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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning And Zoning Board - Minutes - 07/20/2000r 171 n U 0 Chairperson Colton called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m. Roll Call: Meyer, Bernth, Craig, and Colton. Members Torgerson and Gavaldon were absent. Member Carpenter had a conflict. Staff Present: Gloss, Olt, Shepard, Wamhoff, Deines, Meyer, Lang, Stutzman and Klingner. Agenda Review: Director of Current Planning Cameron Gloss reviewed the Consent and Discussion Agendas: Consent Agenda: 1. Minutes of the April 20, May 4, and May 18, 2000 Planning and Zoning Board Hearings. (CONTINUED) 2. Modification of Conditions of Final Approval 3. Resolution PZ00-22 — Easement Vacation 4. #13-82CG Oakridge Business Park PUD, 318` Filing (Kindercare Learning Center) — Preliminary and Final 5. #38-99 Hearthfire Way Annexation & Zoning 6. #16-00 Trilby Heights Sixth Annexation & Zoning 7. #14-00 Riverbend Third Annexation & Zoning Discussion Agenda: 8. #90-850 The Preston Center at Wildwood PUD, Filing Three — Amended Preliminary and Final 9. Recommendation to City Council for the Recommended Alternatives for the South Taft Hill Road Improvements Staff continued the minutes. Member Bernth moved for approval of Consent items 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Member Meyer seconded the motion. The motion was approved 4-0. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes July 20, 2000 Page 2 of 8 Project: #90-85Q, The Preston Center at Wildwood PUD, Filing Three — Amended Preliminary and Final Project Description: Request for the eastern one-half of the Preston Center at Wildwood Business Park PUD, consisting of 135,000 s.f. of business services including commercial/office/retail/hotel and standard restaurant uses. The historic Preston Farm House, granary and out -buildings are preserved and incorporated into the PUD. The site is located south of Harmony Road, between Ziegler Road (County Road 9) and Gifford Court. Timberwood Drive forms the southern boundary. The parcel is 12.5 acres in size and zoned HC, Harmony Corridor. Recommendation: Approval Hearina Testimony Written Comments and Other Evidence: Ted Shepard, Chief Planner of Current Planning, gave a presentation describing the project. He noted the additional letter provided by the applicant's consultant, which described detailed architectural standards that would be incorporated onto the PUD Mylars. Included with the letter was official color selections deemed historically accurate for the time period. Member Craig asked Ted Shepard why we were reviewing the project as a business service center if the CDP stated it was a neighborhood service center. Ted Shepard responded that the Amended Harmony Corridor Plan gave the option to have a neighborhood service center, but did not require one. So the project was merely being reviewed as a mixed -use activity center due to the option of having a neighborhood service center not being exercised. The uses proposed were mostly business services so the business service point chart was used. Eldon Ward, of Cityscape Urban Design representing the applicant, gave a presentation reviewing the history of the project and current proposal. Dave Lauser, owner of Preston Farm House, stated he was satisfied with the recommendations of staff and the applicant and he felt the project should go forward. Planning and Zoning &d Minutes • July 20, 2000 Page 3 of 8 • Public Comment: Karen Joslin, secretary of Historic Fort Collins Development Corporation (HFCDC), supported and agreed with the presentation made by the applicant. She felt the applicant and the staff had been in complete cooperation with the HFCDC. The HFCDC supported the amended plan and asked the Board for approval. Discussion: Member Craig asked the height of the granary for the comparison to the height of the hotel. Karen Joslin responded that the granary is 32 feet tall at the center of the roof. Ted Shepard added that the hotel was 48 feet tall. Member Bernth moved to approve the project as recommended. Member Meyer seconded the motion. Member Craig had a problem with the hotel being so close to the granary, but she had • to defer to the HFCDC to ensure that the hotel was compatible. She was disappointed that more retail uses were not on the site. Member Colton agreed with Member Craig's comments but would be supporting the motion. The motion was approved 4-0. Project: Recommendation to City Council for the Recommended Alternatives for the South Taft Hill Road Improvements Project Description: Recommendation to City Council for the recommended alternatives for the South Taft Hill Road improvements. Recommendation: Approval Hearing Testimony, Written Comments and Other Evidence: John Lang, from the Engineering Department and overall Project Manager for the South . Taft Hill Road projects, gave a brief overview of the projects and the departments involved. He described the regional Detention Pond, Spring Creek Trail, Waterline Planning and Zoning Board Minutes July 20, 2000 Page 4 of 8 Connections and the roadway project as the components of the entire project. The roadway project was the only portion that needed a recommendation to Council. Keith Meyer, Utilities Department, gave a short presentation about the proposed Detention Pond. He stated that due to neighborhood comment, the shape of the pond had been adjusted from square to more curvilinear and many of the surrounding trees would be preserved. The creek would be relocated due to the construction, but it would assist in creating natural wetlands in the area. The City would be planting additional screening and trees to mitigate some residents' concerns. The City would also plant native grasses in the detention area and not mow the area after a transitional period. Member Craig asked how much dirt would be excavated for the pond and where would it go. Keith Meyer responded that approximately 60,000 cubic yards of dirt would be removed and used for the embankment of the roadway project. Member Colton commented that he liked the native grass and assumed that there would then be no need for watering. Keith Meyer added that there would not be any irrigation and the surrounding trees would be truck watered. Member Colton asked what kind of channel would be used for the relocation of the creek and if there was a possibility of restocking the Spring Creek with fish. Keith Meyer stated that the channel would meander with a terrace for a water quality benefit. He added that in a recent project, they did reintroduce some species into a channel to promote the return of fish into the area, so they could try to do something of that sort in the Spring Creek. Jason Stutzman, Park Planning Department, gave a presentation concerning the Spring Creek Trail. He stated that the proposed section would connect and complete the trail as it was planned. The staff pulled the alignment of the trail away from the neighboring houses due to concerns and complaints of the residents. There would be a future connection of the Fossil Creek Trail to the Spring Creek Trail. Member Crai asked if there was a master trail plan to preserve the buffers between the natural are s d future development. Jason Stutzm responded that they had worked with the property owners to mitigate that concern, but the trail being placed in the 100-foot buffer would comply with the code. There was existing funding to complete the trail at the same time as the roadway project to minimize impacts of the construction on the neighborhood. Planning and Zoning Vard Minutes • July 20, 2000 Page 5 of 8 Member Colton asked if the new alignment of the trail would impact the wildlife in the area. Jason Stutzman stated that the Natural Resources Board was pleased with the location. He added that the trail existed in the buffer and the new placement would pull the trail further out in the buffer. He had not heard any concerns regarding wildlife. John Lang gave a presentation of the roadway project. He described the area and the neighboring residents and businesses. He gave a history of the project that started with "Building Community Choices" in 1997. They had initial meetings with the residents anc described the process to them. He described the cross-section of the roadway including the 100-foot minimum to implement an arterial roadway. The staff did decide to recommend the eastern alignment instead of a centerline or western alignment. This recommendation did require the demolition of two homes, but the residents, if treated fairly by the Right-of-way Department, would be in agreement. The staff originally recommended the size of the roadway to be 108 feet. The compromised size of 100 feet was then recommended which removed 4 feet from the travel lanes, one foot per lane, and a seamless 6-foot bike lane/gutter. Dean Klingner, Engineering Department, gave a presentation of access points, cost and schedule of the roadway project. He described the concerns of the residents and how • the City had addressed the concerns. He described the median and the 5 access points through the median. He explained specific issues concerning impacted residents and the mediation that took place to address the issues. He addressed the issues of the cost. Included in the scope of the project was Drake to Dirby Court. By recommending the narrow width, the length can be extended on each end and the project would continue to be within budget. Member Craig asked for examples of the 11-foot travel lanes. Dean Klingner gave the example of Drake Road improvements. They were planning to use the same cross section of that improvement design. Member Craig asked what the lane widths were north of Drake. Dean Klingner could not give an answer to the question but stated that 11-foot travel lanes are quite common throughout the City. Member Craig asked if the standard was going to be adjusted, due to all of the modifications being requested. Dean Klingner stated that there had been discussions of adjusting the standards for infill projects to lessen the impact to neighboring residents by using minimums instead of standards. Planning and Zoning Boara Minutes July 20, 2000 Page 6 of 8 Member Craig asked if new developments were abiding by the standard. Dean Klingner stated that the new developments were required to build out at the standard. Member Meyer asked if the citizen who had the decorative fence on Taft could keep his fence. She was concerned about the road going through the living rooms of the houses. Dean Klingner responded that there was an alternative that by making the road at that section 88 feet, which would keep the fence. The eastern alignment minimized the impact as much as possible on the residents. Member Colton asked for clarification of the bike lanes. Dean Klingner stated that the 8-foot bike lane was a fairly new standard, with few actually built yet in the City. The monolithic concrete poured bike lane had been built on Drake and by the University on Shields. Member Colton asked what was being given up by allowing the roadway to be narrower than the standard according to transportation standards. Dean Klingner addressed the level of service and the belief that by reducing each lane from 12 to 11 feet, it would not cause the roadway to fail any earlier or decrease the level of service. Public Comment: None Discussion: Dan Bernth made a motion for the 100-foot width to be recommended to City Council. There was no second for the motion made by Member Bernth. Member Craig moved that the 108400t wide road improvements be recommended to the City Council. Member Craig was concerned about the compromise of a major north -south roadway. She felt the City was setting a precedence by modifying the new standards all of the time. Member Colton seconded the motion. Planning and Zoning Ord Minutes • July 20, 2000 Page 7 of 8 • John Lang addressed the concerns of Member Craig. He stated that the City Traffic Engineer supported the recommendation of 11-foot lanes and he added that the 11-foot lanes would function as well as a 12-foot lane would in the future and beyond. More importantly, for future issues, would be the intersections and signals along the road. The slope of the bike lanes would not make staying in the bike lanes difficult. Member Craig was still concerned about the standards being modified. John Lang stated that in a new development, the standards are still important, but in an infill site, the standards could be reduced to minimums as long as they could keep the required level of service. Member Meyer stated that she would not be supporting the motion and she felt that staff had completed sufficient research on the project. She was concerned that there were no citizens at the hearing to discuss their concerns. John Lang responded that he addressed a letter to the residents noting all of the public meetings. Cam McNair, Engineering Department, stated that the citizen were at the Transportation Board meeting and the Natural Resources Board meeting. The citizens attended the . walk-through. He added that the citizens realized the decision making power is with the Council, so he believed they would attend that hearing. Cam McNair felt the compassion used by the staff with the residents was completely appropriate and was a responsibility of City staff. Member Meyer agreed with the comments made by Cam McNair and she expressed her appreciation for the staff in considering the residents as much as possible. Member Bernth wanted to note his disagreement with the beliefs of Member Craig. He felt the staff taking the citizen interest into account was completely appropriate and he gave the staff much credit for incorporation their concerns into the design wherever they could. Member Craig recalled the impacts of the Truck Route project and the citizen concerns with that project. She felt the residents had known that the road would be a major arterial road and the expansion was just a part of the City's growth. Member Colton heard that the staff was compromising for the citizens, but he was still concerned for the standard being so much larger. Cam McNair explained the process of collecting the funding and how the projects contribute to the payment of the project. The 115-foot standard is still the ideal. Planning and Zoning Boaru Minutes July 20, 2000 Page 8 of 8 The motion had a split decision of 2-2, with Members Meyer and Bernth voting against the 108-foot recommendation and Members Colton and Craig voting for the 108-foot recommendation. Member Craig referred to her previous comments stated earlier in the meeting. Member Colton also referred to his previous comments and concerns. He applauded the Detention Pond project and the Trail project. Member Bernth supported infill development and he hoped that consideration for the future of infill development was good. He applauded the efforts put forth by staff to work with the residents in an unfortunate situation. He was in favor of the 100-fcot recommendation. Member Meyer also appreciated the efforts of staff to minimize the impacts on the residents. She was in support of the 100-foot recommendation. Other Business: Paul Eckman reviewed the Attendance Resolution for Boards and Commissions. Member Craig asked Paul Eckman to investigate whether worksessions were included. Member Colton asked that notification go to more than one person, including the chairperson, Cameron Gloss, and Georgiana Deines. Member Meyer wanted clarification of what happens in emergencies. Paul Eckman stated that the Board could contact the Council Liaison Scott Mason to discuss any changes to the resolution. The meeting adjourned at 8:37 p.m.