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Home My WebLink About11/18/2021 - Planning and Zoning Commission - SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENTS - Regular Meeting1 Katharine Claypool From:Development Review Comments Sent:Monday, November 8, 2021 7:25 AM To:Katharine Claypool; Sharlene Manno Cc:Missy Nelson Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Montessori school on Valley Forge. Categories:P&Z See below for comment in support of the Montessori school. Best, Alyssa Stephens MA Neighborhood Development Liaison City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services Submit a public comment| Track Development Proposals ‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐ From: Sue Ayala <sueayala1943@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, November 7, 2021 9:25 AM To: Development Review Comments <devreviewcomments@fcgov.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Montessori school on Valley Forge. I have lived at 2020 valleyForge Ave for 48 years. Let me assure up that the school has not contributed to traffic jams , or any other unruly behaviors. We actually enjoy having young children around. Thank you Sent from my iPhone ITEM 3, CORRESPONDENCE 1 Packet pg. 1 1 Katharine Claypool From:Development Review Comments Sent:Tuesday, November 9, 2021 7:53 AM To:Sharlene Manno; Katharine Claypool Cc:Missy Nelson Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School Categories:P&Z Alyssa Stephens MA Neighborhood Development Liaison City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services Submit a public comment| Track Development Proposals From: Arden Leeman <arden.leeman@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 9, 2021 7:43 AM To: Development Review Comments <devreviewcomments@fcgov.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School Good morning, I am writing to express support for the Treehouse Montessori School. My family and I live right next door at 2009 Valley Forge and absolutely love having them as neighbors. Crystal is incredibly organized, respectful and a great communicator. Drop off and pick up are very smooth and there is minimal traffic. Having small children myself, I can attest that the drop off/pick up process there is much more fine tuned and organized than most any I've seen. The children bring such joy and zest to the neighborhood and we love seeing them and waving and visiting out front. Noise is a minimum...I feel like my own children alone sometimes make more noise than the whole school. We are continually impressed by the school and they have our full support. Thank you for your time. Respectfully, Arden Leeman 2009 Valley Forge Ave Fort Collins, CO 80526 ITEM 3, CORRESPONDENCE 2 Packet pg. 2 November 11, 2021 Crystal & all of the TMS staff, We are your neighbors on the corner of Yorktown Ave and Valley Forge. We would like to say that it gives us total delight and pleasure to have the Treehouse Montessori School as our neighbors! Since the time your school has been established here we have been blessed with children’s laughter. So much better than the constant steam of rental tenants that came before! We enjoy watching the kids go with their teachers on nature walks and through the “magic tree” in our yard, it truly makes us smile to have you as neighbors. There have never been issues or concerns with TMS as far as we are concerned, everyone is polite and the process for children arriving and pickup has never been an issue. We support your capacity change and hope you remain in the neighborhood for years to come! Regards Tom and Irma Wortman ITEM 3, CORRESPONDENCE 3 Packet pg. 3 1 Katharine Claypool From:Development Review Comments Sent:Monday, November 15, 2021 10:07 AM To:Katharine Claypool; Sharlene Manno Cc:Missy Nelson Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School Categories:P&Z Alyssa Stephens MA Neighborhood Development Liaison City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services Submit a public comment| Track Development Proposals From: Richard Larson <rlarson951@aol.com> Sent: Monday, November 15, 2021 10:01 AM To: Development Review Comments <devreviewcomments@fcgov.com> Cc: crystal.treehousemontessori@gmail.com Subject: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School This short note is in support of Treehouse Montessori School. Crystal Koons, owner of the TMS is a good neighbor. and an asset to our neighborhood. I live across the street and have first hand knowledge of daily activity. Child drop‐offs and child pickups are run in a safe manner. Crystal has assured me that request for the walkout at the back yard has no bearing on any enrollment increase as it exists today. Her word is good enough for me. Richard and Wanda Larson 2008 Valley Forge ave. ITEM 3, CORRESPONDENCE 4 Packet pg. 4 1 Katharine Claypool From:Development Review Comments Sent:Monday, November 15, 2021 3:53 PM To:Katharine Claypool; Sharlene Manno Cc:Missy Nelson Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School Categories:P&Z Alyssa Stephens MA Neighborhood Development Liaison City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services Submit a public comment| Track Development Proposals ‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐ From: jecarter@verinet.com <jecarter@verinet.com> Sent: Monday, November 15, 2021 2:04 PM To: Development Review Comments <devreviewcomments@fcgov.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School This is to register my support for Treehouse Montessori School. Over the years, there has never been a problem with parking or traffic. Crystal makes sure the school and yard are well kept, and is careful about safety and code compliance. Her concern for the surrounding neighbors’ comfort has always been evident. I very much enjoy the happy sounds of children, and the quiet evenings and weekends. Jacqueline Carter 2017 Valley Forge Avenue ITEM 3, CORRESPONDENCE 5 Packet pg. 5 1 Katharine Claypool From:Development Review Comments Sent:Tuesday, November 16, 2021 1:00 PM To:Katharine Claypool; Sharlene Manno Cc:Missy Nelson Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School Categories:P&Z Alyssa Stephens MA Neighborhood Development Liaison City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services Submit a public comment| Track Development Proposals From: Marilee Boylan <mboylan13@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2021 12:56 PM To: Development Review Comments <devreviewcomments@fcgov.com>; Crystal Koons <crystal.treehousemontessori@gmail.com>; Mark Partridge <mandmfoco@gmail.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School Good Afternoon, I am writing in support of Treehouse Montessori. Our son Ashe has been a student since the beginning of the 2021 school year. We have found Crystal and her staff to be attentive and caring to our son and also attentive and caring about balancing needs within the neighborhood by laying out clear expectations with parents about pick up and drop off time and routines to ensure that our community will not infringe on the needs of the neighborhood. We are not only part of the Treehouse community but also neighbors. We could not be happier to have a neighborhood school that our son can be a part of. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. (970) 419‐3177. Thank you ‐‐ Marilee Boylan ITEM 3, CORRESPONDENCE 6 Packet pg. 6 1 Katharine Claypool From:Development Review Comments Sent:Wednesday, November 17, 2021 11:32 AM To:Katharine Claypool; Sharlene Manno Cc:Missy Nelson Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School Categories:P&Z Alyssa Stephens MA Neighborhood Development Liaison City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services Submit a public comment| Track Development Proposals From: jamie hoover <jamie.hoover11@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2021 10:48 AM To: Development Review Comments <devreviewcomments@fcgov.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School I live in the Foothills Greem neighborhood, very close to where Treehouse Montessori School is located and my son also attends this school. It is wonderful having such a positive and happy school so close to my house and in the neighborhood. TMS is very community based and provides an excellent service that is much needed in Fort Collins, daycare and preschool education. The drop‐off and pick‐up is easy via car and bike and has never caused us as community members any issues. Thank you for your consideration, Jamie Hoover 1707 Glenwood Dr. ‐‐ ITEM 3, CORRESPONDENCE 7 Packet pg. 7 1 Katharine Claypool From:Development Review Comments Sent:Wednesday, November 17, 2021 12:39 PM To:Katharine Claypool; Sharlene Manno Cc:Missy Nelson Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School Alyssa Stephens MA Neighborhood Development Liaison City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services Submit a public comment| Track Development Proposals From: Molly Dougherty <mollsbee@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2021 12:30 PM To: Development Review Comments <devreviewcomments@fcgov.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School To whom it may concern, As a parent of a child who has attended Treehouse Montessori School for 2.5 years, I can confidently say not only how efficient, structured, and clearly communicated the pick‐up and drop‐off procedures have been at Treehouse, but also how much it has improved in the last couple of years and has expedited and eased the process of leaving and re‐greeting our children; everyone knows the routine and rules, and there are far fewer tears and less dawdling now. Crystal has done a great job of explaining (and reiterating) the process in an effort to make it as smooth and painless as possible for the children, parents, and neighboring community. Thank you for your time, Molly Dougherty ITEM 3, CORRESPONDENCE 8 Packet pg. 8 1 Katharine Claypool From:Development Review Comments Sent:Thursday, November 18, 2021 1:13 PM To:Katharine Claypool; Sharlene Manno Cc:Missy Nelson Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School Categories:P&Z Alyssa Stephens MA Neighborhood Development Liaison City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services Submit a public comment| Track Development Proposals ‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐ From: Libby <libbyburgwin@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2021 12:47 PM To: Development Review Comments <devreviewcomments@fcgov.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School To whom it may concern, I am writing in support of Treehouse Montessori School. Our 5 year old son attends school there and it is truly a wonderful, well‐run organization. We have been a part of other preschools and I can honestly say that the drop‐off and pick‐up routines at Treehouse are exemplary. The process is efficient and I have never witnessed any issues with parking, crowding, or traffic. We would be thrilled if our family were their next door neighbors. Sincerely, Elizabeth Burgwin ITEM 3, CORRESPONDENCE 9 Packet pg. 9 1 Katharine Claypool From:Development Review Comments Sent:Thursday, November 18, 2021 1:14 PM To:Katharine Claypool; Sharlene Manno Cc:Missy Nelson Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School Attachments:Dear City of Fort Collins.docx Categories:P&Z Alyssa Stephens MA Neighborhood Development Liaison City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services Submit a public comment| Track Development Proposals From: Virginia Chaffee <v.e.chaffee@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2021 12:49 PM To: Development Review Comments <devreviewcomments@fcgov.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School Good afternoon, Attached is a letter in support of Treehouse Montessori School. I appreciate you taking the time to read it. Have a wonderful day, Virginia Chaffee (parent and neighbor) ITEM 3, CORRESPONDENCE 10 Packet pg. 10 1 Katharine Claypool From:Development Review Comments Sent:Thursday, November 18, 2021 1:16 PM To:Katharine Claypool; Sharlene Manno Cc:Missy Nelson Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School Categories:P&Z Alyssa Stephens MA Neighborhood Development Liaison City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services Submit a public comment| Track Development Proposals From: MARK S BENN <marksbenn@comcast.net> Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2021 6:09 PM To: Development Review Comments <devreviewcomments@fcgov.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Treehouse Montessori School To Whom It May Concern: I am writing about the concerns that some have expressed related to the pick-up and drop-off traffic cueing at Treehouse Montessori on 2013 Valley Forge Ave. I am a parent of seven kids, all of whom were raised in Fort Collins and who have attended five different schools in town. Treehouse has been the preschool for my youngest two children and the experience there has set a foundation for education in a way that I would recommend to anyone who cares about having the critical early years of learning for their child. Over the past year I have witnessed tremendous growth in the school and as a result, their popularity has increased - as it might with any successful program. In this process there has been inevitable growing pains, including the organizational flow of drop-off and pick-up. In my experience this year, parents have been incredibly kind, respectful and safe in the delivery and pick-up of their children. Parents have followed the recommendation to only go east on Valley Forge and not to make U-turns. This process has been incredibly safe, and orderly. It is my strongest encouragement to the City Planners to continue to allow us to utilize this amazing educational experience for our children, and to not disrupt the very cooperative and safe pick-up and drop-off of our children. I am aware that Treehouse Montessori is in a neighborhood, and brings more traffic than might be 'normal' for the flow of traffic from the houses on the street - but I cannot imagine that anyone has been inconvenienced by parents pulling over, in front of the school, and quickly and safely dropping off their children, and then picking them up eight hours later. ITEM 3, CORRESPONDENCE 11 Packet pg. 11 2 Thank you for hearing me out. Respectfully, Mark Benn and Aki Hosoi Concerned parents Electronic mail is not a confidential or secure means of communication, therefore your privacy be guaranteed. If you would like to convey personal information, please contact me in person or by phone. Be aware that e‐ mail accounts may not be checked on a daily basis so if you need immediate assistance, please call 911. ITEM 3, CORRESPONDENCE 11 Packet pg. 12 Dear City of Fort Collins, We want to express our sincere support for Treehouse Montessori School. As an alumnus family, and one who also lives just a couple blocks from TMS, we believe the school offers something unique not only to the students and families, but to our neighborhood and to the culture of Fort Collins. Our two youngest daughters (of three) went to TMS, the youngest of whom was able to go from 18- months till she was a pre-K student. Not only was our youngest prepared well for Kindergarten, her social- emotional skills and growth in independence exceeded our expectations. To this day, she still maintains a spirit of curiosity, a desire to do things independently, and a thoughtfulness and care for others (both her classmates and the natural world around her) that are values instilled in her during her time at TMS. Our other daughter attended for about 1 ½ years prior to Kindergarten, and the flexible play and unstructured outdoor time allowed her creative nature to thrive. If we had the opportunity to do it all over again, the only thing we would have changed is to ensure we got in even earlier, so that the oldest of our three daughters would have also had the opportunity to attend Treehouse Montessori. As a neighbor to TMS, we’ve found that having a small, unique preschool right here in our neighborhood has been a huge asset. Not only was it convenient for us to take our kids there, (easing the morning shuffle for everyone to get to work and school), we were able to get to know more neighbors who also brought their children to TMS. Additionally, since I pass the school regularly during their drop-off and pick-up hours, I can say that their system is smooth and well-marked. If I’m not paying attention to what time it is, approaching the school I’ll be reminded of the pick-up time because of their visible markers and cones places in the street. And yet, it doesn’t interfere with my ability to carry on with my own schedule and day. When we first needed a preschool in Fort Collins, we ended up sending our oldest to the only place that was available at that time, which is part of a larger chain of daycares. For her, this was the 3rd daycare she had attended. Though my daughter had no issues there, when we visited TMS for the first time, it became apparent how very different the environments were. Children at TMS played happily and quietly in their “work spaces,” as opposed to the loud chaos I had assumed was normal. The teachers at TMS interacted calmly with the children and there was generally a level of control I hadn’t seen before in a preschool environment. Treehouse Montessori is truly a unique and valuable small business in Fort Collins. It represents the culture of Fort Collins in a way that other daycares and preschools simply cannot. TMS helps maintain that “small-town” feel, even as Fort Collins continues to grow. It helps develop a strong sense of community with its humble placement with our neighborhood and their genuine interactions with neighbors. And lastly, TMS has certainly earned its place in our already strong educational system, fostering the kind of growth young children need to thrive in our schools. We are so grateful that Treehouse Montessori is part of what makes Fort Collins a great place to live. Thank you, Virginia & Sam Chaffee 1812 Valley Forge Ave Fort Collins, CO 80526 970-342-3021 ITEM 3, CORRESPONDENCE 12 Packet pg. 13 1 Katharine Claypool From:Development Review Comments Sent:Monday, November 15, 2021 9:12 AM To:Katharine Claypool; Sharlene Manno Cc:Kai Kleer Subject:FW: The new housing development resulting from the swap between CSU and Timberline church Categories:P&Z See below for comment in opposition to the Timberline Church Multifamily project citing traffic concerns. Best, Alyssa Stephens MA Neighborhood Development Liaison City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services Submit a public comment| Track Development Proposals From: Julie Pignataro <jpignataro@fcgov.com> Sent: Monday, November 15, 2021 8:49 AM To: Alaeldin Rachid <alaeldinrachid@icloud.com>; Development Review Comments <devreviewcomments@fcgov.com> Subject: Re: The new housing development resulting from the swap between CSU and Timberline church Alaeldin, Thank you for reaching out with your concerns. I am including the "Development Review Comments" email address in this response so that your comments can be part of the official record. Julie Pignataro City of Fort Collins Councilmember, District 2 With limited exceptions, emails and any files transmitted with them are subject to public disclosure under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA). To promote transparency, emails will be visible in an online archive, unless the sender puts #PRIVATE in the subject line of the email. However, the City of Fort Collins can’t guarantee that any email to or from Council will remain private under CORA. From: Alaeldin Rachid <alaeldinrachid@icloud.com> Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2021 5:35 PM To: Julie Pignataro <jpignataro@fcgov.com> Subject: The new housing development resulting from the swap between CSU and Timberline church Dear councilmember Pignataro, ITEM 5, CORRESPONDENCE 1 Packet pg. 14 2 I am writing to you as a concerned resident of the Flats at Ridgen farms (Landmark homes) about the 180 new apartments planned by the land swap between Timberline church and CSU. As you know, our access to Timberline and/or Drake streets is via Iowa and Illinois drive. Before the Church is in session, Timberline is blocked by off‐duty police and so the traffic by non‐Timberline church goers is routed through Iowa drive. When church lets out, the Timberline church traffic mostly exits through Iowa Drive going to either Timberline or Drake streets. We can barely get out of our apartments at that time, however, since we know it is episodic it has been tolerable. Now that 180 new units with at least that many additional cars is being added, the new traffic pattern is designed to route the additional cars through Iowa and Illinois drive (since apparently nothing can be done to Timberline street). If there is any compromise to be made, like maybe returning to the original “low density” zoning before the huge new addition is made, I would really appreciate anything you can do to help us out. Thank you Alaeldin Rachid 2715 Iowa Drive Apt. 301 alaeldinrachid@gmail.com 970‐691‐4559 ITEM 5, CORRESPONDENCE 1 Packet pg. 15 1 Katharine Claypool From:Development Review Comments Sent:Wednesday, November 17, 2021 8:58 AM To:Katharine Claypool; Sharlene Manno Cc:Kai Kleer Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] 2908 Timberline Road Multi Family Dwellings Categories:P&Z See below for comment regarding Timberline Church Multifamily. Best, Alyssa Stephens MA Neighborhood Development Liaison City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services Submit a public comment| Track Development Proposals ‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐ From: Mary Anderson <marycka2256@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2021 10:20 AM To: Development Review Comments <devreviewcomments@fcgov.com>; Julie Pignataro <jpignataro@fcgov.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] 2908 Timberline Road Multi Family Dwellings As a Fort Collins resident, 2715 Iowa Drive Apartment 304, I am very concerned about the traffic flow proposed for 180 new apartments adjacent to the Timberline church property. Rigden Farm currently is comprised of hundreds of apartments and condos, all within a few blocks. Many, many neighbors currently use Custer and Iowa Drive to access their homes. The area is weekly stressed by Timberline church services with streets blocked by off‐duty police. Of course, this disruption is negligible compared to 180 (at least) new cars flowing daily in and out of two residential streets. Even now, entering Drake Road from Iowa Drive is nearly impossible at some times. I think this is another example of development preceding street access improvement. Please reconsider returning this property to the original low density zoning. At the very least, a traffic study should be done to verify that Iowa, illinois, and Custer Drives can truly accommodate this increase in traffic. Thank you for considering my concerns. Mary Anderson 2715 Iowa Drive Apartment 304 Fort Collins ITEM 5, CORRESPONDENCE 2 Packet pg. 16 Colorado State University Parking and Transportation Services Parking and Transportation Services Lake Street Garage 1508 Center Avenue 6012 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO 80523-6012 Phone: (970) 491-7041 Fax: (970) 491-2017 pts.colostate.edu October 29, 2021 Dear Jason: On behalf of Colorado State University, we would like to provide input on the residential development currently under review: 2908 S TIMBERLINE RD MULTI-FAMILY DWELLINGS - PDP210011. We are interested in providing this feedback because of the intent for the property to provide a minimum of 18 dwelling units will for use by Colorado State University to provide housing for employees of the University at the 80% AMI level. Approximately 60% of CSU students and employees report using a primary mode other than driving alone to access our campuses. To support these commutes, CSU has invested in a variety of amenities and infrastructure, including the Around the Horn shuttle, separated bicycle and pedestrian paths, over 18,000 bicycle parking spaces, air/repair stations, Zipcar car share vehicles and Spin bike and scooter share services. CSU employees ride the Transfort bus system for free and have access to amenities on campus like commuter showers and break rooms. We hope, with similar access to commuter amenities on the home side of their commute, CSU employees living at the 2908 Timberline residence will have the freedom to travel using alternative modes and in turn, reduce traffic congestion, carbon emissions and parking demand in our community. Upon reviewing the project’s development proposal documents, we noted a few areas where we hope to collaborate in the development review and as the project is built: • Improve frequency of Transfort Route 7 to 15-minute intervals, as outlined in the Transit Master Plan, and align the route to serve residents of the property • Incorporate shared modes to develop a mobility hub at the property, including reserving a space for one or more Zipcars and providing parking for Spin scooter and bike share services. • Provide commute information and programs to residents on site, including: o Recruitment promotion: include transportation amenities in brochure, advertising; cost saving associated with non-drive alone commuting o Post schedules and route maps of nearby transit routes and the City’s bike map in lobby o NextBus Digital Screen located in lobby or at bus stop o Wayfinding from the property to the City’s bike and pedestrian network, including connections to the Power Trail We hope to serve as a resource to this project applicant to share our experience in supporting CSU employees’ commutes. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions. Sincerely, Aaron Fodge Erika Benti Alternative Transportation Manager Active Transportation Professional (970) 491-2823 (970) 491-7600 aaron.fodge@colostate.edu erika.benti@colostate.edu Packet pg. 17