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CARBONDALE, Colorado — Residents shouldn't have to worry about staring at an empty hole in the ground or vacant shell of a building with approval of the proposed Village at Crystal River mixed-use development, according to developer Rich Schierburg.
Unlike the kind of speculative building that led to half-finished projects at places like Willits in Basalt and the Snowmass Base Village when the national economy tanked, the “new economy” won't allow it, Schierburg said at the first Carbondale Board of Trustees public hearing for his project Tuesday night.
“Banks got burned before, and I don't expect you'll see any speculative building in the next 20 years,” he said. “Spec development is just not something that's going to be on the table for a long time.”
In fact, the Village at Crystal River — proposed for 125,000 square feet of commercial space, including a 60,000 square-foot grocer, with up to 268 residential units on 24 acres bordering the west side of Highway 133 in Carbondale — will likely take a decade or more to build out.
Carbondale trustees got their first look at Schierburg's plans Tuesday, following a 5-2 vote of confidence in December from the town's Planning and Zoning Commission.
In addition to the proposed commercial/retail space and mix of town houses, condominiums, apartments, deed-restricted employee housing and live-work units, the plan calls for 16,000 square feet of office space.
Multiple buildings, some up to four stories tall, would be spread throughout the site, with the grocery store and larger parking area on the north end of the property, and a common green space between a grouping of buildings on the south end of the property.
A series of public streets and pedestrian/bike paths would connect parking areas. Roundabouts along Highway 133 would serve a main entrance at Nieslanik Way and a secondary entrance at Industry Place, with a right-in, right-out only entrance just to the south of there.
Additional access to the site would be at the Hendrick Drive intersection on West Main Street, and further west off Main Street as well.
A complete copy of the Village at Crystal River applications, including site plan maps, is posted on the town's website at www.carbondalegov.org — follow the links to Town Departments/Community Development/New Development Proposals.
The proposed development site is where the controversial Crystal River Marketplace big box development initially gained the town council's approval in 2003. That plan called for a total of 230,000 square feet of commercial, with a 125,000-square-foot anchor space intended for a “big box” retailer. The plan was shot down in a public referendum election in July 2003.
The new plan grew out of the controversy surrounding that project, when the town formed an Economic Roadmap Group to help determine the future of the commercially zoned property.
Schierburg, of Peregrine Group Development in Denver, became part of that process after joining a group of investors to purchase the property from former Marketplace developer Brian Huster.
“I spent a lot of time listening to people and what they had to say about this site,” Schierburg said.
At one point in 2006, Schierburg presented two development options for the site, a “commerce” plan, calling for big box Home Depot store, and a “character” plan, which was more in keeping with the recommendations of the Roadmap Group.
The character plan initially envisioned smaller “junior anchor” commercial pads of between 20,000 and 40,000 square feet in the center “flex zone” portion of the development site. However, the market did not support that type of development, at least not now, Schierburg said.
The compromise was additional residential development, which the market would be more likely to support.
“The theme I want to convey here is flexibility,” Schierburg said, adding the final mix could be heavier on the commercial development side, or more residential.
“I am highly motivated to maximize the commercial potential of this property,” he said.
Although a specific grocer has not committed to the site, he said he is confident that a grocery store will commit once the project is approved.
“I wouldn't be here representing this plan if I didn't think I would get a grocer,” Schierburg said.
Other potential uses could include restaurants, possibly even fast food, a gas station and a bank.
A handful of citizens offered comments on the proposal before the public hearing was continued until Feb. 23.
Some comments related to the merits of roundabouts versus signalized intersections.
“I do have a concern about roundabouts, and the safety issue with regards to pedestrians,” Terry Kirk, owner of one of the nearby strip malls, said. “I think it will just create more conflicts, and put up a boundary between east and west Carbondale.”
Carbondale resident Gavin Brooke advised that whatever the town approves for the commercial site now will most likely change down the road.
“No matter what you approve, you're going to see the developer back in here asking for adjustments,” he said.
jstroud@postindependent.com
Unlike the kind of speculative building that led to half-finished projects at places like Willits in Basalt and the Snowmass Base Village when the national economy tanked, the “new economy” won't allow it, Schierburg said at the first Carbondale Board of Trustees public hearing for his project Tuesday night.
“Banks got burned before, and I don't expect you'll see any speculative building in the next 20 years,” he said. “Spec development is just not something that's going to be on the table for a long time.”
In fact, the Village at Crystal River — proposed for 125,000 square feet of commercial space, including a 60,000 square-foot grocer, with up to 268 residential units on 24 acres bordering the west side of Highway 133 in Carbondale — will likely take a decade or more to build out.
Carbondale trustees got their first look at Schierburg's plans Tuesday, following a 5-2 vote of confidence in December from the town's Planning and Zoning Commission.
In addition to the proposed commercial/retail space and mix of town houses, condominiums, apartments, deed-restricted employee housing and live-work units, the plan calls for 16,000 square feet of office space.
Multiple buildings, some up to four stories tall, would be spread throughout the site, with the grocery store and larger parking area on the north end of the property, and a common green space between a grouping of buildings on the south end of the property.
A series of public streets and pedestrian/bike paths would connect parking areas. Roundabouts along Highway 133 would serve a main entrance at Nieslanik Way and a secondary entrance at Industry Place, with a right-in, right-out only entrance just to the south of there.
Additional access to the site would be at the Hendrick Drive intersection on West Main Street, and further west off Main Street as well.
A complete copy of the Village at Crystal River applications, including site plan maps, is posted on the town's website at www.carbondalegov.org — follow the links to Town Departments/Community Development/New Development Proposals.
The proposed development site is where the controversial Crystal River Marketplace big box development initially gained the town council's approval in 2003. That plan called for a total of 230,000 square feet of commercial, with a 125,000-square-foot anchor space intended for a “big box” retailer. The plan was shot down in a public referendum election in July 2003.
The new plan grew out of the controversy surrounding that project, when the town formed an Economic Roadmap Group to help determine the future of the commercially zoned property.
Schierburg, of Peregrine Group Development in Denver, became part of that process after joining a group of investors to purchase the property from former Marketplace developer Brian Huster.
“I spent a lot of time listening to people and what they had to say about this site,” Schierburg said.
At one point in 2006, Schierburg presented two development options for the site, a “commerce” plan, calling for big box Home Depot store, and a “character” plan, which was more in keeping with the recommendations of the Roadmap Group.
The character plan initially envisioned smaller “junior anchor” commercial pads of between 20,000 and 40,000 square feet in the center “flex zone” portion of the development site. However, the market did not support that type of development, at least not now, Schierburg said.
The compromise was additional residential development, which the market would be more likely to support.
“The theme I want to convey here is flexibility,” Schierburg said, adding the final mix could be heavier on the commercial development side, or more residential.
“I am highly motivated to maximize the commercial potential of this property,” he said.
Although a specific grocer has not committed to the site, he said he is confident that a grocery store will commit once the project is approved.
“I wouldn't be here representing this plan if I didn't think I would get a grocer,” Schierburg said.
Other potential uses could include restaurants, possibly even fast food, a gas station and a bank.
A handful of citizens offered comments on the proposal before the public hearing was continued until Feb. 23.
Some comments related to the merits of roundabouts versus signalized intersections.
“I do have a concern about roundabouts, and the safety issue with regards to pedestrians,” Terry Kirk, owner of one of the nearby strip malls, said. “I think it will just create more conflicts, and put up a boundary between east and west Carbondale.”
Carbondale resident Gavin Brooke advised that whatever the town approves for the commercial site now will most likely change down the road.
“No matter what you approve, you're going to see the developer back in here asking for adjustments,” he said.
jstroud@postindependent.com
