HCA Staff Report
The Salida City Council met in regular session on October 7, 2025, with Mayor Dan Shore presiding. Councilmembers Paumenfor, Stevens, Kritelli, Martin, Fontana, Naccarato, and Aquarama were present. The meeting featured extensive public testimony on the city’s new land-use code and zoning map, as well as citizen concerns about a potential Love’s Travel Stop development along Highway 50.
Public Comment – Love’s Travel Stop and Other Citizen Concerns
Public comment opened with strong opposition to the proposed Love’s Travel Stop near Highway 50, though the project was not listed on the meeting agenda. Jim Wilson warned that the development would bring heavy truck traffic, noise, and safety issues to nearby residential areas. He argued that the project is incompatible with Salida’s comprehensive plan and requested that the council reject any future application. Brandon Wolfe raised environmental and visual concerns, citing light pollution, litter, and risks to the Arkansas River corridor and Monarch Spur Trail. He asked the city to protect the gateway entrances and “keep Salida a mountain community, not an interstate pit stop.” Mayor Dan Shore acknowledged the comments but clarified that no formal application from Love’s had been submitted to the city. Community Development Director Bill Almquist added that any proposal would undergo the standard public hearing process before both the Planning Commission and City Council. No decision was made, and the council moved on to regular business.
Additional public comments included a local artist thanking the council for continuing support of downtown art installations and festivals, which she said have helped small businesses recover from seasonal slowdowns. A resident of Holman Avenue also inquired about the status of stormwater drainage improvements, which staff confirmed are scheduled for inclusion in the 2026 Capital Plan.
Proclamation – National Disability Employment Awareness Month
Mayor Shore issued a proclamation designating October 2025 as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, encouraging local employers to promote inclusive hiring and workplace accessibility. The mayor thanked regional nonprofits for partnering with the city to provide adaptive employment programs.
Land Use Code Update – Ordinance 2025-17 (Second Reading and Public Hearing)
Community Development Director Bill Almquist presented the proposed repeal and replacement of the city’s Chapter 16 Land Use and Development Code. The comprehensive rewrite—developed with consultant Matt Grubel of Clarion Associates—modernizes zoning definitions, clarifies dimensional standards, introduces river-protection buffers, and improves permitting procedures.
Key points included a simplified code structure with reorganized tables and use classifications, new river-protection standards establishing a 40-foot setback from the high-water mark with administrative flexibility to 30 feet for constrained parcels, and a delayed effective date of December 22, 2025, to allow training and public education.
Public comment included Doug Peltier cautioning that riparian setbacks could render some older homes non-conforming and limit family expansion; Greg Bain proposing tiny homes on wheels (THOWs) as a pilot workforce-housing program; Mike Sigasky urging site-specific evaluations instead of a fixed 40-foot buffer; Ramona and Michael Kimment objecting to zoning impacts on their 207 North D Street property due to reduced buildable area after a prior Riverwalk dedication; John Wood supporting the Kimments’ request for flexibility; Amy Barton warning that increased building heights could erode Salida’s small-town scale; and Monique Codding of the Baymont Hotel requesting flexibility to add employee housing or tiny homes on commercial property.
Almquist explained that the updated code already allows tiny homes as accessory uses and provides one long-term RV option per lot under review. Councilmembers Martin and Stevens supported maintaining strong environmental safeguards, while Fontana asked about the variance process for small parcels. The council voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance 2025-17, replacing the city’s land-use code in its entirety.
Zoning Map Update – Ordinance 2025-18 (Second Reading and Public Hearing)
Almquist presented the companion Official Zoning Map update aligning city districts with the new code. Key changes included creation of Mixed-Use Highway (MH) and Mixed-Use Neighborhood (MN) districts, expansion of Mixed-Use Downtown (MD) zoning around F, G, and Sackett Streets, relocation of industrial uses away from the downtown core, and redistribution of R-3 residential zones to balance density citywide.
Public comment included the Kimment family requesting Mixed-Use Downtown (MD) zoning for their 207 North D Street parcel, arguing that it was consistent with nearby properties and would restore buildable rights lost from a Riverwalk easement. Several nearby residents supported the zoning change for consistency along D Street. Council amended the map to designate 207 North D Street as Mixed-Use Downtown (MD). Ordinance 2025-18 passed unanimously.
Adjournment
Mayor Shore thanked councilmembers and staff for their work on the comprehensive code update, calling it “a milestone that gives Salida a modern framework for responsible growth.” The meeting adjourned following approval of both ordinances.
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