The Ranches Sketch Plan

The Ranches Sketch Plan APPLICATION: RURAL LAND USE PROCESS (AKA CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT) HEARING DATES: Planning Commission: 12 July 2017 at 6:30 pm Board of County Commissioners: TBD APPLICANT: REQUEST: LEGAL DESCRIPTION: LOCATION: ZONE DISTRICT: AREA: Quad Ranch, LLC represented Jeff Vogel, Vogel & Associates A 17-lot Rural Land Use subdivision Portions of Section 16 and 17, Township 1 South, Range 75 West of the 6 th P.M., County of Grand Approximately 1 mile west of Fraser between GCR 8 on the south and GCR 83 on the north F Forestry and Open District 560.4 acres STAFF CONTACT: William Gray, bgray@co.grand.co.us, 970-725-3128 ATTACHMENTS: 1) Letter of Request 2) Vicinity Map 3) Sketch Plan 4) Soils Report

Planning Commission 12 July 2017 Board of County Commissioners TBD The Ranches Sketch Plan Background History: Quad Rock, LLC is the owner of 560-acres that is located west of the Town of Fraser and situated between GCR 8 on the south and GCR 83 and Devils Thumb Ranch Resort on the north. The property is not contained within an Urban or Rural Growth Boundary as defined by the 2011 Master Plan. Overall, the property is undeveloped and has been utilized for agriculture and recreation. Both winter and summer Devils Thumb Ranch trails are located on a portion of the property. In the last decade there has also been a considerable amount of forest management that has taken place on the property. Adjacent land uses include low-density residential and Devils Thumb Resort. Access to property is from GCR 8 and GCR 83. The property generally slopes downward from the south to the northeast. Slopes across the site range from 5% to 35%. There are a few minor drainage through the property There are two main soil types on the property and they are Cowdrey loam and Gateway loam. These soil types do have a high shrink swell potential which is their most limiting characteristic with respect to community development. Adequate control of surface runoff, minimizing steep cut slopes will be necessary with road design to avoid excessive erosion of roads and driveways. In addition, site specific soils investigation will be necessary to ensure foundations and OWTS s are properly designed and constructed. Radon gas is a potential hazard in most areas of Grand County. The only way to determine radon levels is to test for it after construction and most homes with at grade or below grade levels will have radon levels that exceed EPA acceptable indoor radon levels. Project Description: The Applicant according to the sketch plan letter is proposing to subdivide the 504 acres using the County s Rural Land Use Process (aka Cluster Development). This process is in place as an alternative to the traditional 35-acre subdivision, to encourage clustering of residential dwellings, preserve open space and reduce extension of roads and utilities to serve the development. In addition, the process authorizes a density bonus of not to exceed two (2) units for each 35-acre increment (e.g., 1,000 acres/35 acres = 28 units * 2 = 56 total lots) and requires at least 67% dedicated open space. Based on the submitted sketch plan the application only contains 334.8 acres. The Applicant shall clarify the development boundary and acreage. For the purpose of this review, the proposed application is for a cluster development that contains 334.8 acres. 2 P age

Planning Commission 12 July 2017 Board of County Commissioners TBD The Ranches Sketch Plan The proposed application is proposing a total of 17-lots that range in size from 13-acres to 33-acres. Under the cluster development regulations that Applicant could propose up to 18 lots. Each lot is proposed to have a prescribed building envelope. The building envelopes range in area from just under 1-acre to 2.4 acres. The development, not counting roads and driveways, will only impact 25.9 acres of the total development area. Dedicated common open space under the plan totals 225.6 acres or 67% of the total development area. If you factor in the undeveloped areas for each lot open lands within the development is closer to 75%. The proposed configuration clusters the residential sites around the perimeter of the development taking to take advantage of the topography that is best suited for development, provides each site with views into the open space and outward to the Continental Divide and Byers Peak. Access to the development is proposed by a private road system that will connect to GCR 8 and GCR 83. The road is proposed as a low volume road and it is proposed to be gated at each end so that its use is limited to the lot owners within the subdivision and not used as a connector route to Devils Thumb Ranch Resort. The majority of the lots will be accessed from the main road system. Lots 1 and 2, and Lots 14 and 15 have access by way of a shared driveway. Each lot will be served by an on-site well and on-site wastewater treatment system (OWTS). Based on utilities in the area the development is in a location where there is adequate access to electric, gas, phone and cable. The Applicant shall consult with all utility providers prior to submitting the preliminary plan. Compliance with the Grand County Master Plan, Zoning and Subdivision Regulations I. Master Plan The proposed development is located in unincorporated Grand County and is not contained within a designated county growth area (GAB). Development is not discourage outside of a GAB. Goals of the master plan include preserving open space, protecting wildlife habitat and critical areas and enhance and maintain rural character of lands with contiguity to forest lands and agricultural lands. The proposed cluster development will assist to preserve open space and its important characteristics (open lands, steep slopes, creeks, streams, rivers and drainages, wetlands and wildlife habitat) in the Fraser area of Grand County. The applicant has stated that they intend to develop design standards to address site planning, architecture and landscaping. To this end, the Design Standards should also address the following: a. Fencing standards to promote wildlife movement through property (i.e, no perimeter fencing of the development, lots or building envelopes) b. Site disturbance standards (i.e., all site specific improvements (structures, accessory buildings, groundwater wells and OWTS s are required to be located within the prescribed building envelopes). c. Lighting standards that promote preservation of the night sky. 3 P age

Planning Commission 12 July 2017 Board of County Commissioners TBD The Ranches Sketch Plan d. Architectural standards to promote the use of natural materials (wood, stone, stucco or composites having similar characteristic) and earth tone colors for façade and roof colors. Trim and accent areas may feature brighter complimenting colors). e. Landscape standards that promote erosion and sediment control, revegetation, noxious weed control and wildfire defensible space. II. Zoning Section 6.1, Forestry and Open District. Proposed use of the lot is single family residential. Single Family Residential is permitted in the zone district. Proposed lot area and lot width exceed the minimum required in this zone district (5-acre minimum lot area and 200 feet minimum lot width). The proposed development complies with County Zoning Regulations. III. Rural Land Use Process Section 4.1, Sketch Plan The purpose of the sketch plan review is for the Planning Commission to review the general layout of open space, critical areas (i.e., steep slopes), home sites, lot lines and roads and to insure; (1) that the proposed development is in accordance with the Master Plan and the Rural Land Use Process; (2) that adequate utilities and access are available; and (3) that the property on which the cluster development is proposed is at least apparently suitable for development in the manner contemplated by the developer. Based on the plans and information provided with the application Staff finds the following: 1) The application is in accordance with the Master Plan and Rural Land Use; 2) Adequate access and utilities are available to the development; and 3) The property is suited for the development as it is proposed. The sketch plan shall contain or be accompanied by the following information: (a) Relevant site characteristics and existing features analyses applicable to the proposed cluster development. This requirement is met. Recreation trail are very important in the Fraser Valley. The Applicant is required to consult with Headwater Trails Alliance prior to submitting the preliminary plan. (b) Reports concerning streams, lakes, topography, geology, soils and vegetation. This requirement is met. (c) Reports concerning geologic characteristics of the area significantly affecting the land use and determining the impact of such characteristics on the proposed cluster development. 4 P age

Planning Commission 12 July 2017 Board of County Commissioners TBD The Ranches Sketch Plan This requirement is met. (d) In areas of potential radiation hazard to the proposed future land use, these potential radiation hazards shall be evaluated. The application did not address radiation hazard. Radon is a known hazard in the County. It is hazard that cannot be tested until a structure is built. It is appropriate to require that all residential units with at grade or below grade levels have an underslab ventilation system installed during construction to minimize radon build up (e) A sketch drawing and other documentation showing the proposed layout of the cluster development, including the total development area, the total area of open space or critical areas to be preserved and their location, the total number of home sites and other buildings and their location, and the location of road and lot lines. This requirement is met. The Applicant is wanting to construct the main road system this summer prior to final development approval. Once an application is submitted the no installation of improvements is permitted until after approval of the final plan by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). If the Applicant, wants to pursue the road improvements prior to final approval a formal request to the BOCC will have to be submitted for their consideration. Planning Commission Review N/A Recommendation Staff recommends approval of The Ranches A Cluster Development Sketch Plan with the following conditions to be met and addressed with the submittal of the preliminary plan: 1. The roads and open space are required to be dedicated to a Property Owners Association. 2. The parcel owned by the Applicant located between GCR 8 and the south boundary of the sketch plan is incorporated into the total development area. 3. Design standards as addressed in the application and Staff Report are provided. 4. Radon mitigation shall be required at the time of construction as addressed in the Staff Report and made a requirement of the design standards being developed for this application. 5. The Applicant shall consult with all utility providers, East Grand Fire Protection District and Headwater Trails Alliance prior to submitting the preliminary plan. 5 P age

Planning Commission 12 July 2017 Board of County Commissioners TBD The Ranches Sketch Plan 6. The preliminary plan shall meet and/or address all design standards contained in Article II, Rural Land Use Process. 7. All preliminary plan requirements as contained in the Rural Land Use Process, Road and Bridge Standards, Storm Drainage Standards and Erosion Control Manual are provided when the preliminary plan is submitted. 6 P age

UV 83 UV 84 UV 83 UV 843 UV8315 0 0.2 0.4 Miles UV 8300 UV 8306 UV 83 DEVIL'S THUMB RANCH, THE RANCHES RURAL LAND USE SKETCH PLAN UV 8304 I UV 83 Devils Thumb Ranch SITE Parcels HIghways County Rds UV 8035 UV 5 Fraser UV 8032 UV 731 Proposed Access UV 8 UV 850 UV 8500 UV 833 UV 830 UV 8 Grand County G.I.S. GRAND COUNTY GOVERNMENT Courthouse, 308 Byers Ave., P.O. Box #264 Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451 Phone (970) 725-3347 Fax (970) 725-3303 Mapped, edited, and published by the Grand County Geographic Information System (GCGIS) Dept. Parts compiled from U.S. West Landbase Data digitized from the Grand County Assessor Parcel Base Maps(1997). DISCLAIMER: This map is for illustrative purposes only, and is not suitable for parcel specific decision making. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL GCGIS DATA BE USED FOR FINAL DESIGN PURPOSES. More site-specific studies may be required to make decisions and draw accurate conclusions. This product has been developed for County use only. The GIS database and data in the products are subject to constant change. Its accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed. GCGIS makes no warranties or guarantees, either expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or correctness of such products nor accepts any liability arising from any incorrect, incomplete or misleading information contained therein. (c)copyright 1998 by the County of Grand, Colorado,U.S.A. The information contained herein is for personal use Only. Any redistribution of this information is Strictly prohibited without permission by the County of Grand, Colorado.

THE RANCHES - SKETCH PLAN A PORTION OF SEC 16 & 17 T1S R75W WEST OF THE 6TH P.M., GRAND COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO SKETCH PLAN BOUNDARY CR 83 WETLANDS TABERNASH CR 83 DEVIL'S THUMB LODGE HIGH LONESOME LODGE WETLANDS SUNSET RIDGE DEVIL'S THUMB LODGE EXISTING TRAILS SITE CR 8 FRASER EXISTING TREES SKETCH PLAN BOUNDARY EXISTING DRIVE PREPARED BY: 475 W. 12th Avenue - Suite E Denver, Colorado 80204-3688 (303) 893-4288 SHEET NO: ACCESS OFF OF CR 8 DATE: JUNE 19, 2017 CR 8 REVISION DATE:

THE RANCHES - SKETCH PLAN A PORTION OF SEC 16 & 17 T1S R75W WEST OF THE 6TH P.M., GRAND COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO 13 WETLANDS DEVIL'S THUMB LODGE MATCHLINE NORTH MATCHLINE SOUTH 12 POTENTIAL HIKING/SKI TRAILS HIGH LONESOME LODGE 30%+ SLOPES 11 COMMON OPEN SPACE BOUNDARY COMMON OPEN SPACE BOUNDARY 10 1 17 9 GATED ENTRY CR 83 2 WETLANDS 30%+ SLOPES 16 POTENTIAL HIKING/SKI TRAILS SHARED DRIVE 5 BUILDING ENVELOPE 6 PRESERVE EXISTING TREES 3 7 SKETCH PLAN BOUNDARY SHARED DRIVE 15 8 14 BUILDING ENVELOPE 13 4 DEVIL'S THUMB LODGE MATCHLINE NORTH MATCHLINE SOUTH 12 HIGH LONESOME LODGE PRIVATE ACCESS DRIVE (20' ASPHALT 1' SHOULDER) GATED ENTRY PREPARED BY: ACCESS OFF OF CR 8 475 W. 12th Avenue - Suite E Denver, Colorado 80204-3688 (303) 893-4288 CR 8 SHEET NO: DATE: JUNE 19, 2017 REVISION DATE: