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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/17/2025 - TRANSPORTATION BOARD - AGENDA - Regular Meeting9/17/2025 Agenda Page 1 TRANSPORTATION BOARD SUMMARY AGENDA September 17, 2025, 6:00PM – 8:00PM In person at 281 N. College, Conference Rooms A or online via Teams This hybrid TRANSPORTATION BOARD meeting will be conducted in person at 281 N College Ave, Conference Room A, or you may join online via Teams. Participants should join at least 5 minutes prior to the 6:00 p.m. start time. ONLINE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: You will need an internet connection on a laptop, computer, or smartphone, and may join the meeting through Teams at Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 224 295 374 904 8, Passcode J2eU2dG7. (Using earphones with a microphone will greatly improve your audio). Keep yourself on muted status. For public comments, the Chairperson will ask participants to click the “Raise Hand” button to indicate you would like to speak at that time. Staff will moderate the Zoom session to ensure all participants have an opportunity to comment. Documents to Share: Any document or presentation a member of the public wishes to provide to the Transportation Board for its consideration must be emailed to mdempsey@fcgov.com at least 24 hours before the meeting. Provide Comments via Email: Individuals who are uncomfortable or unable to access the Teams platform or participate by phone are encouraged to participate by emailing comments to mdempsey@fcgov.com at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. If your comments are specific to any of the discussion items on the agenda, please indicate that in the subject line of your email. Staff will ensure your comments are provided to the Transportation Board. (Continued on next page) TRANSPORTATION BOARD SUMMARY AGENDA September 17, 2025 6:00PM – 8:00PM 1. CALL TO ORDER [10 minutes for items 1-6] 2. ROLL CALL 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION [3 minutes per participant] 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 7. NEW BUSINESS [60 minutes] a. Land Use Code: Commercial Corridors and Centers Update (Clay Frickey and Megan Keith) [60 minutes] 8. BOARD REPORTS [30 minutes] 9. OTHER BUSINESS [10 minutes] a. Staff Liaison Report b. City Council 6 Month Calendar Review 10. ADJOURNMENT TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR August 20, 2025, 6:00 p.m. Online Via Zoom or In-Person at 281 North College 8 /20/2025 – MINUTES Page 1 FOR REFERENCE: Chair: Ed Peyronnin Vice Chair: Council Liaison: Alexa Nickoloff Susan Gutowsky Staff Liaison: Melina Dempsey 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Peyronnin called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. 2. ROLL CALL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Ed Peyronnin, Chair Alexa Nickoloff, Vice Chair David Baker Amanda Finch Lourdes Alvarez Ryan Noles Michael Hooker James Burtis Emily Felton BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: CITY STAFF PRESENT: Cortney Geary PUBLIC PRESENT: 3. AGENDA REVIEW Chair Peyronnin stated there were no changes to the published agenda. 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION None. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 8 /20/202 5 – MINUTES Page 2 Chair Peyronnin commented on a recent automobile/motorcycle death at Lemay and Horsetooth and requested a moment of silence for the deceased. 5. APPROVAL OF MINTUES – JULY 2025 Alvarez made a motion, seconded by Hooker, to approve the July 2025 minutes as written. The motion was adopted unanimously with Burtis and Felton abstaining. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Safer Streets Northwest – Cortney Geary Cortney Geary, Active Modes Manager, stated the Safer Streets Northwest study is building off of the City’s Active Modes Plan and Vision Zero Action Plan, and is funded by a federal Safe Streets and Road for All grant. She noted the boundaries of the study area are Laporte, Horsetooth, Overland Trail, and College as that is the quadrant of the city wherein there is the strongest overlap between roadways on the high injury network, roadways with high-priority recommendations for separated bike lanes in the Active Modes Plan, and areas that were identified as high priority based on the health equity index analysis. Geary stated the scope of the study was limited to the arterial roadways and discussed the timeline of the study noting concept plans should be completed by February of 2026. She stated the vision for the plan is that the streets in northwest Fort Collins are safe, convenient, comfortable, and joyful for everyone, and the goals of the plan are that the recommendations should be safe, convenient, comfortable, representative, feasible, and competitive for funding. Additionally, there are some negotiable study considerations: motor vehicle travel times and capacities, protected bike lanes versus shared-use paths, and non-mobility benefits. The non-negotiable considerations are: City values, context sensitivity, transit integration, and gridlock prevention. Geary outlined the highlights of the public involvement plan, which includes a technical advisory committee, stakeholder interviews, presentations to City bodies, and pop-ups at community events and destinations. She noted some themes from the first phase of engagement included the need for more separation between bikes and vehicle traffic, the identification of dangerous intersections, particularly Mulberry and Shields, the need for traffic calming and slower speeds, and debris, poor snow clearing, and narrow widths making bicycling unsafe on several arterials. Geary stated the following corridors were selected for the study: Taft Hill from Mulberry to the Spring Creek Trail, Shields from Mulberry to Swallow, with a gap between Lake and Stuart as there is already design funding for that section. Chair Peyronnin asked if there is funding for roundabouts along any of the corridors. Geary replied roundabouts could be recommended for intersections in the study area, though there is no funding for construction of any of the recommendations at this point. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 8 /20/202 5 – MINUTES Page 3 Alvarez commented on Google Maps sending cyclists to sections of Taft Hill Road where there is no bike lane and to cross Shields where there is no light. She asked if those issues could be addressed in some fashion. Geary replied they have had varying success with getting Google to make changes with things like a facility being present or a road being open, and the routing issues point to the fact that the City still needs to be producing those types of tools. She noted the City has its own online bike map that directs riders to the low-stress routes, though there have been discussions about the potential for more app integration. A Board Member asked if it is worth the infrastructure investment to put cyclists on a very vehicle heavy road. Geary replied that is a frequent question and noted one of the top priorities from the Active Modes Plan was more direct routes with separated bike lanes on arterials. She stated the low-stress network can continue to be built out and riders can be encouraged to utilize it while also building out arterial routes. A Board Member commented on dangerous conditions at Stuart and Taft Hill. Geary stated there is a recommendation in the Active Modes Plan for a crossing improvement in the area and commented on the possibility of using median refuge diverters. Geary stated the second phase of engagement will include asking people about safety issues along the selected corridors, conducting road safety audits, and identifying safety countermeasures. She requested input from Board Members regarding their experience on the selected corridors. Chair Peyronnin commented on issues on Shields between Centre and Drake. A Board Member commented on pedestrian safety concerns at Shields and Drake and suggested more intersections, including that one, be considered for no right turn on red. Finch suggested having some additional type of indication of pedestrians having pressed a walk signal at larger intersections. Burtis commented on the section of Taft Hill between Prospect and Elizabeth being one of the most dangerous areas for pedestrians and cyclists citing narrow sidewalks, high traffic speeds, and the large number of driveways. A Board Member commented on issues with the Heatheridge and Prospect intersection. Alvarez commented on the bike lane ending at Mulberry on Taft Hill Road. Burtis commented on areas of town wherein cyclists have to go from a bike lane to a sidewalk and back to a bike lane. He suggested there may need to be a plan for infrastructure consistency. Burtis noted Taft Hill does not have much traffic relative to Shields and College and suggested that information could be used as leverage to narrow it and make it more pedestrian friendly. Geary replied the Active Modes Plan identified Taft Hill as being TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 8 /20/202 5 – MINUTES Page 4 more conducive to a road diet. Chair Peyronnin asked when data regarding the mobile speed cameras’ impact on speeds will be available. Geary replied the cameras seem to be working to reduce speeds anecdotally; though the projected revenues are not being achieved. A Board Member asked how CSU is involved in these efforts and how Shields is being treated in terms of quick, cost effective improvements. Geary replied CSU is represented on the Technical Advisory Committee and some interviews with CSU staff have occurred. Additionally, staff will be attending the first CSU bike/skate/scoot to breakfast event to get feedback. She stated there will likely be places that cost effective treatments will be easier to do and places that might need larger capital projects. Chair Peyronnin asked if there is any appetite to reduce the speed on Shields from Prospect to Drake. Geary replied it is worth exploring, particularly if it could be designed to be enforced. Chair Peyronnin asked how Transfort is involved. Geary replied Transfort is represented on the Technical Advisory Committee and although no recommendations will be made about service changes through this effort, connections to transit will be considered. A Board Member asked about the timing of this effort as compared to the Transfort Optimization Study. Geary replied this effort will be wrapping up in February. Dempsey replied the Optimization Study will hopefully wrap up by the end of October with implementation beginning in 2026 and 2027. She stated decisions about Optimization Study recommendations will be made in a couple of weeks. Alvarez asked if any implementation funds will be sought from the City. Geary replied that is a possibility, particularly if the timing would work out to request matching funds or if there are small projects identified for example. A Board Member asked if there are other funding sources should Safe Streets for All grants be eliminated. Geary replied local funding and other federal and state grants could be considered. A Board Member commented on the fact that the study area is heavily populated by CSU students who are frequently on bicycles. Geary noted CSU’s data about where students live has been compelling in the grant applications. Chair Peyronnin asked if there are any roundabouts being considered for these specific corridors. Geary replied that is a countermeasure that is being considered; however, the study has not yet identified potential concepts for review. Chair Peyronnin asked how the new class 4 E-bike technology is planned to be addressed, noting they will be able to go over 40 miles per hour. Geary replied they are TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 8 /20/202 5 – MINUTES Page 5 not allowed on paved trails and suggested it should be part of the Which Wheels Go Where project to help make that clear in the Code. A Board Member asked about the end point for this study. Geary replied the end point will include concept plans with enough information to work toward design and anticipate costs for a grant application. She noted projects will be prioritized based on things like crash data, where the need is highest, and feasibility. Additionally, she noted feedback will be sought on prioritization. Alvarez commended the work done on Laporte and Chair Peyronnin commended the work done on Centre. Geary provided Board Members with information regarding the web map survey. Burtis asked how people who live in the area are being engaged. Geary replied postcards were sent to property owners along the corridors and interviews and pop-ups have occurred at various locations. Burtis suggested additional engagement with the student community and another Board Member suggested talking to teachers and parents at area schools. Alvarez asked if a similar study was undertaken for the Laporte work. Geary replied that planning and engagement was done prior to her tenure with the City. Chair Peyronnin suggested seeking feedback at the Senior Center. Geary replied staff will be attending a paralympic equipment expo at the Senior Center and may do a pop- up at that event. Geary outlined next steps including identifying, analyzing, and scoring countermeasures and developing concept plans with additional public engagement with pop-ups, Boards and Commissions presentations, and a second Technical Advisory Committee meeting. 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Action Item Recap Chair Peyronnin noted he wrote a letter of support for the new downtown parking plan on behalf of the Board. Members discussed keeping a record of the memos and letters sent to Council moving forward. Dempsey noted she has memos and letters from the past two years. A Board Member suggested including letters to Council in the Board minutes for the next month. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 8 /20/202 5 – MINUTES Page 6 8. OTHER BUSINESS a. Staff Liaison Report Dempsey noted Vision Zero will be discussed at the September 8th Super Issues meeting. Additionally, she noted the White Line Initiative, a group that advocates for bicycling safety, is also holding a meeting at the same time on September 8th. Members discussed possibly sending members to both meetings. Dempsey stated the Board will hear a presentation on the Transfort Optimization Plan in September and noted the Transfort budget has further decreased. In October, the Board will hear a presentation on the Commercial Corridors updates to the Land Use Code. Dempsey noted a 2026 Work Plan will need to be developed and outlined potential other meeting topics, including speed and red-light cameras. Alvarez commented on the benefits of having state support for transportation efforts. Members discussed a new stoplight on Ziegler and commented on wanting to hear a presentation on how to ensure safety is prioritized at inception when new things are developed. Dempsey noted there is a Harmony Corridor project looking at separated protected bike facilities for which funding has been secured for 2026. A Board Member suggested a presentation on snow removal and maintenance. Burtis suggested compiling a list of future projects that may be of interest to the Board. Chair Peyronnin stated there may be a joint meeting with the Active Modes Advisory Board in January. b. City Council 6-Month Calendar Review Members discussed upcoming Council items for work sessions and regular meetings. c. Board Comments A Board Member noted students have returned to CSU and commented on the benefits of a reminder email she received regarding their return last year. Baker asked about the monthly data report from Transfort and suggested the Board may want to discuss having a more cohesive request for information. Chair Peyronnin suggested having a more detailed discussion next month. Burtis commented on having a conversation with Councilmember Canonico about prioritizing funding for ADA expansion of the sidewalk system. Alvarez commented on sidewalk work being done in her neighborhood and expressed concern about the scope of the work noting it seems to be only corners getting improved. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 8 /20/202 5 – MINUTES Page 7 Burtis noted those corner improvements are required per ADA regulations; however, the sidewalks around them are not required to be improved. Members commented on possibly discussing driveway and curb cut consolidation along roadways. Chair Peyronnin reported on attending the recent forum with the mayoral candidates and noted the November election will involve ranked voting. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:07 p.m. by unanimous consent. Headline Copy Goes Here September 17, 2025 The Future of Commercial Corridors and Centers Land Use Code Updates Clay Frickey, Planning Manager Megan Keith, Senior Planner Headline Copy Goes HereObjective •Seeking the Transportation Board’s recommendation to City Council on the adoption of the Land Use Code (prior to October 21st First Reading) Headline Copy Goes HereWhat is the Focus of this update? The Future of Commercial Corridors and Centers: Land Use Code Updates The Future of Commercial Corridors and Centers is focused on updating the Land Use Code governing commercial zone districts,corridors and development standards to ensure they align with current city policies and community needs. •Advancing the City’s 15-Minute City goals •Aligning with existing City policy plans •Balancing desired outcomes •Adding clarity to the City's Development Review Process 3 Headline Copy Goes Here 4 Structure Plan P P P P P P Priority Place Types Designated in City Plan Headline Copy Goes Here 5 Purpose of the Land Use Code Updates: To Align the LUC with Adopted City Plans and Policies Headline Copy Goes Here 6 Council Priority Council Priority No. 1: Operationalize City resources to build and preserve affordable housing Council Priority No. 3: Advance a 15-minute city by igniting neighborhood centers Council Priority No. 4: Pursue an integrated, intentional approach to economic health Council Priority No. 8: Advance a 15-minute city by accelerating our shift to active modes Guiding Principles Enable more housing and mixed-use buildings, especially along roads with frequent bus service Create resilient commercial and employment centers that are adaptable to future needs Create clearer building and site design standards that promote transit use, walking, and rolling along roads with frequent bus service Improve predictability of the Land Use Code, especially to support small business owners Ac t i v e M o d e s 8 Af f o r d a b l e h o u s i n g 1 Ec o n o m i c H e a l t h 4 Ig n i t e N e i g h b o r h o o d Ce n t e r s 3 Headline Copy Goes Here 7 Overview of Proposed Code Changes Guiding Principles Topics Enable more housing and mixed-use buildings, especially along roads with frequent bus service •Changes to TOD Overlay, including: •Parking minimums •Allowed uses Create resilient commercial and employment centers that are adaptable to future needs •Changes to Employment (E) and Harmony Corridor (HC) zones Create clearer building and site design standards that promote transit use, walking, and rolling along roads with frequent bus service •Add ‘shopfront’ and ‘general’ building types •Clean-up of Article 5 (ongoing) Improve predictability of the Land Use Code, especially to support small business owners •New Change-of-Use Process Headline Copy Goes Here 8 Transit Oriented Development Overlay •Purpose of TOD Overlay: Modify the underlying zone districts south of Prospect Road to encourage land uses and densities that enhance and support transit. •The TOD Overlay offers height bonuses if projects meet various criteria. •However, with current market conditions, the incentives offered by the TOD Overlay are not economically feasible for producing mixed-use development. •Permitted land uses in the TOD: gas stations, self-storage, drive-thru restaurants, drive-thru pharmacies, car washes, drive-thru banks & credit unions, amongst others. •Some currently allowed uses may not align with the vision of the TOD overlay. Enable more housing and mixed-use buildings, especially along roads with frequent bus service Headline Copy Goes Here 9 Proposed Recommendations following July 8th City Council Work Session Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay Recommendations Recommendation Number Recommendation TOD 1 Allow 5-story standalone residential within the General Commercial zone TOD 2 Limit new Gasoline Stations (gas stations) within 1000’ of MAX Stations, other existing gas stations, and Convenience Stores with Fuel Sales TOD 3 Prohibit new enclosed mini-storage use in entire TOD Overlay TOD 4 Prohibit new boat sales with storage use in entire TOD Overlay TOD 5 Eliminate parking minimums in the entire TOD Overlay but retain maximums for surface parking. Set a maximum contiguous surface parking lot allowance at 2.0 acres, inclusive of circulation and landscaping. Introduce additional site design standards such as requiring parking lots to be bound on at least two sides by streets (public and/or private) Guiding Principle: Enable more housing and mixed-use buildings, especially along roads with frequent bus service. Headline Copy Goes Here 10 Harmony Corridor & Employment Zones Employment Zoning in Fort Collins - Employment (E) - Harmony Corridor (HC) •Secondary Uses: •Residential uses (with some exceptions) •Convenience shopping centers •Standard restaurants •Limited indoor recreation use and facility •Child Care Centers •And Others •Primary Uses: •Offices, financial services & clinics •Long term care facility •Medical centers/clinics •Light industrial •Mixed-use Dwellings •And Others Create resilient commercial and employment centers that are adaptable to future needs The Harmony Corridor District is intended to implement the design concepts and land use vision of the Harmony Corridor Plan - that of creating an attractive and complete mixed-use area with a major employment base.Mulberry Vine Prospect Drake Horsetooth Harmony Trilby Ta f t Sh i e l d s Co l l e g e Le m a y Ti m b e r l i n e Zi e g l e r •Current primary/secondary use requirements could impair mixed-use corridor strategies and policies. •Demand for new office space has continued to decline following the COVID-19 Pandemic. Headline Copy Goes Here Guiding Principle: Create resilient employment centers that are adaptable to future needs 11 Harmony Corridor (HC) and Employment Zone (E) Recommendations Recommendation Number Recommendation HC/E 1 Adjust to a 50:50 primary/secondary use split HC/E 2 Allow standalone residential to replace existing parking lots (will not count towards ratio) HC/E 3 Codify primary/secondary use split calculation methodology HC/E 4 Allow primary use exceptions for mixed-use buildings when: •Primary uses occupy at least 25% of the ground floor •Non-residential secondary uses may occupy 100% of the ground floor HC/E 5 Allow residential buildings to be a maximum of six (6) stories in HC zone (increased from 3 stories) HC/E 6 (added by City Council)Allow Affordable Housing Projects to be exempt from the primary/secondary use split Proposed Recommendations following July 8th City Council Work Session Headline Copy Goes Here 12 Building Types & Design Standards •The LUC currently does not include non-residential building types or provide additional configurations of mixed-use buildings (Article 3 of the LUC) •Article 5 of the LUC (General Development and Site Design) includes the standards that influence building placement and site design, building standards, circulation and connectivity standards, bus stop design standards, etc. – standards that influence the pedestrian, multi-modal, and transit experience. Create clearer building and site design standards that promote transit use, walking, and rolling along roads with frequent bus service Headline Copy Goes Here 13 Recommended Land Use Code Changes Presented to City Council July 8th Consolidate, clarify, and update building standards Headline Copy Goes Here 14 Proposed Recommendations following July 8th City Council Work Session Building Types & Design Standards Recommendation Number Recommendation BTDS 1 Add Non-Residential Building Types ‘Shopfront’ and ‘General’ to the Land Use Code. Shopfront Building Type replaces existing Mixed-Use Building Type BTDS 2 Consolidate, clarify and update standards within Land Use Code Articles 3 and 5 BTDS 3 Convert text standards to illustrations and tables whenever possible Guiding Principle: Create clearer building and site design standards that promote transit use, walking, and rolling along roads with frequent bus service Headline Copy Goes Here 15 Change of Use Process •A change of use means the act of changing the occupancy of the building or land to a different use •Under the current process, businesses are required to comply with the LUC, with a few exceptions •Traditionally, the Land Use Code has relied on an 'all-or-nothing' approach to site upgrades •The Director may grant a waiver for a few standards only Improve predictability of the Land Use Code, especially to support small business owners Headline Copy Goes Here 16 Proposed Recommendations following July 8th City Council Work Session Recommendation Number Code Updates CU 1 •Created new tables that outline proposed exterior and interior changes that determine amendment type •Tables cover No Amendment, Micro and Parkway Landscape Amendment, Minor Amendment, and Major Amendment CU 2 Created a new table that lists site improvements, and which are applicable based on amendment type. Guiding Principle: Improve predictability of the Land Use Code, especially to support small business owners These updates entirely replace existing text under 6.3.10 Step 10: Amendments and Changes of Use – now titled 6.3.10 Step 10: Amendments and Changes Not Requiring Amendment Headline Copy Goes Here 17 Other Code Changes by Article Article 1: •Revised Purpose Statement Section 1.2.2 •Revised Applicability Section 1.2.4 (clarifies role of adopted policy plans and subarea plans) Article 2: •Clarified and revised purpose statements for majority of zone districts •Adjusts primary/secondary ratio in HC and E zones •New section added within each HC and E to outline methodology of calculating primary and secondary uses •Remove text that limits maximum height for residential buildings to 3 stories in HC (allow to be 6 stories) •TOD Overlay updates Article 3: •Adding Shopfront and General Building Types (Shopfront replaces Mixed-Use) Headline Copy Goes Here 18 Other Code Changes by Article Article 4: •Conforming edits to use table Article 5: •Deleting or cleaning up subjective standards •Ongoing work on this Article… Article 6: •Entirely new text for 6.3.10 (Change-of-Use) •Modification and Variance Review Procedures (edits from Attorneys) •Text and Map Amendment Review Procedure minor edits Article 7: •Clarified and cleaned up drive-through terminology (drive-through v. thru, drive-in restaurant, drive-in facility, drive-up window, etc.) •Deleting definitions for terms that do not appear in the LUC Headline Copy Goes Here 19 LUC Public Review Draft •Public review versions of Land Use Code Articles available here: https://www.fcgov.com/planning- development-services/luc •Notification sent to Land Use Code newsletter subscribers, other development review newsletters, focus group participants, select City boards and commissions, and other community partners. •Resources available to aid review of the draft: •One-pager guide to understanding proposed code changes by article •Videos that cover high-level code changes by topic (What’s Changed – Topic Videos) •Office hours to speak with a Land Use Code team member all day Mondays and Wednesdays in September at 281 N. College, or by appointment Headline Copy Goes Here 20 Timeline and Next Steps September October November December October 21, 2025: First Reading of Code December 2, 2025: Second Reading of Code Public Draft •Code Testing Sessions •LUC Thursday Sessions (September 11) October 16, 2025: P&Z Recommendation Headline Copy Goes Here 21 Next Steps • Code testing sessions during September •Refinement of draft based on feedback •Boards and Commissions recommendations in September/October •1st reading at City Council October 21 Headline Copy Goes HereObjective •Seeking the Transportation Board’s recommendation to City Council on the adoption of the Land Use Code (prior to October 21st First Reading) Headline Copy Goes Here Transportation Board – September 2025 Staff Liaison Report o Upcoming agenda topics include: o Transfort Optimization Plan (November) o October, December - no topics yet AVIS (Red light and speeding cameras) update - waiting to hear from FCPD on availability Work Plan and agenda planning 2026 Counc il 6 -month calendar o September 23rd (Work Session): Which Wheels Go Where: Micromobility o October 14th (Work Session): Safer Street Northwest Project Update o October 28th (Work Session): Transfort Optimization Plan Outcome and Recommendations; Our Climate Future Strategic Funding Plan o December 9th (Work Session): Parking Study Engagement Report and Implementation Strategies o January 27th (Work Session): Sound in the City Follow-Up from Community Engagement