Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

believe so we should see sunny in just a minute recording's been started great thank you miss sunny i see she's on mute still All right, folks, I have 610. Good evening. Welcome to the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. It is Wednesday, the 13th, 2026. I'm going to call roll call now. Please indicate if you are present. Commissioner Jedrick. Present. Commissioner Bush.

Present.

Commissioner Walsh is not present. Present. Commissioner Becker. Present. Commissioner Banka. I'm here. Sorry. There she is. All right. Commissioner Riley. I am here. And Commissioner Hogan is here. Chair Walz will not be able to join us this evening, but with all commissioners, all other commissioners, we do have a quorum. The Pledge of Allegiance will not be read this evening as this is a virtual meeting. Approval of the minutes for April 22nd. Did everyone receive their minutes and have an opportunity to look through them? Did anyone have any changes on the minutes? If no changes, no amendments, no corrections, No objections. I'm going to ask that we have unanimous approval on the minutes. Do you concur? Just nod your head. Aye. Yes. All right. Awesome. Thank you. Tonight, we have seven items on the general business agenda across three applications. The first vice chair moves to approve the agenda as presented without objection. Is there any? Do we have a second?

Second.

Thank you very, very much for the second. With no objection, we're all good. Thumbs up. Yep. Cool. Now I'm going to read the policy. This is my not favorite part, so bear with me. Please make sure that your home or computer microphone is on mute unless you are speaking. The planning and zoning meeting is a quasi-judicial hearing. There's no swearing in of those who will give testimony, but it's presumed that all parties are telling the truth. Addressing the Commission as an applicant or applicant's representative, please state your first and last name as well as the organization that you are representing. And you may additionally state if you are an Aurora resident. If you're addressing the Commission as a member of the general public for public testimony, please state your first and last name and if you are a resident of Aurora. For each agenda items, there will be an initial presentation by staff. Afterwards, commissioners may ask any questions of staff. Discussion of the agenda items by commissioners will be conducted only following a motion and a second. Following the staff presentation, the applicant or their representative may choose to make a presentation or answer questions. The applicant has 10 minutes for their presentation Commissioners may ask questions of the applicant. Members of the public that have signed up to speak will each have three minutes to speak on agenda items during public comment. It is asked that only new information be presented. The same argument should not be repeated. Commissioners may ask questions of the public following their comments. After public comments, the applicant will have five minutes to address any public comments. Commissioners may ask further questions of the applicant. The chair will ensure that all commissioners have no further questions of the applicant or staff. The chair will then call for the question. After a motion that has been made and seconded, the commissioners will then discuss the case amongst themselves. After the discussion, the chair will call for a question. Commissioners are finders of fact, and the vote will be based on their evaluation of the evidence that was presented as compared to Code Section 146. All rulings by Planning and Zoning Commission are normally final, except, let me start over, are normally final Exceptions are zoning map amendments, zoning code amendments, and comprehensive plan amendments that need City Council approval. Decisions by the Commission can be appealed to City Council by presenting written appeal to the City Manager within 10 calendar days of the public hearing. City Council may also call up. upon their discretion, any case, whether it is appealed or not. Notices of this virtual meeting were published, posted to the city website, and the development projects were posted with signs on the property. Notices were mailed to adjacent land owners. There are no consent items at this evening's agenda. Again, if you wish to speak to this, please note the QR code that you can use to sign up to speak. This evening, our first agenda item is the tributary. Now this project has one, two, three, four different items, which we will actually take individually, but we will have one presentation of all four items. staff um let's see our case manager is miss sarah wiles and our applicant is property reserve i believe that norris is also presenting on their behalf let's let's kick this off to miss sarah good evening commissioners my name is sarah weill and i'm a senior planner three before you tonight are multiple items for the tributary development

The applicant and property owner, PRI, is requesting approval of a new master plan with two adjustment requests and three zoning map amendments. The 960-acre site is located south of Interstate 70 and east of E470. The property is currently zoned mixed-use regional, or MUR, and medium residential, R2, within subarea C. The site is identified within the Urban District Commercial Hub City Corridor and Emerging Neighborhood Place Types in the Aurora Places Comprehensive Plan. The master plan is bounded by Interstate 70 to the north, Trestville Street to the east, 6th Avenue to the south, and DeGaulle Street to the west. Surrounding land uses include single-family residential to the south and east, data centers and other industrial uses to the west, and industrial uses to the north across Interstate 70. It is currently undeveloped and bisected by First Creek, which flows from the southeast to the northwest through the site. You can also see the site work beginning on the Harvest I-70 interchange, which is towards the top of the map, and that's being constructed by the Aerotropolis Regional Transportation Authority. The property is currently zoned MUR mixed-use regional, which is shown in red, and R2, which is shown in yellow. As previously noted, there are three zoning map amendments proposed with the application that would change the location of these zone districts, as well as to rezone some of the land to MUA mixed-use airports. So this is the place type map from the Aurora Places Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted in 2018. The western portion of the master plan area is located within the city corridor, commercial hub, and urban district place types, while the eastern portion is designated as emerging neighborhood. The proposed master plan is generally consistent with the intent of these place types. The mix of uses, street network, and planned parks and open spaces together with the proposed design standards support the comprehensive plan vision for walkable and connected development within these areas. This is a photo of the site looking north from 6th Avenue near the future Harvest Road location that will connect with 6th Avenue. And this is a photo of the site looking west from Powhatan Road. 122 adjacent property owners and nine registered neighborhood organizations were notified of the application. With the first submittal of the application in May 2024, three written comments were received that expressed potential concerns regarding traffic increases, environmental impacts, residential density, and the need for more commercial uses in the area. Staff requested that the applicant host a neighborhood meeting, and this meeting was held on September 24, 2024. One resident attended the meeting and no concerns were raised and no additional comments were received throughout the review process. Notices were sent and six signs were posted around the property frontage adjacent to 6th Avenue, Powhatan Road, and the I-70 frontage road. Major issues discussed and resolved throughout the review process included the proposed land uses, the three zoning map amendments, parks and open space, street connectivity and cross sections, design standards, public improvements and phasing, and the two adjustment requests. The proposed master plan includes a diverse mix of land uses, including single-family detached, two-family, single-family attached, and multi-family residential, along with commercial uses, parks and open space, a recreation center, a school site, and a fire station. The northern portion of the site is planned for commercial mixed-use and multifamily development to capitalize on visibility and access from the future I-70 and Harvest Road interchange currently under construction. Additional commercial and mixed-use acreage was incorporated during the review process to preserve more opportunities for higher intensity commercial uses along this key corridor in the city. The southern portion of the site is primarily planned for residential neighborhoods. The exception to this is a 27 acre commercial parcel at the northwest corner of 6th Avenue and Harvest Road that is designated as an administrative activity center. The land use map identifies approximately 435 acres for single family detached, two family, and single-family attached residential, 58 acres for multifamily residential, and 81 acres for commercial and mixed-use development. Residential densities range from three dwelling units per acre for single-family detached areas up to 25 dwelling units per acre for multifamily areas. This is the current zoning map for the area. As I previously said, the western portion is zoned MUR, mixed-use regional, and the eastern portion is zoned R2, medium residential district. This is the proposed zoning map. So three zoning map amendments are proposed in conjunction with the master plan to align each planning area's anticipated uses with an appropriate and consistent zone district. In total, approximately 436 acres are proposed for rezoning. including 104 acres from R2 to MUA, 189 acres from R2 to MUR, and 143 acres from MUR to R2. Accounting for the proposed zoning map amendments, the master plan will include approximately 104 acres zone mixed use airport, 190 acres zoned MUR, and 666 acres zone R2. The proposed rezonings generally align with the comprehensive planned place type map and are compatible with the existing and anticipated development in the surrounding area. So the master plan estimates up to 4,859 dwelling units, which equates to an anticipated population of over 12,000 residents. Based on this population, tributary is required to provide almost 38 acres of neighborhood parks 14 acres of community parks, and 98 acres of on-site open space based on the city's parks, recreation, and open space department standards. Tributary includes around 207 acres of parks and open space that are shown in light green and dark green on the map, including roughly 56 acres of floodplain that will not receive open space credit, but will still be areas that can be recreational areas for the residents. The proposed system includes six neighborhood parks of about six acres each, a regional trail and associated open space corridor along First Creek, and multiple local trail and open space connections running north-south that intersect with the First Creek corridor. Parks and open space receiving PROS credit will be required to include amenities and improvements consistent with the department's design manual. Tributary will be accessed from Interstate 70 to the north, 6th Avenue to the south, Pohattan Road along the eastern portion of the site, and future extensions of 10th Avenue and 14th Avenue slash Tributary Parkway from the west. providing a well-connected street network that aligns with the streets and cross sections identified in the Northeast Area Transportation Study, also known as NEATS, while minimizing crossings of First Creek was a priority for the city during the process. Key transportation elements that were addressed included the realignment of 14th Avenue and Tributary Parkway, the ultimate cross section for Harvest Road, and the removal of the existing I-70 frontage road. In addition to the arterial and collector street network, planning staff requested an exhibit showing the conceptual local street patterns that's on your screen to demonstrate that an interconnected local street network can be achieved within all planning areas. This analysis was particularly important for this master plan given that First Creek bisects the development and may limit street connectivity and access between portions of the site in the future. Staff and the applicant collaborated to develop a comprehensive set of design standards for tributary. As required for all master plan developments within the city, the applicant has provided a detailed set of design standards that establish the framework for urban design, landscape design, and architectural design across all proposed land uses within the project area. These standards are intended to guide the overall character, quality, and visual cohesion of the development as it builds out over time. In several instances, the proposed design standards are more restrictive than the baseline requirements in the UDO. Additionally, the applicant proposes the establishment of a design review committee for tributary that would review future development proposals to ensure the adopted standards are consistently applied and the overall vision is maintained. details on the changes that were made to the retail architectural standards in tab 12 since the original planning and zoning commission hearing was scheduled in late march are included in the staff report i'm also happy to answer any questions related to those and the applicant or their consultants can as well the public improvements plan for tributary identifies the infrastructure improvements required to support development within each planning area These improvements include components related to streets, drainage, utilities, and parks and open space, and are intended to ensure that necessary public infrastructure is constructed in coordination with the phase build out of the development. Major issues that were evaluated and resolved included the timing and phasing of street improvements along Harvest Road and Powhatan Road, the location of street crossings along First Creek, the alignment of tributary parkway, and the cross-section and connectivity of Trustville Street to adjacent roadways. Additionally, the relationship between open space construction and required drainage improvements along First Creek was carefully reviewed to ensure that stormwater infrastructure and open space amenities can be integrated. To support the public improvement plan the applicant also submitted a master traffic impact study master drainage report and master utility study, each of which evaluates the capacity and design of the proposed infrastructure systems needed to serve the development. Two adjustments to the unified development ordinance are requested as part of the master plan. The first adjustment is from section 146-4.2.3.8.3, which states that a master plan may include a maximum of 50% small residential lots. The primary intent of this standard is to ensure a diversity of housing types and lot sizes within master planned communities. The applicant is proposing to increase the percentage of small residential lots to 65% within each neighborhood of tributary, which would add around 333 additional small lots throughout tributary. compared to the 50% limitation. To offset this increase and maintain overall neighborhood quality, the applicant has proposed several design enhancements that will apply to these neighborhoods. These enhancements include larger open spaces located near homes, increased pedestrian track widths to enhance walkability, reinforced block length standards, and stricter requirements related to housing type diversity. Staff worked closely with the applicant throughout the review process to refine these provisions and ensure they would effectively maintain neighborhood character. Based on these enhancements, staff finds that the intent of the UDO is still being met and is supportive of the requested adjustment. The second adjustment request is from section 146-4.10.12. which permits one large scale sign within a master planned community with a maximum height of 30 feet and up to 400 square feet per sign face. The applicant is requesting approval for two large scale signs along Interstate 70, each up to 75 feet in height and up to 770 square feet per sign face. shown in the locations in the bottom image on either side of harvest road these signs are intended to provide visibility and identification for the planned commercial uses within tributary as part of the request the applicant submitted an analysis evaluating signage height and letter size relative to driver speeds and viewing distances from interstate 70. Staff supports this adjustment because the proposed signage will improve the visibility and long-term viability of the commercial areas within the development while also minimizing visual clutter. It meets the adjustment criteria for signage because it will have minimal visual impact on the surrounding neighborhood and compensates for limited sign visibility at a lower height or smaller size. This is the approval criteria for the zoning map amendments before you tonight. And this is the approval criteria for master plans. So for all three of the zoning map amendments, the Planning and Zoning Commission provides a recommendation to the City Council and the amendments are subject to their approval. For item 8A, staff recommends approval of the zoning map amendment for 104 acres from the R2 district to the MUA district because it is consistent with the spirit and intent of the comprehensive plan and the city corridor place type and is also compatible with the surrounding developments and the proposed uses in the tributary master plans. For item 8B, staff recommends approval of the zoning map amendments for 189 acres from the R2 district to the MUR district because it is consistent with the spirit and intent of the comprehensive plan and the urban district place type and is also compatible with surrounding developments and the proposed uses in the tributary master plan. For item 8c, staff also recommends approval of the zoning map amendment for 143 acres from the MUR district to the R2 district because it is consistent with the spirit and intent of the comprehensive plan and the urban district and commercial hub place types and is also compatible with surrounding developments and the proposed uses in the tributary master plan. SAF also recommends approval of the master plan with two adjustments for small residential lot percentage and multi-tenant monument sign allowances because the proposal is consistent with the designated place types. It complies with the regulations and standards in the unified development ordinance. except for the requested adjustments. It provides a diverse mix of uses that are connected through internal streets, parks, and open spaces, and it promotes quality urban design, landscape design, and architectural design. Approval should be subject to two conditions, which are resolving outstanding technical issues and obtaining approval of the three zoning map amendments by the City Council. That concludes my presentation. I'm available for any questions, and the applicant also has a presentation. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Sarah. Good job getting through all of that specific presentation. Commissioners, first question for you. How many of you had an opportunity to visit this site? Please raise your hand. Looks like everybody great. Thank you very, very much for the drive halfway to Kansas. Second question, Commissioners, do you have any questions of Sarah or any other staff prior to the applicant presentation? Commissioner Riley, thank you.

Going back to the 50% for this is 65% slide with the small units. I'm trying to understand. what that means. The 50% are going to go small unit and 65 are going to go small unit. I didn't understand that breakout.

There you go, so it was basically so this slide was meant to show the total number of single family detached to family or single family attached lots within. Each of the four neighborhoods that small lots are permitted by code, and so it was basically breaking down how many potential lots are in each neighborhood. what it would look like with the 50% small residential lot percentage maximum that's currently in our code versus what it looks like with the 65% small residential lot adjustment that they're requesting. And so it was meant to basically show the difference in the number of lots that the 65% gets them versus the 50%.

Okay, and on page 22 of the report that was provided to us, It talked about the architectural design standards in Exhibit L generally preserve the intended level of placemaking. What does it mean when you all say it generally preserves rather than say it will preserve?

So just to clarify, are you referring to commercial or residential related to the adjustment request?

I'm just looking at the Paragraph middle to page 22 were talked about generally preserving the intended level place placemaking. Oh, it does say viable retail development. That's what you mean.

Yeah, so I think so for so this is not related to the adjustment request. This is more so related to the design standards in tab 12. So. Since the original design standards were presented to you in March, there were some changes made to the design standards. There were a lot of meetings held between staff and the applicant and their consultants, as well as the potential commercial developer at 6th and Harvest, and I think they're where there were changes made on both sides, concessions made on both sides to ensure maybe there's not the highest level of urban design possible, but it's very realistic to do in more of a suburban context like this. And so we really tried to strike a balance. And I think both on the applicant side, as well as the city side, we're happy with the balance with where we're at in that the standards that we did end up with do contain some key place making elements as far as ensuring that drive-throughs won't be too much along the street frontage, having higher quality architecture adjacent to street frontages, emphasizing the importance of plazas, walkability, those types of key elements, while also ensuring that the commercial that will go there is viable and won't have a bunch of adjustments from the design standards when a future site plan comes in. Does that make sense?

Well presented and informative. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Other questions by commissioners? Commissioner Jedrick.

I was just curious about the timing of the completion of the Harvest Road interchange. Is it going to be finished before or during this project?

They've started construction on it already, so I believe that it will likely be complete before this first phase of development, which is looking at the land use map, and the applicant could verify this, but I believe the first two phases that they're looking at are PA1, the commercial and then PA2 just west of there. And I believe the intent is to have ARTA, the Aerotropolis Regional Transportation Authority, have that interchange fully functional and a connection all the way down to 6th Avenue from Interstate 70 by the time these two phases of development would be complete.

Perfect, thank you.

Any other questions? Sarah, I do have one question. Is there any kind of will serve agreement between the City of Aurora, the developer, and Aurora Water to serve this community with the necessary water that it needs to build out?

I believe as part of the development agreement for the site Aurora Water by the city entering into that development agreement with the developer that Aurora Water is saying that they will serve this development. I know that there were some limitations on density that they had to meet and they did meet those as part of the master utility study to ensure that they will be able to serve all of the residents within this development.

So somewhere it is written so that we do not end up approving something or recommending it for approval and not have the water to serve them. Is that correct?

Correct. The development agreement outlines that they will have water for them.

Awesome. Thank you. Commissioner Banka. Sorry, there we go.

Yes, I did have a question. I'm sorry. I saw an article or something about some of these projects going out east that are going to be all electric and there's no gas lines to them. Is this one of those areas or is that a. possibility i mean it sounds like there are things out east that were underway and then all of a sudden they found out they don't have any gas taps and i remember those days back in the late 70s so just kind of curious what the gas natural gas situation was for heat stoves etc

I'm going to defer that question to the applicant or their consultants when after they do their presentation. I'm not aware of the natural gas situation. I am aware that of the news coverage about it a little bit South of here recently, but I don't know about it for this particular development and what their coordination with them has been.

Thank you. Any further questions by the commissioner for staff? If not, we're going to move on to the applicant. Who is presenting this evening on behalf of the applicant?

That would be me. I'll be starting us off.

Okay, if you would please provide us with your first and last name, the organization that you are with, and whether or not you are an Aurora resident. Because this is a combined application, you have 15 minutes. It is normally 10. Elise, we're giving you 15 minutes. If you desire for more time, we'll address that only if you need more time. But take it away.

Thank you. It is a lot. Sarah had to cover a lot, and she did a really great job of that. My name is Elise Applegate Klink. I work at Norris Design. I'm speaking on behalf of the applicant and my colleague Sean Malone will also be speaking in this presentation on a topic that he's a little bit more dialed into. The address for Norris Design is 1101 Bannock Street in Denver, and I am not a resident of Aurora. Alright, is everybody seeing my screen moving to the next here?

Yes.

Wonderful. working with multiple screens and want to make sure everything's looking correct.

So to introduce our team tonight, the property owner and applicant is property reserve and land reserve. Those are sort of two arms of the same entity. And that is the development arm of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints. On the consultant side, Norris Design is handling planning, landscape, architecture, and branding. Redland is handling civil engineering. Fox Tuttle is our traffic engineer and KGA is providing architecture design standards. Sarah went over the site. I'm sure you're all quite familiar at this time, but we wanted to include it in there really with the context of the single family neighborhoods to the South, the Vista Peak School nearby and our adjacency to I-70 and E-470. So I mentioned that Norris Design did branding. We spent a long time working with PRI to really understand the strengths of this site and what made sense for creating a vision for the long-haul design. So Tributary is a 960-acre mixed-use master plan community located along the banks of Aurora's First Creek. Imagined as a dynamic confluence of people, parks, and possibility, it's been designed to embody life's invigorating ebb and flow. Filled with lively retail, wholesome homes, and a cascading park network, Tributary is a community alive with movement that brings neighbors and nature together in a refreshing new way. And we took this vision and integrated it into all of the design standards that you'll see in the remainder of the presentation.

To advance here one moment.

All right, so with that, I bring you to our land use map. Sarah described this really well, but some key points that we want to bring up is that First Creek is really the heart of this neighborhood, and we really wanted to emphasize that. So with that, all of the neighborhoods, you can see some sort of green connections to First Creek, whether it's a tributary or an open space, ensuring that people will be able to walk or bike or scooter or roll to make that trail connection to enjoy the neighborhood from a recreational perspective or to be able to get to some of the commercial services from their homes. We really chose to focus the commercial and mixed use land areas along I-70. Given the, you know, upcoming construction of this interchange, it's a key area for commercial uses and makes a little bit more sense for higher intensity uses. Whereas the southern portion of the site, we really wanted to provide a gentle transition from our neighbors to the south with single family detached and single family attached land uses. With the exception of that commercial and retail at the intersection of Harvest and Sixth Avenue, we know that this area has really been wanting some sort of commercial land uses for a long time and we're really excited to be able to help provide that in this neighborhood. Sarah went over the zoning in really great detail, but I'd just like to reinforce that you know this initial zoning sort of followed section lines and assumptions of where Harvest Road would lead. And our proposed zoning really follows Harvest Road as it goes through the site, it follows Tributary Parkway, you can see in the western portion. and then future East 12th Avenue and East 13th Place to focus our mixed use zoning in the Northern portion of the site and R2 in the Southern portion of the site. I did mention that we have commercial in that R2 at Harvest and Sixth, that is an administrative activity center. So that's what makes that commercial use possible in the residential zone district. Moving on to sort of how our landscape connects to our big idea for tributary. Landscape elements within tributary establish and enhance the unique character of Colorado's Creekside regions. The landscape is very intentionally laid out in these design standards to blend the Creekside and natural beauty of Colorado's plains to visually unify the community and pay homage to the native riparian corridor within the community along First Creek. Plant materials are going to be selected based on their ability to withstand a dry, warm, and sunny climate, as well as periods of inundation along First Creek and its tributaries. So water tolerant plants will be used near First Creek and other drainage ways in areas with natural runoff. Irrigated turf will be limited to functional activity areas only, and the use of dry streambed applications and landscape will be utilized throughout the community to emphasize and reinforce the creek and stream characteristics of the community. You can also see in these images, there's a lot of flow to it. We have that concept of ebb and flow of life that we talked about on that second slide. We really want to reinforce that through curved lines and sort of smooth imagery throughout the neighborhood. Moving on to architecture, the residential architecture has been very specifically outlined to provide a timeless fashion and cohesive aesthetic throughout the entire community. The styles of the homes you see here are described as heritage homestead, highland modern, transitional cottage, contemporary rustic, and nordic alpine. These home style standards are carefully written to provide complementary design, but we distinguish between these different types of homes with different roof plans or roof forms, materials, color schemes, and architectural detailing. Moving on to commercial architecture, these standards blend contemporary elements with nostalgic touches. In an effort to provide a fresh interpretation of the past, the standards focus on entryway architecture and facade design to create something really unique and tributary. And the retail architecture prioritizes a sense of human scale with really thoughtfully designed entrances that invite visitors and foster a really great indoor outdoor connection and emphasize pedestrian engagement with the community. Sarah also mentioned that there was a lot of collaboration in recent months, and we really appreciate working with staff to find standards that really work to exceed and improve on some of the Aurora UDO standards and provide future builders with a guide to creating beautiful, welcoming buildings within tributary. Sarah explained our adjustment request very well, so I won't go into too much detail on the mechanics of it, but I did want to highlight that as a part of this adjustment request, we have to provide sort of compensation in other ways to make sure that it's still a very livable community with this increased density. So that compensation that I want to reinforce, there's a requirement that there be parks, trail corridors, or open space. within a quarter mile of any home site. That there are open space tracks on any blocks longer than 600 feet in length to provide a pedestrian connection. That there's a diversity of homes when there's an arterial road that stretches for more than a thousand feet in length without a street interruption. We're required to have different types of homes. Those types of homes are those defined in the UDO. We're also required a minimum of five of those home types in each of the neighborhoods. that are proposing small lots. There's a sort of maximum of two contiguous blocks or 80 lots of the same housing type anywhere that the small lots are proposed. And then for small lot groupings adjacent to First Creek, trail connections to the open space are required to be provided at a minimum of one trail connection per 700 feet. And with that, I will hand the presentation over to my colleague, Sean, who will explain our signage requests in a little bit more detail.

And by way of reminder, Sean, if you would state your first and your last name, please, and the organization that you are with.

Yep. Good evening. I'm Sean Malone with Norris Design. I'm a principal and landscape architect on tributary, and I do not live in the city of Aurora. But I've done a lot of work there over the last 25 years. So it looks like I have about three or four minutes left. So I'll try to get through this relatively quickly. And if you have questions, feel free to ask. So you can see the locations that we're talking about are on I-70 on either side of the new interchange that's going in, which I know is pretty exciting for everybody. So the idea is to be able to capture people so they can see our sign, be able to read it, and know to exit in time when they're doing 75 miles an hour. So that's what this presentation is really all about. Go ahead and jump to the next one, Elise, if you would. And so design code, and especially sign code, really emerges from conditions that we really don't like, right? Somebody does something, you don't like it, you build code around preventing it from happening. City of Aurora did a great job of that years ago, and the whole intent was to avoid something that looks just like this. This is off of I-70 out in Wheat Ridge. This is how things were done a long, long time ago. The sign code now in the City of Aurora is really trying to prevent this from happening. So if you want to jump to the next slide. So we went out and we looked for similar conditions adjacent to high-speed interstates, you know, 75-mile-an-hour roadways. associated with commercial retail development. And Southlands is probably the best example I could find that represents trying to follow code. This is viewed at about 680 feet. You can see that the signs are low to the ground. They get kind of lost in the clutter in the background. The lettering's pretty small to be accommodated by the sign. So they get pretty hard to read. I went to a couple other locations if you want to jump to the next one, Elise. And one of the taller signs that are out there right now in the city is the Old Town Center sign. Now, I know this was probably done quite a while ago before the code was really in place, but it kind of represents that in order to draw attention to a large commercial retail center, the signage needs to be at scale. In the next slide, there's a better example on the other side of Alameda where when this area was developed, they went ahead and must have asked for a waiver to get up to about 50 feet. And there's two signs about this size in this area, and you can see it starts to do a pretty good job. These are a little closer to the right-of-way than ours will be, and I'll show you that when we get to that portion of the presentation. Want to jump to the next police? And so we worked with staff to try to address you know, signage that probably wasn't really anticipated in the initial sign code. You know, signage along high-speed interstates trying to draw attention to large retail centers. So when you go around the metro area, you'll find a couple of these. This is out and right at the Wadsworth exit in Nevada. And this is similar to what we're proposing. It's pretty far off the road. It's about 75 feet tall. But the lettering is large enough that you can start to make that out as you're driving by. Now, of course, I had to pull over safely and take pictures. So this isn't even on the interstate per se. The interstate's probably another 50 feet to your left. Do you want to jump to the next one, Elise? This is another one that's going in right now out at Wheat Ridge at Quick Creek Crossing. And again, this is about a 75-foot sign. This is kind of what we were basing our concept off of. This is about 75 feet away. And I know, depending on the size of your screen, whether you can really read this lettering or not, but when you're out there in real life, it's really the adequate size signage. So we took a lot of the design standards they used here and applied it to what we were doing. If you want to jump to the next one. I got just a couple minutes left. So this starts to put our location in context. This is looking eastbound before you approach the interchange. We wanted to show that interchange so you can get a sense of scale. The sign's not going to sit out there all by itself. It's going to have other things around it. The interchange probably being one of the taller items. We're about 130 feet off of the right-of-way. There is an existing frontage road there that will go away in the future, but we also have a 30-foot power line easement that we have to address, so we're sitting just behind there. As we were approaching our design, work quite a bit with staff and we appreciate them working with us and understanding our situation. So they helped, you know, with the size and the mass and making sure one of the big things to make sure it has a decent base. So it doesn't look like it's going to fall over. So we did go through quite a bit of a design iteration with staff to come up with this design. So this is the eastbound look, want to jump to the westbound look. Very similar, you know, put it in context. And in this case, you're still 130 feet off of I-70s right away or edge and with an extra 30 feet due to the easement. If you want to jump to the next one, Elise.

Sean, I'm going to interrupt you for one moment. Commissioners, our bylaws do allow us to extend an applicant presentation an additional five minutes. Are you okay with giving Norris an additional five minutes? Perfect. I didn't want to rush you too much.

All right. I'm going to wrap it up even quicker than that. So this is more of a 3D simulation. Again, I couldn't stand in the westbound lane, but this is shooting just from the outside. So you're looking across I-70. You're looking across the eastbound lane as well. And here we actually put in some blocks to kind of give you an idea of scale that some of the buildings might be at. You know, they're associated with the commercial retail center. So you can start to see that it starts to work scale-wise with what's around it, but it's still very visible. You want to jump to the next one? And now this would be your eastbound lane, and I had to stand on the frontage road to get this one. But again, the power lines kind of show you we have an easement there. Those power lines may be buried in the future. We're still working on that. But again, it starts to put everything in scale. So if you want to jump to the next one, Elise. And so that's the end of the signage presentation. Looks like we have a few more minutes.

All right. Elise or Sean, do you have any other closing arguments or closing remarks related to your presentation?

Sure. We just wanted to reinforce the criteria for approval of the master plan and note that we are consistent with the comprehensive plan, that first check mark, that this master plan will allow future development of the property to comply with all the standards of the UDO, that this master plan proposes a coordinated system of streets, trails, sidewalks, open spaces, and infrastructure systems that do not create significant adverse impacts on the surrounding area, and arguably will help with a lot more east-west and north-south connections on roads and with trails, and that this master plan will improve and expand upon multimodal connections within adjacent sites, neighborhoods, and urban centers. So with that, we welcome your comments and questions and invite you to visit tributarycolorado.com for a little bit more information.

Thank you very, very much. Commissioners, do you have questions of the applicant?

Missionary bank. You're on mute.

I don't believe my question about the natural gas. Was it answered? I think the applicant was going to answer that. Staff wasn't sure, but is this going to have natural gas out there?

Yes, I can answer that. This is Dane Hill. I'm with Property Reserve. I'm not a resident of Aurora. But the intent is to have natural gas serve the site. We put in an application with Excel at the end of 2024. That application is probably old and probably needs to be refreshed. We have heard that there are restraints in natural gas in the area. And that's something we intend to work through with Excel as we work through our infrastructure site plan. I mean, yeah, infrastructure site plans.

Perfect, thank you. Further questions?

I do have one of Sean. Sean, do you intend for any of these signs being electronic messaging boards?

Yes, actually in our app in our design guidelines we do. have a provision for a certain amount. I don't think over 50% can be electronic. So it would be up to 50% in the graphics that we showed is probably representative of what we're probably looking at doing, which is just maybe 20% at the bottom. So that will allow for things like advertisement of farmers markets, all those type of cultural events that we might be able to advertise.

Thank you very much. Again, any other questions by Commissioners? Yes, Commissioner Riley.

Thank you. So exhibit all on page 380 of our report provided neighborhood comments. I didn't see any answers for those comments. Were they ever answered during that initial stage? And I guess while you're digging that up, let's look at how are you? looking at fire and rescue services out there and policing services. Is that any consideration as far as you're planning with a such a large community?

I can get a couple of those items started and I'm trying to find my way through the presentation to be able to advance to an earlier slide. But with regard to neighbors comments, the comments that we received with our first round of review, all comments were directly addressed in our response to comments letter with the second submittal. And we also hosted that neighborhood meeting because of the comments received, but we did not have any neighbors actually in attendance at that. We only had one neighbor in attendance at that meeting.

Okay.

And then on the topic of fire, we are planning for a fire station at 10th Avenue in the western portion of this site. We have gone through reviews with Aurora Police as well and confirmed sort of which district we're in.

Okay, and the last question I had is you talked about future design and phases. So what we're looking at here right now is not the complete project. of what you're intending to do. You're going to come before sometime years in the future to add more to this particular design, or are you looking at other areas outside this particular area that you're looking to rezone?

This is the entirety of the tributary master plan as we've submitted it. If the applicant were interested in another project in this area in the future, it would come in as a completely separate master plan. If there were any sort of immediately adjacent property that wanted to enter into our master plan in the years, we would process that through an amendment. But I can say as of, you know,

May 13th of 26 I believe this is the entire project um Dane please correct me if I'm wrong or if there's some more nuance to that no that's correct I think that maybe the mention of phasing is just more talking about the practical logistics of construction phasing starting you know development on the south end of the property and moving towards the interchange so that'll be done in phases and not all obviously all at once

OK, now I just want to make one comment too. I really appreciate the idea, the foresight of discussing the signage now. We've had some past meetings where we've had to look at signage after development started, and at least this has been considered in the beginning so we don't have to revisit an applicant's need to improve their signage. So I wanted to thank you for that.

That's all I have. Thank you.

Let's call for commissioners to ask questions for right now.

If not, Susan or Stephanie, do we have anyone from the public that has comments or questions?

Commissioner Hogan, we do not for this item.

All right. Thank you very, very much. All right. Based upon this, again, we are going to tackle each one of these items. individually, may I please have a staff recommendation or excuse me, may I please have a commissioner recommendation?

Yes. Commissioner Hogan.

Thank you Malcolm for bailing me. You knew what I meant.

Absolutely. For agenda item eight, a

A conditional use for motor vehicle.

I have it ready.

There we go. I have it right here. Thank you. Agenda item 8A, zoning map amendment for 104 acres from R2 to RU-A. Based on the staff recommendations, the presentation, and the discussions at this evening's public hearing, I move to recommend approval of the zone mapping amendment from R2 district to MUA district to City Council because the proposal complies with criteria in section 146-5.4.1.C.3 for the reasons stated in the staff report.

May I have a second, please? Great. Thank you very, very much. I am taking on that, Commissioner Riley, as our second. Are there any other comments prior to voting? Good job to both staff and Elise and Sean with Norris. This was a huge monster. I don't think people appreciate the time and frankly, the funds that it costs to put together a master plan like that. So PRI, I hope you treat your staff and your consultants well, because they did you good. All right, folks, roll call time. Commissioner Jedrick. Approve. Commissioner Bush.

Approve.

Commissioner Becker. Approve. Commissioner Riley.

I approve.

Commissioner Benka. Approve. And Commissioner Hogan approves with Commissioner Walz absent. Agenda item eight to be. May I have a motion, please? Commissioner Riley.

Thank you for agenda item 8B zoning map amendment for 189 acres from R2 to MUR based on the staff recommendation, the presentations and discussions at this evening's public hearing. I move to recommend approval of the zoning map amendment from the R2 district to the MUR district to city council because the proposal complies with the criteria in section 146-5.4.1.c.3 for the reasons stated in the staff report.

May I have a second on the motion, please? I'll take her. She slipped her hand up. Perfect. Any further comments from our commissioners? If not, call and roll. Commissioner Jedrick. Approve. Commissioner Bush.

Approve.

Commissioner Becker. Approve. Commissioner Riley. I approve. Commissioner Banka. Approve. And Commissioner Hogan approves. Agenda item 8C. Commissioner Becker, would you like to read that one for us?

Thank you, Commissioner Hogan. This is for agenda item 8C, zoning map amendment for 143 acres from MUR to R2. Based on the staff recommendations, presentation and discussions at this evening's public hearing, I move to approve 8C, sorry, yes. Sorry. Okay, 8C, I got lost, sorry. Zoning map amendment for 143 acres from MUR to R2. because the proposal complies with the code section 146-5.4.1.C.3 for the reasons stated in the staff report.

May I have a second, please? Commissioner Bush, thank you very much for your second. Any further notations by our commissioners? If not, it's time for roll call. Commissioner Jedrick. Approve. Commissioner Bush.

Approve.

Commissioner Becker? Approve. Commissioner Riley?

I approve.

Commissioner Benke? Approve. And Commissioner Hogan also approves item 8C. Item 8D, may I have someone read that for us? Commissioner Riley?

For agenda item 8D, master plan with adjustments, based on the staff recommendations, the presentations and the discussion at this evening's public hearing, I move to approve with two conditions, the master plan with two adjustments for small residential lot percentage and multi-tenant monument sign allowances, because the proposal complies with the requirements of section 146-5.4.1.E.3 for the reasons stated in the staff report, approval to be subject to the following conditions. Number one, approval of the master plan is contingent on the three associated zoning map amendments being approved by the city council. Number two, outstanding technical issues must be resolved prior to submittal and recordation of the master plan.

May I have a second, please? Commissioner Benke? Any other comments by commissioners? If not, roll call on 8D. Commissioner Jedrick. Approve. Commissioner Bush.

Approve.

Commissioner Becker. Approve. Commissioner Riley.

I approve.

Commissioner Benka. Approve. And Commissioner Hogan also approves item 8D. PRI, let us be the first to say congratulations on your recommendation to go before City Council for the rezone. It has been our pleasure to unanimously approve you for this recommendation. Thank you.

Thank you for the consideration and the thoughtful questions. We're grateful for the opportunity to be working with the City of Aurora and its staff.

all right let's see our next item is agenda 8e cotton creek amendment master plan who do we have presenting this evening this will be me ah benjamin all right mr braverman take it away good evening commissioners i'm ben bravenick i'm presenting for staff a master plan amendment for cottonwood creek

The applicant Westside Investment Partners is requesting approval of an amendment, the Cottonwood Creek Master Plan. This is the first amendment to the master plan that was originally approved in 2022. This proposed amendment updates land use areas, including reducing the area of oil and gas facilities and replacing them with residential areas and removing a commercial mixed use area. The goal of this amendment is to equally divide development obligations and land plans in half east and west sides to represent two master developer teams the cottonwood creek master plan is located approximately four miles east of e470 the property includes frontage along east jewel avenue south monahan road east yale avenue south hayes mount road east mississippi avenue and south hudson road The zoning within the master plan is the R2 medium density residential zone district within subarea C. It is also bounded by the R2 district in Arapahoe County. The place type designations from the Aurora Places Comprehensive Plan is predominantly emerging neighborhood with a small corner of commercial hub and a sliver of urban green space. 18 abutting property owners and six registered neighborhood organizations were noticed no neighborhood meeting was held legal notice appeared in the aurora centennial public notice signs were posted within the master plan and mailings sent in compliance with udo requirements this area was originally annexed into the city of aurora in 2016 and then the master plan was approved in 2022. Connor wood creek is approximately 1232 acres three commercial areas totaling 13 acres or originally planned. The plan includes neighborhoods with a mix of single family attached and detached three existing oil and gas sites and proposed several park spaces, including larger neighborhood parks pocket parks and open space following first creek and yamaha creek. Two schools are planned, one for the west side and one for the east side, as well as a permanent fire station and community center. Within this master plan, Westside Investment Partners owns the land west of Hazemount Road, which will be referred to as Travera Community West. Cottonwood Creek Investors LLC owns the land east of South Hazemount Road, which will be referred to as Cottonwood Creek Community. The amendment also reflects the current condition of the existing oil and gas facilities, which is less land area than anticipated with the original master plan. In turn, this increases the plan residential areas and the total number of units allowable per the master plan. The removal of the three acre commercial mixed use area PA 79 also contributes to the increase in residential area. And the planned number of units. The proposed amendment will be at five dwelling units per acre or less and on both ownership sides. Both sides will also retain future APS sites. The public land dedication has been distributed evenly based on the densities proposed. Parks and open spaces changed slightly to comply with the increased units and separation of east and west. The issues discussed During this review are the proposed use change the separation of ownership and access and connectivity. The master plan originally had three commercial mixed use areas totaling 13 acres as a needed as a minute straight of activity centers these administrative activity centers would be required to follow in UC mixed use quarter standards. The proposal removes commercial uses from PA 79, located on the southwest corner of East Jewel Ave and South Lanewood Street, and replaces it with up to 17 residential units. PA 78 and PA 90 will remain in place, leaving 10 acres of commercial use within the master plan. Approximately three miles separate the two remaining commercial mixed use areas, Reserving more commercial areas is recommended, however, the proposal meets you do requirements which only requires one a AC for a master plan over 160 acres. zoning for PA 79 is our two and is designated as the emerging neighborhood place type of your places comprehensive plan. It has been expressed to the applicant that the removal of commercial land. Uses could limit the number of small lots allowed in the future. Small lot code amendment is anticipated for this summer. The oil and gas sites have been decreased in area, allowing for more residential units. PA 81 has been plugged and abandoned. PA 82 and PA 83 have decreased in size. The proposal includes increased units throughout the master plan. original master plan was approved for a total of 3 768 units with this amendment it would add an additional 532 units or approximately 60.5 acres of residential resulting in a total unit count of 4 300. this percentage of small lots as defined by the udo are proposed to be limited to 50 which is the maximum allowable by code Within the existing Cottonwood Creek Master Plan, Westside Investment Partners acquired the land west of South Hazemount Road in 2024 from the original owner, Cottonwood Creek Investors LLC, which continues to own the property east of South Hazemount Road. With the two master developer groups now in place, the ownership groups have proposed revisions to more clearly establish their own boundaries. Revisions are incorporated throughout the document to label and designate the separate areas and responsibility of each group. These changes are not a requirement of the city, but staff has reviewed the proposed changes to ensure that there's a consistent approach throughout the master plan. Changes to the street network include the realignment of East Iliff Avenue. East Isle of Avenue was originally approved to curve into the planning areas between South Hazemount Road and South Hudson Road. The new proposal will follow the section line shown in red. Additionally, the PIP Amendment proposes options on a secondary access to the site. Access will be primarily from East Jewel Avenue and Yale Interim will provide a secondary access shown in purple. However, there may still be vulnerability access blockages on East Jewel Avenue, Monahan Road, or South Hazemount Road were added with this amendment to provide alternative secondary access options shown in green. The alternative options allow the master developer the flexibility to determine the best way to meet access needs depending on the improvements in the proximity of the project at the time of construction. Staff's analysis finds the proposed master plan amendment complies with the UDO's approval criteria for the following reasons. The master plan amendment is consistent with the Roar Place's comprehensive plan and the purpose statements for the R2 medium density residential zone district. Future development of the property will comply with applicable standards of the UDO and does not request any adjustments. The Master Plan Amendment will result in better access to the area with East Yale Avenue and South Hazemount Road that do not create adverse impacts to the surrounding area. The Master Plan Amendment incorporates additional design criteria to ensure a walkable and well-connected development. The Master Plan retains two designated areas for mixed use, 10 acres in total and a 4.4 acre community center. Staff finds with one condition, the master plan amendment agenda item 8E complies with the requirements of code sections 146-5.4.1.E.3 of the unified development ordinance. The recommended condition is the resolution of outstanding technical issues prior to recordation of the master plan. That concludes my presentation. The applicant has also prepared a presentation. I'm here to answer questions for staff. Let me know if you would like them to present or if you have any questions for me.

Let's start out with questions for them. Commissioner Banka.

I'm going to ask the same question because this is out in that area. Is this area going to have natural gas or is it right now all electric?

This is in the same area. This is a pretty high level plan where a lot of infrastructure site plans will be need to be put in place for this to develop and that will have to go through Excel. If the applicant has any more information than I do, they might be able to help more, but I haven't had any conversations about this for the semester plan.

Thank you. Other questions by Commissioners? If not, If the applicant would please state their first and last name, the company they are with, and who they are representing, and you can present yourself.

Ben, will you be running our presentation or am I sharing my screen and doing it? Oh, there we go. You are. I can do it for you. Okay, perfect. Good evening, everyone. Commissioners, nice to see you again. I'm Alan Cunningham with PCS Group. We're 200 Kalamath Street, Denver, 80223. And I am not a resident of Aurora. On behalf of Westside Investment Partners and James Spaholsky and Cottonwood Creek Investors, I'm pleased to be here to give you a quick presentation on our master plan amendment request for Cottonwood Creek. I'll try not to be too redundant because Ben did a pretty thorough job. So any of our slides, I might go sort of quickly through them. Can you go ahead and do the next slide, please, Ben? So on the call this evening with me are Sienna Move with Westside Investments, James Boholski with Cotton Creek Investors is here, Garrett Graham with our company PCS Group is on as well, Bonner Gilmore with Inertia Consulting, and I believe Chris McGranahan with LSC Transportation is on here as well. So between us, we'll do our best to answer any questions that you might have. Next slide, please. Just to get you oriented obviously quickly, I think you know where the site is now, but it's down southeast portion of the city. Since you can see the site is in red with the two mile circle around it, it sits about three and a half miles to the east of E470 on Jewel Ave. Next slide, please. So for a little more context here, we've overlaid the proposed master plan for Cottonwood Creek on this kind of regional context map that lists a bunch of the other projects. As you can see, it sits to the south and east of Parklands and Harmony and to the north of the state land board parcels. So as such, this is an integral piece of the future growth of Aurora in this area. Next slide. So here we'll jump into kind of the master plan amendment and the that's really under consideration this evening.

Next slide.

So just at a glance, just some of the key pieces of information pertaining to Cottonwood Creek. You can see that it's about 1,232 acres, as Ben mentioned, originally approved in 2022. With the plan amendment, it will allow up to 4,300 homes, mix of single family detached and attached, and blended. That'll equate to about 3.7 DU per acre across the entire community, so still well below the 5 DU per acre that's permitted within R2. We anticipate approximately 11 miles of trails and multi-use paths throughout the community, a little over 177 acres of parks and open space, including 32 and a half acres of neighborhood parks. And we'll be designing water consciously to meet Aurora's enhanced standards. while providing compatibility with surrounding communities and hopefully with pending code changes that we know are in the works with the city, and then also providing secondary access connectivity to the area. So that'll help with improved life safety in the area. Next slide, please. Just a quick text summary here of the main revisions included within this master plan amendment. As mentioned, part of the goal with this was to have some ownership distinction between the east and west sides of the property since west side investment partners bought a portion of it. The next slide will show you that. There was oil and gas. Oh, you already went ahead. Okay. There's some oil and gas consolidation to current reverse setbacks and P&A wells. ILF-AV gets straightened out, as Ben had mentioned, and there is one small commercial parcel that went away due to the need to locate an enlarged detention facility in that location. So I can touch on that as well. So with this slide, you can see breaking down. Cottonwood Creek, the piece to the east in blue, is still owned by Cottonwood Creek investors and James Boholski. The western portion shown in that reddish orange is the portion that was purchased by Westside Investment Partners in 2025. This portion's been rebranded to Travera, so you may see it referred to as that or Cottonwood Creek West. This side, the western side, has several applications active right now, so you may be a little more familiar with it. It's had site plans and plats and construction drawings in various stages of review and approval with the city. Also labeled on here, you can see with the additional units that are coming into the community, there's approximately 300 that are on the Travera side, the western piece, and a little under 225 units being added to the Cottonwood Creek piece in blue, and the proposed densities still shown on there, and as you can see, well below the allowed 5 DU per acre in R2.

Next slide, please.

So while this slide is not technically part of the master plan, I wanted to show it to you just to provide some context to the revisions that we're requesting. This is kind of future anticipated lotting for the community, things that have been being worked on. in conjunction with builder input and largely the changes, obviously, Ben mentioned the shrinking of some of the oil and gas. And so getting back some developable ground with that happening, but also working with the builders to bring in some smaller product types to help with attainability. So the different colors you're seeing on here represent there's townhomes, paired homes, or duplexes. There's some 35 foot wide alley loaded lots, and then arrange a different front loaded single-family detached homes as well. And so with that builder input, obviously, we're hoping that this amendment makes Cottonwood Creek and Travera capable of evolving with market conditions and namely to provide smaller homes on smaller lots to aid with attainability in the community. Next slide, please. So again, you've seen this, the comparative one. Just to point out a couple of things. The slide on the right, you can see there is a red cloud around a portion of it. That identifies where the physical changes, parcel designations change, things like that within the master plan. The oil and gas areas are the ones shown in gray. So if you see on the left-hand slide, there's three areas shown in gray on the far left, down at the bottom, and then a large one in the center portion of the community. The one for this left has been plugged and abandoned, so that one shrinks dramatically. And you can see even down on the very bottom, that one shrinks somewhat with new reverse setbacks and what's there. And then the center one shrinks a lot. I think we got back about 55 acres from oil and gas to come into the developed part of the community. The small commercial piece that Ben referenced is in the eastern side of the site to the right of that large gray oil and gas. You can see, I apologize, I should have had a bigger slide for this, but You can see a small blue parcel beside the red one. That red one was that internal commercial piece. With some of the changes with the oil and gas sites going away, the changes to the different parcels, the efficiency that came with straightening out ILIF, there became a need for a larger detention area. And so that corner that was shown in red was where that commercial piece was. It had planned for a small detention pond associated with it. And with the changes, that detention pond has actually grown to about 3.6 acres. And from a grading standpoint, that's the location where the detention pond is going to want to be to handle the drainage before it goes into First Creek. And so that's the reason why we were asking to remove that small piece of commercial. Combined with the fact that we still have the two mixed-use commercial, as Ben pointed out, AECs, when we would be required by code to have one. In addition, there are some increases in neighborhood park space and pocket park space throughout the community in relation to meeting PROS requirements with the increased unit count that has come. Next slide, please. So this one was just to blow up the one other thing I wanted to touch on as well. That red clouded area is where parcels physically changed on within the community, within the master plan. The ability to add small lots is throughout the community. So even the portions to the east where the bubbles haven't changed at this point in time will be allowed to have small lots added into the community, namely the 35 foot alley and just smaller products throughout the community to help with attainability. Next slide. So before wrapping up, we'll quickly touch on the master plan amendment criteria. So if you can go next slide for me, please then. So this one depicts the master plan amendment approval criteria. in the essence of time and since staff did a good job of going through these in the staff report and in their presentation, I won't go through them verbatim, but suffice it to say we agree with staff that this master plan amendment is consistent with the approval criteria, the five ones that are listed here, and with that are asking for your approval. Next slide, please. So in summary, we agree that we're proposing a master plan that's compliant with the city's approval criteria. We also believe that this amendment will allow Cottonwood Creek and Travera communities to better evolve with market trends and integrate more small lots and alley-loaded homes to aid with attainability as this community develops. With that, I will conclude our presentation. Members of our team are here to answer any questions. Commissioner Banca, to your question about gas, yes, we've seen those articles and we're aware of it too. I'm not an expert in it, but my understanding is that there is natural gas available for the area. I believe that it's sort of the status of it is that it needs to still be worked out with their chosen provider, presumably Xcel, what is needed for delivery of that natural gas. But my understanding is that it's available in the area and developers in the area and Xcel and the PUC are all working together to try and figure out the delivery of that natural gas. With that said, we're definitely working on some communities where builders are transitioning to all electric. So, you know, that is an option in different parts of the state and in the metro area. So I think, you know, there might still be another solution there. But as I understand it, it is being worked on as we speak.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Further questions from the commissioners to Al? Yes. Commissioner Jeje.

You're on mute.

The big question out in this area is when and where can there be a grocery store? It doesn't look like this either Cottonwood Creek or Trevera has room commercial room for a grocery store, but do you think you could work since you have so many small lots, a lot more people they're going to need somewhere to shop? Can you can you work with the other developments like? Tributary and Harmony just try to figure this out.

Certainly, I mean, I think, between, as you mentioned tributary and harmony parklands obviously is a massive development that would be coming online. Well, not in the city, but in the county sky ranch sits directly north and has a huge piece of commercial up towards I 70 as well, and I think several of those communities are obviously well ahead of this one, so. We believe that a lot of that would be coming online as those develop before Cottonwood Creek and Travera actually get to that point.

Okay, thank you. That would be appreciated.

Great.

Any other questions? Yes, Commissioner Riley.

Thank you. I got two. Looking at the impact of reducing the oil and gas sites at 81, 82, and 83, the mitigation for environmental concerns, how is that addressed?

So I believe that the two of them are just a matter of revised reverse setbacks and the fact that those are able to shrink. And so they're still ongoing and the oil and gas providers presumably are doing everything they need to to kind of meet all the COGC standards. The other well has been plugged and abandoned. I don't know off the top of my head the steps that they would have gone through, but I believe that they've had to go through and file all the appropriate paperwork to plug and abandon that with all of the tracking and things that are required as well.

So the standards have to be met before this development can start?

The, I mean, my understanding of the process is they, they file to remove a well. It goes through plugged and abandoned. They have to go through the process and since some of the developments up north years ago it's become much more stringent in terms of what needs to be removed and it has to be documented and inspected before it can be signed off on that the well has been is now compliant with regulations for being plugged and abandoned to then it reduces down to having a work over easement in that area in case anything they needed to come back in to that area. So my understanding is that there's now a more formal process that the oil and gas companies need to go through for that abandonment.

And the other question I had is I noted that you're offering, if needed, to put a temporary fire station in, but you also have a parcel labeled in magenta that indicates a fire station. Are you building a temporary fire station for that purpose?

So it's one of those things we work through with life safety. When the plan was originally approved, it was discussed with them to add that in case it was needed. As the western portion has moved forward in subsequent discussions we've had with life safety, life safety at that point, or at this point, isn't interested in having that temporary fire station right now. With the secondary connection that would come out to this site, I think they're comfortable that there would be adequate life safety access to the site and that it will work just fine until such time as the temporary or the permanent fire station is built. So as things move east, that could change and we would work with life safety with other applications that come in if they're If they're wanting a temporary fire station, the way I've seen it done in the past is developer will work with a builder or someone in the area, work with the fire department on what would be needed for that temporary station. and then often it gets built and provided for them for the time that is needed until a permanent station is built. So currently it's not needed with what we anticipate to be the first phases per life safety and that one to the east, you know, could still become a reality as things move forward down the road, but we'll just have to see where life safety is at that point in time.

Okay, thank you.

Further questions from the commissioners? I'd like to pair on Commissioner Riley's question. Brendan, I had asked if there was or could be a representative from oil and gas at the city, are they on this call?

Sure, Brandon Camerata, Current planning manager, Jeffrey Moore was not able to attend, but we did discuss. The item, and he reviewed or took another look at the project, but overall his division is part of the review process. And they reviewed the proposal of the reduced areas and had no comments relating to the reduced areas or any of the other functionalities that are ongoing with those endeavors that are out there now. So if there's any specific questions, I could try to answer them, but they were an integral part of our review process.

So just to be clear, he confirmed that what is being proposed tonight is correct with the oil and gas division, is that correct?

Yes.

Awesome. Thank you very, very much. Commissioner Riley.

So follow up on that. So in the future, when you have the staff report, would you incorporate that particular discussion item? Because I think as the further east we go, there'll probably be some more of these considerations for capping oil and gas. And it would be nice to know that staff had part of that in their discussion.

Understood. Thank you.

Any further discussion from the commissioners? If not, Susan, do we have anyone from the public that would like to speak on this item?

Chair, we do not.

All right. Great. Given that, may I have a motion, please, from our commissioners?

This is Commissioner Jacek. Go ahead, please. Agenda item HC, Master Plan Amendment for Cottonwood Creek Master Plan. Based on staff recommendation, the presentation and discussion at this evening's public hearing, I move to approve with one condition, the Master Plan Amendment because the proposal complies with the requirements of Code Section 146-5.4.1.E.3 of the Unified Development Ordinance. The proposed master plan amendment complies with the approval criteria for the stated reasons in the staff report. Approval is to be subject to the following condition, resolution of outstanding technical issues prior to recommendation of the master plan.

Excellent, thank you, Commissioner. Again, for item 8E, may I have a second, please? Commissioner Benke, thank you very, very much. With that, it's roll call time. Commissioner Jedrick. Approve. Commissioner Bush.

Approve.

Commissioner Becker.

Approve.

Commissioner Riley.

I approve.

Commissioner Benke. Approve. And Commissioner Hogan approves on item 8E. You have unanimous approval. Thank you very much, Mr. Cunningham and Benjamin.

Thank you.

Next up, we have item 8F. And I believe we have Ani who is presenting.

Yep, that is me. Can you see my screen? I want to make sure everything is good to go before I start.

Ani, we do see your screen.

Amazing. Great. All right. So I will start it off. All right, let's see. All right, so good evening, commissioners. Just for some context, this project was tabled indefinitely at the January 14th, 2026 Planning Commission meeting due to the commission's concerns regarding the applicant not adequately addressing public concerns raised during the public comment portion of the hearing. A neighborhood meeting was held February 19th, 2026, per Planning Commission's request to work with the public to resolve remaining concerns. The applicant is here tonight to present updates made to their project based on feedback received from the Commission and the public at tonight's hearing. As a reminder, the request is one conditional use for a motor vehicle fuel dispensing station in a mixed-use corridor zone district and a site plan. The location is southeast corner of East Alameda Avenue and South Bohatyn Road. The applicant is Manraj Singh, and the consultant is Terrence Hoagland. The zoning is administrative activity center subarea C, and then the place type is commercial hub. This is the just overall vicinity and aerial map showing the project location, which is on the southeastern corner at the intersection of South Manhattan Road and East Alameda Avenue, as indicated on the screen by the white box. In terms of the zoning, the project site is zoned Administrative Activity Center, which is a commercial mixed-use zoning. Any land within an Administrative Activity Center must follow the standards applicable to the MEC Zone District. The surrounding area around the project site is zoned Medium Density Residential Zone District, otherwise known as R2, with single-family dwellings north of the site as part of Harmony and Adonia neighborhoods. There is undeveloped land to the south and east, part of the Harmony site plan number four, which is residential, and then west of the site across South Powhatan Road, which is vacant land designated as an administrative activity center in the Parklands Master Plan. And then in addition, the project site is designated as a commercial hub place type from the comprehensive plan, which is the proposed commercial land uses are considered primary land use. Just to also note, the project site is within the Harmony Commercial Master Plan, which is approved by the city. The project site is in Planning Area 1 of the Master Plan, which is designated as an area for commercial development. These are site photos, which were taken on May 5th. The first one is along Alameda and the second one is along Powhatan. In terms of community response, there were nine adjacent property owners and six registered neighborhood organizations that were notified. Public comments received during the development review period. Two neighborhood meetings were held on September 23rd, 2025 and February 19th, 2026. And then a notice of hearing boards and mailings were posted and sent. These were the items discussed during development review as well as a update or summary on the February neighborhood meeting. In terms of context in the surrounding area, there are existing residential neighborhoods, as I stated before, in the surrounding area, including Harmony, Edonia, and Traditions. In addition, the closest school is a half mile north of the project, which is approximately 2,300 feet. For context, the code requires that motor vehicle fuel dispensing stations cannot be located within 500 feet of a school. The closest commercial development is approximately over two miles northwest of the project site directly east of E470 at the intersection of East 6 Parkway and North Gun Club Road. The commercial businesses are two gas stations with a convenience store. Both of these businesses are 24 hour operations and then the closest liquor store in the area is approximately 2.8 or 2.48 miles from the project, which is around 13,000 feet. For context, the code requires that retail liquor stores be separated by 1500 feet in distance. um this is just an overall like summary of the proposal uh showing the site plan and building elevations uh these just an overall overview of what is included is one multi-tenant building with three tenant spaces with one fuel canopy and a patio area the fuel canopy is located behind the building which complies with the code requirements regarding the placement of fuel canopies The proposed building is double-fronted and meets the building design requirements for single-story commercial buildings. The overall project design complies with the specific standards for motor vehicle fueling stations. And then the public improvements include road and sidewalk improvements to all sides of the site. Right-of-way improvements are in compliance with the Harmony Commercial Master Plan public improvement plan. This is an overview of the public's comments and concerns shared during the development review period of the project, the September 2025 neighborhood meeting, and during the comments shared during the January planning commission hearing. So in summary residents had concerns with the proposed hours of operation that conflicted with their neighborhood quiet hours of 10 p.m. To 7 a.m the proposed commercial businesses the residents had concerns about especially related to the gas station convenience store and liquor store and then there were concerns related to noise light impact and safety and This, again, is an overview of the February 2026 neighborhood meeting that was based where, I apologize, So the applicant will go over in more detail regarding what public comments they have addressed in light of the public comments shared in this meeting and previously in the January 2026 Planning Commission meeting. Overall, the public in attendance was not satisfied with the updated hours of operation. Public had continued concerns related to the liquor store and its impact on public safety. They still voiced concerns related to environmental health and overall impacts to property values. However, there were several of the public in attendance that were in support of the project. The approval criteria that apply to this project are the conditional use criteria and the site plan with no major adjustment criteria that are listed on the screen. The project complies with the applicable conditional use criteria, including the application complies with the UDO and the Harmony Commercial Master Plan. and is consistent with the comprehensive plan commercial hub place type. And then in addition, the project complies with the site plan with no major adjustment criteria of approval as the application complies with the standards of the UDO and the master plan. In conclusion, with the approval criteria in mind, staff finds to approve agenda items 8H and 8I for the following reasons listed on the screen, with the approval to be subject to the following condition that the applicant shall substantially comply with the operations outlined in the letter of introduction of records significant changes to the business operations may be approved administratively if changes do not establish a new use or expansion of a use that is not permitted by zoning this is the conclusion of my presentation thank you everyone for listening the applicant is applicant team has a presentation as well and staff and the applicant are available for questions thank you

Excellent, thank you, Andy. Yeah, no problem. Commissioners, do you have any questions of staff?

Seeing none.

Let's see, I do believe we have some folks from Nix Investments LLC. If you would please state your first and last name for the record, as well as the company that you are representing, please. And if you'd like, let us know if you are a resident of Aurora. You also have 10 minutes for your presentation.

All right. Good evening, commissioners. My name is Munraj Singh. I am the applicant building this all in one in harmony. I am a resident of Aurora and let me go ahead and share my screen for you.

I'm not going to start until you have your application up.

There's some reason allowing me, but just give me one sec.

Susan or Brandon, is there a way to help him with this presentation?

Here, I can pull up the presentation if you want, Anurag.

ANURAG KUMAR- Actually, yeah. Actually, yeah, you're going to have to, because it's making me restart Chrome. And I don't want to do that.

Thank you, Anurag.

ANURAG KUMAR- No problem. Give me one moment. Thank you all for your patience. I'm going to try to present this in a way that.

All right. Can everyone see my screen?

Yes.

All right.

Raj, you've got 10 minutes to present.

Yeah, and just let me know when I need to change screens.

OK, got it. So yes. Good evening commissioners and thank you for taking the time to take this meeting or presentation about my our flagship store here in Harmony that is built in Aurora by an Aurora family and for this neighborhood. Next slide. So a little bit about me. I was born and raised and I've been in Aurora for almost 26 years out of my 27. I actually went to school right down the street at Murphy Creek when they first opened. So I know the area very well. I live 10 minutes away from here and Yeah, and then in 2021, I graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in hospitality management. From after graduating, I took on the family businesses and kind of started the expansion from there. And then today I am building what will be the flagship store for all my future stores. I actually have four other sites that I'm planning in Aurora as well. Um, and I am here for the longterm and I don't plan on selling any of these stores. So here's the vision. This is not a corner store. It's the future of my brand, like I said. I've spent the last five years traveling to conventions, other flagship stores, my competitors, and I assembled a design team to basically elevate my store. This is the prototype that all the all-in-ones will be built from. You can see from the materials in one of the next slides that it's high-end work. I have walnut millwork, custom lighting, and premium finishes. I took my degree and actually used it here and added in notes of what you would find in a boutique hotel or a five-star hotel it's not a gas station this is the future and you know the future of convenience stores and essentially it's I think it will inspire my competitors to raise their standards and then This is Aurora First. I designed this store specifically for what the community wanted. This means the products, the tenants, the everything, the snacks, beverages, everything throughout the store. Here is a rendering of what the store will look like. This is the first initial concept. As you can see, Walnut millwork, you got bright lighting from the windows, custom lighting up on the ceilings, overall high-end work. Next slide. You can also see that we have wide aisles, a lot of daylight, natural materials. It's, like I mentioned before, it's a boutique hotel, five-star hotel that you want to spend time in. I have previously mentioned this. This will be a community hub. Essentially, you know, we will provide pizza, chicken, soda, snacks, healthy snacks, as well as beer and wine for all the drinkers in the area as well. This was the commercial Harmony commercial approved master plan that was approved back in 2024. You can see the lot 1 with the gas station in the corner and then you got the commercial. Hubs, or I'm sorry lots on the East and South side with some mixed use featured in as you guys know whole hat and road will be a major arterial road that will run. all the way down to the airport and most of Southeast Aurora will be using this road to essentially go to the airport. According to your guys' 2035 projections, this road is projected to have anywhere between 20 to 40,000 cars in the next 10 years. Next slide. I'm not also just bringing a gas station, I'm bringing Uh, 4 uses 1, the convenience store that provides your daily essentials, fresh grab and go products, a premium coffee program and we will be closing at 11 PM. The cafe and restaurant, which is usually a local tenant, a mom and pop shop that I've done in all my previous locations. So this is someone from the community that wants to open up their own restaurant or cafe. And I give them the opportunity to do it at a very low cost compared to what these major developers would be charging. It's also a wine and spirit store with security selection, high end store from 8 to 11 PM. And then the fuel station will not be 24 hours. It will be from also from. 4 is supposed to say 4 AM to 11 PM to get that. early morning traffic for people going to work. These are the building elevations that you guys saw. It's a very modern, sleek look. Custom lighting to bring ambiance to the site. This is a site that you'd want to pull in and, you know, spend your money here in Aurora. So why this site and why now? Right now residents are driving further than they should for basic services and a developer needs to come in and kind of take the risk. Development doesn't happen all at once. It happens once because one developer takes the risk first, improves to the market, And everyone else follows. So one, I'm bringing infrastructure that unlocks everything. I'm not only funding the roads, the the traffic signals, drainage and attention that will provide infrastructure to not only the residents, but future tenants that will follow the site. Number two, retail follows retail. I currently have all the ACE hardware, dental, and a vet as possible tenants who are looking at the rest of the lots, but they won't commit because one, there's no infrastructure and they want to see the traffic flow to the site. Three, the rooftop's already here. As you guys saw from the previous two presentations, this area is exploding. And this Alameda and Powhatan corner is right in the middle of it. 10,000 residents will basically surround this site. It's one of the fastest growing sites or corridors in Colorado. And there's definitely a gap and I'm feeling The gap with this opportunity and every vacant day costs Aurora. This is tax money that we could be collecting to fund other services that the city needs and residents are just driving out and leaking that money and to other cities that could be used here in Aurora. Um, so, as you guys saw the community concerns, and here's how we address them. Oh, sorry, go back. To list them off again, crime and safety residents were worried about loitering, criminal activity and the store attracting crime, light, pollutions, neighbors concerned about the glare from the fuel canopy and store lighting. Uh, property values, community members fear to gas station or community store would reduce nearby home values. Environmental and spill risks. Concerns about fuel leaks, slow contamination and environmental risk to the area area or hours of operation. concerns about overnight operations and generating noise and activity while the neighborhood is at rest and ongoing accountability. Neighbor residents wanted a formal mechanism to hold the developer accountable even after approval.

Mr. Singh, you have reached your time of presentation. Can you go ahead and wrap up?

Yes, I can.

Please do.

So here's what we did to address crime. We are adding, obviously, 24-7, eight high-def cameras, license plate readers for APD to use, an overnight staff member who will just patrol the property and clean inside, on-site panic buttons, strict no-loitering policies, and a lighting, code plus lighting.

Alright, thank you. We're going to have you conclude your presentation if you would be so kind and ask commissioners. Do you have any questions of the applicant? I also failed to ask you how many of you were able to view. Mr Singh site. Awesome, so just so that you know we came out there and we made sure we knew where you were. all right let's see any other questions from the commissioners if not miss susan do we have anyone from the public that would like to speak chair we have several this evening the first is rhiannon mathey go ahead if you would unmute yourself and please state your first and your last name for the record and whether or not you are a resident of Aurora.

Hi, yes, my name is Rhiannon Athey. Can you all hear me? Sorry, I just want to make sure. Yes, we can. Okay, perfect. My name is Rhiannon Athey. I am not only a resident of Aurora, but a resident of Harmony, where this development will be adjacent to. um what i'd like to point out is you know a lot of us have come to these meetings to express our concerns i know that there was this meeting in february where he was advised to come back to the community um addressing our concerns and i will be honest in that meeting i do not feel like anything was addressed this operation hours are outside still of the community quiet hours um we Still want a very community focused development. Nobody hangs out and gathers at gas stations. This isn't the type of development that the community is looking for. We are looking for community centric, family focused development. Um, you know, some examples of these types of development live through all throughout the city. There's a night of park. There's, you know, the areas over by the driven dome where. Between, you know, 22nd, 23rd and Kearney and Park Hill. All of these have local businesses sit down restaurants and all of them shut down no later than 10 PM and open at hours. That aren't going to be disruptive to the community. you know we would like areas where kids could go play and hang out uh one concession that he pointed out in the last meeting was oh i'll put in you know a neighborhood book nook thing um where people can leave their books there and you know it almost feels kind of like a slap in the face of saying that's the community-centric thing that i'm going to put in the neighborhood for you Really what we want to see is development that is going to benefit the community with other local small businesses, dry cleaners, coffee shops, you know, bookstores, something else that is going to draw families and people of the neighborhood together.

Yeah.

My apologies. Thank you very much for your input. Susan, who is next? And please be reminded you have three minutes to speak.

Our second speaker is Arvin Martinez.

Just give me a second here. There is a lot of people on here. Arvin, you should be able to unmute yourself.

Yes.

My name is Arvin Martinez. I am a resident of Harmony. I live directly across the street from the proposed development. And because of that, I hear like a whole bunch of noise that already is coming to our area frequently, especially during the spring and summer months. And this is only going to exacerbate that problem. There will be increased loud vehicles coming to the gas station, which we do not need because the price is already so high at the nearby gas stations. Why would we want one right next to us? That's going to be excessive as well. The fact that he's refused to change the hours to accommodate our quiet hours still from several reviews is clearly an obvious point to the fact that they do not actually care about our concerns. It's just all lift service. We've seen reviews where costs of Well, the values of our homes are going to drop by having a gas station liquor store right next to it. There is going to be excessive light pollution that cannot be helped because the gas pumps are 24 seven. So there has to be sufficient lighting due to safety standards that will get in the way of our dark skies and will attract the element that we don't want because already we have issues with our basketball courts being occupied by people disrupting our peace and quiet. Basically, we moved away from the city. The guy says that all stuff is so far away and then tax money will go to other cities. That's absurd considering everybody knows that the gas stations are very nearby. So it's not money is like a Leo Aurora. We're not leaving anything on the table, but we moved away from the city to get away from the noise. The last we want is the city to come to us, the worst parts of it. So that's kind of a stab in the back. We don't want our peace and quiet that we worked and sacrificed for when we bought our homes. to be thrown away just to make a few dollars. It's bad enough that our community is getting data centers that's going to have its own environmental impacts. We don't need the slow decay of our neighborhoods accelerated by a project that nobody asked for. And no one who actually lives in the neighborhood wants. So they can be plants, whoever this gentleman brings that belongs to whoever he knows that supports but doesn't actually live in the community. Whatever they say, it's not going to be something that reflects the hundreds of people that signed a petition, which he disparaged the authenticity of the study. So yeah, I'm going to question his honesty. He's going to question ours because we have a lot more to lose here. Mainly that the environmental impacts and the noise pollution, the gas, the air, all the stuff that's going to be affected.

Thank you, Mr. Martinez. You have reached your time. Thank you very, very much for your testimony. Susan, next.

Next, we have Shelby Moore. And just a second. Oh, I'm having a hard time here. Just give me a sec.

All right.

Why is that doing that? Shelby, you should be able to unmute yourself.

Yep, can you guys hear me? We can, Shelby. Thank you very much. You have started your time.

My name is Shelby Moore. I am a resident of Harmony as well. I wanted to point out the UDO code 146.5.3.9.D.1, which I also had sent in as a public comment. So one state's evidence as a condition for this council that they can deny an application, evidence of false or misleading statements in application materials or public hearings. In response to the neighbor's concerns of property values dropping, the applicant in the most recent neighborhood meeting referenced two studies in particular with their presentation. One, their company pulled property values of homes in the Murphy Creek area by the previous gas station liquor store the applicant built. The values that they pulled were from 2024 comparing to 2025. However, that gas station was built in the 2010s, sometime between 2012 and 2016. This study is misleading as the gas station has been established for 10 years and the values have stabilized since then. Additionally, the reference to study from nyc data science that stated home values go up after a grocery store is built near homes. This study is completely irrelevant, as they are not building a grocery store and have stated multiple times that they will not be building one. Another issue the neighbors brought up is regarding the health of the individuals living near gas stations. The health studies have multiple sources which were cited in that call as well. However, on the call, the applicant blatantly dismissed the studies stating that they were incorrect but could not provide any studies to show his position. The applicant also stated in his presentation that their safety testing exceeded the state requirements and was presented as if the company does the testing of their own accord. After asking questions regarding the tape the testing applicant regarding the testing the applicant conceded that the quarterly testing is actually a city imposed mandate and that they're just following the city standards. These misleading statements make the applicant seem to care about our concerns and are doing additional testing but after questioning the applicant they admitted they're only doing the minimum state testing city testing. Additionally, the applicant stated numerous times how he's focused on keeping it local to the council and to the neighbors. However, the applicant has historically built gas station liquor store combos and sold within a couple of years. He purchased the land for the Murphy Creek gas station liquor store in 2012, built the gas station and sold it in 2016. He also bought land in 2018 in Parker, Colorado, built another gas station liquor store combo and sold in 2022. His statements of keeping it local are misleading as his historical pattern has been to build and sell. The neighbors have no confidence that he will not follow the same exact pattern with this gas station and the quality will decline significantly after after he sells. Addressing his most recent comment that every vacant day costs aurora is false all three gas station nearby and all commercial areas nearby are in the city of aurora so all the residents are spending money in aurora. This is a blatant lie told by the applicant lastly. The applicant stated in this presentation that the project isn't a copy and paste project. However, this building mirrors the gas station liquor store cafe he recently built and sold in Parker. These are just a few of the numerous misleading statements and false statements the applicant has made to the neighbors as well as counsel over the previous meetings. Thank you.

Thank you. Susan, the next speaker.

Next speaker is Cameron Moore.

Cameron, you are up. Go ahead. You have three minutes.

Cameron, we cannot hear you. I see your hand is up. Cameron, can you try again? I just made you a presenter.

Chair, I know I no longer see him on the call. Sorry.

This is Cameron now, Shelby's husband, if this works.

Yes, it does work. I can hear you now, Cameron.

Awesome. Apologies for that. All right. So I'll go ahead and start here. So reference code 146.5.3.9.delta.2, evidence of bad faith and interactions with the public, property owners, stakeholders, or city staff or appointed or elected officials. The applicant in the February neighborhood meeting did not adequately address the concerns of the neighbors that were brought up in the previous council meeting. Applicant on numerous occasions in that meeting stated that he did not need to take any of the neighbors' concerns in mind or address them, and that he did not need any neighbors to be in agreement for him to build the gas station and liquor store. The neighbors asked why he kept pushing for gas station and liquor, and he stated that that is the business he is in and he wouldn't pivot from that. Applicant shows bad faith to the public and property owners by clearly having no regard for the concerns, only acting to check the box of having a meeting as directed by the council to get the application approved. We also asked staff to document the applicant's dismissal of our concerns from the February meeting as the meeting was not recorded. And then we have code 146.5.4.3.alpha.3.Charlie and Delta. The size, scale, height, density, multimodal traffic impacts, and hours of operation of a pro's use are compatible with existing and planned uses in the surrounding area. Regarding the hours of operation, the applicant continually refuses to accommodate business hours to the existing quiet hours, which I think Rhiannon covered previously. And then let's see. Additionally, there's a possibility that hours may change if this project is approved and once opened, that he will not need council approval and the neighbors will not have any way to correct that. And then Delta, the proposed use will not change the predominant character of the surrounding area, which it would having the liquor store and gas station changes the character of the neighborhood. Adding the gas station, the liquor store will likely impact the character of the neighborhood. If you look on the Lexus Nexus crime map, almost every gas station in Aurora has some sort of, whether it's a robbery or motor vehicle theft, some sort of of crime going on within like, I don't know, 500 feet of it. And that's something that anyone can check. The parks in the neighborhood are city-owned and maintained. And one major concern is that people that are intoxicated coming from the gas station may end up coming to the parks that are in the neighborhood and loitering. And we just don't want it right outside of the neighborhood.

Let's see.

And then the neighbors are not against having commercial businesses as zoned. However, the businesses should align with the current character of the neighborhood. Again, as previously suggested, things like a coffee shop, dine-in restaurant, doctor's office, and other things that comply with quiet hours. And I think that is it.

Thank you very much, Cameron. Susan, do we have anyone else that would like to speak?

Yes, we do. Aditi Desai.

Hi, my name is, I'm here. My name is Aditi Desai. I'm an Aurora and Harmony resident. Safety and security are paramount for our community. The primary reason many residents chose this area of Aurora was for quieter, safer living conditions away from high intensity commercial activity. Even with reduced operating hours, that still doesn't meet our quiet hour standards of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. A gas station liquor store would still bring unwanted activity during evening and nighttime hours, including people who might be impaired by alcohol or lingering after alcohol purchases. This introduces additional risks for our families and children who live nearby. Our residential streets were not designed for this type of sustained commercial traffic. This would fundamentally change the character of our community and erode the sense of safety that residents like me in Harmony love. Research consistently shows that the presence of liquor stores and convenience stores that sell alcohol is associated with increased neighborhood crime and public disorder. A study published in the Journal of Urban Health found that neighborhoods with liquor stores experience measurable increases in crime and disturbances. Studies also indicate that gas stations and their associated convenience stores often act as magnets for crimes of opportunity, like robbery, theft, and vandalism. These concerns are not theoretical. Our neighborhood, as Cameron mentioned, has a public park. There's already late-night loitering, littering, and disorderly behavior occurring there, and this would exacerbate that behavior. The proposed safety measures by the developer that he shared at the February meeting and he shared a little bit of in this meeting do not properly address the concerns we raised. He has no loitering policies, 24-7 cameras, on-site panic buttons. Now the thing is, This would only support the safety and wellbeing of the gas station and its employees, not the neighboring houses that won't have any additional safety and security measures in place once a business like this opens up. People will just keep coming to the city park to drink, and we already have drag racing on two of the major roads in our community. Couple that drag racing with being drunk and that's a recipe for disaster. We now have 523 signatures on our change.org petition. Comments, there are over 20 comments there. When we met at the community meeting in February hosted by a developer, they did not address the comments, the concerns fully. They even laughed at us and dismissed our concerns. They dismissed the petition. And we believe that there were people on that call. Ani mentioned that there were several people in support of this. There were, in fact, maybe two or three people in support of this. And I don't know if they even live in Harmony or an adjoining community because I have never met them. I serve on a bunch of different advisory committees in our neighborhood. And I know a majority of our neighbors because it's a small community. And so in closing, I just want to ask the commissioners to really consider whether or not this business is appropriate in our community. It is not our brand, Munraj. It is not our brand. It is not something that we endorse. And we truly feel like he has not been intentional or thoughtful in communicating with residents. I thank you.

Thank you. Susan, do we have anyone else?

Yes, we do. Varang Desai. Varang, you should be able to unmute yourself.

Yeah, I'm already on mute. Hello, good evening Planning Commission. My name is Varang Desai and I live in Harmony and own a home here. I owned and operated a gas station and convenience store myself with a liquor store. And I will tell you a few experience that I had. I'm a pro business, but I'm against having a type of business inside a residential neighborhood. My gas station liquor store was held up twice, once at a night point and once at a gunpoint. And it was terrifying for me, my employees and family. I had two little children in a school. and i don't ever want others to experience that especially right near my home having experienced that i know that this type of business can attract bad elements into neighborhood and our neighborhood is full of families children teenagers we want to keep family friendly and most importantly safe thank you planning commission for listening to us the developer hasn't listened to or fully address our concern. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Susan.

Our next speaker is Mark Saxelby or B Saxelby.

Yeah, close Mark Saxelby. Hey, can you can you turn on my video and give us the chance to look in the eye?

Uh. I just turned on your camera. I don't see you.

Great. Thank you very much. Yeah, Mark Saxelby. I am a resident of Aurora for 27 years, a resident of Harmony for the beginning five years. My in-laws own a home. My two children own a home. We are fully invested into the Harmony neighborhood. Commissioners, we appreciate your time. And I want you to see my eyes because you're also part of this neighborhood and community. We appreciate what you do and you're in a tough spot. You're listening to an applicant that's checking boxes. You've received all of our feedback. We are not being heard. I know you have to follow due process and let the applicant click what they click and check what they check. You've heard it a couple of times. There's a lot of people on this call. You've heard we have 521 residents. It's common sense, commissioners. We need you to stand up, support us, listen. I don't need to go through all the things that my colleagues or my neighbors have went through. And, you know, the elephant in the room is it's money. It's about $412,000. If you look up the applicant's past history on Murphy Creek, he generated about $11 million during one year. So as you know, working for the city that generates 3.75% in taxes to Aurora, which equates to $412,000 per year. So from a city perspective, and we know you're under budget, we live in your city, um, you know, money speaks and the city wants money. So the city probably doesn't care where the money comes from. They just want money, but please commissioners take into consideration everything that you've heard from us tonight. We've given you lots of facts and figures. We know you're in a tough spot. I know this is not common and you have to listen to the common sense and the facts and support us. So we appreciate your time and thank you.

Thank you, Mark. Susan, do we have others?

We sure do.

Next is Nav Nagra. Nav, you should, there you go.

Yes, I'm here. Go ahead, Nav.

Hi, can you guys hear me?

Yes.

Hi, my name is Nav, and I'm a resident and a business owner in the community. I'm speaking today in support of this development because I think it's a vital step towards making our neighborhood more self-sustained and safe. We heard a lot of comments today, but our community Neighborhood currently lacks a lot of access to basic daily needs.

By bringing this modern facility, we are reducing over there, whether it's fuel or high-speed energy.

As for safety, a vacant land or undeveloped lot is often a magnet for loitering, which we do not support as our community

This is a community this or this is a lot that will have a. This is also going to boost property values and tax base for all of our residents.

Yeah, so. Going. You keep fading in and out, just so that you know.

Hello?

Hi. Okay, my fault.

I think I'm in a bad area.

You might be, but you've got about another minute.

Okay, so like I was saying, this is a smart commercial growth that has proven to driven our residential property value over time. So I currently live next to, or I used to live next to a development that built a Maverick and I saw significant value in my house prices going up. This does not lower any of our property value whatsoever. In fact, this is a super vital need for our basic needs. There's no grocery store, no fuel market. There's no anything we need. We need a place, a convenient place to get our bread and butter for our families. And just in conclusion, we have the opportunity to turn this empty lot into a community asset that pays for our services and protects our streets with 24 hour video surveillance across the whole parking lot.

But yeah, so that's my take.

Yeah, and then also another thing I can add is this area lacks so many restaurants. We need we need a hub for our. We need a hub for our like just basic necessity restaurants, a cafe that would bring to the community. And also, like the owner discussed, this is a great opportunity for all these to come in, which will be a huge beneficial to our community in general. And if all these comes, there's going to be other great tenants that would also come along the way. Yeah, thank you so much, commissioners, for taking my time and listening to what I have to say of the residents. I hope you guys agree with what we have to say.

Thank you very much. Susan, who else do we have?

The next person is Amvir Puriwal.

All right. Hi, everyone. Can you hear me?

Yes. Please state again your name for the record. Yeah, my name is Indira Pariwal and I live on East Adriatic Drive here in Aurora. So I'll be honest, I was honestly really skeptical at first when I first heard that a gas station was coming in. I wasn't really sure how to feel about it. I didn't really want some dingy rundown store moving in next door and, you know, lowering our property values. But I went to the neighborhood meeting back in February and September and I listened. And I do have to say this developer actually did show up and he listened back, you know, from the renderings. It wasn't really what I pictured. It looks like a really, really well done development. And it feels like it's going to be something that's really going to elevate the neighborhood. And I'm really glad that they gave us a chance to see the plans and weigh in on them. And what I really care about is that this corner has been sitting empty for years. Right now, like, I think there's a new quick trip in 7-Eleven, but We're really driving out of our way for gas and coffee. I just live a couple blocks away from Pohat and Alameda. And, you know, with gas prices the way they are right now, like every mile adds up. And I don't really want to be spending that extra money to just go fill up. And, you know, there's really nothing to eat nearby either. There's no restaurants. So I'm glad that they're bringing in a restaurant user as well. And, you know, this project is going to change that. But honestly, it's like bigger than just the gas station. Someone does have to take that first step and show that other businesses, you know, they can come to the area and the area is worth investing in. And that's how neighborhoods like ours grow. And I'm really excited to see what comes next. And I'm glad that it's a developer who really took the time to actually engage with us rather than just push something through. And I'm glad we're seeing all their plans. And, you know, they're actually listening to our comments and hearing us out. So overall, yeah, I'd say I'm supportive. You know, they've done the work and I'm looking forward to seeing it built.

Thank you very much for your testimony, Susan.

The next person is Super Dion.

Go ahead, please.

Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to speak. Commissioners my name is Sukpeer Dhillon and I live nearby in the Harvest Ridge area. As someone who's part of the community I was honestly surprised to see the level of opposition to this project because from a residents perspective this is exactly the kind of thoughtful and responsible development we need right now. I regularly travel through Harmony, and there's a clear gap when it comes to convenient access to fuel, food, and everyday essentials. Right now, many of us are driving farther and farther away just to get everyday essentials than we should. We're crowding into the same few commercial areas just to meet basic needs. This just doesn't create this doesn't just create inconvenience, it creates traffic in already busy areas and pulls spending away from this side of the Aurora where we're you know, expanding and having this kind of growth. This project helps correct that by bringing services closer to where people actually live. The gas station business is usually the building blocks for other bigger commercial businesses and tennis. There's coffee shops or other grocery chains as well. So usually a gas station is what comes first before those other chains anyway. Currently, the lot is underutilized, dark and not contributing to the community in a meaningful way, leaving land Like that underdeveloped, it doesn't preserve value, it limits it. This development, when it transformed that space into a safe, active environment with modern lighting, 24-7 surveillance and consistent activity, a well-lit, well-managed property creates natural visibility and accountability, which is a proven detergent to unwanted activity compared to vacant or unmanaged land. It's also important to recognize that this is not just a traditional gas station model. This is a modern high quality development with strong design focus on a restaurant component, something that is currently lacking within several miles of our area. For residents like myself, that means less time commuting across the city for basic services and more convenience within our own community. As such mentioned by the rising gas prices and issues that we face every day, we need something that's more local. From an economic standpoint, this project brings multiple layers of benefit. It keeps tax revenue within Aurora instead of losing it to near neighboring cities. It creates both short term construction jobs and long term employment opportunity, and it signals to other businesses that this area is ready for investment. High quality developments like often as act as anchors once they're established, other tenants and services tend to follow, which helps build a more complete and functional community over time. And anyway, more stations in general also bring the gas prices down. So this is economically more important to the everyday consumer as well as customer. I also want to emphasize that this is a locally owned community focused developer. That focus is because local ownership brings a higher level of accountability. When the people behind the project live and work in the same area, they are more invested in maintaining high standards.

Thank you very much for your comments. Your time is exceeded. Susan, do we have someone else?

Yes, we do. The next person is Angad Singh.

Go ahead.

State your name and your first and last name, please.

And you have three minutes. I don't see them on the call anymore.

I'm not sure what happened to them. Do you want to move on?

Please. And if Mr. or Ms. Singh, whichever you are, if you did not get through, you can call back. Let's go ahead and move on.

Next speaker is Zahra Carr.

Go ahead, Zahra.

Hi there, can you guys hear me?

Yes, we can.

Hi there, my name is Zara and I'm also a resident in Harmony. And I would like to point out the obvious and mention that this is one of the only developers currently investing in commercial growth in the area, which would only also be attracting additional businesses to the area over time. And I think this is a great location that's bringing needed services closer to us, like for us residents, like gas, groceries, and even like a restaurant option. And again, by having more gas stations, it's an opportunity to bring gas prices down in the area And personally, I have kids of my own, and sometimes we need a quick snack and gas before we head over to their soccer practices and whatnot. So I think this is a great opportunity while also creating more local jobs and also bringing a dentist nearby, which is great, instead of driving 20 minutes to get to the nearest one. So I totally support this. Yeah, thank you guys for listening and considering what us residents need most in this neighborhood.

Thank you very much. Sarah, Susan, who else?

Next is Keith Schooler.

Go ahead, Keith. Thank you. Good evening, Commissioners, and thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Keith Schooler and I'm a resident in the Harmony Harmony neighborhood. I just wanted to add my voice to those who stand opposed to this proposed development. I agree with all the previous points that have been brought up, so I won't rehash those. One thing I did want to touch on is the Harmony development is currently at 20% of its build-out, and so the vast majority of the remaining build-out is along East Alameda Avenue, including to the south of it, pretty much along where this proposed gas station is and everything. Effectively, what that does is East Alameda becomes the gateway into our community. And that is the main thoroughfare for all current residents and new residents that are going to be coming out. This is basically what runs bilaterally through our neighborhood. And it doesn't fit with the character of what we're looking for. We want and welcome a commercial space that's truly there for the community. As the applicant mentioned, with all the increased traffic and everything on Powhatan that's expected, that's already a logjam as is. We don't want even more being brought into our residential community. As we've seen with the presentation for the tributary neighborhood just due north and all the developments that are happening down south at Jewell and everything, there are plenty of opportunities where all that new development is going, where there can be commercial zoning. right off of those main thoroughfares that are ideal for gas stations. At the entryway to a quiet bedroom community, that is not where a gas station needs to be. And, you know, again, just kind of going with that as far as with the entryway to the community, you know, you can take Aurora Highlands as an example, just where you have your main conduit that you come into, and they've got that clock tower and everything as a monument there to kind of highlight and beautify the area and everything. And again, this is already zoned for commercial. That's fine, but we want something that fits the character of the neighborhood, not something that's adding a lot of light, a lot of noise, and a lot of additional traffic. And with that, I thank you for your time.

Thank you very much, Keith. Susan, who do we have next?

Jerry Goodborn.

Go ahead, Mr. Goodborn.

Hey, are you guys able to hear me?

Yes.

All right. Hi, guys. I'm Jerry. I live in Adonia, just a little ways off of Harmony. I recently moved there. It's been about a little bit of a time, but I've just been thinking and why I'm for this development is because in my childhood, I used to live in conservatory and we ran into something very similar. I remember my mom being very upset that a neighborhood gas station is going to be built and she's really against and, you know, as a child, I'm with whatever she wants to believe in. So I remember being against it as well. And As I grew up, as I was with that gas station, which was approved and everything, I remember it was real fun. It was a very good community place. And ironically, my mom was one of their biggest customers. She made friends there. She made friends with the owner. And I think that's what makes the big thing. This isn't a big company that's coming in. It's a normal company. average consumer or not sorry not average consumer but average person he's not like some big quick trip or 7-eleven or something he's gonna be at the store i'm gonna be able to say hi to him if i want to and i think people are just scared of change and i understand that it can be scary you're so used to just not having like anything there so it's kind of freaky to be like oh somebody's gonna build a gas station it's gonna do this it's gonna all the people are gonna be racing and they're gonna be drugs and alcohol but Just looking back, conservatories are very similar to neighborhood to this. There was no drugs, there's no alcohol, no racing. Maybe there was like here and there under, you know, every once in a while I heard someone might have stolen or something like that. But it was more of a positive. It was a very good thing for my childhood. I remember, you know, summer comes around. You want to go hang out with your friends. Oh, mom, can I have five dollars? Can I go run over to the store? And I think people forget that part of, you know, a community, a gas station. It doesn't have to be some amazing like community center that people go there and, you know, do all these things. activities and stuff it can just be a childhood moment it can be you know your dad takes you over there too how many times have you been like dad can you give me a slurpee it's it's enjoyable you know and they're not it doesn't seem like he's like super evil big corporation where he's like oh yeah i'm gonna take all your money he seems like a normal person who's just building a business and i'm okay with that i'm 100 okay with that there's many times where i don't have gas in my car he's gonna you know it's right up the street There's many times, like, I don't have milk. He's going to be right up the street. It does make a positive influence on my life. And, you know, I'm 100% for it. And I hope you guys go ahead and approve it and we get to see the development. Maybe I do get to meet the guy and say what's up and ask for, you know, can you carry this item? Can you bring in this item? Because he is a local person, so it would be fun to see. I really appreciate the time, guys. Hopefully we'll see it happen. Thank you.

Thank you, Jerry. Susan, next.

Our next speaker is Harkaran Dhillon.

Hey, guys, can you hear me? We can. Okay, thank you, commissioners. My name is Harkaran Dhillon, and I've been an Aurora resident for 18 years now. And honestly, I agree with everything Jerry just said. I won't take up too much of you guys' time. I've never been a part of a meeting like this. But I would like to say I'm very excited about this build. I'm definitely for this gas station. And I love the fact that Mr. Singh was raised in Aurora. It just gives me a feeling of like I'm actually supporting the community, supporting him, you know, since he's been raised. He seems very professional, educated, you know. He knows how to keep a well-kept store. I've been to one of his other locations. And yeah, definitely felt comfortable letting my kids just go in there by themselves, grab some groceries, candies. I do really think he does care about the community. Like, I wouldn't mind him coming in, developing. And I would love having a grocery store, maybe dentist, restaurant near our area. Thank you guys for your time.

Thank you very much. Susan, next.

Just give me one second. Damien is next.

Damien V. Yeah, can you guys hear me?

Yes. Go ahead.

My name is Damien Valdez. I am Aurora resident. I am honestly just kind of shocked. I was not expecting this that so many people are against such a simple project of a gas station but i'm i am in support of this i don't see what's wrong with a convenient necessity development happening in our neighborhood everybody needs gas everybody needs coffee in the morning when they're going to work everybody wants a quick snack at night i've been to their locations they have crispy crunchy chicken you know there's nothing wrong with a gas station coming into a neighborhood. Gas stations are all over the United States. It's a staple of America. I don't think so. Just because there's a gas station coming, you know, fines are going to go through the roof. There's going to be loitering. There's going to be drag racing, like Jerry mentioned. It's just convenience. That's the whole point of a convenience store, just convenience. You want it full spot. You don't want to drive 2.8 miles to go get some gas. You don't want to drive 2.8 miles just because you need some candy for your child or a Slurpee or anything like that. I don't want to take too much time. I just want to put that out there. But yeah, I approve of this development.

All right, Susan, who do we have next?

We have David Klamage, and I just need to get his mic to work. There we go. David, you can.

Hi, can you hear me?

Yes, we can. Go ahead, David.

All right. So my comments are going to be focused on one claim from the applicant that a gas station is necessary to attract future commercial development. And I don't think the record supports that claim. Residents are not opposed to commercial development. In fact, we want commercial development. We want restaurants, services, gathering places, family-friendly businesses, and daily needs retail. The question is not whether this area should have commercial activity. The question is whether a gas station convenience store with extended operating hours and liquor store should be the first commercial identity established at this corner. The application is not simply ordinary retail. It includes a gas station, a convenience store, and a liquor store with at least some uses requiring special or conditional consideration. That matters. It means this project should be evaluated based on compatibility, impact, mitigation, and whether it fits the surrounding community. I want to emphasize that this is dead center of the Harmony community. It's not at the corner of an interchange. It's not at the corner of two major roads. It's in the middle of our community. The applicant has suggested that other commercial businesses will not come unless this gas station comes first, but I've not seen evidence for that. The available market evidence points the other way. This area is being marketed as an unbiased undeserved, sorry, underserved retail market with thousands of homes planned and or under construction nearby. Harmony itself is a large and growing residential community. The commercial demand is already here. The rooftops are the draw. The families already living here and moving here are the draw. A gas station may be the easiest first project for this developer to finance or lease, but easiest for the developer is not the same as necessary for the community. The first commercial use matters. It sets the tone for what follows. Future retailers look at demographics, traffic, access, and co-tenancy. Co-tenancy matters because the first business influences the identity of a center and the customer base it attracts and the type of businesses that see themselves fitting there. If the first major use at Alameda and Powhatan is a gas station, convenience store with extended hours, and liquor store, that sends one signal. If the first use is neighborhood serving retail, food, services, child care, health care, fitness, or a small grocery store, that sends a very different signal. Both are commercial, but they are not equivalent in their impact on the character of this community. I also want to acknowledge that the applicant has made some changes, including moving away from a 24-hour convenience store. I appreciate that, but reduced hours do not resolve the core concern. A convenience store opening very early or closing late paired with fuel sales and liquor store still creates a late night and early morning commercial pattern that is not compatible with the quiet residential character of this location. I also want to be clear that residents are not saying gas stations, liquor stores, or convenience retail should not exist anywhere in East Aurora. Those uses may be appropriate in more auto-oriented commercial locations, especially along highway corridors, interchange areas, and fronted roads.

All right, David, your time has expired. Thank you for your testimony. Susan, who do we have next?

Chair, that is all we have.

All right. Mr. Singh, you do have five minutes to respond to some of the concerns from your neighborhood.

All right. Thank you guys for all your. and concerns. I do believe that I addressed a lot of these comments. I mean, I think the last neighborhood meeting went very well as I think we started to see a shift in a lot of the neighbors as I actually didn't see most of them show up. And, you know, I do want to thank Jerry for actually pointing out that Yes, I am a local guy. I am at all the stations every day. I'm not working in my office. I'm at the stores. I'm saying hi to the customers. I do know most of my customers that come in, my regulars. So yes, this is not a corporate store. A lot of the community's concern is about the traffic. We've done traffic studies. It shows this corridor is Well, prepared for that after I put in the infrastructure and even in Aurora's own twenty, thirty five vision and comprehensive plan, it shows that this is supposed to be a twenty thousand to forty thousand street that. You know, all the all the development that you guys see from the South West East will take this arterial roads to get to the highway and go to work. Another concern is home prices and that is just not true. We've done our own study and a lot of the facts that they were saying are incorrect and slightly tweaked to what we actually had presented and I can have Annie confirm that. But home prices did stay the same or actually increased as people want a more convenient location that's accessible to these amenities. And as for, you know, at Meyer Vental, these gas stations are one of the most regulated uses, as you guys know, in Aurora. You know, we have double-walled tanks, a continuous leak detection system, automatic shutoffs, and, you know, state and EPA oversight. Another thing is, this is going to generate actually 1.24M dollars per year in tax revenue for Aurora based off of the sales that I pulled from the stores. I'm currently operating this. There's no other commercial in this area. This money is going to the police, fire, EMS, 911 dispatch, schools and youth programs in these areas, even to fund these parks and rec centers and libraries that the community wants. It also pays for the road maintenance, snow removal, and the traffic signals that will get funded through the site. I just hope, commissioners, that you kind of hear this out I understand there's four or five people that are really against it, but I can't please everyone. As far as the 500 signatures that they got, what about the signatures for the people that don't mind or actually are for this? How can we verify that these signatures are even legit? Are they even people from the community? But yeah, I just hope that you guys give me this opportunity. I'm investing a lot of money here. I've invested already over $400,000 just besides the land to get to this point here. And I plan on doing business in Aurora. I believe I'm a key part of your guys' future plan. If you guys take local developers seriously, And yes, and I just, I hope you allow me to paint my Picasso. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Singh. Commissioners, any follow-up questions? If not, may I have a motion on item 8F first, and then it will be followed by item 8G.

So item 8F, may I have a motion?

Marguerite McLaughlin, And this is Commissioner jet check. Marguerite McLaughlin, yeah. Marguerite McLaughlin, agenda item eight F conditional use for motor vehicle fuel dispensing station and emu see zone district, based on the staff recommendation. the presentations and discussions. At this evening's public hearing, I move to approve with one condition, the conditional use requested for a motor vehicle fuel dispensing station in the mixed use corridor zone district because the proposal complies with requirement of section 146-5.4.3.a.3 of the UDO for the reasons stated in the staff report. Approval to be subject to the following condition. One, related to the conditionally approved fueling station, the applicant shall substantially comply with the operations outlined in the letter of introduction of record. Significant changes to the business operations may be approved administratively if they do not establish a new use or expansion of the use that is not permitted by zoning.

Thank you, commissioner judge. May I have a second, please?

I would like to second the motion made by commissioner.

Thank you, commissioner Bush. Any other discussion? What I would ask for the record is depending on how you wish to vote. If you could provide some commentary. All right. I'm going to call it roll call commissioner judge check approve.

Commissioner Bush?

I approve and I approve because I do see the benefit in it and I don't see the negative to the extent that it has been mentioned, but it doesn't mean that that doesn't hold true for the individual. But overall, I think the project is a positive step for the community.

Thank you for your approval on that one, Commissioner Becker.

To kind of mirror Commissioner I'm having a brain fart, excuse me. But yeah, it just needs code. And that's that's what we need to make sure that it's it's it's doing.

Thank you, Commissioner Riley.

I approve. And, you know, we look at the number of applications we're getting now for the eastern part of Aurora and the growth that quarter is going to grow anyway. And, you know, everybody's going to want to have a design of what they think is most important. But we're going to see development regardless. So this is a step towards some sustainable development. And we'll see some more growth, obviously, in the rest of that Harmony area.

Thank you, Commissioner Banka.

I also approve. It meets the requirements. It sounds like you did try to meet with the community. It sounds like there's many in the community that are actually looking forward to this project. It's always hard to be the first one. I tend to agree with the community members that feel that, you know, this is needed out there. I know the area has been clamoring for a King Soopers forever. And while this isn't King Soopers, at least it gives them a place to buy bread and milk, I think somebody said. So I do approve. All right. Thank you very much, Commissioner.

And I am supporting this development to those residents that are there. I want you to know that you were heard, but we must make a decision based upon the facts. And the facts are is this development meets the criteria for developments in this area. It had been my hope because I did not support moving this forward the last time. It had been my hope that you were able to reach a greater consensus. And to some point, I think that without being in that discussion that you have, so I vote to approve this as well. Mr. Singh, you do have unanimous approval on this. Neighborhood, there is recourse if you do not agree with our decision.

Thank you so much. This means a lot.

Thank you.

Chair.

Chair, I'd like to make a motion on item 8G site plan.

Would you be so kind?

Yes, I will. Based on the staff recommendation, the presentation and discussion at this evening's public hearing, I move to approve the site plan because the proposal complies with the requirements of section 146-5.4.3.B.2 of the Unified Development Ordinance for the reasons stated in the staff report.

Do I have a second? Commissioner Jeschuk seconds. Thank you, Commissioner Jeschuk.

Discussion? The one thing that I would say, Mr. Singh, is I'm very, very pleased to hear that you're a resident of Aurora, that you grew up here, and you are investing in the community. That also puts a good deal of responsibility on you. So we will look to see that that is fulfilled with great joy when it is. All right, roll call, folks. Commissioner Judger.

Approve. I lost my sheet. Commissioner Bush.

Approve.

Commissioner Becker. Approve. Commissioner Riley.

I approve.

Commissioner Benka. Approve. And Commissioner Hogan, again, you have unanimous approval on the site plan. All right, public invited be heard on non-agenda items. Do we have anyone, Ms. Susan, on non-agenda items?

Chair, we do not.

Okay, I see somebody with their hand up, but I'm not sure it's on the non-agenda item.

We have several previous speakers. with their hands up.

Okay, great. All right. Comments by planning commissioners on miscellaneous items of business.

I would like to make a, just to compliment you, Commissioner Hogan, for the excellent study sessions. You know, I've really learned a lot and I appreciate that. Thank you.

Good. Those are always fun. I got help from Commissioner Riley this time too. All right. Any other comments? I do have a question for planning commissioners present. Are you all planning on attending our in-person staff retreat, advance, whichever you want to call it?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes. Awesome.

Awesome. And will you talk about our booth at the AMC, the commission booth? I mean, I think we should. I would like to be there.

Yes. Actually, I'm going to have staff talk about that. Okay, good. Maybe you can fill us in because we had a wonderful opportunity, and I would encourage everybody that could to participate. So we're going to roll in. to our planning division manager report. Go ahead, Brandon.

Brandon, you are muted this time.

I know.

Thank you. Right, so a couple of things, you know, we're working towards the workshop the 21st, correct? Yes, 21st, which is Thursday Thursday afternoon. And so, yeah, that's in person. Um, we should have some staff attendance there as well. Uh, we're working on the agenda framework, uh, that Becky, uh, provided us. And so we'll. We'll be in touch with you, uh, commissioner Hogan shortly as we kind of if we have any questions or start to flush that out, um, with regards to the, um. Kind of the tables and things of that sorts. Um. What what kind of questions I think it's a new program for us at the city as well. And so, um, you know, we're, we're here to support you all and to support the board of adjustment. We're going to have some folks from them also show up. And so what kind of questions do you have for that? Um, I can try to find. I don't know, Susan, if you have additional on that. I know Stephanie sent out that email introduction there.

I do not have anything in addition. I would have people refer back to her email.

Are there specific questions on that?

How many folks have RSVP that they could participate, would be able to participate in that?

What was the date? Hold on.

The 21st, I think.

Of?

May.

Okay.

No, that's for the. No, that's the workshop.

I think it's in June. Oh, I got it all wrong.

Yeah.

This is kind of the round table to boards and commissions to help folks what you do.

What's the latest we can opt into it?

Yeah.

Yeah. That makes any sense.

I think we've had a couple folks express interest in it and, you know, we're never going to discourage participation and these sort of events. So we can kind of. reflect back to you all, you know, who's signed up to participate and if you all want to think about how you want to do that, we can certainly be more transparent in who signed up and who's expressed interest and things of that sort. Is that a first step there?

I think so.

I see Susan.

Yeah. I found the flyer. Oh, awesome. What was the date again, please? So the date is August 6th.

Yeah.

August 6th. Okay. Which is, let me see, is a Thursday. And it is from 6 to 7.30 p.m.

I can't say one way or the other. It's way too far out.

That's kind of how I am too. Thank you.

I sent a note to Garrett and Becky because I wasn't sure if we were going to put together a commission response, but I certainly am available and I would love to be part of this event.

All right. Well, Susan, if you, or Brandon, if you want to ask Stephanie to kind of remind us with intervals, But I do think it's a wonderful opportunity to help people know what Planning Commission does, period. Because at some point, we need to recruit new board members. We need to create interest. But people also need to know what it means as far as time commitment. So just go ahead and keep us informed on that one.

But we'll do, and perhaps the workshop is an opportunity to discuss that a little more freely as well. So, maybe that'll be kind of our 1st, jumping off point to see if if you all want to have a strategy strategy for that, or or how you want to talk about that.

Thank you any other things from. Either city council or. Sure, administrative.

Fortunately, not no administrative decisions since last meeting, um, the update for city council would be that, uh, that, um, detention center ordinance was withdrawn by the sponsor. And so that is no longer proceeding.

At all, or it wasn't just. It was just pulled all together. That's my understanding.

Okay. It was withdrawn from the process. So whether it comes back or not is not information I have.

Ms. Lina's got her hand up. You want to opine on this now? And then we'll move to yours.

Well, I'm sure Brandon has other things to present. I was just going to follow up on that and say... At this point, the sponsor, as Brandon mentioned, did pull the sponsors. My apologies did pull the item. It's possible that it could come back, but at this point it is not on an agenda.

Awesome, thank you and we'll get right back to you, Miss Lena. Go ahead, Brandon. Anything else?

Sorry, nothing, nothing further unless there's questions for me, so thank you.

Any questions of Brandon? I do have a question. Brandon, you're getting into budget time pretty soon. Okay. Is there anything huge that we should be aware of?

Yeah, I mean, that would be outside of my scope at this time. So I have no news on the budgetary process that would be impactful to this commission at this point.

Okay, Susan, I see your hand up.

Brandon might not want me to mention this, but Becky, you and Steve Rodriguez have done a lot of business together in the past. Steven is retiring at the end of the month.

Oh, Mr. Rodriguez. Well, we hope to see him, and it would be really encouraging to me and I'm sure the rest of the commissioners that we see as many planners as possible at our retreat. We don't often get to interact with you and it's joyful for us and it gives us an opportunity to thank you in person. So again, I hope that you encourage staff to attend and I would love to know if you're sending Mr. Rodriguez off with a meet and greet.

All right, Ms. Lena, you're up. Hello again, commissioners.

Lena McClelland, Senior Assistant City Attorney. My only report for you all this weekend is to just let you know that the Colorado State Legislature's regular session was adjourned today, finally. It's always a race... to the end. And the two lot splitting or the lot splitting bill and the minimum lot size bill that we've discussed both failed. So we're very happy about that. And that is all I have to report for this evening.

All right. Thank you very much. Any questions of our city attorney?

Nope.

Sweet. All right. This meeting is now adjourned. I'm sure that Garrett will say, Becky, I could have gotten that meeting done in half the time it took you. And I will say, bring it on, buddy. Well, thank you again. Thank you to the staff.

Good job, Becky.

Good job, Becky. Very good job, Becky.

And I can eat my cold corn dog.

Yeah, there you go. All right.

And the Colorado Avalanche won in overtime.

All right. Yay. Yay. All right. Excellent. Well, thanks for filling us in. Good night.

Good night, all. Good night, everyone.

Thank you.

Good night.

Bye-bye.