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Carbondales new Overlook development earns P&Z nod

John StroudGlenwood Spring correspondentAspen, CO Colorado
Rendering by Wolff Lyon ArchitectsThe Neighborhood Center area of the proposed Overlook development in Carbondale would include a mix of residential and commercial uses, with a possible hotel as the central feature. The project earned the Planning and Zoning Commissions endorsement last week and now goes to the Carbondale Board of Trustees.
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CARBONDALE A development plan for more than 150 houses and a possible hotel on about 13 acres in the middle of Carbondale received a favorable recommendation from the towns Planning and Zoning Commission Thursday night.P&Z voted 5-1 in favor of the Overlook Neighborhood proposal put forth by CDALE, LLC, a group of development partners led by John Foulkrod who bought the property in 1994. Foulkrod is also a current Carbondale Town Board member.The original application calls for up to 221 residential units, 40,000 square feet of commercial space, and a possible 50-room hotel on the former Mid-Continent Resources Mine Services site.A series of P&Z hearings that began last fall resulted in numerous conditions related to open space, parking and building heights. A development agreement included among P&Zs conditions of approval pares the total number of residential units down to 160.It would also allow for some building heights up to 42 feet, rather than the 35 foot maximum spelled out in town code.However, residential units on the north end of the property adjacent to the existing Colorado Meadows neighborhood would be restricted to no more than 27 feet, in respect for the neighbors to the north, according to the conditions.The recommendation would allow for a hotel, but adds a condition requiring a separate special use permit review if the hotel is not built. The application had asked for additional multi-family residential units if the hotel is not feasible.P&Z instead is encouraging something that would serve the larger community, such as a conference center.We wanted to make sure that if its not a hotel that whatever is built there fulfills some community need, P&Z Chairman Ben Bohmfalk said. We want to avoid that essential key building ending up being another mixed-use building with commercial on the bottom and residential above.Only P&Z member Lorey Esquibel voted against the recommendation, saying the Overlook plan strays too far from the towns established zoning codes related to such things as building heights, street widths and parking. Her motion to recommend denial of the project died for lack of a second.P&Z will ratify the conditions of approval at its March 26 meeting. The plan is expected to go before the Carbondale Board of Trustees for a public hearing sometime in April.jstroud@postindependent.com