DOLORES – After a lengthy debate extending well into Monday night, the Dolores Town Board approved a concept plan for the new development proposed at Riverside and Third Street by KKV Development’s Broc Smith.
Twelve locals addressed town trustees during a 30-minute public comment period. Many raised sweeping concerns from the proposal’s density, height, added traffic or lighting to the units being likely to increase the town’s population, which they weren’t in favor of. The sentiment was raised initially during another long-lasting public comment session at an earlier Dolores Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
“This isn’t Dolores, I’ve lived here since 1980,” Emily Budd said during public comments. “The stress is unbearable to think about what’s happening across the street from me.”
Others expressed worry over a change in neighborhood character.
Another commenter, Holly Asher, said, “It is really a tough situation.”
The long meeting was tense at times. Town attorney Ethan Sumrall reminded the board their job in their acting quasi-judicial role is applying the existing code to the facts of the concept plan – not to rewrite the town law during the meeting.
The conceptual review does not grant final building rights. The decision was about whether the concept can reasonably meet code in the future, not whether the designs fully complied Monday evening. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended it for approval at a meeting last week.
Town employees continually brought extra chairs to accommodate a growing crowd. The meeting concluded with Sumrall raising concerns about Mayor Pro-Tem Chris Curry’s proximity to the project site and personal statements he made.
Sumrall suggested Curry recuse himself from the vote.
Reflected in board minutes is Curry’s statement upon adjourning that he can fairly participate in the discussion and decision making:
“I would like to make a disclosure for the record. I own a home in proximity to the proposed planned unit development project. While I do not have a financial interest in this application and do not believe this rises to the level of a conflict requiring recusal, I am disclosing this relationship in the interest of transparency.”
The board ultimately voted 5-1 in favor of the concept plan. Trustees Curry, Derek Beckman, Marie Roan, Linnea Peterson, Josh Maule voted for the concept plan, while Trustee Bill McCoy voted no.
“I’ve heard some people say, ‘If we aren’t growing we are dying,’” Maule said. “I think we need to go into this with cool heads – all of us – and work together and see what we can do.”
The development is in preliminary stages and needs a formal site plan submission requiring additional studies, public hearings, board approvals and a demonstration of code compliance to proceed.
The concept plan is not required under the Dolores Land Use Code but optional through state statute, essentially allowing a developer to sketch ideas, gauge staff feedback and public support before he or she heavily invests in a project.
Smith, a Dolores native, discussed a drive to bring additional housing at an accessible price point, emphasizing that his company only uses locally-sourced products such as wood, concrete and mud, and it employs a local workforce.
“We recognize that there is a housing shortage and providing attainable and reasonably priced housing is desperately needed there,” Smith said in the concept plan documents.
Part of the concept presented a three-story, 12-unit building at 207 S. 3rd St. with six long-term rentals and six units for sale, each having approximately two to three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a single-car garage. A second property at 206 S. 3rd Street is proposed for a mixed-use area of four two-story buildings, with the ground-level occupied for commercial businesses and the top level to serve as apartments.
In total, it’s a 16-unit subdivision. Twelve apartments at 207, at approximately 1,350-square feet, may potentially sell for $350,00 to $360,000 per unit and rent for about $1,000-$1,500 on average – which may change depending on build and development costs – according to board documents.
Smith told the crowd Monday he’s considering public concerns and will likely redesign the original idea.
He said he is considering eliminating a unit on each side of the proposal to make way for more parking on Riverside.
After the meeting with the planning board, he said he walked and drove the empty lots, noting vocal opposition to raising population density and traffic, and that he may adjust accordingly.
On Monday, Smith mentioned planning for additional landscaping – mainly trees to provide privacy and a natural barrier to “keep the small-town feel.”
“The population density would be down. I think with the new parking proposal and the stuff we have mitigated there, I think it is really going to be a happy medium for myself and all the residents,” Smith said, noting the costs may rise on the units to the south with less density.
awatson@the-journal.com
