AURORA | Aurora could annex as much as 3,000 acres east of city boundaries to accommodate residential and commercial development associated with Denver International Airport.
At a study session Monday, Aurora City Council voted 9-1 to explore the costs of extending city boundaries at South Schumaker Road and East Sixth Avenue south to East Alameda Avenue, west to Quail Run Road and as far south as County Line Road from Quail Run. Councilwoman Molly Markert voted against the measure.
A group of landowners who want Aurora to annex a portion of land that’s five square miles just east of city limits for residential development spurred the discussion. The properties would be northeast of Hayesmount Road and East Yale Avenue, about due east of Buckley Air Force Base.
“If we’re going to do this, we might as well look at this bigger area,” said Councilwoman Marsha Berzins. “The city is going east, no doubt about it.”
Bob Watkins, director of planning and development services for the city, said the proposed residences fall outside of the city’s 2009 Comprehensive Plan, a document Aurora uses to guide residential and commercial development as well as policymaking. He said the Comprehensive Plan would have to be amended to include the proposed properties, and the city would have to commission various studies at a cost of $450,000 to look at infrastructure impacts such creating a network of roads for the rural area.
“A large portion of annexations occurred in the 1980s,” Watkins said. He said the city’s comprehensive plan was changed four times throughout that decade as the city moved southeast. “We’ve had small or intermittent annexations in recent years that are within an annexation boundary, and within transportation and water planning. The fiscal analysis has been simple and routine,” he said.
Developing farther east versus focusing on urban infill also goes against agreements Aurora has with the Denver Regional Council of Governments. According to city documents, Aurora has 21,000 acres of vacant land zoned for residential use, which translates into 111,000 dwelling units for the city.
Aurora Water Director Marshall Brown said the proposed development would use 4,600 acre feet of the city’s water supply, which would require the city to acquire additional water sources. “Water supply and acquisitions themselves are the biggest challenge related to water and new demands,” he said. “Water acquisitions are becoming exorbitantly more expensive year to year.”
Councilman Bob LeGare said he supported the proposed area of annexation but needed more information.
“Certain types of development are good,” he said. “Residential housing by itself … that’s a net loss for the city. We have to pay for that. For every thousand residents that move out (east), we have to pay a quarter of a million dollars for two cops … That’s what I’m looking for in these studies, what’s the financial impact in case we annex another 20 sections out there.”
According to city documents, the landowners said they would pay for a fiscal impact analysis for their properties, but no other studies recommended by city staff. Property owners Steven Cohen, Marc Cooper, James Spehalski and Andy Chaikovsky said the project could take anywhere from 10 to 30 years and would include some retail development. Landonwers are represented by Michael Sheldon and Diana Rael.
How about starting with all unincorporated tidbits of land mixed in with the city?
Those are some well paid cops!!
Yeah, they could these ex- political Dan Oates buddies. It could be retired Lt. Daluz, or other cops that retired with full benefits when some should have went to jail with zero income? I am shocked that Davie Perry is upset about these two cops? Perry, thought you loved the police, I am confused. Oh, Oates is gone and now you can speak for yourself of your true feelings and your not Dan Oates Muppet anymore? Ooohhh…. I get it now.
Those numbers are inflated. An Aurora Officer tops out at 75,000. That must be with the city council’s cut added in.
I can see that the landowners would benefit from being part of the city, but how does Aurora benefit? That land won’t have the density of development to pay for the cost of city services anytime in the foreseeable future. There is plenty of undeveloped land already within Aurora city limits. Additionally, there is unincorporated land within the annexation and planning area boundaries that should be a priority for annexation. Pursuing this is a waste of city resources, and not in Aurora’s strategic interests. If the landowners want their land annexed, the first step is for them to bear the full cost of the impact studies to demonstrate any potential benefit to the city.
Michael Sheldon says this is good for Aurora. Is the the same Michael Sheldon that sold the City the Fan Fair site for the bargain price of 4 million dollars, the same Michael Sheldon that negotiated a $1000 reduction per residential tap fee, the same Michael Sheldon that is the rain maker for council campaign funding?
If it is I agree with the 9 members of Aurora’s City Council that voted for this. After all the City is over 120 square miles with all but 55 square miles developed. We certainly need more room to grow and the cost of new residential units, about 12,000 new residential units for the newly annexed area, is only four thousand dollars per house; this is an insignificant amount that can surely be made up with the new tax revenue from marijuana.
Remember the mantra rooftops bring retail, so how can this annexation be a bad thing. After all a City and County of Aurora will be fenced in so give us room now.