DOLORES – A local developer’s proposal could bring affordably priced housing and commercial space to downtown Dolores at Riverside Avenue and South Third Street.
KKV Developers is proposing a 12-unit, three-story building with six for-sale houses and six long-term rentals at an empty lot at 207 S. Third St. with the aim of addressing a housing shortage for teachers and workers. But the proposal was not made without pushback from some residents.
Some opposition acknowledge the need for more housing but say the higher-density apartments would potentially forego Dolores’s small-town feel by adding traffic and more to a town of a little over 960 people.
Others worry about added lighting, site overcrowding and increased parking. One commenter at a Dolores Planning and Zoning Commission meeting argued a three-story building with no similarly sized Riverside structures to the south is too tall.
“Its just way, way too high,” resident Jay Swanson said in a public comment. “The land-use code talks about livability. With a plan like this, the livability in the whole west end will really be affected.”
Another person mentioned a potential culture change.
“We want more people to live in Dolores – we definitely need more housing – but do we want to sacrifice the lifestyle and culture we have for that?” said Sarah Vass.
Ultimately, the concept plan was recommended by the Dolores Planning and Zoning Commission.
Town Manager Leigh Reeves said Thursday the developer will likely edit its proposal based on feedback before the town board reviews it Monday at a regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 601 Central Ave.
Much of the public commentary extended gratitude to Smith and the work of KKV Development toward local economic expansion, even if disagreeing on the current project terms.
Marianne Mate, a former mayor, read from Dolores’s 1997 Comprehensive Plan, which is currently being updated. She quoted a section about preserving the town’s historic, small-town character by building in appropriate locations.
“You think about the visual impact of this development to Riverside and that whole neighborhood, the character of that whole neighborhood, it just does not fit,” she said.
The proposed project area is originally platted for downtown mixed use. Some attendees opposed allowing greater zoning changes requested by the developer. But Reeves said by changing the zoning to a planned unit development, the town creates an opportunity to negotiate specific trade-offs and request community benefits that would not be possible under standard mixed-use zoning.
Not all commentary was opposed. Attendee Linda Johnson, a business partner with the Smith organization, voiced support for how it could bring more people to Dolores.
“Nobody likes change, I don’t care how young you are, old you are,” Johnson said. “... Dolores needs to do something because we have nowhere for anyone to live.”
If the proposal receives approval from the town board, the developer can move forward to the site plan application. That will require additional reviews and decisions from the town board and the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Smith said on Tuesday he hopes to build attainable housing to alleviate a housing shortage for teachers, workers, and longtime residents.
Each of the 12 units would be approximately 1,350-square-feet large, featuring ground-floor tuck-under garages to accommodate parking and the flood plain regulations.
“I was trying to achieve affordability with a 1,350 square-feet unit in maximizing the space, that way people could afford the 1,350 square-foot house,” Smith said.
Smith estimates the units to have two to three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and sell for around $350,000 to $360,000 per unit and, according to board documents, rent for about $1,000-$1,500 on average – subject to change depending on build and development costs.
The development also includes four two-story, mixed-use structures, including a front-level commercial space with four second-floor apartments above at 206 S. 3rd St. Each unit would range in size from 750 to 1,000 square feet. The project would include six off-street parking spaces, with 12 additional spaces on-site.
Born and raised in Dolores, Smith said his family has a lot of various business interests in the town.
He said KKV Developments have revamped buildings and given Dolores an improved appearance.
KKV Development has built several similar Cortez housing subdivisions, but the organization has not done so in Dolores, Smith said.
“We need housing in Dolores, we need it badly. We are building a brand-new school, we are going to need housing for teachers, students,” he said. “Long-term friends of mine can’t even live in Dolores.”
Sarah Pritchard, an on-call town planner, presented a staff assessment.
Pritchard said the conceptual plan generally complies with town codes, but highlighted some deficiencies that may be further addressed before formal submission. The proposal’s building height and setback may not currently comply with town code but could be approved through a variance process.
The proposal has no plan for sidewalks, however, and is not complaint with the code’s common open-space requirements.
Smith proposed private backyards instead, which the code prohibits counting toward open-space requirements.
“We weren’t able to determine full general compliance at this time, however, we found that the project is generally consistent with the goals and objectives of the Dolores Comprehensive Plan,” Pritchard said.
She said there are no environmental or economic impact issues with the proposal.
awatson@the-journal.com
