New mixed-use development to encourage co-existence of buildings, people, parks

LONGMONT — Spring Gulch Meadows LLC plans to bring a new mixed-use development (MUD) to Longmont: The Villages at Eastgate.

Located on the southwest corner of 17th Avenue and County Line Road within city limits, the 91-acre site will include single-family dwellings, lofts, retail, restaurants, office space and recreational areas open to the public, according to Eastgate master planners Downing, Thorpe & James Inc.

?We will develop a concept that allows for these uses to co-exist in a useful way,? said Dave Williams, a principal at Downing. ?People will be able to walk to work.?

A maximum of 300 living units on two blocks will be allowed by the city, according to Williams, plus 170 mixed-use live/work spaces.

?The location is really outstanding from the standpoint of being on the east side of town and with good access to Interstate 25, Union Reservoir, Hamm Pond and the Ute Creek Golf Course,? Williams said. ?There are a whole lot of amenities nearby.?

Originally, the area was zoned as business/light industrial. However, ?as time has gone by, a number of residential communities have evolved out there,? Williams said. ?As the character of the area changed, our client thought a different type of project would fit better.?

In early fall 2001, the area was rezoned to include residential.

The Eastgate project was started in 1999, but is currently on hold ?because of the school impact threshold,? Williams said. ?The benchmark ordinance is halting the housing aspect, but we’re still pursuing other options such as commercial.?

Larry Green, the project’s broker, explained the problem. ?You can’t build any more houses in areas where schools are at 125 percent capacity,? he said. ?We will try to go for the senior market. We think that is a big market and a good location for seniors because there will be a lot of shopping.? Green is the owner of Larry Green & Associates.

The other option is to have a new school built, a possibility that is up to voters this fall, according to Don Burett, senior planner with the city of Longmont.

?My understanding is that the bond the school is putting forth will be on the September election (ballot),? he said, ?and if it goes through, my guess is that you’re looking at a year or so before the school district can approve any development of that property for a school.

?If it goes through, development on the Eastgate project should start by fall 2003 or spring 2004.?

With the addition of a school, Eastgate plans to market residential units to people of all ages.

?I feel there’s an increase in high-technology companies looking at Longmont,? Williams said, ?and with that comes a younger workforce interested in non-conventional housing options.?

Currently, the only MUD in Longmont is Prospect, located near South Main Street and Pike Road. The development has become so popular that Randall Platt Associates has begun work on Prospect Studios 2, a $2 million project that will include six live/work spaces that will sell for $300,000 to $335,000 apiece. The project is slated for completion by spring 2003.

The original 80-acre Prospect MUD was planned by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co. in 1995.

In addition to a lack of classroom space, the economy also has impacted Eastgate’s progress.

?There’s no question the economic slowdown has hampered this property’s ability to move forward at a rapid pace,? Williams said. ?The current owners are in conversation with several developers. It depends on when those folks feel comfortable on the marketplace.?

Spring Gulch hopes to capitalize on MUD’s popularity with Eastgate.

?It’s our intention that people can work, live and play without getting in their cars if they don’t want to,? Green said.

The property will include residential villages, mixed-use village, village commons, employment center and village green.

Residential Villages, on the western edge of the property, will offer residents mountain views and a variety of housing types: single-family, attached and multi-family units. Pricing is still undetermined, according to Williams.

Mixed-use Village, as its name denotes, will include living quarters above small service offices, shops, salons, and art galleries.

Village Commons will also include retail and service providers, but will offer support commercial and retail, such as banks, coffee shops, and small medical offices. Williams said it is still too early to tell what businesses will be interested in setting up shop at Eastgate.

Employment Center, a 30-acre area, may be sub-divided into separate office buildings or developed into a large corporate campus, but Williams said he does not expect one major company to come in and take a majority of the sites.

Village Green, in the center of the neighborhood, will include a band shell, farmer’s market, and close access to Hamm Pond Nature Area, Union Reservoir, Spring Gulch Greenway and the Ute Creek Golf Course.

Spring Gulch plans to dedicate several acres of the development to expand the Hamm Pond Nature preserve.

on Facebook on LinkedIn