Eagle Town Council approves Haymeadow development permit
The first two parcels in the long-awaited development are one step closer to construction.
Courtesy image
The Eagle Town Council, in a unanimous vote Tuesday, approved a major development permit for two residential multi-family zoned land parcels on the Haymeadow property, as well as the associated development agreement.
Throughout proceedings and within related documents, these land parcels are referred to as RMF-1 and RMF-2, the first sections of the 660-acre plat to break ground.
Jessica Lake, a planner with the town’s community development department, presented the latest designs for both tracts’ development. Plans for RMF-1 project the construction of seven multi-family residential buildings with 76 dwelling units, including both single-bedroom and two-bedroom layouts. RMF-2 will lay the ground for 12 dwelling units: three buildings with four townhouse units apiece.
According to a staff memo submitted for the council’s review, the development will also include amenities such as a park space, a children’s playground, a dog park, paths, walkways, and a connection to the A1 Trail.
Michael Hood, an employee of Range Consulting and member of the Haymeadow design team, followed up Lakes’ introduction, providing more details regarding the site’s civil plan, phasing plan, landscape and lighting plans, and wildlife mitigation plan.
Support Local Journalism
Courtesy photo
The July 12 review, and subsequent permit approval, of the Haymeadow planned unit development marks the latest update in a years-long saga of project planning. The land parcel was initially purchased by Abrika properties in 2005. Planning and designs for land development began in 2006, only to be re-envisioned several times over the course of the next 16 years.
The Town Council last discussed the Haymeadow neighborhoods in March, when members passed updated design guidelines for the development. New regulations addressed diverse priorities raised by council members: The guidelines called for wildlife-friendly fencing throughout the new neighborhoods, as well as lighting options that minimize light pollution while preserving basic roadway safety. Additionally, the design guidelines implemented a maximum for building height and minimums for trees, bushes, and other vegetation to be planted.
In Tuesday’s meeting, several council members raised questions about the updated design’s compliance with these guidelines. A proposed light system for garages, which would illuminate driveways when cars were entering or exiting to alert pedestrians, was one point of focus. Several council members expressed concerns about whether this system would cause unnecessary interruption to the natural nighttime environment. The design’s outlined use of solar panels to source energy for the new units was also critiqued, as many in the meeting questioned if building height regulations would allow panels to generate the energy required for what will be one of Eagle’s largest residential developments.
Pre-construction measures have already begun on the parcels, as leaders of the Haymeadow planed unit development are expected to pursue building permits as the next step toward construction.