HomeMy WebLinkAboutWORK SESSION SUMMARY-11/24/2020-Work Session (2)
281 North College Avenue
P.O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580
970.221.6376
970.224.6134 - fax
Planning, Development & Transportation
MEMORANDUM
DATE: November 30, 2020
TO: Mayor Troxell and City Councilmembers
THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Kelly DiMartino, Deputy City Manager
Caryn Champine, Director of Planning, Development & Transportation
Paul Sizemore, Interim Community Development & Neighborhood Services
Director
FROM: Cameron Gloss, Long-Range Planning Manager
RE: November 24, 2020 Work Session Summary – Metro District Evaluation
System Update
Attendees:
City Council: Mayor Wade Troxell, Mayor Pro-Tem Kristin Stephens, Councilmember Ross
Cunniff, Councilmember Ken Summers, Councilmember Emily Gorgol, Councilmember Julie
Pignataro, Councilmember Susan Gutowsky, all virtually via Zoom.
City Staff: Darin Atteberry, Cameron Gloss, Paul Sizemore
Discussion Summary:
Council’s discussion ranged across several values, perspectives, and concerns. Specific items
included:
Whatever system is ultimately chosen needs to be more predictable for developers and
the community.
The points system needs more refinement and clarity as to how it will be applied. Just
achieving a certain number of points should not automatically result in Metro District
approval.
Consideration should be given to adjusting the mill levy limit.
Benefits delivered to Metro District residents should be greater or equal to the costs they
are bearing in increased property taxes.
Benefits need to truly extraordinary when talking about affordable housing.
Developers need to be held accountable to agreements made under a Metro District
approval.
More needs to be done to enhance transparency for home buyers and the manner in
which District governance is applied.
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November 24, 2020 Council Work Session Summary Page 2
Metro District Evaluation Summary Update
Any affordable housing approved through the Metro District process should be deed
restricted in perpetuity.
Metro districts may not be the appropriate tool to provide affordable housing since it can
compete with other funding mechanisms.
Walkable communities should be considered as part of ‘community livability’.
Council Direction:
City Council was supportive of the general concepts presented and of staff moving forward with
a more refined residential metro district evaluation system. The focus on the next version of the
system should be based on metro districts that are not merely mediocre, but clearly
demonstrate excellence. Great care needs to be exercised with the weighting of criteria as a
way to achieve outcomes that meet our policy objectives.
Generally, Council asked staff to ‘tighten things up’ from both the perspective of providing more
clarity about District governance and transparency that respond to expressed consumer
concerns, and to be more intentional on how the system relates to CDBG and other housing
funding sources.
It was agreed that there will likely be the need to be an extension to the moratorium for some
period of time prior to bringing a more refined evaluation system back to Council for its
consideration.
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