Big Gulch Planning Area

The Big Gulch Planning Area contains 636 acres and is located along a gently sloping valley known as Big Gulch, which runs through the center of the M3-owned Property. The Big Gulch Planning Area will be built in several phases. Topographically, over 95% of this area is less than 25% slope. This Planning Area is the heart of the community and will contain the highest intensity of uses of all of the M3-owned property. The area is planned for a mix of residential and commercial uses with a Planning Area Density of 2.97 dwelling units per gross acre, or 1,891 dwelling units, and 100 acres of commercial uses, and a Maximum Planning Area Density of 5.24 dwelling units per gross acre, or 3,335 units.

Uses

Land uses will include offices and businesses, civic uses, commercial uses, schools, and residential neighborhoods. Two Neighborhood Commercial sites totaling 100 acres are located in the Planning Area with the highest intensity of mixed-use development located in the center. The central Neighborhood Commercial site may be increased to up to 95 acres of commercial, office and business uses to promote and recruit additional employment opportunities that will allow Eagle residents to live and work within the City. This Planning Area may also contain hotel or resort uses and a medical office campus with a clinic or hospital.

Residential neighborhoods will contain single and multi-family homes with densities ranging from 2-20 units/acre. Housing options will include apartments, townhouses, condominiums, patio homes, and high-density single-family detached and attached homes.

The Big Gulch Planning Area creates a mix of commercial uses that will provide effective trip capture for employment, retail and civic-related uses. The goal is to capture 25% of all vehicle trips generated within M3 Eagle to activity centers within the community. In addition, the most affordable housing within the M3 Eagle community will be located within the Planning Area to meet the housing demands of employees who work there. This housing location will encourage walking to and from work, as well as shorter vehicle trips, further reducing traffic.

Design

The Big Gulch Planning Area will have an urban feel at the neighborhood centers with appropriate landscape, monumentation, signage and place-making features integrated into the design of the area. Housing, commercial/office uses, roadways and landscape will tend to be arranged in formal patterns with tree-lined boulevards and pedestrian scale amenities. Buildings along the main arterial roadway may be close to the roadways to create pedestrian-friendly areas with sidewalks, street trees and benches. Shared surface parking areas and parking garages will be encouraged at the sides and rear of buildings or within building clusters, to reduce large areas of paving. On-street parking will be provided where sufficient right-of-way exists. The architectural character will create an interesting visual experience as one travels through the community.

The central neighborhood center will be designed using a main street concept, with an 8-acre community park around which the highest density of commercial and residential development will be located. This area will have businesses, restaurants, civic uses and possibly residential lofts fronting out onto the central park. Parking will be located at the interior of the parcels to create a pedestrian-friendly environment. The central boulevard will split into 2 two-lane roadways through this area.

Illustration of the planned uses within the Big Gulch Planning Area. This area will serve not only M3 Eagle but other areas within the greater foothills and help reduce vehicle trips leaving the area. This area is one of the few areas within the foothills area that can accommodate higher intensity development.

Illustration of the central Big Gulch Neighborhood Center and central park area. This will be designed to create pedestrian activity areas with interesting spaces. The intensity of commercial and residential uses increase as development moves toward the Neighborhood Center. The Neighborhood Center is envisioned to be a mix of retail, office, hotel, residential and civic uses.

Special consideration will be given to the design and placement of land uses next to Willow Creek Road, within the Willow Creek Road Regional Open Space Corridor, to promote the sense of open space. Significant setbacks from the roadway, landscape screening and context sensitive design, will all reduce visual intrusion. Assuming Willow Creek Road is used as a minor access, a community park will span the central boulevard at the intersection of Willow Creek Road to enhance that Open Space Corridor. Building setbacks within this Corridor will be a minimum of 100 feet from the edge of the right-of-way.

Parks, Trails, Schools and Public Services

The Big Gulch Planning Area is planned to have four community parks as well as regional, community and neighborhood trails. Two of the community parks will be located at the intersection of Central Boulevard and Willow Creek Road as part of the Willow Creek Road Regional Open Space Corridor. This area is also anticipated to contain an elementary school, a branch library, and a police and fire station.

The Big Gulch floodplain is the primary drainage area within the M3 Eagle community. Big Gulch will be reshaped and redesigned based upon an approved LOMR which will be the precursor to creating a flood management system as well as a 55-acre linear park through the center of M3 Eagle. The Big Gulch floodplain will become the Big Gulch Community Park, containing both improved and native areas, lakes and ponds with wetlands, play and picnic areas, and a regional trail.

Access and Circulation

The Big Gulch Planning Area will be served by a pedestrian-friendly central boulevard that runs through the middle of the community and splits into 2 two-way couplets at the center. This boulevard is an arterial roadway that will ultimately connect State Highway 16 and State Highway 55 as additional developments to the east of M3 Eagle occur. The intersection of the boulevard and Willow Creek Road may provide a minor access to M3 Eagle. This boulevard is planned as a five-lane arterial street. Roundabouts are being proposed as traffic control devices at intersections requiring traffic control.