A public hearing for rezoning at Bear’s Paw Heights, on Selkirk Hill, could prove interesting for residents and town council.
The developer of the property wants to install a row of duplexes in the subdivision, which changes the use and density of the area, requiring them to make an application for rezoning.
Town of Golden CAO Jon Wilsgard says staff have already received verbal and written feedback about the zoning, and that the public hearing might be an interesting one, as it opens the floor to residents to express their concerns before council.
“The developer originally had plans to place a couple of duplexes on certain corners. Now, the applicant has applied for a rezoning to allow more duplexes in the subdivision,” Wilsgard explained. “That has created a contentious environment, I would say. There’s a number of residents who have expressed their displeasure with this, which is fine.”
The community is invited to speak at the public hearing on January 29 at 6:30 p.m., before the regular council meeting.
“Those people that feel they are going to be impacted either negatively or positively are therefore permitted to come before council. Council has to entertain them, to hear what their concerns are before any bylaws are adopted or endorse that rezoning. And, that’s what will happen,” Wilsgard said, adding that some people might not approve of the rezoning for many reasons. “It could be any number of reasons. It changes the character of the subdivision itself, maybe it doesn’t meet what they thought was going to be, the way it was going to be built. Maybe they have concerns there will be more traffic in the area because of more families, maybe because the buildings would have to be higher or larger massing, and they don’t like the idea of that. There could be any number of reasons why people don’t want to see that happen. Council will be hearing those concerns.”