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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources Advisory Board - Minutes - 05/20/1998MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD SPECIAL MEETING 281 CONFERENCE ROOM - 281 N. COLLEGE AVE. MAY 20,1998 For Reference: Phil Murphy, NRAB Chair - 491-6303 Bill Bertschy, Council Liaison - 484-0181 Susie Gordon, Staff Liaison - 221-6265 Board Members Present Randy Fischer, Jan Behunek, Phil Friedman, Don Rodriguez, Kelly Ohlson, Bill Miller, Ed Secor and Phil Murphy Board Members Absent Craig McGee Staff Present Natural Resources Dept: Sally Maggart and Tom Shoemaker The meeting was called to order at 6:05 p.m. Guests Rick Harness, citizen interested in serving on the Board, and Sally Craig, Planning & Zoning Board Agenda Review Add to the Natural Areas Action Plan Update: Progress on negotiations and game to assist in allocating and prioritizing acquisition funds. The memo on the Horticulture Center site selection will be discussed. The memo needs to go in Council's packet tomorrow. Announcements Tom Shoemaker said that the City applied for a $700,000 GoColorado grant and was awarded $500,000 for the west side of the Corridor project. This was one of the largest single grants ever made. Latimer County received $150,000 for an addition to Horsetooth Mountain Park. Kelly Ohlson made the following announcements: • The Poudre River Trust Symposium will meet from 8:00 a.m.-noon on Saturday, May 30. It is important that representatives of the Board attend. • The Horticulture Center site selection is scheduled for next Tuesday's Council worksession. • He said that he will tour the site for the amphitheater proposed to be located by Coyote Ridge. It still needs County approval. • A debate sponsored by Citizen Planners between Gina Janett and the developer of the Super Wa1Mart is scheduled for June 1 at Home State Bank. • The rangers were introduced at Council last night. They did a great job on the selection of their uniforms. A "snapshot" of Fort Collins was in the Sunday Denver Post. Natural Resources Advisory Board May 20, 1998 Page 2 Phil Friedman made the following announcements: • He is representing the Friends of the Poudre on the Preble's meadow jumping mouse committee. • The meetings went well for the Cathy Fromme Prairie interpretive signage and education component committee. ECOS, a company in Boulder, is the contractor for the interpretive signs. There will also be rules and regulation signs. Tom Shoemaker noted that the rangers will be distributing coupons for free bagels, ice cream, etc. that have been donated by local businesses to people who are doing the right thing on the trails. They are also carrying leashes to distribute to dog owners who need one. Randy Fischer said that he attended an open house for the Cottonwood Glen neighborhood park. He said that the parking lot and ballfields are planned up against the boundary of Pineridge where Overland Trail dead ends in back of Quail Hollow. Fischer said that the Southwest Community Park had been voted down, but it seems to still be on the books. He added that Craig Foreman said that he is still looking at alternatives. Tom Shoemaker explained that the neighborhood park location was originally planned in a wetland, but has been moved to the community park site. Fischer showed a dog bite he received from a dog that was off leash in Denver. Committee Reports Education: No meeting. Solid Waste: • Phil Murphy and Ed Secor represented the Natural Resources Advisory Board at Council's worksession on trash districting. The consultants did a good job. • Council agreed to go forward with more public process and bring the haulers on board. The Mayor summed it up be saying that somebody has to make a decision "to do" or "not to do". • It was the opinion of the City Attorney that districting could not take place unless the City created a utility. • Fischer said that a member of the County's landfill task force said that there is a lot of support for districting the entire county. Natural Areas: • The Poudre Natural Area Management Plan was discussed at the May 11 meeting. • There are a lot of nonconforming uses going on in natural areas. • The committee wants the plan to reflect passive recreation only in natural areas, not active. • The committee will meet again and bring a report back to the Board. Growth Management: Will set a meeting early in June to discuss land use code recommendations. Trails : • A field trip will be planned to Kingfisher Point and Timberline. • A meeting with neighbors from Taft Canyon will be held Wednesday, May 27 at 7:00 p.m. Natural Resources Advisory Board May 20, 1998 Page 3 The neighbors are worried about people leaving the trail and accessing the private wetland area and other issues. Horticulture Center Site Selection Don Rodriguez said that he tried to capture as many concerns and comments as possible in the memo to Council. COMMENTS • Include that the approval of the Lee Martinez Park Natural Area site has the potential to open the door to other programmed development in riparian corridors. Do not set a precedent. • In the second paragraph., change "center" to "program" staff and delete "potential". Change "reject for" to "reject from". Delete "s" in natural areas. • Add "Natural Area" to Lee Martinez Park. • Change "be dismissed" to "is being dismissed" Emphasize that it is currently designated as a natural area. • In the third bullet, add that development will "seriously compromise...... no matter how much mitigation is attempted. • Next to last bullet, change "never" to "are seldom" removed. • Change "are" to "were" no conceptual plans. • Page 2, strike second set of bullets on the bottom. • Delete the sentence in the last paragraph referring to "staff'. • Insert "already" in the first bullet on top of Page 2. • Add: "The Natural Resources Advisory Board is opposed to any new activities in a designated city -owned natural area that do not conform to the natural area core values, and the Board sees the selection of the Lee Martinez Park Natural Area site for the Community Horticulture Center as a precedent setting non -conforming use. • A different process about site selection is needed. The NRAB needs to be represented on the site selection committee. • Highlight the last sentence of the second paragraph, "strongly recommend"... and "we urge". Ed Secor made the motion that the NRAB strongly recommends that City Council reject the Lee Martinez Park Natural Area as a site for the Community Horticulture Center. Furthermore, the selection process for another site should include representation from the NRAB, and the timetable for site selection should be extended. Bill Miller seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Six Month Planning Calendar • The Horticulture Center is scheduled for a worksession on June 16. Review Action Log • Trash Districting Report memo done. • Add Preble's meadow jumping mouse committee update by Phil F. and Tom S. • Add information on the Black -Footed Ferret site, June 3, Mike Smith. Review Future Agenda Items Natural Resources Advisory Board May 20, 1998 Page 4 The Poudre River Plan might be on the June 3 agenda. A further report on trash districting is planned for June 17. Acquisition Update • Closed on 22-acres at Timberline and County Road 32 adjacent to Fossil Creek wetland. • The County, Poudre School District and the City have backed off on Fossil Creek Reservoir until the first of the year. They are seeking an alternative site. • The Shenandoah, Registry Ridge, parcel is in City ownership. • Negotiations are taking place on the property located at the southeast corner of Taft Hill and Prospect. There is not a signed contract, but terms have been agreed upon. The purchase price is $330,000 for 11 acres. It will be joint acquisition by the Stormwater Department and the Natural Resources Department. This will provide one other connection with Red Fox Meadows. • The Timberline Lakes property should be under contract by Monday or Tuesday of next week. Alternatives for restoration will be discussed during the Kingfisher Point field trip. • Agreement has been reached amicably on the mobile homes located at the Mc Murry Natural Area. The City has offered a two year lease and a buy out of $10,000 per trailer. • Staff is negotiating with Western Mobile on the 600 acre home office site on both sides of Taft Hill. The Board will be involved in the decision making. • A seven acre site by Cameron Office Park, next to Red Tailed Grove, is being offered to the City by Jon Prouty. The appraised value is $590,000 ($84,000 an acre). It is not a key acquisition site but would be a nice addition to the natural area. It is zoned for multi -family housing. Boardmembers made the following comments: • If the habitat areas are protected under City Plan, it might not be worth paying a premium price. • Try to get the price down. If reasonable, purchase it. • The other side would be more valuable because of the fossil area and the development is use -by -right. • Pursue it seriously and determine the bottom line. It was decided to schedule two hours on the June 3 agenda for the allocating funds and discussion segment of the Natural Areas Action Plan. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m.