Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is ballot issue 1A?
A. Issue 1A was placed on the ballot to overturn a decision made by Berthoud’s Town Council to zone the Revere development.
Back in October, the Planning Commission and Town Council, with support of Town staff, approved a mix of 45,000 square feet of commercial and 81 single-family detached homes at the Revere property on the west side of Town – about 2.8 homes per acre. The residential density the Town approved was nearly 20% lower than the Town’s zoning code allowed.
Ballot issue 1A asks voters to approve this decision by the Town Council. Voting Yes on 1A will keep this lower density in place for the Revere development.
Q. What is ballot issue 3A?
A. Issue 3A was placed on the ballot to reduce the density on the Revere site by 95% - mandating the size of all residential lot sizes to 2.29 acres, which is out of compliance with the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and potentially taking away the property rights of the land’s owner. Area homes on two-acre lots typically sell for $2 million or more.
Voting No on 3A will ensure that the Revere development follows the Town’s comp plan.
Q. Why is the Revere property the subject of a special election?
A. A handful of neighbors who live on multi-million-dollar two-acre lots directly north of the property circulated petitions and gathered enough signatures to refer the zoning approved by Berthoud’s planning commission and Town Council to the ballot, attempting to stop a project that received all necessary approvals from the Town of Berthoud. These same petitioners want zoning changes to allow only large, multi-million-dollar homes on large lots.
Q. Where is the Revere property?
A. The 38-acre proposed commercial and residential development sits in the northwest corner of Highway 287 and Mountain Avenue, about a mile west of downtown Berthoud
Q. Did Berthoud Town Council approve Revere’s request to rezone the property?
A. Both the planning commission and the Town Council approved the zoning for the property, which reduces the number of homes on the property from 100 to 81 – all of which will be single-family “starter homes.” The parcel is approved for approximately 8 homes per acre.
Q. Will there be traffic improvements at the intersection of Mountain Avenue and Highway 287?
A. Yes – as a condition of approval, the developer is required to make major improvements to the intersection to allow continuous flow of traffic, especially on Highway 287.
Q. What housing types are approved for the site?
A. Only single-family detached homes are approved for the parcel. Architectural standards must conform to the Town Code. There will be NO apartments, condominiums, townhomes or other multi-family units built on the property.
Q. What commercial uses are intended for the site?
A. The commercial opportunities will include shopping, restaurants, entertainment and recreation providers. The new shops and restaurants will provide sales and property tax revenue to support Berthoud’s road maintenance, public safety and other Town services.
Q. Will the property include public parks, trails and open space?
A. Yes – nearly 39% of the site will include parks, trails and open space available to all Berthoud residents, including more than 3 miles of new walkways and trails, a connection to the regional trail system, 11 acres of open space and a new public park with play structures.
Q. Do the planned uses on the site conform to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan?
A. Yes - the land-use mix within the project conforms to Berthoud’s Zoning District Map and Comprehensive Plan Preferred Land Use Map and furthers the goals and policies of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.
Q. When will Berthoud vote on the Revere property?
A. Ballots will start going in the mail on March 16th. The ballots will be counted on April 7th.
Q. What will happen if the planned development is not approved by voters
A. If the neighbors to the north of the project are successful in convincing Berthoud voters that the project is somehow out of step with the rest of Berthoud, the developer will likely explore de-annexing from Berthoud and building on the site with 20% higher density (100 homes instead of 81) as a part of unincorporated Larimer County.
