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A revised sketch plan for the Lake Village Subdivision proposed west of Routt County Road 53 and south of the Sagewood subdivision likely will satisfy the Hayden Planning Commission today.

The commission tabled its vote on the plan in January to give the developers, West Routt Properties, time to rework access roads and other details and also provide more information about the project's concept.

"Part of the frustration is they've done a lot of homework on water, wells and a business plan, but the commission really hadn't seen that material," said Tim Katers, the town's planning consultant.

Additional information should make the commission more comfortable with the project, said Katers, who is recommending the commission approve the plan and proceed to the preliminary plat review process.

Lake Villages will encompass about 103 acres and will include about 205 single-family and multi-family housing units. The proposed development also would have a 3.5-acre lake, a large park and more than two miles of trails.

It is the first phase of The Villages at Hayden project, which ultimately may have 1,400 single-family homes and condos.

Much of Katers' and the Planning Commission's concerns focused on access to the subdivision. The initial sketch plan proposed main entry points at the northwest part of the subdivision off Honeysuckle and Harvest drives, as well as a boulevard at the south end of the development off C.R. 53.

In the revised sketch plan, developers moved the main boulevard to the northern section of the subdivision to help keep traffic off already busy Harvest Drive and Poplar Street.

"The new proposal should significantly reduce the tendency of residents of The Villages to use existing roadways in Sagewood or Golden Meadows," Katers wrote in a report to the commission.

West Routt Properties also has agreed to finance a traffic study gauging effects and needed road construction to Poplar Street and C.R. 53.

Facing such a big project, Town Manager Russ Martin and the commission also were concerned about how the development would pay for itself and whether the town would have to maintain roads and infrastructure in an empty subdivision.

West Routt Properties planned Lake Villages based on an independent market analysis and the 2003 Routt County Housing Needs Assessment Study. Overall, these studies predicted the need for between about 1,800 and 2,250 homes in Routt County by 2013, according to Katers' report.

The project will be developed similar to many large subdivisions on the Front Range, which have onsite financing and fabrication operations to expedite the purchasing and construction process.

The goal would be to provide homeowners a finished home within four months of signing a contract, with unused infrastructure in place no more than six months ahead of home construction.

The components of the business plan are designed to keep the homes as affordable as possible. Ron Sills, who is part of West Routt Properties, has estimated single-family homes will cost roughly $200,000.

Providing adequate water pressure to Lake Village and nearby developments was another worry among commission members. Developers have agreed to construct a new water tank, pump station, water lines and treatment plant if needed, according to Katers' report.

That and other issues can be addressed in the preliminary plat review process, Katers said.

The Planning Commission will proceed with that process, and it will schedule a public hearing after the sketch plan is approved. The Town Board also will review the preliminary plat.

Also today, the Planning Commission and Katers will work to revise the town's subdivision code in conjunction with the town's updated comprehensive plan.

The discussion, which was postponed last month, will occur during a work session after the commission's regular meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. The public is welcome to attend the work session.

-- To reach Tamera Manzanares, call 871-4204 or e-mail tmanzanares@steamboatpilot.com