ROCK SPRINGS – A new development on Reagan Avenue received approval of the Preliminary plat and variance by the Rock Springs City Council Tuesday night.
The development will be located on the north side of Reagan Avenue. The subdivision will be built in three phases with a total of 111 lots in all. The first phase will consist of 40 lots. A small park and detention pond will also be included in the development of the subdivision.
The council had a public hearing on the proposed development. There were no comments against the project. Gene Legerski of Choice Engineering represented the project. He asked the council if they had any questions especially on the variance. He said that the variance is necessary because there is a natural gas line running diagonally through the project.
Councilman Clark Stith asked if he understood the variance right because of the gas line. Legerski said they spoke to CIG and Kinder Morgan about taking ownership of the property over the line but they were told no. The upkeep of the land involved in the variance will be up to the two companies.
The park and the detention pond was not brought up during the meeting. During the Rock Springs Planning and Zoning process descriptions were given.
A planned detention pond will help mitigate some of the expected water issues. The Rock Springs Engineering department said the detention pond must be complete before construction on the first phase can start. City Planner Jennifer Shields explained the pond is not only for Gun Sight Estates, but the new Kum & Go and the second phase of the Preserves are relying on this pond as well.
The park will not have restroom facilities, gazebos or any structure whatsoever. It will be similar to the Wetland Park next to Smiths but on a smaller scale. There was a lot of questions raised about a gas line which cuts right through the property. The pipeline is at an angle which is making development difficult. The strip of land where the pipeline is will stay under Colorado Interstate Gas Company ownership. Shields said it will be Colorado Interstate Gas Company’s responsibility for the upkeep on the property.
Sweetwater Station
After receiving several negative comments at the planning and zoning board, the Sweetwater Station language amendment was approved with no comments against it for the entire three readings at the city council. The council approved the amendment with Stith abstaining and Councilman David Halter absent from the meeting.
During the roll call, Stith did say he was happy to see this move forward because it cleaned up a mistake he was part of which brought laughter from his other councilman.
During the first reading and the public hearing portion of this change, owner Dr. Tom Spicer explained the reason for the change. He said they decided to build this estate to include horses because there was not a subdivision in city limits which allowed them.
As they developed the first phase of the project the horse issue was never questioned because the buyers did not have horses. As they started the second phase a buyer wanted to have horses on his property.
As they looked closer at the covenants they realized it went against a city ordinance. Even with the glaring mistake, the subdivision and covenants had been approved by the Rock Springs Planning and Zoning. The amendment had to be put in place so the subdivision was not against city ordinance.
