Developers of Mountain Trace, a neighborhood under construction in northeast Durango, want to expand the subdivision from 84 approved homes to 138.
Shaw LTD, the owner of the property, and Reynolds Ash and Associates, an architecture firm, have submitted plans to the city for 54 additional homes east of the existing subdivision near Metz Lane and East Animas Road (County Road 250), according to city documents.
However, the number of homes and design of the subdivision may change after the city raised concerns about parking, snow storage, drainage and width of some of the access roads, among other issues, according to city documents.
The project was expected to be reviewed Monday by the Durango Planning Commission, but the project was removed from the agenda at the request of developers after the city raised concerns, said city planner Craig Roser.
It was the “cumulative impact” of the issues raised by the city that prompted the withdrawal of plans, rather than a single issue, he said.
The expansion of Mountain Trace may include a mix of townhomes, single-family homes and duplexes on 5.14 acres, according to plans submitted to the city.
The developer expects to extend Metz Lane to serve the new homes and to connect with Florida Road (County Road 240), city documents show.
Construction of the homes could start in 2021. Shaw said the price points for homes remain unknown.
The homes are expected to be built in two phases. In the first phase, the developer may build multifamily homes adjacent to the current Mountain Trace townhomes, according to city documents.
The second phase will be called Timber Trails and may have a mix of single-family and multifamily homes.
A community garden and a picnic area are also planned.
Residents have raised a few concerns about the project, including the increase in traffic.
Ross Park, a resident of Metz Lane, was particularly interested in developers connecting Metz Lane to Florida Road, giving the neighborhood two access points, he said.
“I want everybody to be safe on the street,” he said.
Another neighbor, Marilyn Wolke, raised concerns the plans for the subdivision did not show the property boundaries on the project’s north side.
“You would think that would be the first thing they would check,” she said.
City staff wrote in a report that portions of a planned trail and picnic area appear to be north of the project property line.
But that wasn’t one of the major issues city staff raised, Roser said.
He could not say when the project might return to the Planning Commission.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
