When considering recommendations for the proposed PDP, Planning
Commission should consider the requests being made, the applicability of the relevant code, conformance with the City’s adopted plans, impact on existing utilities and services, and feasibility. In addition, if the PDP will seek modification of UDC standards, the final plan shall meet each of the applicable criteria set out in Section 21-8-305(b) of the UDC. Staff provides their analysis on these below.

UDC Standards to Be Modified

The requested deviations from UDC standards can be lumped into three major categories: dimensional standards, landscape and open space standards, and parking and ROW standards. Each standard is listed below with the requested deviation and a short statement on the original requirement and potential impact. 

Dimensional Standards

When referring to setbacks, they are always measured from the nearest property line at right angles. As enumerated below, many of the proposed modifications are intended to accommodate alternate ROW configurations. 

1. Div. 4-2 - Required 25-Foot Building Setback Along S Craft Drive. 

   • This increases the required side street setback for all residential and multifamily/apartment buildings and decreases the same setback for non-residential buildings. 

   • This ensures adequate buffering from the South Craft Drive artery and promotes safety.

2. Sec. 21-4-202(b) - Twenty-foot front building setback for single-family residences

   • The standard as required is 25 feet.

   • As will be configured, the setback to the back of the sidewalk will be 25 feet. However, to accommodate the ROW modification, the actual setback to the property line will be between 20 and 25 feet. This length is still sufficient to provide enough driveway space without vehicles encroaching on the sidewalk.

3. Sec. 21-4-204(b) - Ten-Foot Rear Building Setback For Townhouse Units

   • Townhomes require a 15’ rear setback according to the code. This would be a reduction of five feet.

   • This assists in clustering the townhomes to provide more of a shared amenity space/courtyard in the building's rear. 

4. Sec. 21-4-204(b) - Six-Foot Front Building Setback For Townhouse Units

   • Townhomes require a 10’ front setback from the property line according to the code. This would be a reduction of four feet.

   • This is another change that reflects the ROW configurations. The front building line will be six feet from the lot line but 10 feet from the back of the sidewalk.

5. Sec. 21-4-205(b) - Minimum Lot Area of 8,500 Square Feet for Multiplex or Multifamily Buildings with Eight Units or Less

   • This is a deviation from the multiplex standards in Table 21-4-205B. The UDC defines multiplexes as buildings that appear like a large single-family dwelling from the outside, but the standards for multiplexes only go up to 5 units.

   • The proposed 8-unit dwellings appear to be “tiny mansions” from the exterior, fitting with the intent of multiplexes.

6. Sec. 21-4-205(b) - Five-Foot Front Building Setback for Multiplex and Multifamily Units

   • The typical standard is 15 feet.

   • Proposed layouts have all units facing inward to local roads and parking lots. These layouts do not encroach on proposed ROWs.

7. Sec. 21-4-205(b) - Five-Foot Rear Building Setback for Multiplex and Multifamily Units with Eight Units of Less

   • The typical standard is 20 feet.

   • There are a handful of the 8-plexes that back onto the utility easement or the southern property line of the PDP. The way that these buildings are proposed to be angled to the street/parking areas means that they are not parallel or perpendicular to these property lines. The building corners end up lying about six feet from these property lines.

8. Sec. 21-4-205(b) - Nine-Foot Side Street Building Setback for Multiplex and Multifamily Units

   • The street side setback standard in Table 21-4-205B is 15 feet. 

   • In most, if not all, areas, the rear side of multifamily buildings will be adjacent to a street or easement. Therefore, there will be no impact on neighboring properties. 

9. Sec. 21-4-301 - Allow Amenity & Playground Space to Comply With Standards Set in the Nonresidential and Mixed-Use And Building Standards.

   • This is how the code would designate this use, so there is no deviation here.

   • While it does not need to be enumerated, this detail can be useful to avoid confusion in the future.

10. Sec. 21-4-301 - Ten-Foot Front Building Setback for Amenity Buildings

    • The standard front setback for Nonresidential buildings in the RH zone is 25 feet.

    • Even though this setback to the property line/ROW is shortened, the ROW contains the parking and is away from traffic.

11. Sec. 21-4-403(a) - Authorize up to a five-foot setback reduction for non-habitable spaces, such as fire riser rooms, for multiplex or multifamily buildings exceeding eight units

    • This section lists various setback reductions for building elements, equipment, and structures.

    • Fire riser rooms are not specifically listed in this section, and there may be certain locations where fire riser rooms will encroach into setback areas. 

12. Sec. 21-4-503(b) - Accessory Dwelling Units Without Alley Access are Permitted on Street-Accessed Single Family Dwelling Lots Regardless of Lot Area or Depth.

    • The current standard requires that street-accessed ADUs on a lot at least 8,000 square feet in area or at least 125 feet in depth.

    • No ADUs are planned for at this time, but this would allow for potential ADUs in the future once single-family dwellings have been built, thus accomplishing one of the priority actions from the City’s Housing Action Plan.

Landscape and Open Space Standards

13. Sec. 21-3-202 - The Utility Line Easement, Bk. 177 Pg. 384 and the Utility Easement Recorded Under Reception No. 151792, Including a Total of ±5.33 Acres May Be Included in the Required Open Space Ratio as Designated by Sec. 21-3-201(b).

    • The code is not explicit as to whether or not this area may be included in the open space requirements. 

    • In this process, the total open space is considered for the entire PDP area as a whole. PA-3 would fall below the 12.5% minimum. However, it is compensated by the other planning areas. The easements dating from 1965, attached, greatly restricts the usage of this property, so that very little benefit may be derived from this space other than remaining open.

14. Sec. 21-5-302(c)(2) - Typical Lawn Grass Requiring Water Shall Not Be Permitted to Cover More Than 5 Percent of Required Open Space. Xeriscaped Landscaping Shall Be the Primary Open Space and Landscape Cover for All Phases of Development.

    • The UDC does not specify any limit on turf; it only states that native or low-water turf should be used where practicable.

    • This proposed modification is stricter than the UDC. Given the local growing conditions, the need to conserve water, and the goals in the Water Efficiency Plan, this is an appropriate restriction. However, this may be hard to enforce as time goes on and properties change hands.

15. Div. 5-3 - Allow 3 Perennial or Biennial Shrubs to 1 Tree Swap in Required Bufferyards and Parking Lot Landscaping.

    • The landscaping section of the code requires trees in buffer yards and, in certain situations, parking lots larger than 16 spaces. The code has no specific requirements for when or how many shrubs need to be installed.

    • This is a logical swap that allows for a greater diversity of plants and additional xeric considerations, which are typically less damaging to sidewalks and pavement than trees.

Parking Lot and Right of Way Standards

16. Sec. 21-5-203 Multiplex or Multifamily Land Use Parking Standard Shall Be Two (2) Parking Spaces Per Unit.

    • The parking Table 21-5-203B requires parking spaces based on bedroom units (BRU). Specifically, it requires 1.5 spaces per studio or 1 BRU; 2 spaces per 2 BRU; and 3 spaces for 3+ BRU.

    • There are multiple reasons to allow for this simplification. One, there is a correlation between the AMI range of renters and vehicle ownership, so reductions are sensible. Two, limiting the oversupply of parking results in less vehicle abandonment, parking lot maintenance, and impermeable area while increasing the land available for housing. Third, the PUD is designed for a synergy of different uses and is designed to have spillover parking areas.

17. Sec. 21-5-203 Amenity Buildings and Playground Land Uses Within PA-I Shall Have a Total Minimum of 10 Designated Parking Spaces. 

    • There is no direct parking requirement in the UDC for this type of use.

    • This enumerates the requirement upfront with a reasonable parking space count, given that most residents using the amenity will be within walking distance.

18. Sec. 21-5-206 - The development shall be credited for any on-street parking shown on the final site plan.

    • This section provides a formula for crediting mix-use development for on-street parking with development-provided streets. In general, the purpose of the parking standards is to provide on-site parking.

    • While this is not a mixed-use development, allowing on-street parking to be counted helps enable the reduction of on-site parking, as discussed in 12 above.

19. Sec. 21-5-209(a)(1) - Required Parking Spaces for Multifamily Buildings Shall Be Permitted on the Same Lot as Depicted on the Approved Final Plat and Shall Not Have a Required Separation from the Front Lot Line. Parking Spaces Shall Maintain a Minimum 10 Feet Building Setback to Multifamily Buildings. 

    • Parking lot standards require a 10-foot setback from the front lot line and 5 feet from all other lot lines, except that parking lots on adjoining lots may be connected.

    • Eliminating the front setback allows parking lots to adjoin the ROW in certain areas, described in further detail in 16 below. The parking setback required under Table 21-4-205B is only 3 feet. By increasing this to 10 feet, it facilitates pedestrian access from the buildings to the parking areas.

20. Sec. 21-5-209(a)(2) - Parking Spaces for Multiplex Units and Amenity Building Land Uses with Lots Adjacent to Public Right-Of-Way Shall Be Permitted to Be Designed so that Maneuvering Or Backing Out of Parking Spaces May Occur Within the Public Right-Of-Way Except on Eighth Street, Adcock Drive, and South Craft Drive.

    • The code prohibits parking motions from occurring in all ROW except alleyways.

    • This provision allows for backing motions to occur safely in the ROW on the local streets (i.e., street sections 3, 4a, and 4b as shown on page 6 of the PDP), which is consistent with the kinds of traffic anticipated on these streets. This exception would specifically exclude the collector streets.  

21. Sec. 21-5-105(c) - Authorize alternative right-of-way widths that provide for appropriate levels of multimodal use that meets City level of service standards and provides for safe travel during all seasons, reduce costs to the City for routine and periodic maintenance, include appropriate connections to existing streets, and improve the character of the area served by the street.

    • The section above requires that local and collector roads have a minimum of 60 feet of ROW.

    • Page 6 of the PDP set shows two alternate ROW widths (ROW sections 4a and 4b) along the low-traffic streets adjacent to the single-family dwellings. This allows for overflow parking, particularly for the multifamily/multiplex uses, while maintaining it on private property. This will relieve the city of parking lot maintenance responsibilities, such as paving and snow removal. The ROW and traffic circulation is laid out such that the majority of traffic for the higher-density uses is routed through their parking lots and access areas and away from the less dense single-family units. The parking and traveling lanes meet city standards, though they might feel narrower. This designed “visual friction” helps maintain low vehicle speeds and promote safety. 

Conformance with the City’s Adopted Plans

As stated on page 4 of the PDP set, the proposal primarily intersects the City’s 2017 Comprehensive Plan and the 2021 Housing Needs Assessment & Action Plan. With respect to the Comprehensive Plan, the PDP complies with the future land use map – residential opportunity area. Additionally, it supports Economic Development Goal 2 – Strategy K by providing low-cost housing to support and encourage professionals and entrepreneurs who work from home. The PDP also conforms to Core Services & Infrastructure Goal 7 – Strategy B by reducing water dependency with xeriscaping and appropriate landscaping. 

The landscape standards proposed above are in accord with the City of Alamosa’s 2020 Water Efficiency Plan. With diminishing water resources across the West, new residential development needs to reduce irrigation and overall water usage drastically. Alamosa is no exception: nearly half of the city’s water usage goes to irrigation. The PDP includes specific standards that reduce the need for irrigated open space and landscaped areas. This development will restrict typical lawn grass on 95% of open space and landscaped surfaces and exchange trees with less water-intensive plants and shrubs. Xeriscape surfaces are promoted throughout and will be the primary landscaping for all residential land uses. Targeted landscape areas will still be water-wise.

Most notably, the Tierra Azul PDP was initiated with the primary focus of fulfilling the needs identified in the Housing Needs Assessment & Action Plan. In fact, the assessment demonstrates a shortfall of up to 515 units by 2026. Based on the results of that study and public feedback, Alamosa set a goal of 350 new units to be built by 2026 with a focus on missing middle homes, entry-level rentals, and first-time home ownership. Please refer to the graphic from the Housing Needs Assessment below. The top priority from the Action Plan includes rentals priced up to 60% area median income (AMI) and for-sale units priced up to 80% AMI. With this development, CRHDC’s entire housing model in Alamosa has changed due to the Needs Assessment. In contrast, their previous developments were solely single-family homes; this proposal incorporates an entire spectrum of housing types, densities, and targeted incomes. When comparing this plan to their previous developments of similar acreage, they achieve nearly four times the number of units while using less infrastructure, yet still remaining well below the maximum density. This PDP is designed to provide a balanced split of rental and for-sale units. Based on the proposed plan, at least half of the total proposed units will be rental units priced up to 80% AMI, and the remaining half will be for sale units priced up to 140% AMI or market rate. The relative AMI, rent, and income chart for a four-person household in Alamosa is shown below for reference (2021 figures). If approved, this would be the single largest housing development ever seen in Alamosa and help fulfill our housing needs and stabilize the housing market over the next ten to twenty years. 

Traffic Impact

As required by Sec. 21-6-102, a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) was submitted for the PDP, attached. The analysis, performed by a licensed traffic engineer, looked at ten key intersections that would be most impacted by the proposed development as directed by the Alamosa Public Works Director. The TIA investigated existing traffic operations as projected in short-range (2028), medium-range (2033), full development (2038), and long-range (2045) conditions with standard methods, then compared this data to the predicted trip generations by the Tierra Azul development over the same time periods. The unsignalized key intersections will not meet the peak signal warrants using the long-range (2045) total peak hour traffic. Based on the current background traffic and projected natural growth, any additional turn lanes are either already warranted or would be warranted even without the development.

Conceptually, the development ROWs are configured to minimize access points on S. Craft Drive, W. Eighth Street, and Adcock Drive. This ensures smoother and safer traffic flow on these collector and minor arterial streets and relegates access points to the internal local streets where speeds are slower. These ROW and traffic circulation designs were made in accordance with Div. 5-1 to the maximum amount feasible, with the exception noted above in proposed change 21. 

Stormwater System

As required by Sec. 21-6-101, stormwater infrastructure impacts were evaluated, and the proposed stormwater solutions were designed in accordance with Sec. 21-5-504. The stormwater design for the PDP is to route all runoff from the site to the proposed detention ponds shown on page 7 of the PDP set. Stormwater volumes are based on the City’s 100-Year Storm, which has a duration of 110 minutes and generates 0.87 inches/hour. Stormwater inlets and pipes will be installed to collect the runoff and discharge it into a series of detention ponds.  Earlier in the planning process, City staff worked with the developer and project engineer to explore alternative designs for managing stormwater, such as bioswales, in an attempt to move away from the standard practice of large detention and retention ponds. Due to the topography, soil, and high groundwater, there was no viable alternative. The city now uses a standard-form stormwater maintenance agreement (attached)  to promote the upkeep of large stormwater ponds. Past city practice allowed for stormwater ponds to be deeded to the city as their required public dedication. Because of this, stormwater ponds have been ill-maintained due to lack of city resources, contain no usable public amenities, and were unimproved with respect to landscaping or groundcover. Stormwater maintenance agreements set a prescribed and enforceable maintenance schedule for the subdivider. Additionally, Sec. 21-5-504(b) requires that open stormwater systems greater than 1,000 cubic feet are designed as recreational amenities and appear natural in character to the maximum extent feasible. How this pond can be landscaped and designed as a recreational amenity needs to occur at the FDP stage. 

The area east of S. Craft Drive (PA-1) will generate a total volume of 1.71 acre-ft. of stormwater, while the area west of S Craft Drive (PA-2 and PA-3) will generate a total stormwater volume of 3.07 acre-ft., resulting in a total of 4.78 acre-ft. for the proposed development. A stormwater pond will be constructed in the northeast corner of Planning Area 2, which will handle most of the stormwater detention for the site. This pond will be connected to the existing pond in Montaña Azul, west of South Craft Drive, which will be expanded to provide the rest of the necessary storage capacity. This, in turn, is connected to the detention pond east of S. Craft Drive (where Montaña Azul Park is located). A lift station located near the Foster Water Tower will pump stormwater from the detention ponds to the Alamosa Ditch under agreements between the City and the Hickory Jackson Ditch Company. The lift station will aid in evacuating stormwater from the ponds when ditch capacity allows, rather than relying solely on evaporation or percolation. This lift station is in Alamosa’s CIP and is designed and funded.

Sanitary Sewer System

As required by Sec. 21-6-101, sanitary sewer impacts on the City’s infrastructure were evaluated. The calculated wastewater discharge from the proposed Tierra Azul development is an average daily flow rate of 85,400 gallons per day (59.4 gpm) at full buildout. The line diagram on page 8 of the PDP illustrates the hydraulic conditions downstream from the development to the City's wastewater treatment plant. This information is based on the City's Master Utility Plan (MUP) for the City of Alamosa sanitary sewer collection system prepared by GMS Inc. and dated March 2022. The line diagram also demonstrates necessary upgrades to the downstream lift stations, namely the West Seventh Street Lift Station and the Center Lift Station. These two lift stations convey 17.5% and 42.5% of the city’s average daily wastewater load, respectively, and are the most important lift stations for all growth occurring in the west half of Alamosa. The upgrade designs for these lift stations are complete and have been submitted to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for approval for construction. The upgrades are projected to be completed before any construction of the units within the Tierra Azul PDP. Tierra Azul will not require any additional lift stations.

Water Distribution System

In accordance with Sec. 21-6-101, impacts to the City’s water distribution infrastructure were assessed. The Tierra Azul development is located adjacent to the City's Foster Water Tower. The operating water pressure in the water pipes beneath the water tower is between 60-65 psi, and it currently distributes water to Montaña Azul, located just north of the proposed development. Montaña Azul was built between 1998 and 2018, so the adjacent water system is relatively new and in excellent condition. The water system designed to serve Tierra Azul will loop back to the existing distribution system in the Montaña Azul development. The Tierra Azul distribution system will also connect to the existing 16” water line along Foster Avenue. This line connects the Foster Water Tower to the City's water plant, tower, and pump station at Ross Avenue, providing a redundant connection to the City's existing water distribution system and the proposed Tierra Azul and Montaña Azul. Infrastructure within the Tierra Azul development will consist mostly of 6" and 8" pipes and a 12" pipe in West Eighth Street. The calculated water demand for the proposed development is 59 gpm at full build-out. Based on this information, there is no need for a detailed evaluation of the City's existing distribution system relative to its capacity to supply the proposed development. 

Fiscal Impact

Complying with Sec. 21-6-101, a Fiscal Impact Analysis (FIA) was prepared by City of Alamosa staff using the Per Capita Multiplier Method (Burchell and Listokin, The Fiscal Impact Handbook), attached. This analysis is used to project the costs and revenues that the proposed development will generate. The method is based on the number of residents that will live in the proposed complex and the share of school district-induced costs attributable to residential properties and housing units. Average government expenditures per person using 2021 City operating expenses were applied to project an annual cost attributable to the residents of the proposed development. The estimated total city revenue from the development at full buildout will amount to $1,165,966, compared to total municipal expenditures of $404,777. This results in a predicted annual revenue surplus of $761,189 for the City. 

Tierra Azul will generate an estimated additional 258 students for the school district at full buildout. Per-pupil funding comes from various sources, including local taxes and state funding for full-time enrollment. School district property tax levies are applied on all types of properties, including residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural. However, residential properties contribute nearly three times the property tax revenue than commercial revenue for the school district. The revenue per housing unit is estimated to equal $396.61. According to Alamosa School District budget documents, the local taxpayer per-student operating cost is $1,595; however, State funding supplements these costs at approximately $7,868 per pupil. This will result in a net positive impact of $136,832.04.

Perhaps equally important is that these units will provide the housing needed for our workforce. The employer survey conducted as a part of the Needs Assessment found many insights between housing and the local economy. Seventy-nine percent of employers felt that the availability of housing that is affordable for employees is a moderate, serious, or severe problem. On average, employers noted that employees filling low wage/low skill jobs and entry-level professionals have the most difficulty locating adequate housing, followed by skilled labor jobs and mid-management positions. This is in line with many employer interviews. Employers noted that the current high rents affect lower-wage employees, and the lack of housing choices, nicer rentals, and entry-level homeownership affects entry- to mid-level employees.  When employees are hired also makes a difference in housing availability. It is harder to find rentals when university students are in town. Employers noted that a lack of studio and one-bedroom rentals for single persons or couples, nicer rentals, and more diverse inventory (not just apartments) were some of the bigger issues with rental housing. Options for households that earn too much to qualify for income-restricted rentals is also a perceived problem. 

Overburdened renters and homeowners have many other effects on the local economy, regardless of income. The majority of economic studies agree that  housing expenses are the most significant portion of household income, so the more that is devoted to housing naturally means the less that can be devoted to other things. Conversely, increasing housing supply — and keeping housing prices in check — results in greater consumption of other goods and services that stimulate growth and employment gains in other sectors, which has a multiplier effect across the economy. Greater tax generation, job creation, economic development opportunities, and increased job retention and productivity all are among the economic benefits of increased access to housing.

Other Public Works Comments

Prior to the submittal of the application, Public Works, Development Services, and the applicant spent a great deal of time working through the proposed ROW and site designs, particularly those standards in Article V of the UDC and Sec. 21-4-508 (Trash Collection). The objectives of these conversations were to: minimize the obligation of city maintenance of privately used parking areas while balancing ROW designs that maximized the buildout of the development; ensure adequate space for sanitation trucks to perform normal operations and provide convenient and centrally located receptacle areas; assess the turning and backing areas for sanitation trucks; work through the details of snow plowing operations, snow storage areas, and plowing responsibilities; and identify those areas suitable for on-street parking on W. Eighth Street. Due to the height of the 30-plexes, it is expected that shading will occur on the south side of W. Eighth Street. Limiting parking to the southern side utilizes the solar gain on the north side to help melt snow and maintain at least one pedestrian thoroughfare. Hammerhead-type road base turnarounds will be provided at the eastern end of the east-west streets in PA-1 for large vehicle maneuvering. These hammerheads will be blocked off to prevent cross-cutting to Foster Avenue.

Fire Department

Development Services staff met with Alamosa Fire Department Chief Bill Stone on November 17, 2022, and January 6, 2023, to review the proposed development. Specifically, each intersection was modeled using the dimensions of the largest fire truck to verify that all radii were adequate for first responders. The placement and quantity of fire hydrants were also looked over for compliance and accessibility in case of an emergency, as well as for fire categorization for insurance purposes. Finally, Chief Stone identified locations for emergency access along S. Craft Drive and Foster Avenue. These access points will be blocked with lockable bollards or other removable barriers to prevent uncontrolled access and reinforced to withstand a fully-laden 30,000-pound fire truck. 

Other Agency Comments

Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)

Comments pertaining to the development were received on February 28, 2023, from Dan Roussin, Program Administrator for CDOT’s Access Management Unit. Based on their response, the development will likely need an access permit if it has a 20% or greater traffic impact on the highway system - particularly at SH 160 at South Craft. CDOT is seeking a pre-application meeting with City Staff and the applicant. Staff has recommended to the applicant to have this pre-application meeting between the PDP and FDP process.

Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy submitted their comments about the proposed development on March 10, 2023. At preliminary stages such as this, Xcel does not perform any designs or calculate utility loads. At this stage, their comments all reflect the need for adequate utility space within easements and for transformer and pedestal pads. These items will be addressed more thoroughly in the Final Development Plan stage when lots on the preliminary plan and easements are drawn.

Alamosa County

Comment from the Alamosa County Land Use Administrator Richard Hubler was received in a letter dated March 10, 2023. His comments were generally supportive of the PUD process, requested code flexibility, and the inclusive design of housing. The two cautionary notes pertaining to the development involve 1) the maintenance of stormwater ponds and ensuring stormwater discharge water quality, and 2) infrastructure challenges with other annexation areas. 

For the former, stormwater quality and maintenance are discussed in the related section above. Concerning the latter, the ability to fund improvements and extensions of municipal infrastructure is a difficult balance of limited capacity and finances versus the the City’s long-rage goals. Improved, unannexed property presents an additional level of difficulty; many tracts are less densely developed, but require a substantial amount of upgrades to integrate into the standards and character of the City, such as paved streets, curb, gutter, sidewalks, and water/sewer/stormwater infrastructure. A similar topic was addressed in the Council Communication for the Sierra Vista Addition No. 2 Annexation (which annexed the subject property) in June of 2022, as it related to the emergency annexation of the Stockton Addition and the improvement of the roads therein. 

The Stockton Addition was annexed through an emergency annexation in 2002 because the residents' wells were contaminated by surrounding septic systems. The minutes from the January 16, 2002 meeting show that Council discussed the roads at length and decided that the residents themselves were responsible for forming a Special Improvement District (SID) to build the roads. The City installed water infrastructure (lines, valves, taps) using $221,000 of enterprise funds in 2003 to serve the developed properties. The property owners were only asked to contribute a $1,000 tap fee per residence. In 2007, the City applied for and received a DOLA Community Development Block Grant for $208,000 using $53,500 cash and in-kind match, to install the sewer services in the area. Again, the $1,000 tap fees were the only thing paid for by the property owners. Essentially in the Stockton Addition, for $2,000 each, 47 households were given a half million dollars’ worth of infrastructure primarily through the use of City funds and grant dollars. Although there are many grant sources available to fund new development, there are very few for existing developments. This results in a situation that inevitably prioritizes the annexation of vacant properties for ground-up development instead of upgrading existing developed properties since it is more fiscally responsible. 

No comments were received from Alamosa County Road & Bridge.

Alamosa School District

No comments were received in time for inclusion in this staff report.

City of Alamosa Economic Development 

The City of Alamosa Economic Development Director Kathy Woods issued a letter of support on March 10, 2023 for the development on the basis of the need for housing. Particularly, she pointed out that the need for housing and workforce goes hand-in-hand, citing that many professional positions have been lost due to a lack of housing.

PUD Standards

When evaluating the application and the information above, a PUD may be approved when it meets the eleven criteria set forth in Sec. 21-8-305(b). Although this section provides the standards for which an FDP is approved, judging this PDP against the same criteria (if available at this stage) is important. Each criterion is listed below with a short analysis.

1. There is an appropriate relationship to the surrounding area;

   • The uses around this proposed development are all residential. Specifically, they are single-family and medium-high-density multifamily. This proposed development matches the surrounding uses.

2. Circulation in terms of internal street circulation system is designed for the type of traffic generated, safety, separation from living areas, convenience, access, and noise and exhaust control, and there is proper circulation in parking areas in terms of safety, convenience, separation, and screening;

   • The proposal takes great lengths to provide safe and convenient access for vehicles and pedestrians. It aims to concentrate the higher traffic uses closer to the main routes.

3. If residential uses are proposed, there is consideration of, and provision for, low and moderate-income housing;

   • The overall goal behind this proposal is for low and moderate-income housing. This goal drives all of the requests and dictates the design of this community. In most housing developments, there are two ways to make a project financially feasible enough to offset infrastructure costs: by increasing targeted buyer income (i.e., higher-value homes) or by increasing density. The dimensional requests help to maximize the total buildable area and take full advantage of the costly infrastructure installed to serve the units.

4. Functional open space is provided in terms of optimum preservation of natural features, including trees and drainage areas, recreation, views, density relief, and convenience of function;

   • This undeveloped property has negligible natural features. The preexisting transmission line largely restricts many uses of the property. However, this also provides the opportunity to act as a buffer strip and natural area. Given that the easements restrict nearly all aspects of the usage of the space, retaining it as open space is the most reasonable alternative. If an agreement is worked out with Xcel Energy in the future, this space could host a walking trail system. The detention pond will also serve as an open space. Consideration should be given to the functionality of this space, and if not achievable due to engineering constraints, weigh an alternative to add additional amenities provided to the new Montaña Azul Park north of the site.

5. The development provides a variety of housing types, densities, facilities, and open space;

   • This is the first development within Alamosa to be designed with the “ladder” of housing; the proposal includes smaller multifamily units, multi-bedroom apartments, and townhomes with shared open space for lower-cost purchase options or upper-end rentals to single-family homes. This housing spectrum is precisely what was envisioned in the Housing Action Plan.

6. The development provides for privacy in terms of the needs of individuals, families, and adjoining property;

   • The residential units will be thoughtfully laid out to maximize amenity space while also building a neighborhood in the manner that many communities used to have – an integration of place and people.

7. Pedestrian and bicycle traffic is facilitated in terms of safety, separation from vehicular traffic, convenience, access points of destination, and attractiveness;

   • All phases connect to W. Eighth Street, which will act as the main bicycle collector and have a dedicated bicycle lane. This, in turn, connects to the major north/south thoroughfare South Craft Drive, which has bicycle lanes on the paved shoulder. South Craft connects to the major shopping areas at the controlled signal at Main Street/US 160. To the south, W. Tenth Street provides easy access to the amenities in south Alamosa, including the Elementary School, County Annex, and the San Luis Valley Regional Airport. The Co-op Road is a popular bicycling route for road bikers. Eventually, staff anticipates that West Eighth Street will be improved between Foster Avenue and Jefferson Avenue, and those adjacent properties will be developed.

8. Building types are appropriate in terms of density, site relationship, bulk, and massing;

   • Despite the Residential High zoning, the proposed density, while higher overall than historical developments in Alamosa is not even close to the maximum allowable. The site density gradates from high density along the collector and minor arterial roads and masses the low density uses along internal local roads.

9. Building design creates a “sense of place” in terms of architectural design, orientation, relationship to open space, spacing among buildings, quality of materials, harmonious color palette, complementary textures, screened storage areas, and appropriate lighting;

   • Building design is not discussed in the PDP. The FDP will contain these details.

10. Signs are complementary to the scale, architecture, and cladding materials used on the principal buildings; 

    • Signs are not covered at this stage, and residential developments typically have minimal signage.

11. Landscaping of subject property is high quality and serves functional purposes in terms of screening, defining outdoor spaces, providing shelter for pedestrians, and softening building masses.

    • Landscaping provisions are not fully quantified at this time. Still, the focus will be on providing water-efficient landscaping that is appropriate to our climate, soil, and water conservation goals. With this in mind, certain areas will have more targeted landscape design than others, such as at major intersections and near amenity spaces.