Woodland Park commission recommends Eagle Fire Lodge rental conversion

Woodland Park’s Planning Commission unanimously recommended that City Council rezone Eagle Fire Lodge at 777 East U.S. Highway 24 and approve a conditional-use permit allowing its 25 lodging units to become market-rate, long-term rentals. The council hearing is scheduled for Nov. 19, the council agenda says.

The proposed zoning change is from Planned Unit Development to Multiple Dwelling Urban Residential. Rick Dilsavor of Cedarwood Development Inc. submitted the request for property owner Woodland Capital Inc., the rezoning staff report says. The conditional-use permit would authorize the residential use in the proposed zone. The draft permit ordinance says the city has water and wastewater resources for the use at the property’s current density, while listing additional requirements for approval and permits, the draft ordinance says.

The commission’s recommended rezone conditions include confirming the water-fixture count, obtaining City Council approval to allocate and sell 25 multifamily water taps, and paying the assessed fee. Utilities and Public Works estimated the taps would cost about $144,474 after a credit for the existing commercial tap. The commission’s minutes reported that 32 multifamily taps were then available in the city’s tap bank, but allocation and sale require council approval. Other conditions include arranging separate electrical metering for each apartment with CORE Electric Cooperative and having city staff prepare a list of pre-existing nonconforming conditions for council review, the commission’s Oct. 8 minutes record.

The conditional-use permit conditions also require a city zoning development permit and applicable Pikes Peak Regional Building Department permits for structural expansions to Buildings 2 and 4, as well as a renewed Colorado Department of Transportation highway-access permit. The commission’s recommendations are not final approvals; City Council’s Nov. 19 hearing is still ahead.