The Pagosa Springs Town Council will be considering a rather large subdivision proposal tonight, Tuesday, October 6 at Town Hall at their 5pm meeting.
Modern Community Builders LLC has applied for the approval of Ponderosa Mountain Major Subdivision, on three parcels adjacent to the Rock Ridge and Alpha subdivisions.
The applicant is proposing a multi-phased subdivision development, otherwise known as a major subdivision. The Sketch Plan of the major subdivision was heard, and approved, by the Town Planning Commission on September 8, 2026.
I attended the September 8 meeting and, as far as I could tell, the approval of the Sketch Plan by the Planning Commission was rather tentative. The Commissioners had substantial questions about the proposed development, and were leaning toward tabling the application, but were told that their questions and objections could not be addressed by the developers unless the developers had a tentative Sketch Plan approval.
“Sketch plans” for major subdivisions do not require Town Council approval. Town Council will have an opportunity to review the subdivision proposal at the Preliminary Plan review, after substantial engineering and site design is completed.
What the Town Council will consider tomorrow night is not the Plan approval per se, but rather, a “Planned Development Agreement.”
From the proposed Ordinance:
…WHEREAS, the Land Use Code, section 21.2.4.2.D.3.a, approval criteria for Planned Developments includes: “the PD addresses a unique situation, confers a substantial benefit to the Town, or incorporates creative site design such that it achieves the purposes of this Land Use Code and represents an improvement in quality over what could have been accomplished through strict application of the otherwise applicable district or development standards.” Such improvements include in quality may include, but are not limited to: improvements in open space provision and access; environmental protection; tree/vegetation preservation; efficient provision of streets, roads, and other utilities and services; or increased choice of living and housing environments”; and…
…WHEREAS, the Town’s adopted 2018 comprehensive Plan identifies the Property to be rezoned for accommodating higher residential density in close proximity to Town with open space dedications, inclusion of a pedestrian/bike commuter trail, and providing a secondary road network…
…NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF PAGOSA SPRINGS, COLORADO, as follows:
…Section 2. Amendment of the Town’s Official Zoning Map. The Town Council hereby approves amending the Town’s Official Zoning map; changing the base zoning for Property to Mixed Use Corridor, Medium Density Residential, Open Space and Parks, with a Planned Development Overlay District designation.
Section 3. Approval of Planned Development Agreement. The Town Council hereby approves the adoption of the Ponderosa Mountain Planned Development Agreement, attached hereto as Exhibit I…
You can download the entire “Planned Development Agreement here.
This will be a ‘first reading’ of Ordinance 1042: AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF PAGOSA SPRINGS AMENDING THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP AND APPROVING A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY DISTRICT AND A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FOR PROPERTY KNOWN AS PONDEROSA MOUNTAIN
The ordinance, if approved by Council tomorrow, will require a ‘second reading’ at a future date.
At the Town Planning Commission meeting on September 8, only two members of the audience — in a standing-room-only crowd — testified in favor of this development. One of them was the real estate agent representing the property.
One of the obvious goals evident in the proposed agreement is the creation of “attainable housing” within the development. The agreement requires the developer to provide a certain amount of housing mainly for households earning more than the average income in Archuleta County.
As Planning Commission chair Chris Pitcher suggested on September 8, this development — which includes a large commercial lodging component — will actually make the housing crisis in Pagosa Springs worse, rather than better.
The meeting is scheduled for 5pm at Town Hall.