OFFICIAL MINUTES-JULY 25, 2018 CITY OF GUNNISON PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING

MEMBERS PRESENT ABSENT EXCUSED Greg Larson - Chair X Theresa Hanacek X Ryan Taylor X Andy Tocke X Erich Ferchau X John Perusek X Erik Iverson X

7:00 PM

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OTHERS PRESENT: Planner Andie Ruggera, Planning Technician Caree Musick, Bryce Hanna, Dick Bratton, Greg Salsbury, Rick Odom, Rick Watkins, Jackie Watkins, Sarah Higgins, Julie Baca, Torn Burggraf, and Paul Holden

I. CALL TO ORDER AT 7:00 PM BY CHAIR GREG LARSON

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG

III. UNSCHEDULED CITIZENS- None

IV. REVIEW OF WSCU RADY BUILDING OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING WITH POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION TO AUTHORIZE APPLICANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH APPLICATION FOR BUILDING PERMIT.

Open Public Meeting. Meeting was opened at 7:00 PM by Chair Larson. Western is going before the Commission not because they have to but have expressed the desire to go through this process. A motion to move forward for the issuance of a building permit is the purpose of this meeting. There is a purposed change to City right-of-way which will be an issue for City Council.

Review of Process. Interim Community Development Director Andie Ruggera reviewed the process that was outlined by the City Attorney Kathy Fogo. The property is zoned as a Western State Colorado University (WSCU) district on the City of Gunnison's Official Zoning Map. The City's Land Development Code does not currently have regulations attached to this zone district. The property is commonly known as "the soccer field", legally described as Blocks 2 and 9, and includes vacated Virginia Avenue, Boutcher's Addition, City and County of Gunnison, Colorado. Western State Colorado University, along with the Board of Trustees, have entered into a Ground Lease with the Western Opportunity Fund (a private nonprofit) to build the proposed facil ity. Because WSCU and the Western Opportunity Fund desire to go through the City' s process, and even though the project is located on State land, the City of Gunnison has agreed to process the request with the emphasis on the review of life and safety issues, road configurations, drainage and any other impact to the City' s streets or infrastructure. A letter has been received from the Colorado Attorney General providing permission for the Western Opportunity Fund to pursue applicable City permits for the project.

OFFICIAL MINUTES - JULY 25, 2018 CITY OF GUNNISON PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING

7:00 PM

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The process that was outlined by the City Attorney Kathy Fogo, includes review and comment by City staff. The initial submittal was received, comments were provided and information in the packet is the re-submittal which addressed the comments that were provided by staff. The task for the Commission is to make a recommendation to City Council for the right-of-way and approval for the building permit to be processed through the City.

Applicant Presentation. Rick Watkins with Western Opportunity Fund and Greg Salsbury, WSCU President were in attendance to present the project. Rick stated that Western Opportunity Fund is a non-profit and has joined with Western for this project to provide a new school for computer science and engineering. It is a nice curriculum which will be an asset to Western and the community. Western Opportunity Fund wanted to provide the facilities for the expansion to the school.

Rick Watkins presented the site plan to the Commission. The site plan indicates changing the parallel parking along Loveland Street and Adams Street to diagonal parking thereby adding parking. The diagonal parking was deepened into the property to maintain the street width. The south portion of the property will be turned into a park after the soccer field is relocated.

The building was designed with the intent of presenting a high tech image and trying to make a grand entrance to the University.

The applicant intends to submit a building permit application on Friday with intent to break ground this fall and hopefully complete construction in Spring 2020.

Greg Salsbury stated that this project has the potential to be the single most transformative event for Western. There has been an explosion in STEM in higher education. Liberal arts programs have been waning and are projected to continue while STEM programs have exploded. As of 2016, there were 3 million unmet jobs in STEM nationally. This will be the evolution and transformation that we have been working very hard toward for the last three years. The economic impact for the community will be sizable.

Chair Larson inquired on how difficult it might be to find qualified instructors with the shortage in filling other STEM employment opportunities. President Salsbury stated that Western Opportunity Fund has made provisions that will make filling instructor positions easier.

Public Input. Paul Holden - states as a local economist, a faculty member at Western and the author on the study of economic impact of Western on the local economy and the supplementary study on the economic impact of the engineering school; he unequivocally thinks that this is going to be a huge boost to the local economy in a way that will promote sustainable growth. Currently we are being overrun by short-term visitors which many people feel is not entirely desirable development but this project is going to have a much deeper and more profound long-term impact on not only the University but the City and the County,

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from the perspective that it is bringing in an activity that has a lot of potential synergies here; not large industries but small relatively high paid businesses can spin off of this project. This is a huge opportunity not only for the University but for the County and the City. It warrants total support.

Dick Bratton - expresses that this facility is a tremendous project that will be a tremendous asset to Gunnison. He believes that the Gunnison Rising project and the Rady facility fit together; the housing that the annexation will provide to faculty and staff fits together with the proposed facility and both will mutually benefit. He has known Paul Rady for a long time and you couldn' t ask for a better project. He is happy to support this project.

Steve Meldrum submitted a letter, dated July 25t11, in overall support of the project but did relay some concern over the diagonal parking scheme along Adams Street with regards to snow plowing and storage with the street width.

Vice-Chair Tacke moved and Commissioner Taylor seconded to APPROVE the site development plan to be submitted for a building permit with the condition approval by City Council ofright-of-way change of use.

Roll Call Yes: Larson, Hanacek, Iverson, Taylor, Tocke Roll Call No: Roll Call Absent: Roll Call Abstain: Ferchau

Motion carried.

V. CONSIDERATION OF THE JULY 11, 2018 MEETING MINUTES Vice-Chair Tocke moved and Commissioner Iverson seconded, to approve the July 11 , 2018 meeting minutes as presented.

Roll Call Yes: Ferchau, Larson, Taylor, Hanacek, Iverson, Tocke Roll Call No: Roll Call Absent: Perusek Roll Call Abstain:

Motion carried

VI. MOTION TO EXCUSE COMMISSIONER PERUSEK FROM JULY 25, 2018 MEETING Commissioner Iverson moved and Commissioner Hanacek seconded, to excuse Commission Perusek from the July 25, 2018 meeting.

Roll Call Yes: Ferchau, Tocke, Larson, Taylor, Hanacek, Iverson Roll Call No: Roll Call Absent: Perusek

OFFICIAL MINUTES-JULY 25, 2018 7:00 PM

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Roll Call Abstain:

Motion carried

VII. COUNCIL UPDATE/ PLANNING STAFF UPDATE • City Council asked the City attorney Kathy Fogo to draft language for a change to the

Charter to sell off property in Lazy K. The intent is to draft very specific language to allow very specific sale of property with specified use so that each sale does not have to go before a vote of the people. Any change to the Charter requires a vote of the people.

VIII. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS

Commissioner Tocke - Asked about the possibility of Community Development creating a list of resources including books that the Planning Commission members can check out.

Discussion on maintenance of mobile homes.

Commissioner Iverson - commented on some areas of noxious weeds that exist in current parks and asked about the feasibility of making a commitment to having a proactive and planned approach in maintaining future parks. Overall Gunnison has nice parks and it would be nice to have a planned commitment in maintaining them and future parks.

Chair Larson - mentioned that the open space in the VanTuyl subdivision that was dedicated to the City has not been improved at all and would like to see some improvements to the open space.

Discussion of upcoming meetings and agenda items.

IX. ADJOURNED AT 7:45 PM BY CHAIR LARSON

Attest: