Erie approves golf-course maintenance use on 2.1-acre Vista Ridge parcel

Erie Town Council approved a zoning amendment Oct. 13 allowing Colorado National Golf Club to use a 2.1-acre Vista Ridge parcel for golf-course maintenance and related activities, while removing four previously allowed dwelling units. The amendment sets development limits but does not approve a final building or site plan. The ordinance records Council’s approval of Vista Ridge Plan Development Amendment No. 9.

The amendment designates the parcel for golf-course maintenance and related functions, including equipment storage and minor repairs. It limits building height to 30 feet and requires 25-foot building setbacks, under the amendment exhibit.

A 25-foot landscaped buffer is required next to residentially zoned property. Buildings, parking, drive aisles, vehicles, equipment and outdoor storage are prohibited in that buffer. Buffers next to streets or rights-of-way and the existing detention area must be 15 feet wide. Outdoor storage must be on asphalt or concrete and screened by a solid fence or wall; materials generally cannot be stacked higher than the fence. Fencing next to streets may be up to eight feet tall; other screening is specified at six feet.

The amendment also requires a public sidewalk along Bonanza Drive. Building design, landscaping, drainage, lighting and engineering remain for later review. Town planning staff said site-plan and minor-subdivision applications were still in process. Site-plan approval is administrative; the subdivision plat and any required development agreement go through staff review and Council’s final acceptance. The land-use amendment alone does not authorize permits or construction.

During the public hearing, resident Brian Bednar argued that the traffic analysis did not adequately account for maintenance vehicles on residential streets. Town staff said its Transportation and Mobility division reviewed the study, which estimated about 29 daily trips, and reported that many maintenance trips use an internal access drive. Staff said it found no traffic, access or safety issues at that stage. The applicant said site-plan engineering would align access with Skyline Drive to address turning conflicts. The Town’s Oct. 13 meeting recording captures the discussion.

The applicant estimated that permits could take six to nine months to obtain, followed by about 40 weeks of construction, based on its contractor’s estimate. Those are projections, not approved deadlines.