Despite opposition, Pueblo planners OK 7th phase of North Vista Highlands subdivision
Pueblo planners on Wednesday gave initial approval to another phase of the North Vista Highlands subdivision despite objections from some neighbors who fear the city already can't keep up with road repairs and stormwater runoff issues in the area.
The subdivision is located north of the Colorado State University Pueblo campus and is being built on both sides of Walking Stick Boulevard. The Phase 7 plan introduced Wednesday encompasses 248 acres to be subdivided into 19 parcels and calls for the eventual extension of Walking Stick Boulevard.
Although there are no proposed uses for the latest subdivision, it will be set aside for future development.
The subdivision owner, David Resnick of Castle Rock, could end up selling that portion to another developer for the construction of residential housing, said Michael Cuppy of North Star Engineering. The land will stay as it is for now but the development processes is starting to help planners solidify road alignment, he said.
Residents voice concerns about roads, drainage
Nearby resident Dana Dorr expressed opposition to further development in the neighborhood because he said he has "zero confidence the city will be able to maintain the streets and roads."
"In the whole area of University Heights and the CSU campus, the lack of attention to the streets is comically horrible," he said.
Dorr pointed out that Jerry Murphy Road is "completely deteriorated and in such poor condition."
"I am not here to be a whiner — I love Pueblo. I am just a citizen who wants to be proud of where we live," Dorr said.
Another neighbor, John Millea, said he fears a flood event like the May 14 storm that damaged homes in University Hills and University Park neighborhoods.
"I feel let down by the city. As we continue to put money into our homes I am scared about what's going on up the hill and whether we will all of a sudden find our homes flooded," Millea said.
Millea said a huge arroyo in the area fills with water every time it rains.
"I come here more out of fear. If something happened to my home I would just be devastated," he said.
Chad Demarco, another neighbor, voiced concerns about drainage and said he lives off Overton Road where services are limited and "a smaller problem could become catastrophic."
Cuppy explained that the city has a new drainage protocol for reducing runoff and detention of stormwater to "reduce runoff from the site at or below historic levels." He explained that some of the large components of stormwater detention facilities were under construction by another developer but were not complete when the May 14 storm hit.
"Those arroyos do carry a lot of water and they will be flattened and widened to slow the water down at or below historic levels so the goal will be to make it better than it is today," Cuppy explained.
More on North Vista Highlands: Pueblo's signs of growth continue with three subdivision plans
The majority of the 1,186-acre total subdivision is owned by Resnick. He has sold a 289-lot portion to Gary Burke of Pueblo Sprout Development LLC, an Ohio-based company, and another 304 lots to an investment group managed by Dan Dinwiddie. In Phase 1A, North Vista Highlands will have 162 affordable homes and a town center.
Richmond American Homes already has built 17 homes in the subdivision and a model home is located at the corner of Plaza Oeste Circle and Manassa Street just off Walking Stick Boulevard. Pure Zero Construction also has homes underway that feature energy-efficient construction techniques resulting in lower energy costs, cleaner interior air and whisper-quiet living.
The community will feature an expansive park, children’s play area and wide concrete biking and walking paths. Pointing out, "this section of the city is proposed for growth," in the master plan, Mike Castellucci, planning and zoning commission chair, and the rest of the board voted unanimously to recommend Pueblo City Council approve the plan.
Barkman Library expansion wins initial approval
In other business, the commission also voted unanimously to recommend city council approve a plan that calls for the expansion of the 1990s Barkman Library at 1300 Jerry Murphy Road in the Belmont neighborhood. The plan calls for a 2,643-square-foot addition and parking lot expansion that will add another nine parking spaces to the 41-space parking lot.
The plan also calls for the construction of a pedestrian bridge to allow access to the library from Belmont Park.
More on North Vista Highlands: University Hills residents voice concerns with plans for north Pueblo subdivision
Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via Twitter at twitter.com/tracywumps. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: North Vista Highlands expands; neighbors voice concerns for roads, flooding
