by Aaron Vehling
Thisweek Newspapers

The Fountain Valley comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning has been delayed.

Colin Garvey and Bryce Olson submitted applications to amend the comprehensive plan and to rezone the Fountain Valley Golf Course property on Highway 50 and 225th Street to accommodate residential and commercial development.

Garvey was on-hand at the Nov. 20 Farmington City Council meeting, as was Castle Rock Town Board Chairman Russ Zellmer and Vice Chairman Arlyn Lamb.

Their trip to Farmington was for naught, though, as any action was tabled until the Castle Rock Town Board could review the proposal. The issue was prematurely placed on the agenda, to the dismay of the City Council.

The Orderly Annexation Agreement (OAA), which set up an area of about 1,000 acres of Castle Rock land which Farmington can annex should a landowner initiate it, calls for the town board to have adequate time to look over proposed changes to land that will be annexed.

The Fountain Valley proposal was approved by the city's Planning Commission and was brought forth in front of the City Council Nov. 20 for final approval before the Castle Rock Town Board could look at it.

A few council members, including Steve Wilson, were frustrated that the issue was brought to the meeting at all, given the stipulation in the OAA.

"We're wasting [the landowners' and Castle Rock officials'] time," Wilson said to city staff.

Town supervisors will review the proposal Dec. 12 and the issue should return to City Hall for City Council consideration Dec. 18, according to City Planner Lee Smick.

The proposal calls for the 162-acre property to be split up into a number of different land use zones.

About 117 acres of that would be zoned for some form of residential development.

The southern portion of the property, about 40 acres, would be zoned R-1 (low density residential). The central 55 acres would be zoned R-2 (low-medium residential). The northeastern 22 acres gets an R-3 designation (medium density residential).

About 18 acres in the northwest would be designated B-1 (commercial) and 15 acres would be zoned P/OS (Park/Open Space).

Aaron Vehling is at aaron.vehling@ecm-inc.com.