Grand Lake Planning Commission met Wednesday, Feb. 5, to hear several variance requests from developer Spirit Lake Condos for a proposed residential and commercial development near the shores of Grand Lake.

The developer requested a height variance for the proposed four-story building, which the commission recommended denying at the Wednesday meeting.

Jim Kreutzer, the property owner and applicant, is looking to construct a covered-garage structure at 825 Lake Ave. alongside plans for a multistory, mixed-use development that is known as the Leatherwood project at 1016 Grand Ave. and 1001, 1005 and 1007 Lake Ave.

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The proposed Leatherwood development encompasses about 1.03 acres within the core downtown area.

A total of five variances were being requested by the developer.

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The first variance requested using off-site open space at 825 Lake Ave. to fulfill the open space requirements for the Leatherwood project. In the document that listed the reasons for making the request, the developer wrote that turning the open space on the off-site property into a park would benefit residents and visitors.

During public comment, a speaker expressed concern about the viability of the proposed open space area functioning as a park.

Another variance asked to allow a building height up to 52 feet versus the normally required 40-foot height limitation. The building’s planned site is on a slope, and the request indicates that it is difficult to stay within the height limitation on the slope.

Many Grand Lake residents spoke during the public comment period against the proposed height variance.

Five members of the Grand Lake Area Historical Society were present at the meeting to express concerns about the height of the proposed building, saying it would change views from the lake.

The commissioners also read submitted letters during the meeting.

One of the letters came from a woman named Judy Meyer, who said she has been visiting Grand Lake for over 30 years in summer and winter. Meyer wrote that she loves the town for its unique character and fears the development could ruin the town and make it claustrophobic.

Planning staff notes indicated that the “unique topography and proximity provide unique circumstances worth considering for the variance request.”

The commission voted to approve Planning Commission Resolution 03-2025 while denying the height variance request because the board found that it was not compatible with the surrounding area, not harmonious with the neighborhood and does not meet a determined need. It passed 4-2. The commission then voted to deny Planning Commission Resolution 02-2025, a zoning variance request, in a 4-2 vote.

“You guys can approve everything except the height variance, and then give us a chance to go take that and work with it,” Kreutzer said.

The item will go to the Grand Lake Board of Trustees at its meeting Monday, Feb. 10.