HomeMy WebLinkAboutbocc.min.spec.02212002 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2002
Location: Plaza One Conference Room
1:00 PM SPECIAL MEETING
Land Use Code Revisions
4:00 PM ADJOURN SPECIAL MEETING
APPROVED JUNE 12, 2002
MINUTES
PITKIN COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
PITKIN COUNTY LAND USE CODE REVISIONS
FEBRUARY 21, 2002
NOTE: ALL STAFF MEMORANDUMS,LETTERS FROM THE PUBLIC AND
RELATED EXHIBITS ASSOCIATED WITH ALL HEARINGS ON THE PROPOSED
LAND USE CODE REVISIONS FOR 2002 ARE COMPILED AT END OF THE LAST
MEETING WHICH WAS HELD ON APRIL 23, 2002
CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Clapper called a special meeting of the Board of County
commissioners to order at 1:00 p.m.
COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: Commissioners Patti Clapper, Shellie Roy,
Dorothea Farris, Jack Hatfield and Mick Ireland (entered meeting late)
Chairperson Clapper said that rather than trying to make any decisions as a board without Mick
(Ireland) being here, we are going to go through some of the comments that the board has been
hoping to make and has not had the opportunity to make. And, discuss them over certain issues
and concepts that each individual board member may have.
Commissioner Farris has some specific comments that she wants to address as far as the RC zone
and agricultural uses and agricultural lands. Agricultural shall be hereafter referred to as AG.
Chairperson Clapper said that this is not technically a public meeting. It is a time for the board
to be able to discuss among themselves in order to get a feeling for where the individual board
members are going, the board as a whole and so that the public can hear those same comments.
And, that's where we're going to head, said Commissioner Clapper. That doesn't mean that we
may absolutely not open it up to any comment at the end if we have time, but the plan right now
is just for board discussion.
Commissioner Farris said that we have not, contrary to a lot of things I've heard had
conversations among ourselves. And, I really see this as a great opportunity. And, this is based
on review of the entire document discussions we've had and what we've heard. And, I do see
this, very much, as an opportunity for the board to have a board meeting in public rather than a
public meeting because we have not had that opportunity. The most recent comments I want to
make and they are just comments so that you guys know where some of my thoughts are
regarding this. I am not saying this is my decision about anything,just comments.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS I SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
Agricultural structures. If producing agricultural land is being used as a ranch and needs an AG
building I don't have a problem with the number and the height and the size. As we know, the
size in here isn't big enough to store your hay and some of the machines that they are building
today. And I think the ranchers know that better than we do and I don't have a problem with a
big barn. We travel around the country and look at the big barns in the Midwest because they're
so wonderful to look at. And yet, we say you can't do it. That it has to be one little building. I
don't have a problem. I'm talking about truly agriculturally productive land.
Housing, as well. If someone works on that ranch I don't have a problem with the housing. I
think the size of the house is something we're going to discuss. And, I don't think that every
employee needs a 15,000 square foot house or even a 5,750 square foot house. I have serious
problems with that.
Talking about size...it has nothing to do with shingles so I probably can't talk about my shingle
issue right now. Except that it's a land use issue. You can get aluminum or metal shingles that
look like shake shingles. Shake shingles, even treated, most firemen do not like because their
training tells them that they still harbor the embers, transfer the embers and will be the last house
you try to save because it is going to go.
We talked about employee housing and children of the owner of the ranch and I have no problem
with either of those issues. We also have a long letter on our email with regard to many of the
issues that were raised and this has to do with a communication from Bill Fales. I think there are
some serious questions and I think that Jack (Hatfield) has mentioned them about the land trust
issues. And, I'm not even going to go into that right now. I think the issue he brought up about
the ranch, which is next to the urban area and in Carbondale's Master Plan is very true. And, I
think we need to look at that property which is four miles from downtown Carbondale in a
different way from more remote land.
As far as AG buildings, a comment was made about office space. I don't even remember
reading in there about you can't have office space in an AG building. Of course you should be
able to have office space in an AG building. People work in there and I've seen some pretty nice
horse barns with hot and cold running water and office space and they're still used as horse
barns.
Employee dwelling units, again, housing your own employees has been a policy we've adhered
to and I think we want to adhere to it there.
And animal production such as buffalo, bison, llamas. I don't want to identify that you can have
pigs, but not horses or cows but not something else. I think that's something that can easily be
cleared up. As far as the number of horses that can be on a ranch, the carrying capacity was the
term that's raised by him. And, obviously the kind of land you're talking about is if it's a cliff
then the carrying capacity is a little different from the carrying capacity of good horse land. It
needs to be related to carrying capacity rather than the size of the acreage of the parcel.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 2 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
As far as land clearing, he comments that in order to do what you do on AG land sometimes
you're doing some land clearing work for your AG production. And, if it's related to that and
can be shown that it's related to that, it is part of what they do.
Again, the height of the building...people aren't going to build buildings higher than they really
need. If they're truly working in agriculture they're going to be building buildings that meet
their needs.
In terms of a plan for the entire site, I think what you need is a plan that designates. We're
talking about a percentage of the land that's designated for development. And, maybe you could
identify the development area or areas that will be used rather than exactly what will be put there
as long as it is within the housing for employees or children rather than a comprehensive plan
that requires a land use planner to work with them.
TDRs (transferable development rights) on site I really want to hear arguments for and against
that. TDRs on site don't offend me but they might depending on how they're used. I want a
serious discussion about the TDRs on and off site and how many acres for a TDR. In the first
draft, wasn't 70-acres what was recommended for a TDR in the AG plan as it was first presented
to us?
Commissioner Roy and another unknown speaker responded to Commissioner Farris' question
by saying one for thirty-five.
Commissioner Farris resumed her statements by saying that on the abatement issue she agrees
that if somebody buys a 5,000 square foot house and replaces the house, he has replaced what he
had. If I buy a house somewhere and it's a 4,000 square foot house and the zoning has changed
to 2,000 I could still replace and stay within the footprint and the building envelope.
So those were my issues.
Commissioner Hatfield began his comments. He said we're here today to basically look at the
RC zone and I have, in the past, complimented staff on the fact that they brought something to us
to chew on and, even though to a degree some of it is revolutionary in its thinking, it gave us a
starting point. And, I think that's important. We've had numerous public comments in about
three meetings. I've actually begun trying to go around the county and to different properties.
And, I would appreciate anyone who wants me to go on their property to give me a call at 923-
4680 and we'll schedule something. Being on the land helps me reinforce some of the things
that I know and I've also learned some new things so it's a good process.
If we look at the structure of what we have in the RC zone and then throughout the whole series
of zoning and the concept of the zoning and the philosophy behind it, goes from rural to semi-
rural to semi-urban to urban, intensity, in density, on the use of the land. I've looked at RC as
currently proposed as a RC with an A and B factor in it. I'm somewhat comfortable with that
structure, not necessarily the content, but the structure. I like that philosophy of the rural to the
urban.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 3 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
But, I am of the opinion, and I have heard property owners loud and clear, that the more
flexibility that we integrate into this zoning the better it is going to be for both property owners
and, I think, for the whole community because of what I call a sense of working with the people,
respecting what they've done or not done with their land, meaning sold out and developed it, etc.
So, I have actually come full circle and I support RC "A", as proposed with some tweaking, RC
"B", which was the next step up with more square footage, etc.
And then, what I'm calling RC "C"program which is, to a large degree, would be based on a lot
of the thinking that the AG committee proposed. And, this is a dramatic step for me to have
gone this far. But, I think it is important to have another option because options are going to
make this thing work, I think, for the long term.
I will tell you what I have not been able to get a grip on and I'm hoping, through this process and
working with the board, the staff, and continuing to work with the public, we can evolve some of
this and make some decisions. But, house size, whether the cap is 5,750 or larger, I don't know
yet. I'll admit that.
With TDRs I support the concept, but I don't want to create TDRs without value. So, I'm going
back and forth about where TDRs land. We have proposed many receiving sites, but I think a
good argument has been made about using TDRs on your own land. But, the house size issue is
really necessary to get your hands around that and chew on that first, and then we'll understand
how to use TDRs. And, what their value is I have a question about TDRs. Is it the 5,000/2500
we have now, is it all 2500? Members of the Planning Commission and the Crystal River
Caucus Task Force working on their Comp Plan are talking about weighted TDRs, I think, or at
least prioritizing I guess, is what I'm trying to say here. As to different lands would have
different priorities. And, I don't know how that works with TDRs and I really don't know what
the square footage value is yet.
I think we need a huge amount of discussion about the issue of non-conformities and what that
means. Somewhat consistent with that, because I understand if we looked at our proposed zoning
now, we have how we deal with subdivision, many subdivisions become non-conforming. And,
I need a lot more education and discussion on how to deal with that. And, I would like an
answer, at sometime from staff, to the question that I'd like to pose. The question is, is it
possible, if we have existing subdivisions already approved, platted, all of that, to leave them as
they are zoned? Or, is that really too inconsistent with what we're doing? I just really need a lot
of work on that one.
Then I'll go to the things that I've been able to land a little bit more securely on in knowing
where my direction is. First of all,the map is a draft and we need to understand that. Because
when you go look at the land and the existing uses around it, it is clear that we need some
adjustments.
On abatement, there's no way that I'm going to, as a single commissioner, approve tearing down
someone's house and all of that. Also, the issue that we have some language in our proposed
code about special review if you increase the use, etc. That's something that I hardly want to go
to unless it's so dramatic a change of use that, well maybe that would require a rezoning or
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 4 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
something. But, I'm not about to be looking over peoples' shoulder because they happened to
increase a little bit of their use or whatever, mostly consistent with what they're doing.
The subdivisions, existing ones. That one I'm inclined to believe that if it's not illegal or
something that I'm hearing...subdivisions might just keep a lot of how their existing approvals
exist and that's it. Now you're not going to hear Jack say get rid of 1041. 1 believe in 1041.
With AG buildings, I don't agree with the idea of even that RC might, what I call "A" its' AG
buildings are included in the square footage. I think AG buildings, historically, have been pretty
exempt in this community from development rights. And, I'm real flexible about AG buildings
and heights and all those things that have to do with who knows the land and who's going to
work the land. Truly AG.
Conservation easements, as proposed, we were going to require them as if you moved to another
category the RC "A"to "B"or whatever. I cannot support requiring conservation easements to
be locked up because you did something with ??(2540). That's completely a property owner's
option. And, we understand all those benefits with tax. If, in fact, the individual has enough
income to use a conservation for a tax write-off.
I would like to integrate within the work we're doing, a lot of flexibility about family and
employee housing on these true AG properties. And, I'm really addressing AG properties here.
Not the guy that happens to have 40-acres of open space and doesn't do anything. I'm really
talking about AG properties. On the real AG properties, I think it's important to understand that
our philosophy here and our goal is to keep these in operation, keep these as having the same
integrity of use that they have now, we ought to do some things to encourage that and some
incentives to make it work for people who are working the land.
The issue of what we've called clustering I am actually getting away from that wording,
clustering. As proposed, it was hugely limiting and I don't like the term. I would like to
incorporate because clustering really talks about siting and future development on properties.
You ought to have a lot of understanding of who knows the land the best, where they'd like to
put something. We'll have to deal with that but 150 feet from another home doesn't work too
well for me.
And, lastly, 1041. I truly believe in it and we have to figure out a way to have it work with
whatever kind of zoning we're doing because there are sensitive lands and there are dangerous
areas like avalanche, mud flow, etc. All this is important and I don't want us to give up the
ability to look at sensitive areas of the land in the county.
That's enough for the moment.
Commissioner Roy proceeded next with her comments. This has been an interesting process.
What I think that people have failed to understand, and I've failed to understand this for awhile
and that's why I'm stating this, is because of the moratorium and everything that came out of the
moratorium two years ago, all of the ranchers have basically been caught in a growth
management plan. Which, in the Crystal River I believe, allows 17,000 square feet a year. That
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 5 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
is the maximum development that could have happened all along these ranch lands. I know that
1, personally, and the board as well if I recall, said that that is not what we want to do. We want
to get into the AG plan and we want to fold it in. And why I'm stating that is that when I was
first talking to some of you I was thinking the situation is easy. We just move you into R35 and
you get out of this RC.
But, what I realized by doing that is that we would put you back into growth management. And
for the size of lands that we are talking about, that would have been a very interesting exercise.
Let's see maybe Roz's great-grandchildren might have gotten enough to develop their land. So,
I do want us to continue trying to figure out a manner in which we develop an exemption from
growth management. And, along the way, basically what we're doing is we're looking for
subdivision applications that meet the philosophy and criteria that we've all been talking about in
the AG plan. And, Jack, you just expressed it very well.
What happened when we were trying to work on the details, we all got caught on this and that
isn't fair. Where my thoughts are on how to make this work, because I do want to create this
exemption and the reason I want to is the same reason I've said before. The best plans for
development of agricultural plans in the eight years, when you're counting P&Z time, have been
those that were initiated by the ranchers versus those where the ranch was sold to a developer
and the developer came to us. The ranch applications have definitely shown more sensitivity to
what we're trying to get to than the developer application.
Going back to the list here, I want some specifics and Dorothea has outlined most of them. The
height, the housing, but I would also like to delete the prohibition on the feed lot. And, the
reason for that is you get into a gray area as to what is a feed lot according to Bill's memo. And,
the reality is that financially there would be absolutely no incentive at all to develop a feed lot in
Pitkin County. We don't have the transportation, we don't have the land, it's not going to
happen here. It's just not going to happen so why get everybody half-hysterical by the definition
of feed lot when you're not going to have any.
I agree with Dorothea that the horse number needs to be related to the carrying capacity. I also
would like us to look at moving from the current prohibition of land clearing or land
manipulation to instead designating habitat or plant type that we want to preserve. And it has to
be permitted before it is mowed over or cropped or anything done to it. My logic on that is it is
rather absurd when you go and look at some of the sites we've experienced where a person is not
allowed to manipulate a weed infested irrigation pasture that hasn't been utilized in years. On
the other hand, we all are very aware that the clearing of sage may, perhaps, not be in the best
interest of the wildlife here. So, instead of getting away from prohibition get to a positive. This
is what we're trying to preserve and having those areas delineated or marked off. Those are the
areas that have to have a permit before anything is done. Because I don't want, as a board,
sitting here deciding whether Bill can change from cotton to soy beans. I just don't want to be
there. And, I would like to get a focus on why we would not want that move or whether we
would under certain circumstances. And, be more focused on what we're trying to preserve with
this prohibition versus a blanket prohibition.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 6 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
I do want to look at the 500-acres and putting it back in as an exemption. And, the reason for
this is that the input that I've received from the development community, the caucuses, and the
neighborhood groups indicate that 15,000 may not be what anyone really wants. The buyers will
tend to protect value and build that. So, I think that the twenty-year vesting is imperative that we
keep in this because twenty-year vesting gives people the assurance that their value will be
protected. And, that the outcome of that will be that they build what they need. So, I'm not
afraid of that 15,000 as long as it's tied to a proper vesting.
Also, I would like to explore the idea of if you have a 500-acre ranch and you get 15,000
residential allocated with that, as it is currently in the Code, I would like to explore how we can
use that 15,000 in multiple structures. So, that you could have maybe two ranch houses, two
houses for your kids, one main house in a 500-acre exemption. Under the European model you
had to go only to the (??2913-I swear she's saying Elvis o that the lands weren't broken up into
small parcels. But, how they handled that was there were multiple houses on the site to
accommodate the existing family. So, Mom moves out of the big house and the son takes over
the ranch and there will be a couple of cousins or daughters or somebody living on the ranch but
it does not force the farm to be broken into segments. Now, the down side to that is the State
Condominiumization Law.
So,part of what would have to be in designing for this exemption is that if you chose to use your
15,000 into multiple structures you would have to have a deed restriction attached to them.
There would be no further subdivision of those individual structures. But, they will be tied to
that parcel to meet the needs of the family or whoever owns that parcel. It may not matter if the
house itself, one house is in Jack's name and one house is in Dorothea's, but the land itself that it
sits on cannot be further subdivided. Part of what made me think about this is one of the
problems with the 500 exemption was the incapability of the 15,000 square foot house. But,
farms and ranches for centuries have had multiple small homes or smaller homes. So, to take the
15,000 and divide it up into four, five or six structures would give us back the small place we're
looking for. I'd like to play with that if you guys are amenable. But, rather than us deciding, the
family sits on 15,000 square feet so when the son goes off to law school and decides he'd rather
be a rancher and comes home, Mom and Dad say hey, I've got an extra 2500 square feet here.
No problem, we'll build you and your kids a home. We're glad you came back. In other words,
it's not going to be designed today.
Another one is, and Jack and Dorothea both touched it, is the map. I definitely want to look at
compatibility conformance and conformance to the adjoining neighborhoods and the
development going on there. The other thing I'm looking for are carrots to build employee local
housing versus more retired second homeowner housing. And again, we might want to play
around with the idea that a 5,750 is the development right on the first TDR, first development,
the first 35-acres, 70, whatever we come up with. But, again, would we want to look at the
possibility of people breaking that into two houses if they're on 35-acres or 60, or whatever.
And again, what we might do is allow that second house if one of them is resident occupied deed
restricted and the other is a free market as a motivation for again, multiple structures. What I
was thinking about that was that it would address the Caucuses concern about a large house.
We'll get the houses smaller and, if we tie it to some sort of deed restriction on who lives there,
we might end up with more affordable local housing than what we were going to.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 7 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
And, what that comes back to is just as I was so concerned when we were working on the
moratorium, as we get to mandating this very large acreage we're going to have the effect that
we've seen in the Aspen area. In that, you will only be able to have your wealthier person
buying it. That the less land you have the more the price is going to go up. And, I want to do this
because I do want to preserve the world look. I'd love to get to the 70 and 100-acres. But, we
have to understand that if we go that direction, we are closing the door to anybody who works
here actually buying 70 or 100-acres. We used to have an outlet for professionals to buy down
valley when they couldn't buy up here anymore. By taking those parcels from being two and
four and ten and making them 35 and 60s and 100s, we are slamming the door. So, one of the
things I'd like to play around with here is as we figure out how to preserve the rural entity with
the larger parcels, how do we motivate that there will still be something affordable on that parcel.
And, one of the things I'm thinking about is if someone wants to build a second home on their
60-acres and they're going to build it as an RO, would we give them an additional square
footage? Do we even want to play around with something there as we go in this direction? Do
we want to look at somehow incentivizing (sic) on these larger parcels the ability to create a
second resident occupied house, such as Dorothea has on her property. And, one is deed
restricted with the county. Do we want to look at trying to build that in and look at some
incentives?
And then, again, I'm talking about the siting, the clustering. I think we've given that one up.
Absolutely agree that TDRs generated in the RC zone are occurring because of lowering density
and intensity. If the net effect is going to remain under RC we are downzoning from what exists
today. We are ahead with RC even if a TDR is used on a ranch where it is generated. I
absolutely feel we have to - - and any doubts I had were extinguished when Dwight and Barbara
stood up for Woody Creek and said we don't want TDRs here. I think that the TDR is going to
be just too squirrelly (sic) if we're relying on them being moved always out of the RC.
Depending on where we land in the RC, whether it be 100-acres or 70-acres or some other
manipulation, that amount, exempt from GMQS, would come with the 5,750. If they had other
acreage and they wanted to - - say instead of going to 500 they wanted to - - let me just make up
numbers so you'll understand. Say we just landed 100. That's a nice round number. And the
person owns 250-acres but they really don't want to subdivide it. What they could do is they get
their 5,750 for their 100-acre and then for every 35-acres they get 2500 square feet additional.
So that person could have another four or five 2500 square feet that they could put into small
structures on the 250, if they want. They could then put a couple of these extras in their little
pool or sell them to a neighbor who wanted to have a bigger house or something that didn't have
the 250-acres.
I'm still having a little trouble with the complete prohibition of AH (affordable housing) outside
of the UGB (urban growth boundary).
Commissioner Roy was informed by Marcella Larsen Chilson that there is not an AH prohibition
outside the UGB. There is just not an AH zone. You could build affordable housing outside the
UGB as long as it conforms to the density of the underlying zoning.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 8 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
Chairperson Clapper began her comments. One of the themes that I've heard throughout the
meetings and even from the board, without the board actually referencing, is kind of an
individual property development plan with some parameters and some basic criteria under which
to create those plans. Like you said, Shellie, about this parcel, the Danciger parcel, that I wasn't
privy to because I wasn't on P&Z or the board at that time, worked. Because people know their
own pieces of land and they know kind of where they want the direction they want to go in the
future. And, I think that that deserves a lot of merit and a lot of- - maybe we really need to look
into that. But, in doing so we need to set some parameters and some criteria under which to
provide for site specific development plans. And, I would like to do them outside of lawsuits
because I think that's better for the general public and for everybody involved.
I do support the kind of revisiting the 500-acre subdivision. And, with that, the more specific a
development plan or proposal, the greater the vesting opportunity. If you come in with really
specific on house size, etc. etc., then you have done your work and we will reward that with long
term vesting. I think it only makes sense. It's worked on the Stein parcel really well, which
Sunny Vann did. And, the more specific it gets every time he comes back in the longer the long
term vesting is.
I agree on the AG building issues. I think we need to look at - - I'm not very tall and I can fit
into a twenty-foot height building but I probably couldn't fit in on a tractor. So, I think we really
need to look at that.
And, the number of AG structures and I think we need to look at maybe some criteria for
capping the total amount of square footage, depending upon the acreage. Same thing with the
horses and I don't even know much about horses. But, I don't think we can differentiate with
horses to cows to - -. And that gets to the discussion we had the other day with the very
intelligent young man from Rocky Mountain Institute about the grazing capacity on lands and
how X percent of grazing and rotation is very beneficial to not only the land but the forage.
We've had some comments from people about not so much the owners of the property down
there but the people who live in the communities down there about compensating the ranch
owners and the big land owners down valley, specifically down valley, mid-valley, for
maintaining the land and the AG uses over the years. You know, having a county fund. We
already have a great, county open space fund, but it has its limits. And, that might be a potential
use for us in the future with percentage of a real estate transfer tax because of the developments
that are going on outside the city limits and in the county. And, make it specifically tied to those
lands that are generating that revenue. That's a possibility for us. We've been talking about a
real estate transfer tax for many years in Pitkin County. We're hoping to bring it to fruition here
pretty soon. There are some possibilities that are up to the voters and to tie it to another property
tax may be tough. But, there are some avenues in which we could pursue that and I don't know
how we would actually utilize that fund.
Commissioner Hatfield added that we have been accused in this proposed rezoning of essentially
looking at a way to preserve open space. I had one of the families I met with propose an idea
that I hadn't thought about and I'll share that. Kind of a view plane tax as it were. Probably
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 9 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
that's legal. It would be like an open space tax and ??upon that whole acreage ?? we could
create something, and this is a totally unthought of idea, in depth, but we could create something
where we could share some monies around the county to help people keep their land open,
separate of open space, now. That's a completely different program.
Chairperson Clapper said that's why I mentioned the RETT (real estate transfer tax).
Chairperson Clapper continued by saying on abatement issues, I believe if your house burns
down and you have X amount of square feet you can build it and you look at the issue of maybe
if your house burned down and it was not in a good spot because it was in a flood plane or a rock
fall, then we can look back at rearranging the footprint.
Change of use, as far as under Jack's issues of abatement, somebody has an existing activity on
AG lands, or anywhere in the county actually, I think there's some existing uses that we know
now that are illegal or not legally approved or allowed within their zones. And, I think we need
to look at those separate. I can think of a couple just driving down Lower River Road that I
know shouldn't be there.
I already addressed AG buildings. Employee housing for employees on ranch lands, AG
employees, I think we need to look at house size and number of units to be provided based on
number of employees that need to be housed. With Stutzmans what they did on their property to
provide for housing for their kids, they didn't like some of the terms under which they had to do
it which I think we can learn from. They want to be able to give it to their own children. That's
what I've heard. And, I can support that.
As far as the conservation easements, that would be another requirement, Jack. We still need to
have some way when you allow for a development and preservation a way of maintaining that
preservation of those lands for AG uses or something. I'm not sure conservation easements may
be the right vehicle, but one of the reasons we even bought - - we have some parcels that we
bought as open space and we put a conservation over that is because of the peoples' fear of
what's going to happen somewhere down the line of people coming back in and adding further
subdivision and why did we go through this brain damage now when it can all be changed.
Commissioner Hatfield asked Chairperson Clapper a question. If someone came in and did one
of the options on the table that would be legally subdivided property.
Chairperson Clapper added that it would be restricted against further development.
Commissioner Hatfield responded yes. Of course, I guess you could always come in and apply
for up zoning or something, but I haven't seen much history of that in the county.
Chairperson Clapper responded by saying that I said restricted against further development. If
you come in with a development proposal and it's approved, that part of that approval could be a
restriction against further development.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 10 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
Commissioner Roy interjected by asking would we need the restriction against further
development? Say someone came in and they wanted ten houses on their 800 acres. And, the
way they designed it, we loved it because 95% of the acreage was held intact and all that. Would
we need to require anything, because the approved subdivision would leave the land vacant?
The only way they could build on that land later would be to come through the subdivision
process again. And then if they, on their own, decided I can get a $3,000,000.00 write-off on my
children's inheritance tax if I put a conservation easement on it, then they do that later. But,
either way whether there's a development prohibition or not that land doesn't get developed
without a subdivision process anyway that we would have input on. So, I don't know what we
have to lose by requiring it at the time of subdivision.
Chairperson Clapper said she is asking do we need a mechanism?
Commissioner Hatfield said that I don't think so because subdivision accomplishes that. Of
course, everyone has the right to come back in, but hey that's what the process is for. I don't
want to create an overlay restriction unnecessarily.
Chairperson Clapper continued by saying and that goes back to what I said about open space and
when people in the community were concerned about a specific open space parcel that they
wanted to double insure because of mistrust. That's a sad scenario but that's where we are on a
lot of issues.
Commissioner Roy said it ties back to something that I've always had discomfort with. I'm very
comfortable in 2002 deciding that we're going to sterilize 1000 acres or whatever, make up
whatever number you want, but I don't know that we have the right to determine in 2002 that in
2090 nobody can use that land for anything. So, to me this would be a consistent way. We
develop today on what's appropriate with our goals and ambitions and viewpoint today and four
generations from now if they feel it's appropriate to add some more homes on that land, then
fine. But, it would be a decision made in light of what the community character was at that time
rather than one made by people who had died several hundreds of years before.
Commissioner Farris said I'm going to challenge your comment that you can't do anything with
that land that you can't do anything with. The point is you're protecting agricultural production
of that land so it's not preserving it from doing anything with. Big difference, otherwise I
wouldn't care about protecting it.
Commissioner Roy said oh, I see what you're saying. Correct. I hear you totally.
Chairperson Clapper went on to say Jack, you mentioned incentives to keep AG uses. Is that
what you meant? Like some way to incentivize the actual AG activities.
Commissioner Hatfield answered the life style, the character, and the use of the land. I'm using
my proposed RCC, the AG program, as really providing over and above. And, that's the most
dramatic thing that I think that I've shared with everyone is that I'm willing to go to that type of
incentive program to try to do something for preserving the land, as is. Getting away from this
constant getting beat up as a board about value. If we give an option, because I'm certainly
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 11 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
willing to rezone as we're talking about. But, we have a really dramatic option that gives a lot of
incentive and advantage to these properties, real AG properties. I think it's a heck of a positive
step forward in meeting the needs of the land and what we're trying to do.
Chairperson Clapper said yes, it's a great benefit for everybody. But, your thought process on
this RCC zone would be to provide incentives and specifics based on specific AG use of the land
that has been well documented.
Chairperson Clapper continued her comments by remarking on clustering. As I said at one
meeting, I think clustering is those chocolate candies you get with peanuts and caramel. And, I
would know about chocolate. I think we really need to site specifically look at what clustering
would mean. We need a lot more flexibility on that.
I'm trying to go through the comments I've heard from previous - -. The land clearing and feed
lot issue, I think, need some more specifics.
Proposed zoning maps, she said, we have all recognized that there are some issues of properties
that have been doubled, you know, that have two zonings over them. Some may work and may
work for the landowner. Some of them are in areas that different zoning makes more sense. I
think we have been open to looking at the specifics of that map and that's part of why we've had
a draft map drawn up. So we could look at the picture and then come back in and create more
zoning issues that make more sense.
The use of TDRs. I think that there are some applications for TDRs on site. I think the issues
we need to look at for TDRs are receiver sites. We need to have some identified receiver sites
work with the jurisdictions. I know we're trying to do a process with Basalt. We did mention it
with the City of Aspen who did not seem real receptive but maybe if we work with the Town of
Basalt - - . The starting point with Basalt, because we have this funding with Northwest Council
of Governments to try and come up with something, may help us then to go back to the other
jurisdictions and say - - I don't think it's fair to say we're going to give you all these TDRs, but
you have no place to use them. I think we need to really identify. And, I think there's probably
going to end up being some kind of mix on what can be used on site and where TDRs can be
transferred off site which will be based on your acreage and your need for what makes sense to
keep on your property and what makes sense for you. And that comes to a site specific
development plan. I think we need to look at the worth of the TDR and be consistent. And,
when you get a TDR certificate it states on there that this is what the worth is and that is how it
stays. And, I think that is fair.
On house sizes, I think Shellie's point about - - I think people have - - it's difficult to just tell
somebody this is what you need to live in and this is how you're going to live in it. I think you
need to provide options and incentives to do things that make sense for the land, for the natural
resources, for the character of your neighborhood and for the long-term impacts. One of the
things I think we learned from Braun Ranch was the driveway. When we looked at where they
were going to find the final development everything looked good until we looked at an overhead
view. And, everybody had these massive driveways cut through with their own gated entrance
and it just totally bisected, dissected and trisected the land. And, I think that's something that we
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 12 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
need to always take into consideration and think when we're trying to work out plans that make
sense. We need to look at the whole property.
I think there's got to be some limits. Like Jack said, you could have 5,750 if you let everybody
have 1500 square feet or 1000 square feet we'd be looking at a lot of development on one parcel.
But, again it comes down to site specific and what works on the land and where that land is
located. And, I know that's hard for staff. But I think if we can get to the basic criteria
parameters then we can do things like - - my concern with this plan is what is our long-term end
result the way some of the things are drafted? Especially, with the clustering. Where you're
going to end up with really, excuse my language, but crappy looking subdivisions scattered all
over. When if we worked site specifically we could come up with developments that worked for
the neighborhood and for the landowners and for where the countywide goals are going.
I think we need to create that avenue of flexibility but I also think that we need to have an
incentive for people to initiate this process of site-specific development. I think the landowners
need to take some responsibility. It's got to be reciprocal here and it would make things flow a
little easier if people would come in and say this is what would work on my property,
specifically. How do we get there? I wish I could be more specific, for staff, and say this is the
exact criteria I'm looking at. I'm still in that thought process. That's why 1 depend on input
from the community and from staff in helping us get to those guidelines.
Commissioner Farris reminded everyone that what comes to mind here when we're talking about
sizes is as if we just picked a number out of a hat. I think we all need to remember why we came
to 5750. It was the 3000 or 3500 were the impacts to the community where everyone in the
community begins to pay taxes to support the impacts. Sometimes, in the West End or on the
boulevard in Redstone, it is inconsistent with the character of the neighborhood. It has destroyed
what used to be small cabins or small homes that became larger homes became massive homes.
I think we need to consider scale so that just the size isn't it.
Chairperson Clapper said that I know there's a lot of public comment out there so I had Bill write
down his points so I have it in writing and if we have a chance, we can come back to these. I
think this is very beneficial for the board just to have this opportunity. I think we're all hearing a
lot of stuff. I think it's very positive. I think we're going to come to some very fair terms of
agreement amongst the board.
The board took a short break at this time.
Commissioner Ireland entered the meeting at this time.
Commissioner Ireland had just returned from a CDOT meeting in Denver. Chairperson Clapper
gave him notes of what had already been discussed by the board today so he could now proceed
with his own comments.
He began by saying that we need to make some tentative decisions and move ahead, I think, with
at least something that could be passed at first reading. So, I guess the thing to do is to go
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 13 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
through the memorandum that presents a lot of these alternatives and see if we want to decide on
those issues.
Commissioner Hatfield said it was unfortunate that Commissioner Ireland wasn't here to listen to
the other board members' comments. He said we didn't have any discussion and gain direction.
We made comments and asked questions and went back and forth. But, he said, he would infer,
by the comments we've made, that there is a lot more flexibility - - here's how I'll put it.
There's been an evolution of what has been proposed, to a degree. One of the main questions
that we haven't really attacked is the structure of how we're going to go down the road. 1,
personally, have said that I like what we've proposed, but we also need to amend it.
Commissioner Farris said that if we go through the issues in here, a lot of this addresses the
issues we all were talking about. I think that it's written in such a way that it's applicable to the
Code and I think that it would give staff some direction on how to change it. I don't think it's
different from the conversations we've had.
Commissioner Hatfield asked Commissioner Farris, do you mean the original proposal - - that
original proposal - - the revised proposal?
Commissioner Farris responded by saying the memorandum.
Chairperson Clapper clarified it by saying February 12`h. If Mick had not returned, she said, my
next phase would be to say to staff on this issue this is what we're looking at like with Jack's
suggestion of the RCC zone, the A, B, and C plan. So we could give staff some specific
direction as far as what our last hour and one-half of conversation was. I think that helps tie it to
some format.
Commissioner Hatfield would rather start with the original document rather than the February
121h memorandum.
Commissioner Ireland reminded him that the original document does not include the alternatives.
Commissioner Roy said that I have the same kind of difficulty in that I'm having to sort through
the thought process of the alternatives versus and then try to adapt what my own thought
processes have been to the alternatives. It would be easier to take, for me at least, the original
document and say I don't agree with this and I agree with that. I'll go along with it.
Commissioner Ireland said you can always propose something that is not in the memorandum. It
seems to me that we have to start with a fundamental discussion from which other things will be
derived.
Chairperson Clapper said so we can start with the memo and then if there are other issues we can
go back to the actual proposals proposed.
The board began with the February 12th memorandum.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 14 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
Commissioner Ireland said that although this lays things out, it seems to me that it doesn't lay
them out in a logical order by which you ought to proceed. It seems to me that you need to
decide some things at the outset concerning very large houses and then decide what you're going
to do from there. If you're going to allow very large houses, under certain circumstances or
what, if you're going to do that then it seems to me that you have decided something about
character, what you're doing about character, and your other decisions will flow from that more
naturally.
Chairperson Clapper said that in line with that that determining what was originally proposed
about very large houses being in areas say in the Starwood area, areas where the infrastructure is
already in place.
Commissioner Ireland said we're talking RC but we have to decide, at the outset, whether or not
there are circumstances under which you're going to permit very large houses outside of
developed areas. And, once you make that decision, then it really sets up the logic for other
decisions.
Commissioner Roy said that a conversation we were just having was perhaps the question is not
very large houses, but square footage tied to a parcel of land and how that square footage might
be allocated. Assuming someone has 500 acres and under the current Code they have 15000 tied
to that with a growth management exemption. But, not assuming that the 15000 would be a
single structure. But, in fact, the 15000 is an amount of square footage that goes with that parcel
that can be broken up into smaller structures. Is the underlying question how big we want the
house or is the underlying question to motivate allocations of square footage that are tied to land
and to allow that square footage to be broken up or mutated in other than one single structure?
Commissioner Ireland said that I think it really comes down to, Shellie, whether or not you're
going to create circumstances under which there are houses there over 5750 in undeveloped
areas. If you're going to do that, then you're really not talking about a character based Code,
you're talking about an impact-based theory. That's how I see it. Do you want to do that
conditionally or do you not want to do that at all?
Commissioner Roy responded by saying yes, I want to do it conditionally.
Commissioner Ireland said okay, then that's the discussion that we have to have. If majority of
the board wants to do that under certain circumstances then we have to lay out the circumstances
under which you permit. If the board doesn't, then we don't have to have that conversation.
Are there circumstances under which a 15000 square foot house is appropriate or a bigger than
5750, let's start there, appropriate in the RC zone? That's one of the places where we have to
start.
Commissioner Hatfield responded by saying I agree with Mick. That is really a threshold
question about what we're doing with this rezoning, the house size. Because, if we can
determine that the direction was house size above 5750 was going to be allowed, then we've
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 15 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
gotten away from the character issue, the issue of trying to preserve the land without continuing
the culture of those large homes dotting the landscape, regardless of what the siting is.
Chairperson Clapper said that going back to the 500-acre subdivision and the exemption for that,
which I think is a different issue but still the same as far as the house size, that we would allow a
5750 only on a 500-acre subdivision or- - -. To me that's a big issue. Are we going to want to
even think about the 500-acre subdivision?
Commissioner Ireland said that that's the very first question.
Chairperson Clapper said I think there are circumstances that are appropriate for the 500-acre
subdivision exemption.
Commissioner Roy said what about larger than 5750?
Chairperson Clapper said with the potential for larger homes and I'm not quite sure I have an
exact square footage or the uses of that exact square footage.
Commissioner Ireland stated that Chairperson Clapper thinks there are circumstances under
which larger than 5750 ought to be allowed in the RC zone to which she replied, yes.
Chairperson Clapper added that if we go that way then we can work on the actual development
of that 500-acres.
Commissioner Hatfield said I don't like large homes, but there is an argument that they can exist
under certain circumstances. So, I guess I'm going to follow the conversation and allow the
discussion to go further on that.
Commissioner Farris informed Commissioner Ireland about their earlier talk about 500-acres
using TDRs from that 500-acres where you use four TDRs plus - - say a TDR for 100-acres.
You use four TDRs and 100-acres, you site carefully a 15000 square foot house. I think it is
offensive to the character, but I think there are places where it could be appropriate.
Commissioner Ireland said I think I have a conscientious obligation to express opposition to
large houses in those areas. I don't think that there is something wrong with large houses. Large
houses are appropriate for some people and some occasions. Like affordable housing, and like
auto manufacturing plants, X-rated topless bars and churches, they have appropriate locations. I
think houses in excess of 5750 are not really residences. They're statements. And, I think those
statements should be made in urban areas where, at least, the people of this community have an
opportunity to minimize the fiscal impacts and the social impacts of an economic structure.
The fact is right now you will be faced with large houses and you will be faced with explaining
to the voters why somebody who built a house worth $10,000,000.00 is paying fewer property
taxes than somebody who owns a mobile home. You'll have to explain that and I can't. I think
it's unjust, unfair.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 16 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
So, I'm opposed to it, but I guess I'm in the minority and I guess the next issue is how big and
under what circumstances.
Chairperson Clapper said we did talk about allowing certain things based on the flexibility of
three different RC zones possibly or two different RC zones. In that maybe there are some issues
that where if you built X amount of square footage on a 500-acre and it didn't follow the criteria
of an AG land, then you couldn't do it. Do you accept it was residential property? I don't know
how much control we can have over the State with assessment, valuation, and classification.
Commissioner Ireland said I was actually on the board when we opposed that on a few
subdivisions. We actually limited commercial operations as opposed to ranching operations,
commercial operations on small-subdivided parcels.
Commissioner Roy said assuming 100-acres would probably receive an AG designation, would
we not receive more in property taxes if they had a more valuable, larger house on it than we will
The house is taxes differently than the land.
Commissioner Ireland addressed that. The fact is the general property tax no levy of Pitkin
County is about $284.00 on $1,000,000.00 in value. All the analysis that I've seen that's been
done a couple of times is that you lose money on that development. You just don't pay for the
service demands created by that residence. I simply don't agree that you come out ahead by
doing residential subdivision.
COMMISSIONER IRELAND ASKED THE QUESTION UNDER WHAT
CIRCUMSTANCES ARE WE GOING TO ALLOW IN EXCESS OF 5750 AND HOW
LARGE? WHY DON'T WE START WITH THE SO-CALLED 500-ACRE
SUBDIVISION AND GATHER THOUGHTS ON THAT AND SEE IF WE HAVE
SOMEWHERE TO GO.
Commissioner Roy said under the RC zone for 100-acres you could have 5750 square feet. If we
had people break up their 500-acres into five 5750s you would end up with 28,750 square feet
versus 15,000 square feet on 500-acres. I think what we want to do in the RC zone to be exempt
from growth management is to establish a lot size, an acreage, to motivate people to go toward
that acreage but still have a development tied to that. What we're trying to do is to get to a point
where you don't go through growth management because through your subdivision application
you have basically met a lot of the criteria and the goals that we're trying to achieve.
Commissioner Ireland tried to restate Commissioner Roy's comments. You want to create 500-
acre zoning allowing 15,000 square feet of development exempt from GMQS?
Commissioner Roy said correct.
Commissioner Farris said if you have a 500-acre site you're asking if we go from 5750 to the
15000 and you've used four TDRs from the other 400-acres. Of that 500 you have a site with a
15000 square foot house and the rest of the land is sterilized. I hate that term. But, you've used
the TDRs off that land to increase the size of one house. I have a problem with what is the
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 17 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
acreage under that house that is taxed as residential. How much is it? What amount of land
under that is - -
Commissioner Ireland answered that is State law, too. It's all taxed agriculturally. Not the
structure, but the land.
Local attorney, Herb Klein, interjected that the board was getting hung up on a point. He said if
you require a house on a small lot that did not include agricultural uses that parcel with that
house would not be tax exempt and would solve your problem.
Commissioner Ireland repeated that the issue is 15000 square feet under 500-acres. Two people
would make that exempt from GMQS.
Commissioner Farris said she DID NOT say she was making it exempt from GMQS. She was
using the TDRs for size. Growth management is pace, that's different. After further discussion,
she said so, what you're saying is the first 100-acres is the exemption from GMQS and the others
are for size? She and Chairperson Clapper would like this idea for thought discussion. But, then
it's sterilized for future development. That's where I'm trying to get.
Chairperson Clapper agreed with the sterilization for future development.
Commissioner Hatfield said that you have 500-acres exempt from GMQS. And, of course no
transporting of any TDRs from that 500-acres. There's no such thing as additional TDRs.
You're using up all your 500-acres, all your development right and you can have square footage.
Commissioner Ireland said from the board, then, is 15000 square feet and absolute cap?
Commissioner Roy said I believe that we had discussed the ability to transfer TDRs out of the
RC into an area like Starwood to go larger than 15,000.
Commissioner Farris reiterated that you put two 500-acres together and you have 1000-acres
exempt you can have a 30,000 square foot house. Put three of them together you can go to
45,000. Put four of them together and you can build another castle. One, if the rest is reserved.
Commissioner Farris would have an absolute cap of 15000 within each 500-acres. All of
those 500-acres would have to be under one-ownership.
Chairperson Clapper said I could support that.
Commissioner Ireland said that I am not in agreement with that. It may be profitable and
it may even have fewer impacts on the community, but the message is there that we do
things wherever,whenever, simply because there is money to be made.
Commissioner Roy wanted to address Commissioner Ireland's concerns. Why we're do this, she
said, is that we are attempting to preserve as much of the open AG land as we can for future
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 18 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
generations. Whether it be for agricultural or whether it be to bring back animal life back into
the valley.
Commissioner Ireland said it is not about open space to me. It is about character.
Commissioner Ireland reiterated,with the majority of the board's agreement, that once
you're eligible for this program, that's kind of the end of the road development-wise.
Commissioner Hatfield asked the following. What if you had your 15000 square feet within
a certain plot of development and you break that development into different size homes?
Commissioner Ireland said I would not support that.
Commissioner Roy asked if we could sterilize big chunks of land by granting the 15000
square feet tied to a 500-acre parcel, but also get to the character question by allowing that
15000? That's the max residential you get on that parcel. But then someone has that pool
of 15000 to allocate in any manner they want. The max they get is 15000 but what we
would get in return on 500-acres are structures that are in character. The "compound"
would have to be confined within a certain development envelope rather than a sprawling
de facto subdivision, but you could still preserve the 500-acres of open space with the small
character homes.
THE REST OF THE BOARD RESPONDED TO THIS QUESTION OF ALLOWING
THOSE 15000 SQUARE FEET TO BE BROKEN UP INTO MULTIPLE STRUCTURES.
Commissioner Ireland would not support that as he stated previously when Commissioner
Hatfield asked that question.
Chairperson Clapper said I think it needs to be looked at as far as some criteria on how it's
broken up,what the uses are, and how it is located on the parcel.
Commissioner Farris questioned whether this was under one-ownership of the parcel?
Commissioner Hatfield said that you could have multiple homes in your"compound". You
wouldn't be able to subdivide it up any further, but I think Commissioner Roy was talking about
different ownership, not the same family or something.
Commissioner Roy said no, I wanted the same family.
Additional discussion continued on the one-ownership of the parcel question.
Commissioner Hatfield said that the one question when I said I wanted flexibility for the current
real AG properties, about employees and family units, was how do we handle that square
footage-wise? Does that come out of the 15,000?
Commissioner Roy answered him by saying that's all you get. You get 15000.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 19 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
DISCUSSION PROMPTED ANOTHER QUESTION ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
COMMISSIONER HATFIELD ASKED WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE IN ONE
OF THOSE STRUCTURES GETS MARRIED AND, GOD FORBID, THEY GET
DIVORCED? WHERE DOES THAT PROPERTY GO? WHO GETS IT, WHATEVER,
WHEN IT IS NO LONGER IN THE FAMILY?
Commissioner Ireland said that it's pretty clear that you cannot prevent
condominiumization. You couldn't prevent 35-acre subdivision even with that although
you might be able to prevent further development.
Commissioner Farris said with the multiple structure idea, you could end up with ten 1500
square foot houses, a little subdivision in the RC zone. I'm not sure that's what the idea is,
plus the amount of impacts from that number of homes.
Commissioner Hatfield said under the scenario that we're talking about the 500-acre, NO.
An AG family or an AG ranch is something else under the AG plan.
Commissioner Ireland said I presume that the board would still want to have the ability to
create the one house per 100-acres, 5750?
The board responded with yes.
Commissioner Ireland said that's the basic plan, this would be an option. The 500-acres is
not the only option.
COMMISSIONER IRELAND RECAPPED THE DISCUSSION ON MULTIPLE
STRUCTURES. IT'S EXEMPT FROM GMQS,IT IS THE END OF DEVELOPMENT,
STERILIZED, WHATEVER WORD YOU WANT TO USE, IT'S STILL SUBJECT TO
IMPACT FEES, 1041. HE ASKED, HOWEVER, IS THE BOARD GOING TO
REQUIRE THAT THE 500-ACRES NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR AG CLASSIFICATION
OR ALLOW THAT PROPERTY TO BE ESSENTIALLY UNTAXED?
Commissioner Ireland asked, as a condition, does the board want to say no commercial
profit-making activities. The reason why is that you would be foregoing hundreds of
thousands of dollars in tax revenue if you allow someone to build a giant estate and
continue to claim that was a ranch.
Commissioner Farris doesn't want to do that.
Commissioner Ireland said I'm in the minority, but I'm going to object to that.
Commissioner Hatfield said I don't think that we should try to cure the defects in the State
tax laws with our Land Use policy.
THE CONCENSUS TO THIS POINT IS:
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 20 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO DO THE MULTIPLE
STRUCTURES. WE HAVE ONE WHO MIGHT WANT TO DO IT AND ONE PERSON
WHO DEFINITELY DOESN'T WANT TO DO IT. AND, THE LARGE STRUCTURES
ARE EXEMPT FROM GMQS, IT IS THE END OF DEVELOPMENT ON THE
PROPERTY, AND THEY ARE SUBJECT TO WHATEVER IMPACT FEES AND 1041.
THE NEXT ISSUE FOR DISCUSSION WAS ON AG BUILDINGS. (NUMBER OF
STRUCTURES AND SQUARE FOOTAGE OF STRUCTURES)
In response to a question from Commissioner Hatfield, Chairperson Clapper said that in
the current Code, AG buildings are unlimited under the 500-acre subdivision.
Chairperson Clapper said that I think we need to look at the AG building structures as one
thing and then we can decide how we prorate it out or don't. The number of structures
and the unlimited square footage of structures are kind of a section on their own. I have a
hard time with 3000 square foot riding arenas.
Discussion developed on the issue of AG buildings.
Commissioner Farris said I am willing to compensate for that character impact with the estate
home that sits behind its entry gate and its stone wall by saying there are 1500 acres there that
the animals have without drives through them. Or without ten little houses through them and the
impacts of those houses. She said Commissioner Ireland is not ready to go there, but I'm ready
to go there, but I'm not ready to say that's just a rancher who likes a big house. I don't believe
that's the case. So, I'm not willing to give that unit the same benefits that I'm willing to give
a producing ranch with the rancher living on it. She clarified this by saying incorporating
that 15000 to be your units,your horse barn,your ice rink,your whatever. That's different
from a working ranch.
Commissioner Hatfield said it's unlikely in my mind that the guy who builds a 15000 square foot
castle is going to be a really involved in some form of AG production. But, if he is and we can
determine that he set up a realistic AG use, is there some consideration for that? The question
here is does he get some extra credit for his AG or is it within the 15000?
Commissioner Roy thinks that Commissioner Hatfield's question deserves more thought from
the board. But, she disagrees that we're going to come to conclusion because we're operating in
a vacuum in this particular moment. We can't make an assumption from one guy to another.
What we have to do is think about the 500-acre parcel and try to motivate, whatever we write up,
to have occur what we want to occur. I keep hoping that we can have it occur where we're
motivating people to stay in ranching, even if they're a gentleman rancher.
Commissioner Hatfield said that I'm inclined to believe that 15000 could be for the home and
that there has got to be a ratio, and I don't know what the answer is, where you can have extra
additional AG buildings.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 21 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
Commissioner Farris told Commissioner Hatfield that we're discussing two different scenarios
here. One is the AG lands where the rancher has his AG production and needs buildings to
support it. And you're talking about a 500-acre subdivision with 15000 square feet. I don't
think they're the same thing. If they are the same thing, let's just drop the 500-acre bit and get to
the fact that with a certain number of acres zoned and used for AG, this is what it - -
Commissioner Hatfield replied that I like that answer because I'd rather work on the AG thing,
the RCC, because then I think I don't have to make a social or political decision about how the
guy is going to use his land.
Commissioner Ireland spoke to Commissioner Roy by saying that you've created this thing
where people are exempt from GMQS and they can do certain things. The question is do
you want them to be able to do other things in addition to that? And,your (Commissioner
Roy) answer is yes.
Commissioner Hatfield's answer is yes, in addition to the 15000,with a ratio.
Commissioner Farris said a 15000 cap with AG buildings, all inclusive. ??
Commissioner Roy's answer is yes, in addition to the 15000. ??
Chairperson Clapper said that the board is thinking out loud, but we're not getting
anywhere. She's not sure where she's going.
Commissioner Ireland agrees that if you're going to allow this 500-acre zoning there ought
to be somewhere to park all the horses and so forth.
Chairperson Clapper agrees with that. My concern is that the guy who buys it today is
going to build a 15000 square foot home with no AG uses and no horses. The next guy
comes in and says I own it now and I want to have horses on my other 400-acres or I want
to run cows. But, then we have to say sorry, but the last guy agreed to not have any square
footage for AG.
Commissioner Farris added but we've agreed that it's within that building envelope that's
established, that percentage of the land.
Chairperson Clapper agreed.
Commissioner Ireland stated that the board needs to set a time to meet again and continue
discussions. The board will especially be going to the following issues. The 5750, the 100-acre,
whether we want to go beyond the 5750 on the I00-acre, how we want to use TDRs, and whether
we want to create TDRs on these properties in addition to those development rights. If there are
other thoughts on the 500-acres we will need to hear those, too.
He said I assume, from what the board said, that we want some sort of approved development
plan that minimizes roadway and impacts if you're doing that.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 22 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
Chairperson Clapper said what she also stated earlier in today's meeting. The more site specific
a development plan, the more incentive you get for long-term vesting.
After checking board member availability, it was decided to hold a special meeting on Tuesday,
March 26 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM to continue discussions.
Commissioner Ireland said that we will start that meeting with a brief period of public comment
on the issues raised so far.
Bill Fales was given the opportunity to comment at this time. He said that he wanted to frame
the discussion the board is having about this 15000 square feet on 500-acres. The RC proposal
that the board put forth, he said, allowed one 5750 house for every 100-acres, plus one TDR for
every 70, plus one agricultural employee's house at 1500. My math tells me that five times 5750
is 28,720 square feet. Add in 1500 square feet for the AG employee and that makes 30,220 plus
you still have seven TDRs. You are taking, he said, the "draconian", for lack of a better term,
proposal that was put forth and slashing it from 30,220 plus seven TDRs to 15000 square feet.
Commissioner Ireland responded to Mr. Fales. He said this proposal does not preclude the same
500-acre person and I heard the board say that it precludes you from coming in and saying that
I'd rather have five 100-acres up to 5750 and all that other stuff. That's different from this.
That's separate. You might elect to take one big one and go over that 5750 to a really big house.
You can do that. Or, presumably, and we'll see where the board goes, you could elect to have
five 100-acre things and the 5750 and the things you described. They're not mutually exclusive.
They're alternatives.
Mr. Fales asked to state what he thinks Commissioner Ireland said in a different way. What
you're saying, continued Mr. Fales, is that you could use your TDRs, but at a diminishing rate
where the first home would give you some and then each additional one gives you less and less
and less. Is that what you're saying?
Commissioner Ireland responded by saying what this proposal does so far is it places a premium
on that really super huge house. You have to forego more total square footage development in
order to get to 15000. And they're argument with me was, and they prevailed, that yes, we want
to allow 15000 square feet because it's less than five times 5750. That was exactly
Commissioner Roy's comment. So, you get over the 5750 to build this jumbo house, but you
don't get as much total square footage in development. That's where the board is, but they'll
have to consider your proposition of whether they want to make 30,000 square feet on 500-acres.
Chairperson Clapper moved to continue this meeting to a special meeting set for March 26
from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Commissioner Hatfield seconded the motion. Motion passed
unanimously.
The meeting was adjourned.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 23 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002
;eectfully su7dOf
d,,tte Jones
to the BoCounty Commissioners
Patti Kay-Clappe{�
Chairperson of the Board of County Commissioners
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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 24 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 21,2002