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Another continuance for the Village at Crystal River proposal

John Stroud
Post Independent Staff
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

CARBONDALE, Colorado – A school, daycare center, medical facility, hotel or some type of light manufacturing could be among the job-generating uses in the so-called “flex zone” portion of the proposed Village at Crystal River mixed-use development.

Developer Rich Schierburg could also be allowed to build two, four-story residential buildings in that section of the larger 24-acre development as a last resort, if efforts to attract commercial uses prove fruitless.

Potential uses for the proposed lots 6A and 6B of the Village at Crystal River dominated discussion at a continued public hearing before the Carbondale Board of Trustees Tuesday night.



No decisions were made, and no real consensus was reached on whether to even allow four-story buildings as proposed. The hearing was continued until May 25.

“This is the most unique parcel in the whole development,” Trustee John Hoffmann said. “I can see some type of education or medical facility there, and I’d like to maintain the flexibility for that to happen.



“If we say upfront that it can be residential, it will end up being apartments,” he said.

The roughly 38,000 square-foot portion of the larger planned unit development proposal is located in the center “flex zone,” on the far western portion of the property away from Highway 133.

Schierburg, of Denver-based Peregrine Group Development, is seeking zoning approval for 125,000 square feet of total commercial space, including a 58,000 square-foot grocery store anchor on the north end of the property.

He is also asking for up to 268 residential units to be allowed on the site, which borders the west side of Highway 133, north of Main Street in Carbondale.

Most of the residences would be situated in several buildings fronting Main Street. However, additional units are also proposed in the center flex zone, which could end up being more residential than commercial, depending on market demand, Schierburg said.

Lots 6A and 6B, in particular, pose a problem for attracting retail commercial users, because they are so far removed from the highway, he said.

“I would like to put uses there that are job-creating, but not necessarily revenue-generating for the town,” he said.

That could include a school or light manufacturing of some sort. However, those types of uses may require a conditional use permit from the town, if not a special use permit. A special use involves a more involved review process, and could be denied by the town.

Schierburg said he would like such uses to be either allowed by right without additional approval, or by conditional permit, which requires only a limited town review.

jstroud@postindependent.com


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