Councilors discuss consolidating notices, hearings for West Garden residential reserve overlay

Snowflake councilors on Sept. 2 discussed next steps for a proposed Residential Reserve Overlay in the West Garden subdivision, focusing on resident notification and whether the proposal needs to return to Planning & Zoning.

Councilor Travis Kay asked staff to clarify the sections originally created and proposed consolidating notifications so the overlay could be heard in one proceeding rather than split into multiple sections. "Weve already adopted this in the other sections, so we should just get the notifications done and hear it as soon as possible, in one go instead of breaking it up in two more sections," Kay said.

P&Z Commissioner Bruce Meyer agreed the proposal did not need to return to Planning & Zoning, saying the sections had already been discussed. Councilor Mark Sheen described the matter as "a balance between personal property rights and the community," and stated that when "96% of the people are in favor, that sounds like the will of the people." Councilor Byron Lewis emphasized robust outreach, suggesting Facebook and the town website in addition to normal notification channels.

The council did not adopt an ordinance during the worksession; members discussed consolidating outreach and scheduling a hearing but did not set a date. Staff were directed to proceed with expanded notification to residents as part of the next steps.