For the week of October 1 - 7, 2003

Crown Ranch developers pursue new plan

Group asks court to review
city denial of Phase 5

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By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

A development group that was denied permission by the city of Sun Valley to build 13 townhouses in Crown Ranch subdivision has demanded that the 5th District Court review the decision.

The developers of Crown Ranch subdivision, above, have submitted a new proposal to the city of Sun Valley to build 11 new townhouses as part of their fifth and final phase of construction. The subdivision, parts of which are visible from vantage points throughout Elkhorn, is located above the southern boundary of Morningstar Road. Express photo by Willy Cook

The group, Crown Point Development, also has asked the city of Sun Valley to consider approving a new, scaled-down proposal to build 11 townhouses, in lieu of the plan that was denied by the Sun Valley City Council in July.

The two actions by the development group have created a complex situation in which it has two different project applications under consideration at the same time.

At issue is a controversial application by Lane and Kristin Monroe, principals of Sun Valley-based Crown Point Development, to subdivide a 3.29-acre parcel at Crown Ranch into 13 individual lots that would each be the site of a multiple-level townhouse. The townhouses were proposed be located between a bend in Crown Ranch Road, which branches off the southern section of Morningstar Road.

The project was submitted last spring as Phase 5 of Crown Ranch.

The Sun Valley City Council on July 17 unanimously upheld two separate appeals opposing the city Planning and Zoning Commission’s approval of the design of the project. At the same time, council members voted unanimously to deny a related subdivision application to establish 13 lots on the 3.3-acre parcel.

Pursuant to comments from some council members that the project appeared too large for the site, representatives for Crown Point on Aug. 6 submitted a new application to the city seeking approval for the creation of only 11 lots and the construction of 11 townhouses. The townhouses are proposed to range from approximately 3,450 square feet to 3,750 square feet.

The application also asks for a variance to a zoning requirement that requires a minimum of 4 units be built on each acre of the Residential/Multiple Family zoned site.

The application is scheduled to be considered by the Sun Valley Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

However, last week, legal representatives for Crown Point filed a "petition for judicial review" that seeks to have the 5th District Court in Hailey review the Sun Valley City Council’s decision to deny the original plan.

The petition to the court requests that the city’s denial of the original application "be reversed because it was not supported by substantial evidence on the record as a whole and was arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion."

The petition asks the court to force the city to file a full record of the relevant proceedings within 42 days. In formally asking for relief, the petition asks the court to overturn the city’s decision or "remand the matter, if necessary, for further proceedings."

Rand Peebles, Sun Valley city attorney, said Tuesday that he has recommended that the P&Z "table the application until the city reviews a decision from the court on the judicial review."

Peebles noted that he does not consider it appropriate for the city to consider the new application while the original application is the subject of legal proceedings.

 

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