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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources Advisory Board - Minutes - 02/21/2001MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING 281 N. COLLEGE February 21, 2001 For Reference: Randy Fischer, NRAB Chair - 491-6303 Bill Bertschy, Council Liaison - 484-0181 Tom Shoemaker, Staff Liaison - 221-6263 Board Members Present Kelly Ohlson, Reagan Waskom, Linda Knowlton, Bonnie Pierce, Steve Ryder, Randy Fischer, Nate Donovan Board Members Absent Don Rodriguez, Phil Murphy Staff Present Natural Resources Dept: Tom Shoemaker, Mark Sears, Terry Klahn, Lucinda Smith Advance Plannine: Joe Frank Guests None Agenda Review Under "New Business" Randy Fischer would like to get some feedback on a potential meeting between the Larimer County EAB and the NRAB on solid waste issues. Air Quality Action Plan Mid -Course Correction, Lucinda Smith Smith gave a brief overview of the AQAP. The mid -course correction is an attempt to identify priorities and emerging issues, it is not a major overhaul of the plan. Kelly Ohlson asked what items are currently being focused on. These items are: - Radon Program: Evaluating and pulling together data. The next step will be looking at changes in the program. - Secondhand Smoke: There's a large effort to gather public comments regarding second hand smoke. LUTRAQ: A municipal -wide effort with members from different departments. The focus is to look at VMT reduction. Tail pipe emission reduction: This includes the Hi -Emitter program where we're looking for high emitters, doing repairs, gathering data, and putting together mechanic training materials. Natural Resources Advisory F d February 21, 2001 Page 2 - Climate Protection: The City has an energy management team working to get the recommendations of the City's action plan implemented. - ClimateWise: This program has been a great success with 16 local business participating. - Education Program: Air quality theme, "Shift Gears for Clean Air". • Ohlson: I love the expanded Pollution Prevention activities. What things are we talking about? Pollution Prevention is air, water, soil and sources ofpollution that affect them. When we talk about Pollution Prevention we're not just talking about energy. • Ohlson: hi regard to promoting clean, and alternative fuel vehicles, what has the City done to let people know? We haven't widely spread the word. It is in the "Shift Gears for Clean Air "campaign where we point out that when you make a choice if you purchase a passenger car the emission standards are higher. The fuel economy may encourage people to purchase clean vehicles, or high mileage cars. We've drafted a brochure on SUV's. We have anew staff person who will be working with the brochure to get it completed. • Ohlson: That needs to be widely dispersed. It needs to get out in the shopping malls and where the regular folks are. • Ohlson: What can/does the City organization do to help lobbying? We have sent letters to our local representatives in Congress, urging them to look at increasing the fuel efficiency standards. The Legislative Review Committee did have a letter that was signed by the mayor go out. I provided testimony at an EPA hearing to support stronger diesel emission standards. We have attempted to make the City voice heard at a national level. • Ohlson: When evaluating the green building program make sure you define what "green" is. Don't rely on the industry. We don't want the industry defining "green" . There's a lot of "green-scamming" dut there. • Ohlson: What does "provide more information to the public on prescribed fire and wildlife" really mean? The impacts to the air quality from the smoke of fires generated an increased number of calls regarding the health impacts. There's going to be another addition to the action plan on wood smoke. It's come up recently. It's going to say something about evaluating how to improve the effectiveness of the wood smoke ordinance, and it's enforcement. We've received many complaints and need to look at it again. • Waskom: Why is the "electric vehicle ready" community being dropped? It seems that electric vehicle technology is lagging behind hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. Electric vehicles alone are not where we want to put our focus. • Waskom: Since they are zero emissions they are eligible for promotions if purchased. • Wasksom: What percent of vehicles in Fort Collins is diesel? The VMT from diesel is about 6%. A very small percentage is from light trucks and cars. But, relative to the PM2.5 study, they generate about 11 % of the particulates, that's the reason we want to focus on them. There are concerns about visibility. • Fischer: What do you mean when you say "chiminea use"? It's a freestanding unit with no emissions controls. It could be a nuisance if everyone has one. Their use Natural Resources Advi*oard • February 21,2001 Page 3 seems to be growing. We're asking people to recognize their emissions can have an effect on air quality. • Pierce: How do we get information to CSU students about emission requirements? We work closely with Parking Services at CSU. They're very helpful. Information is provided to new students, there's something in the residence hall book, and bookmarks at the bookstore. Providing information at the new student orientations is one of the best avenues because they are often attended by the parents. CSU has done surveys of emissions sticker compliance and would put an "oops" tag on cars needing to be tested. The compliance rate would usually increase by 10%. • Pierce: So it's not likely they'll require proof? The idea has come up but was nixed at the administrative level. Don't want to appear like we're picking on CSU. We want to work with them, as well as other employers. • Ohlson: Is the radon stuff going to Council's Health & Safety recommending changes? It's an evaluation of the program based on data collection. I don't think it's a complete process, with an evaluation followed by a recommendation. • Ohlson: Knowing that where we live it's the 2"d largest cause of lung cancer, it's a good fight to not avoid, it's very real. Don't worry about the special interest groups. • Ohlson: Every winter you hear about families dying because of CO. I've talked to Felix Lee, he's very interested in including mandatory CO detectors in the next update to the building code. • Ohlson: At a future meeting I'd like an in-depth discussion about the additional air quality monitor in the City of Fort Collins. When is that scheduled to get into place? I expect it will be in place in time for the 200112002 winter high pollution season. • Ohlson: We have an education chair. Through our committee this board can be involved in air issues. We need to let people know that we must make changes. Where are the visual monitoring photos published? They're not widely distributed. You're right, we haven't done the best job with that. We did have a traveling display that had some brown cloud pictures. There's a picture of the brown cloud on the interpretative sign at Coyote Ridge. We have a "web cam" that shows real-time conditions. • Ohlson: We've got to see some product. The organization has acted like a think tank. We need to be getting out to the malls, there needs to be ongoing contact; radio, print, TV. It has to be like a non-stop political campaign. It can't be chalked up to limited resources. I'm on your side, but we need to ante up. • Shoemaker: No one disagrees in terms of importance. We haven't been successful, but it's not for lack of trying. We need to take some other approaches. Susie is back as staff liaison for the education committee, and we've hired a new staff member who is a marketer. • Fischer: I'd like to see the board send a memo to council recommending this. I think the recommendation should be to accept the mid -course corrections as staff has recommended them. • Ohlson: Think about the idea of funding for education. Staff will write the memo. Natural Resources Advisory P February 21, 2001 Page 4 Natural Areas Easements (Continuing discussion), Tom Shoemaker Shoemaker and Fischer will meet to discuss easements. Kelly Ohlson would like a bulleted summary of the Taft Hill easement discussion. I-25 Corridor Plan, Joe Frank Joe Frank gave a presentation of the proposed plan, and opened the floor for discussion. Discussion • Ohlson: What's the loss of tax base to communities if they do nothing? It's very low in terms of tax base. It's an opportunityfor better quality development. • Ohlson: What's our unique regional character and quality? It's an almost 30 mile view of the foothills. There's also the agricultural land. When you leave the Longmont area there is a character change. We have more visitors in our county on I-25 than any other road. We don't want to be another Colorado Springs. • Fischer: Does anyone think there will be viable agricultural land in that corridor? There are opportunities, but the preservation of agricultural land will be the hardest. If we can capture them early enough there is some possibility. • Ohlson: I don't sleep better knowing that you guys say that the original design standards are unacceptable to the development community. I don't want the developers writing the design standards. What has changed from that go -around? They've made suggestions. None of them are earth shattering. They brought buildings in they felt would be good looking buildings, but some wouldn't fit the design standards. A lot of the smaller communities do look toward the development industry for guidance. The development industry will need to support the project if we expect the communities to adopt these kinds of plans. The development industry has been stronger in terms of having more enforceable design standards. • Ohlson: There appears to be nothing to regulate the landowners. We're not going to have the money to buy those properties. Things can fill in, there will be activity centers with more strip stuff in-between. If the communities want to protect the agricultural land and the riparian areas there are some steps they'll have to take. Acquisition will be part of it. • Ohlson: It's nice to show these slides, but literally there's no legislation or money to prevent development between the activity centers. Everyone understands that. We're starting with a vision, and working toward that vision. Identify what's important and motivate to move in that direction. • Waskom: Won't those properties be prohibitively expensive? You won't be able to wait years, you've got to start now. Identify the program and go out and do it. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. • Shoemaker: In the design standards you talk about setbacks from I-25. Do you envision those as regulatory setbacks? Yes. Natural Resources AdviseBoard is February 21, 2001 Page 5 • Ohlson: It says in the open land and natural elements, development should be set back a minimum of 100' from wetlands and natural areas. I would rather have it closer to the interstate than natural areas. • Shoemaker: There is a goal, a recommended a setback of 100' from mapped FEMA flood plains. We were unsuccessful in getting that adopted here in Fort Collins. Have folks really read that? It's a good policy, but we couldn't get that through Council. I haven't heard much about that. • Ohlson: On page nine it says to encourage replacement of topsoil and vegetation, encourage should be changed to required. OK. • Ohlson: There is some good stuff in there, it raises the bar for neighboring communities. • Ohlson: I've heard there are some roads close to sensitive wetland areas. We will have to look at that. • Ohlson: One of the guiding principals for the I-25 Corridor Plan is to promote economic development in one of the fastest growing areas in the western region. It boggles the mind that that's a guiding principal. It shouldn't be promoted. For seven of the eight communities, economic development is why they're doing this. It's critical to most. • Fischer: What you're talking about is ruining the quality of life in this community. There are so many people you can't go anywhere in your car, and you can't enjoy the amenities. Next, you're probably going to tell us we have to pay for it. We're not dealing with the funding. • Fischer: That's one of the shortcomings of the plan. I would suggest you have someone from the MPO come and give a presentation. • Fischer: Higher taxes, loss of value and quality of life. The problem as viewed with I-25 is that a lot of the development is low value and unacceptable to communities. People come out of the woodwork and criticize the environmental community because of what our suggestions will do to housing affordability. This plan is to increase the value of property and drive out unacceptable development. Where's that development going to go? It's got to go somewhere. This whole thing is based on increasing property values. • Knowlton: It's always better to plan, than not to plan. It's based on the fact that we're unwilling to manage or restrict growth. Get nice design standards because we will not, or cannot, manage or restrict growth. Some communities are doing better at growth management. There's a learning curve. This effort has done a lot to bring out understanding. You can have growth management and economic development. The policy committee has found it valuable to have eight jurisdictions sit down and talk about those issues. I hope this will be a stepping stone to other efforts. • Knowlton: Loveland, Johnstown and Windsor are in the "grab it now" mode. They're beginning to understand the impacts of these individual decisions. • Ohlson: Growth management is different from limits and controls. The common statement is we're going to grow anyway, so let's plan. We can't go on living like that, we have to say there are limits to growth. There are alternatives to growth that are not on the table. This discussion is happening. This effort does not preclude the Natural Resources Advisory P 1 February 21, 2001 Page 6 thinking about that. This plan will be phased in, widenings will happen as traffic demands. The plan could be adaptable if those decisions are made. • Ohlson: Fort Collins doesn't need to lead the charge. Roads induce growth. It's enabling growth. You create your own result by doing this. The choices are sprawl development without a good plan. It will be sprawl and you wont be able to put in a concentrated activity center. • Ohlson: The truth is there is noting to prevent those areas from filling in. It will be lower intensity development, office parks and research facilities, in a campus setting with good landscaped parking lots. • Ohlson: It's not out of developer fees, I'm not into subsidizing my own destruction anymore. There will be improvements out there you will use, it won't be used just by the people in that corridor. • Ohlson: An impact fee isn't going to do it. It should be a holistic package. What you're going to end up with is a $500 million road project. This plan is five years late. It's important to get the vision down, and get the right-of-way. I agree, open space needs to be tackled right now. • Fischer: One of my major criticisms of the City of Fort Collins is they have not spent one iota of time trying to figure out how to counter the trend that will ruin the quality of life in our city. They've joined forces with the dark side and are facilitating the destruction of our quality of life. It's frustrating. No one wants growth to be inevitable. Someone has to take the lead, we haven't spent any time thinking about the alternatives to growth. • Ohlson: There is this cultural model that bigger is better, you have to keep growing. I view that model as nuts. • Ryder: Even if the City wants to define it's boundaries, the county and all the other cities could ruin the best laid plans. • Ohlson: I don't buy that, we have no obligation to be stupid because some other town might do something dumb. You never get to systemic change if you do the dumb things. • Ohlson: We should make it clear in a memo that we can't support this plan because of all the unknowns. There should be money for open space and roads. There's no guarantee about development between the activity centers. I can't imagine putting a stamp of approval on this. The values of this board aren't reflected in that plan. The things we do like would be the last things to get done, and they should be the first things. This is the biggest thing we've worked on. It will have a massive impact. Keep in mind that we need constructive comments of how to make the plan better, unless your position is doing nothing is better than what we're doing. Shoemaker will write a memo. Items for the memo: - Growth management component - Buffer zones - Requiring replacement of top soil and native vegetation - Binding IGA - Road issues — placement and impacts - Realistic cost estimate Natural Resources AdvisoBoard • February 21, 2001 Page 7 - Habitat fragmentation - Prevention of development between activity centers New Business Randy Fischer has been talking with John Barthelow, chair of the Larimer County Environmental Advisory Boards, about solid waste issues. They have suggested a joint meeting with the NRAB to provide input on recycling within the County and the City. We're tentatively setting up meeting dates and have been trying to avoid Saturdays. We may do it at one of our regular meetings. Committee Reports No report. Announcements No announcements. Review Councils Six Month Planning Calendar No comments. Review Future Agenda Items March 7, 2001: (This meeting has been postponed until March 14, 2001) TDU Overview I-25 Corridor Plan Easement Policy Land acquisition update Unscheduled: Discussion on Prairie Dog Policy 200042003 Budget Council Policy Agenda Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.