Approved - Vista Highlands Multifamily Residential

Location: Northwest of State Highway 7 & County Road 7

Project Type: Multi-Family - Fairfield Residential

Legal Description: Highlands Filing No. 1, Replat F, Lots 1 & 9 and Tracts A & B (apartment complex site) and Highlands Filing No. 1, Replat A, Tract A (9.69-acre park site)

Project Description: The development proposal is located within the Highlands Planned Unit Development (PUD) plan area, southwest of County Road 7 and W 169th Avenue. The proposed 297-unit, for-rent, the market-rate community will offer studio, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartments housed in 14, three-story buildings, with on-site amenities to include:

• leasing center
• fitness center
• co-working lounge
• swimming pool
• dog park
• courtyards with barbeque
• private balconies
• clubhouse
• ground floor commercial space in the southernmost building

503 parking spaces will be provided through a combination of on-street, on-lot surface, attached, and detached garages. The apartment grounds will also feature landscaping and site lighting improvements.

The proposal also includes a request to change the Comprehensive Plan land use designation related to the apartment complex from "Commercial" to "Residential" and a PUD plan amendment to create a new planning area that would be designated as Residential versus this area's current designation of Regional Commercial. The PUD amendment would also include a request to change Tract A from being designated as "Private Open Lands" to "Public Open Lands."

The proposed architecture is intended to reflect the design and architectural standards in the Highlands PUD. The three-story residential buildings will incorporate masonry finishes at the base, with lighter and finer textures like stucco and fiber cement to enhance the second and third stories.

The public land dedication is proposed to be met through a 9.69-acre open lands dedication to the northeast of the site on Tract A within the Highlands PUD.

To view the full submittal please download the concept review packet within the document library.

Applicant: FHR Realty, LLC/Fairfield Residential

Conformance with the Zoning and Compatibility with Surrounding Uses:

As discussed above, the proposal will require an amendment to the Highlands PUD plan, changing a portion of the planning area from "Regional Commercial" to "Residential". The change in land use designations will also require a Comprehensive Plan amendment from Commercial to Residential. The PUD amendment proposes to transfer density to this planning area and will allow for a variety of residential housing types to be included within the Highlands PUD, where currently only single-family residential housing has been developed.

Comprehensive Plan Amendment:

The 2016 Comprehensive Plan designates the site proposed for the apartment complex as "Commercial". This development proposal includes a request to redesignate this property as "Residential" and will involve an amendment to the 2016 Comprehensive Plan map.

Long-Range Financial Plan:
The site is currently designated as "Regional Commercial" per the 2016 Comprehensive Plan. This designation does not permit residential uses; the redesignation to "Residential" is anticipated to impact the Long Range Financial Plan.

Affordable Housing:

Fairfield is proposing to offer 60 units at 60% area median income that will be included with the other market rate for-rent units within the apartment complex.

Key Issues: Staff has identified the following key issue associated with this proposal:

• Inconsistency with the 2016 Comprehensive Plan/I-25 Sub-Area Plan and Long Range Financial Plan (LRFP)

Project Status:
Vista Highlands was unanimously approved by the City Council and Urban Renewal Authority on December 13 2022.