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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 09/16/2003 - FOSSIL CREEK TRAIL OPTIONS THROUGH PARAGON POINT S AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 28 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL DATE: September 16, 2003 FROM: Craig Foreman SUBJECT: Fossil Creek Trail Options Through Paragon Point Subdivision. RECOMMENDATION: Staff is seeking direction from the City Council on whether the Fossil Creek Trail should be relocated to an alternate alignment. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: On September 2, 2003, City Council held a public hearing to obtain input on the location of the Fossil Creek Trail through Paragon Point. Paragon Point residents,trail users and the general public spoke to Council about the possible routes for the trail. Two possible trail options were discussed, and a third option was mentioned. See Attachment A. Since the hearing, staff has reassessed the third option and it is also summarized below for Council's consideration. TRAIL LOCATION SUMMARY - PROS AND CONS Paragon Safety Trail User Private Park/ Affected Lemay to Point Concerns Support Open Space Homes Trilby Cost Support Access/Liability Adjacent to Issues Trail Current Trail No User Yes Yes 7 $140,000* Location Conflicts Lemay/Trilby Yes Street No No 20 $195.000 Trail Location Crossings Policy Plan No User Yes Yes 14** $275,000 Trail Location Conflicts/ high banks *Plus City share of previous maintenance costs. Does not include possible legal costs **Also impact to golf course epm e er mw DATE: ITEM NUMBER: 28 Current Trail Location: The Paragon Point Overall Development Plan,approved by the City in 1992,shows the City's Fossil Creek Trail going through the development. It was the intent of the developer and the City that the trail be in that location. Concerns were expressed about this trail location for the following reasons: it is not located in a formal public easement; it has not been maintained by the City; it was not known to Paragon Point homeowners; possible safety concerns for children going to the private park area; public use of private park and open space;closeness to homes;and cost for the City to obtain an easement and pay for previous maintenance. The trail location was not supported by the majority of the Paragon Point residents. Supporters of keeping the trail in its present location stated that the route is off-street and safer, and a more desirable route for the enjoyment of trail users. The present location was supported by the Parks and Recreation Board, and the City has offered to mitigate neighborhood concerns. Alternative Trail Location: This route involves placing the trail along the east sidewalk of Lemay Avenue and widening the sidewalk to help accommodate trail users. The trail would then be located along Trilby Road in a 75-foot wide easement north of the road. The main concern about this location is safety because of vehicle speeds on Lemay and Trilby Roads and the additional street crossings. This alternative route is supported by the majority of the Paragon Point residents. They claim that the cost would be less than the current route, and the Paragon Point Association would be willing to grant the necessary easements for the alternative location. Parks and Recreation Policy Plan Trail Location: The 1996 Parks and Recreation Policy Plan shows the Fossil Creek Trail being located from Lemay Avenue east along the south edge of Southridge Golf Course to Fossil Creek and then south,through the Paragon Point Open Space, along the creek to Trilby Road. This route has not been extensively reviewed but was mentioned by the Paragon Point representatives as the route people would have seen if looking for a map of the proposed trail system. The Parks and Recreation Board expressed some interest in this route at its March 26, 2003 Board meeting. The Paragon Point Association has expressed opposition to this route because of the impact on the neighborhood's private soccer field and open space. Initial field review indicates that this route would severely impact the thirteenth fairway at Southridge Golf Course, and it would be extremely difficult and costly to mitigate the effect on adjacent Paragon Point property owners. FINANCIAL IMPACT The City previously paid $40,000 to widen the trail during development of Paragon Point. Additional trail construction and improvements would be funded by the Conservation Trust Fund. The estimated cost to leave the trail in its present location is about $70,000 (excluding any legal r 16, 200-3 28- DATE: ITEM NUMBER: costs). This would include costs for acquiring the remaining portion of the trail easement, work to adjust the trail away from six homes,completion of the trail to Trilby Road,additional landscaping, fencing and signs. Previous maintenance costs performed on the trail by the Paragon Point HOA may also need to be reimbursed by the City if the City negotiates an agreement with the property owners. The cost to widen the sidewalk along Lemay Avenue from the trail underpass to where this current trail leaves Lemay Avenue is estimated to be$70,000. The total cost of this alignment from the trail underpass to Trilby Road would be about$140,000. The estimated construction cost to place the trail along Lemay Avenue, south of the current trail location and along Trilby Road is about $145,000. This would include costs for widening the sidewalk along Lemay Avenue, the new section of trail along Trilby Road, additional landscaping, fencing and signs. A$20,000 repay from the Paragon Point HOA (which was part of a previously negotiated agreement) would adjust the cost downward to about $125,000. The cost to widen the sidewalk north of this location along Lemay Avenue would be about$70,000. The total cost for this alternative location from the trail underpass to Trilby Road would be about$195,000. The cost for the trail location along SouthRidge Golf Course and south to Trilby Road,shown in the Parks and Recreation Policy Plan, would be about$275,000. This cost would include earthwork, concrete trail, fencing, landscaping, trail bridge, and mitigation. ATTACHMENT A FOSSIL CREEK TRAIL OPTIONS THROUGH PARAGON POINT LEGEND H.O.A. Open Space(Private) Current Trail Location Alternative Trail Location —_ Parks and Repreation Plan — — Southridge Golf Course Trail Location Trail Underpass v I � 1 i Private Park l ' Power TrZ a a M t.,(-ILOA Open Space \ y I i TYailUnderpass of Road