 12 homes built and that all six will be in Phase 1 before the first 24 units are done.
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