HomeMy WebLinkAbout950603.tiffA,tc, MEMORANDUM
WLiVcTO: Board of County Commissioners
COLORADO From: Keith A. Schuett, Current Planner II
SUBJECT: Proposed Juvenile Detention Facility
March 9, 1995
Enclosed is a letter from Henry Epstein and my response to his letter on a proposed Juvenile
Detention Facility. Mr. Persichino has received two inquires about the proposed facility from
concerned citizens.
/LAO"(
I
950603
February 28, 1995
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING SERVICES
PHONE (303) 353-6100, EXT.3540
FAX (303) 351-0978
WELD COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
1400 N. 17TH AVENUE
GREELEY, COLORADO 80631
Henry M. Epstein, AICP
1001 Logan Street, #101
Denver, Colorado, 80203
Subject: USR-860 Located in Part of the Southwest 'A, of Section 13, Township 3 North,
Range 68 West of the 6th P.M., Weld County, Colorado
Dear Mr. Epstein:
Thank you for your letter of February 22, 1995. Department of Planning Services staff reviewed
your letter, USR-860, and the Weld County Zoning Ordinance. Staff determined that the change
of use from the Nursing care facility to a Juvenile Detention Facility would be a major change to
the approved Special Review Permit. Prior to the conversion to the Juvenile Detention Facility a
Special Review Permit would need to be submitted, approved, and all conditions of approval
met. Building permits will also need to be issued prior to the start of remodeling. Please call Ed
Stoner, Weld County Building Inspection for information on possible building code
requirements.
Please call or write me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Keith A. Schuett
Current Planner II
enclosures
pc: Lee Morrison, Assistant County Attorney
Ed Stoner, Weld County Building Inspection
Pat Persichino, Director, Weld County Planning Department
USR-860
SERVICE, TEAMWORK, INTEGRITY, QUALITY
9 s06gv!
Henry M. Epstein, AICP
1001 Logan Street, #101
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 861-8979
February 22, 1995
FEB P ' 1995 .,
Keith Schuett
Weld County Planning Department
Building 1400
N. 17th Avenue
Greeley, CO 80631
Re: Request for Interpretation of Use; Conversion of Country View Center
to Juvenile Detention Facility 525 Weld County Road 32
Dear Keith:
I appreciated your help on the telephone recently concerning the referenced
site and how best to approach the County on a determination for use of the
site as a Juvenile Detention Facility. I also want to thank you for advising
us on the fire protection district for the site. We will be needing to pursue
some questions with them and the Weld County Health Department on the
anticipated use of the site.
The current use of the site is the Country View Center, which my clients have
advised me is an approved 87 bed Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally
Retarded. You had confirmed that the facility is an approved Use by Special
Review. The activities at this facility has been downsizing over the past
two years and my clients anticipate the building being vacant as of March 31,
1995. My clients wish to reuse the existing facility to provide a needed
service to the Colorado Division of Youth Services to house up to 96 children.
The renovation of the facility would be to transition from the care of the
developmentally disabled to juvenile delinquents primarily from the State of
Colorado. The renovation work anticipated for the site would be done in
phases. The initial phase would involve providing for 48 beds and the
associated 24 hour care and security needed for this type of facility. The
second phase of renovation would encompass the remaining 48 beds based on
actual and projected demand for this service by the State.
The anticipated operators of the facility would work with the State in placing
children at this facility who are non-violent. The resident population would
therefore be a low risk problem for the community.
As you know, Weld County and the City of Greeley are working with the State of
Colorado at this time to locate a 60 bed juvenile detention center near the
County Jail. Whether or not the facility gets built, there is a present and
950613
Keith Schuett
Weld County Planning
Juvenile Detention Facility
February 22, 1995
Page 2
continuing need to have adequate juvenile detention facilities in the State.
Allowing the Country View Center, a permitted operation in Weld County, to be
converted to a juvenile detention facility would provide much needed
assistance to the State and community. Based on the description of the
present and anticiaated use of the site, the change in actual impacts to the
community would be limited.
As noted earlier, we will be talking to the Mountain View Fire Protection
District, the County Health Department and Building Inspection Department
about the desired conversion of the site.
We would appreciate your earliest attention to obtaining an interpretation
from staff as to how to approach the re -use for the current facility. I would
agree with you that the Agricultural Zone District does not specificially
address this type of facility. The Weld County Zoning Ordinance does however
reference the allowance of public and quasi -public facilities being allowed
under Section 31.4.5. Under Section 5.10, regarding interpretations of the
zoning resolution, the range of allowed uses by right, and by special review
are representative only, and as such, can be added to after review of the
facts on an anticipated use not previously noted.
As Country View Center was an institutional facility which was allowed by the
County as a Use by Special Review in the Agricultural zone district, re -use of
the same facilities for another institutional facility to serve the State
Division of Youth Services, would seem to be another similar use, subject to
reapplication and approval by the County.
If you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to call me
during the day at 303-271-8727.
Sincerely,
Henry M. Epstein, AICP
xc: Don Rice
950693
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