After shrinking a development proposal by over 10,000 square feet alongside making other changes, a project slated for Frisco is closer to breaking ground after planning officials showed approval. 

Both residents and Frisco Planning Commission members applauded developers at an Aug. 7 meeting for working with neighbors to address issues raised during winter and spring reviews of the project on a lot previously the Villain’s Lair Dinner Theatre.

Blue River Builders seek to put an 11-unit development on 200 Seventh Avenue, adjacent to Summit Boulevard and around the corner from Main Street, called “The Glade.” The units in the development will have somewhere between three to six bedrooms and three to four parking spaces with six guest parking spaces total. Each unit includes a garage.

It will likely also bring a pedestrian pathway along Seventh Avenue, and the developer indicated there will be short-term rentals included in the project. 

Now a 43,570-square-foot development, the prior proposal included 19 units in an approximate 55,800-square-foot development. Planning commissioners said at a Feb. 6 meeting that the development appeared to have gotten bigger from the original proposal, but changed their sentiment after seeing the most recent proposal. 

Residents who previously made comments of opposition, with one person dubbing the project a “monstrosity,” made comments of support.

Still, some concerns lingered. 

“I read the consulting engineer’s review of the traffic (impacts)… and just absolutely have to disagree with it. I mean, it’s dangerous,” resident Steve Wilson said, noting the review determined there wouldn’t be a significant traffic increase because of the project.

He added “it’s going to double the traffic” based on the 54-unit development that just started construction on nearby Galena Street. 

He and other comments agreed with town staff members’ recommendation to put a four-way stop sign on Sixth Avenue and Main Street near the development as a traffic-calming mechanism. Commissioner Kelsey Withrow wanted to see “no parking” signs along Seventh Avenue to further mitigate traffic, and builders expressed a willingness to do that. 

Seth Francis, representing Blue River Builders, said current plans also call for stop signs at both entrances of the development. 

Additionally, Francis said the developers added more guest parking spots to address concerns around guest parking on the streets close by while also making alterations to address landscaping concerns. 

He said developers plan to require a four-night minimum for short-term rentals in the development alongside other restrictions relating to noise and parking. Short-term rentals will be monitored by a property manager through the homeowner’s association for the development. 

Resident Paul Sale wanted assurances short-term rental restrictions would be enforced for the sake of the surrounding residents, and showed support for the changes made otherwise.

Commissioner Andy Stabile expressed gratitude for the developer nixing a proposal to include a commercial element to the development. Commissioners advocated for this in a previous meeting because they felt a commercial space wouldn’t fit well in a mostly residential area.

Additionally, commissioners previously worried about the development’s proposed 45-foot height because the tallest building in the immediate area is around 25 feet tall. Francis said the new plans put many parts of the building at 38 or 39 feet as opposed to 45 feet.

At an April 17 review of the project, commissioners requested a sun study for the building because it could have had the potential to keep a neighboring property in the shade all year round. They said if the study showed it would do that, then they couldn’t give the project approval due to incompatibility with town goals. Town planner Kris Valdez said the applicant did not submit the study for the Aug. 7 review. Francis said the builders completed the study and worked with impacted neighbors. He said they plan to help with snow maintenance because shade means less sun to melt snow, and he noted other actions to mitigate shade impacts.