PC supports rezoning for 285 homes near C-470 and 285

During a vote held on July 28, Jeffco’s planning commission unanimously voted to recommend that the county commissioners approve a request to rezone a property just south of the intersection of C-470 and Highway 285 to allow 285 homes to be built on it.

Representatives of Arvada-based home builder Remington Homes told the board they want to build a new development called Three Hills that would consist of 285 residential units. Those units would be a mix of townhomes and detached single-family homes, with both alley- and front-loaded versions.

The 37.4-acre property is located southwest of the intersection of Turkey Creek Road and West Quincy Avenue. The site is currently zoned for a mix of agricultural, commercial and residential uses, including a maximum of 340 multifamily units and businesses such as restaurants, convenience stores and carwashes. However, the property remains undeveloped and is mostly vacant land.

Matt Cavanaugh, the director of land acquisition for Remington Homes, said that the proposal would bring much-needed housing to the area while lauding that it would actually involve a lower density of homes and development than what is currently allowed under the existing zoning.

“Especially when we talk about an incredible county like Jefferson County where do you go?” said Cavanaugh of the lack of housing in Jefferson County. “Those opportunities exist in places that are further away from the central heart of Denver but these opportunities that we want to provide here in the foothills are few and far between and we are really excited about providing them.”

During public comment, seven residents expressed opposition to the project and shared concerns about issues ranging from noise and animals in the area that could be generated by the development to the impacts on those who like to ride their horses to nearby Bear Creek Lake Park. However, the issue that was raised the most was that of traffic.

Stephen Cinnoco, who lives off of West Belleview Avenue south of the proposed development, said he travels from C-470 onto Quincy and then Belleview daily.

“Anyone who has taken that very often knows that is a very dangerous intersection and an area that is very sensitive to additional load in terms of traffic, even one or two cars during rush hour…,” he said. “I think any risk that even a share of the people living in these 300 homes is a very high risk and needs to be addressed.”

However, during comments made at the start of the hearing Jeffco Senior Planner Nick Nelson said CDOT plans to add a traffic circle at the on and off ramps from Quincy Avenue to C-470 and that county staff had no concerns about traffic impacts given that the impacts of the proposed development would be less than what is allowed under the existing zoning.

In response to hearing those concerns about traffic, Nelson noted that staff’s recommendations are based on what is allowed on a site, not what currently exists there.

In explaining their votes, several members of the commission they voted to recommend approval of the project because it would pave the way for housing to be built in a location where it is needed and that would fit in with the surrounding area.

“I welcome the rezoning because it replaces the (possible) apartments with some single-family housing which I think we very much need,” Commissioner Tom Hatton said. “In my tenure we’ve had two big apartment complexes built in the community so given what has been built before and that we finally get some single-family homes I am going to be in favor.”