With a deadlocked 3-3 vote the Planning and Zoning Commission rejected a motion to recommend approval of the proposed Adero Canyon plans to the Town Council.

An overflow crowd at the Feb. 13 meeting filled council chambers to listen to the debate and make comments during a public hearing on the proposal.

Commissioner Steven Harris was absent from the meeting and the remaining six were evenly split on the issue. Commission Chairman Lloyd Pew and commission members Richard Turner and Stan Connick supported the proposal. Vice Chairman Mike Archambault and commissioners Angela Strohan and Gene Slechta were opposed.

The next step in the process is somewhat unclear. The council is scheduled to take up the proposals during its March 6, regular session. The council can consider the issue with a P&Z recommendation to deny. However, Town Planner Bob Rodgers said the council may want a more definitive recommendation from the commission and ask that all seven commissioners revisit the issue.

Rodgers said if the plan went back to the commission they would need to re-advertise the public hearing and basically repeat Thursday’s session.

That would have the effect of delaying council consideration by at least a month.

MCO Properties is looking to move forward with development of its Adero Canyon property and is asking for changes to the existing approved plan.

Currently the 431-acre parcel has a master plan for 171 single family custom home lots. MCO is asking to diversify the land use by adding an 80-acre Planned Area Development (PAD) to include townhomes and a multi-family element that could be used as an extension of the CopperWynd Resort or condominiums.

The proposed changes would increase the unit count to 343 housing units.

The three items P&Z was being asked to review were an amendment to the master plan, the PAD proposal and a minor General Plan amendment.