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HomeMy Public PortalAboutPlanning Commission Minutes 07-12-2023Minturn Planning Commission July 12, 2023 Pagel of 5 Planning Commission Official Minutes Wednesday July 12, 2023 — 6:30 PM Minturn Town Hall / Council Chambers 302 Pine St Minturn, CO The agenda is subject to change, including the addition of items 24 hours in advance or the deletion of items at any time. The order and times of agenda items listed are approximate. This agenda and meetings can be viewed at www.minturn.or . MEETING ACCESS INFORMATION AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION This will be an in -person meeting with access for the public to attend in person or via the Zoom link included. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/i/85046902869 Zoom Call -In Information: 1 651 372 8299 or 1 301 715 8592 Webinar ID: 850 4690 2869 Please note: all virtual participants are muted. In order to be called upon and be unmuted, you will need to use the "raise hand" feature in the Zoom platform. When it's your turn to speak, the moderator will unmute your line and you will have five (5) minutes for public comment. PUBLIC COMMENTS: If you are unable to attend, public comments regarding any items on the agenda can be submitted to Madison Harris, Planner I, prior to the meeting and will be included as part of the record. 1. CALL TO ORDER — 6:30 PM Lynn Teach called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Those present at roll call: Planning Commission Chair Lynn Teach and Planning Commission Members Amanda Mire, Michael Boyd, Sage Pierson, and Jeff Armistead Staff Members Present: Planning Director Scot Hunn and Planner I Madison Harris. Note: Tom Priest is excused absent. Note: Sage P. was attending but due to technical issues could not speak. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 3.1 June 28, 2023 Motion by Michael B., second by Jeff A., to approve the minutes of June 28, 2023 as presented. Motion passed 4-0. Note: Tom P. is excused absent. Note: Sage P. was attending but due to technical issues could not speak. 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Opportunity for amendment or deletions to the agenda. Motion by Jeff A., second by Michael B., to approve the agenda as presented. Motion passed 4-0. Minton Planning Commission July 12, 2023 Page 2 of 5 Note: Tom P. is excused absent. Note: Sage P. was attending but due to technical issues could not speak. 5. DECLARATION OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST No conflicts of interest. 6. PUBLIC COMMENT Citizens are invited to comment on any item not on the regular Agenda subject to a public hearing. Please limit your comments to five (5) minutes per person unless arrangements have been made for a presentation with the Town Planner. Those who are spearing are requested to state their name and address for the record. No public comment. 7. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 8. DESIGN REVIEW AND LAND USE PUBLIC HEARINGS 9. DISCUSSION / DIRECTION 9.12023 Community Plan Review 9.1.1 Chapter 7 Scot H. said that when the Planning Commission reviewed Chapter 7 at their previous meeting there was discussion of wildlife. Devin Duval with Colorado Parks and Wildlife would like to expound more on the impacts on wildlife. Devin Duval and Leighton Stutsman, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spoke. As the Community Plan was going through the process, he had expressed concern about the lack of in depth discussion about wildlife and wildlife management. Minturn's geography makes this a critical piece to recognize and understand the impacts to wildlife populations. We have few animals left. Understanding is key. We need to be cautious and conscientious how we pursue recreation development in and around Minturn. Any public comments and concerns they put forth are just recommendations, so it is important to partner with the different entities. Amanda M. would like to hear Mr. Duval's opinion on the Maloit recreation area which is called out for further recreational development. • Mr. Duval said that Maloit Park is a sensitive area with a lot of environments and ecosystems coexisting. It is one of the remaining footholds for the reproductive core for the elk population. Since it is isolated and the way it exists currently, it is a high conflict area. Maloit Park disproportionally holds a significant amount of wildlife habitat and value so everyone needs to conscientious of how development unfolds. • Jeff A. pointed out that any proposed development from Little Beach Park to Two Elk or Maloit to Tigiwon is in direct conflict to this. • Mr. Duval said that to be responsible, there are different restrictions that should be entertained such as seasonal closures of trails. Mr. Duval said that herd management is looked at from a geographical scale. They Mintum Planning Commission July 12,2023 Page 3 of 5 conduct winter classification counts. Based on sample sizes for elk, mule deer, and moose, there are projections determined for growth. In order to grow a herd you need 50-60 calves to 100 cows. Now we have 20-30 calves to 100 cows. Lynn T. said that Minturn hasn't grown a lot, but there used to be an elk herd on the hill that isn't there anymore. • Mr. Duval said that there are a lot of impacts and issues that layer on top of each other: development results in loss/fragmentation of habitat, sounds, smells, human presences; distributed recreation causes animals to move, causes animals to be more vigilant rather than feeding or nurturing young; loss of connectivity to habitat, inability to access areas that would be far more productive in the winter months — I-70, snow mobile roads; predation — bears. The continued disturbance in the most sensitive time of year is a huge impact. There is a correlation between body weight at birth and survival rate. Note: Sage P. arrived in person at 7: 02 p.m. but sat in the audience. Michael B. asked about the migration patterns and how fences affect them. And whether CPW would recommend longer closure periods for the shooting range. • Mr. Duval said that one decision about the shooting range has been finalized, but he is still involved in that process. Mr. Duval said that equity is an important part of wildlife management. They have to limit their funding mechanism from hunting in order to perpetuate wildlife species. Scot H. asked Mr. Duval to talk about the Wildlife Roundtable. • Mr. Duval said that the Community Wildlife Roundtable is a healthy cross section of the local community with municipal and federal governments, sportsmen and women, CPW, and local stakeholders. This is a large group to generate momentum to on the ground actions or policy changes. A lot of educational work has been done. A survey has been done that showed the public is in support of wildlife and wildlife habitat prioritization over development and recreational development. There are opportunities in the Wildlife Roundtable. CPW manages the wildlife, but so many other organizations deal with the management of the habitat. • Scot H. said that there are options for implementing habitat considerations. • Mr. Duval said that wildlife management can be partnered with wildfire mitigation efforts. Note-: Sage P moved -up-to- the -tahle-at 7:1-8 p.m. - Lynn T. worries about the entrance to Maloit Park and the wetlands where the moose hang out. Asked about the enforcement of sensitive areas. • Mr. Duval said that they enforce Title 33 — wildlife statutes that pertain to wildlife that deal a lot with the hunting public. However, there is only so much that they are legally allowed to do. There are volunteer efforts to educate people at trailheads. Gates for seasonal closures have helped. Enforcement is limited as they have 5-600 square miles to look after every Mintum Planning Commission July 12, 2023 Page 4 of 5 day. Lynn T. asked about the size of the Wildlife Roundtable and if they are looking for new people. • Mr. Duval said that it is approximately 60 people and trying to build consensus with that size of the group is difficult. Lynn T. asked who formed the groups to have people go to trailheads to educate people. • Mr. Duval said it is the Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance. Jeff A. said that since the ambassador program has started they have dropped from 100 incidents a year to 10. Jeff A. said that one of the biggest problems to discuss is connectivity. Once you've connected everything, you can't unconnect it. If we are promoting connectivity and find that we've connected something that shouldn't be connected as it cuts off historic migration patterns. • Michael B. said that with Dowd, closures need to be considered. Sage P. asked if CPW has a map of where the herds hang out. • Mr. Duval said that he would love to come back with materials showing the geographic area from the county line at Vail Pass to Glenwood and then south to Aspen. Jeff A. asked about counting the lion impact on the elks. • Mr. Duval said there are more lions, however they perform a habitat selection model rather than population estimates. Anecdotally, we have borderline unhealthy numbers of mountain lions. Conflict lines are with mountain lions that are in an unhealthy state. There are density dependent factors where competition for food is fierce, and there isn't enough. Sage P. asked if our herd is going somewhere else due to the lions. • Mr. Duval said that there is heightened conflict in the winter between lions and elk as the land gets more concentrated to isolated pockets of winter range and the lions come down with the elk. Mule deer tend to migrate out, but the elk won't do it. __-- - The PlannirigCommission invitedMr.Duval-to another meeting -to continuethis conversation. Note: 5 minute recess called at 7: 52 p.m. 9.1.2 Chapter 8 • Action Item 8.1.1: No comment. • Action Item 8.1.2: No comment. • Action Item 8.2.1: Lynn T. said that as we get into wildlife we can add this to Minturn Planning Commission July 12, 2023 Page 5 of 5 the information going out. Scot H. and Jeff A. recommended putting wildlife related closures in the newsletter. • Action Item 8.2.2: No comment. • Action Item 8.3.1: No comment. • Action Item 8.3.2: No comment. • Action Item 8.4.1: Michael B. said that Jeff A. covered this in his comments about the newsletter. • Action Item 8.4.2: No comment. • Action Item 8.4.3: No comment. • Action Item 8.4.4: No comment. 10. STAFF REPORTS 11. PLANNING COMMISSION COMMENTS Jeff A. said the 2nd concert at Little Beach Park is tomorrow. Lynn T. said that the children's reading has started at the market at 11 o'clock behind Gemini Gardens. Requested the Manager's Report added to the packet. 12. FUTURE MEETINGS 12.1 July 26, 2023 12.2 August 9, 2023 12.2.1 Sage P. will not be here. 13. ADJOURN Motion by Amanda M., second by Jeff A., to adjourn the regular meeting of July 12, 2023 at 8:28 p.m. Motion passed 5-0. Note: Tom P. is excused absent. (7�wx-M 42e&�eL — Lyn ch, Commission Chair ATTEST: Scot Hunn, Planning Director