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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 02/12/2008 - THE I-25 CORRIDOR, INCLUDING THE CURRENT CITY PLAN DATE: February 12, 2008 WORK SESSION ITEM STAFF: Joe Frank FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL Mike Freeman Mark Jackson SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION The I-25 Corridor, including the current City Plan vision and policies related to the development of community/regional retail centers; changes and trends in the retail market and regional conditions; the need for,and financing of,I-25 interchange transportation improvements; the review of pending applications in the I-25 Corridor; and next steps. GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED The specific questions for which staff is seeking direction from the Council are: 1. Is City Plan's adopted vision still valid and appropriate for community/regional retail development in the I-25 Corridor, or do changed conditions and new information warrant plan changes at the Harmony Road and Prospect Road interchanges? 2. Does Council support staff proceeding with scheduling the pending plans and applications: a. SH 392/I-25 Interchange Improvement Plan? b. Harmony Corridor Plan Gateway District, Structure Plan Amendment? C. Prospect Road/I-25 Interchange, Structure Plan Amendment? 3. What role does the Council see for the City related to financing interstate interchange improvements? BACKGROUND PROBLEM STATEMENT Fort Collins is surrounded by rapidly changing communities. The City is also part of a new regional retail market that has been emerging and will continue major growth in northern Colorado. The market's focus is the I-25 Corridor. Regional changes,including the market have impacted the City and will continue to do so in many ways. Impacts can be partly offset by benefits of providing added retail opportunities within the City, as compared to offering the same retail space in adjacent communities outside the City. Additional retail within the City can provide additional sales tax revenues to support the costs of municipal services and facilities. Thus, the I-25 Corridor presents a unique opportunity and challenge to the City of Fort Collins to incorporate land use,economic,environmental,and transportation concerns into a unified planning strategy that allows the City to respond effectively within the region, including the regional retail February 22, 2008 Page 2 market. Three pending applications are aligned with City Plan and can contribute to the City's strategy by providing locations for additional retail development. There are many affected interests who need Council direction on the pending applications,including property owners,adjoining local jurisdictions,State and Federal agencies,developers,and City staff. The stakes are high at these interchanges and it is important that the Council have all the information it needs to make the right decision for the community. The discussion is critical because it affects the long term economic health of the community. It goes beyond revenues and jobs, and addresses significant transportation funding gaps. It is important because the Prospect,Mulberry and SH 392 are functionally obsolete and most believe that it will take a public/public partnership to replace them. It involves protecting the quality of our community,both the natural and built environment. It is important because of the critical role the interchanges play in the local, regional, state and national transportation system. Finally, it is important because it is about existing and future partnerships with our neighboring communities. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY To aid the discussion at the work session,staff has prepared a review of the current City Plan vision for the community/regional retail districts identified on the Structure Plan map (see attached Staff Report). In addition to the current vision,the review discusses each district's capacity for additional community/regional retail uses. A special emphasis is placed on the I-25 Corridor and how the highway's interchanges contribute to the current vision for community/regional retail. A review of the pending applications for the SH 392, Harmony, and Prospect interchanges will be covered at the work session. Detailed information is also presented in the attached Staff Report. Discussion at the work session will cover the proposed Structure Plan map amendments, policy amendments to subarea plans,or other actions required by the City regarding the respective specific applications. In addition to land use, the major areas of environment, economy, and transportation, along with their interrelationships, not only within Fort Collins,but also within the northern Colorado region will also be covered. The environmental sections will cover the most relevant issues to the I-25 Corridor, including the Poudre River, natural areas, community separators, and development buffers. The economic sections will cover trends in the regional retail market and how each of City Plan's community/regional retail districts responds to the market differently with little impact on the other districts. The economic section will also discuss how key redevelopment and infill districts (e.g., Downtown, the Foothills Mall) are not harmed, and are, in fact, strengthened, by development in "outlying"districts. The transportation sections will present information on the existing conditions and levels of service for each of the city's five interstate interchanges; how the interchanges fit into the City's current Master Transportation Plan, and options for funding needed interchange upgrades in the future. February 22, 2008 Page 3 NEXT STEPS Staff would like to obtain City Council direction on processing the three pending applications: • SH-392 Interchange—plan acceptance and implementation • Harmony Interchange—plan amendment/annexation/zoning • Prospect Road—plan amendment/rezoning Staff would offer the following dates for Council's consideration as the proposed schedule: March 4, 2008, regular Council meeting: • SH-392 Interchange—plan acceptance and implementation • Prospect Road—plan amendment/rezoning. March 25, 2008, Council work session: • Harmony Interchange—plan amendment/annexation/zoning. ATTACHMENTS 1. Staff Report on the 1-25 Corridor. 2. Responses to Council Member Questions. 3. City Plan Structure Plan map. 4. City Plan Community/Regional Shopping Districts map. Attachment 1 City Council Work Session February 12, 2008 Staff Report on the I-25 Corridor Over the past year, the City has been approached with three applications requiring City action at three I-25 interchanges within the City's Growth Management Area(GMA). At Council's request, staff has prepared a Work Session Item to allow the Council to discuss these applications in the context of the City's whole approach to the I-25 corridor. This report is a detailed supplement to the Work Session's Agenda Item Summary. The Council has also received additional information as part of previous hearings and work sessions on two of these applications. All three applications involve community/regional retail development at their respective interchanges. This report reviews the background of currently adopted plans, summarizes the three pending applications, and provides information on changes and trends in the retail market, and summarizes the condition of the interchanges themselves. There are many affected interests who need Council direction on these applications, including property owners, adjoining local jurisdictions, State and Federal agencies, developers, and City staff. The stakes are high at these interchanges and it is important that the Council have all the information it needs to make the right decision for the community. The discussion is critical because it affects the long-range economic health of the community; it goes beyound revenues and jobs, and addresses significant transportation funding gaps; its important because the Prospect, Mulberry and SH 392 are functionally obsolete and most believe that it will take a public/public partnership to replace them; it involves protecting the quality of our community, both the natural and built environment; it important because of the critical role the interchanges play in the local, regional, state and national transportation system; and its important because its about existing and future partnerships with our neighboring communities. I. Background: Current City Plan Vision 1. City Plan Land Use Vision To provide context, this report reviews the City's Structure Plan with a focus on districts and corridors that involve community and regional retail development. It important to begin the discussion with the structure of "places" for shopping, working, and living in the whole community in order to understand the context and role of the I-25 Corridor and its interchanges. City Plan and Structure Plan Types of Places City Plan defines, and the Structure Plan map depicts, land uses within the City's GMA in four types of places: Neighborhoods, Districts, Corridors, and Edges. The organization of these places should not be thought of as single-use "zones"but rather as distinct districts and diverse places that contain a mixture of uses and activities. Neighborhoods Neighborhoods are the most important areas within the city and serve as the primary building blocks of the community. They are to be designed to be walkable and connected, and to include a mix of housing types and densities, and other destinations, such as schools, parks, neighborhood shopping, employment areas and civic uses, so more of people's daily needs are met closer to home. Close proximity of these uses will reduce the dependence on driving, as well as help avoid further degradation of our city's air quality. • Districts Districts are larger areas of activity. Several residential neighborhoods might make up a residential district. Districts can also be non-residential. The Downtown is the city's primary commercial district supported by other districts with unique or specialized uses and activities, such as Industrial, Employment, and Community Commercial Districts. New districts will be located and designed to provide a high quality living environment and multiple transportation choices. Commercial districts may serve a community-wide and/or region-wide market. Redevelopment in existing districts, such as the Downtown, Campus West, North College, and the Foothills Mall, will provide opportunities over time for more choices in housing, land use, and transportation, as well as the establishment of a more walkable and distinct environment. • Corridors Corridors provide a connection between different districts and neighborhoods, or destinations. The primary corridors are transportation corridors and "green" corridors. Transportation corridors link destinations and activities and make it easier to move around the City using various modes of travel. Among these are enhanced travel corridors and multi-modal corridors supported by complimenting land uses that link key areas of the city. The Mason Corridor is an example of an enhanced travel corridor. "Green" corridors include the Poudre River, various streams, irrigation canals, and drainage ways and recreation trails to collectively create a network that links areas of the city where residents live, work, and play. • Edges Edges form the boundaries of the community for the next twenty years and beyond. The vision is for the city's edges to be clearly defined (e.g., GMA boundaries), promoting a 2 compact land use pattern in order to avoid sprawling development. This will allow for the more efficient delivery of public facilities and services. Edges will also conserve environmentally sensitive areas, open space, and rural lands, and help distinguish between what is "city" and what is not. The city will have different types of edges. In some cases, edges will be the city's adjoining communities; and, development in both communities may directly abut. Other edges reflect a transition from the developed areas of the city to the rural character of Latimer County. These edges will take on many forms, including foothills, agricultural/rural lands, community separators, and urban estate development. These edges will be permanently protected through direct acquisition or conservation easements. Others will remain privately-owned under agricultural use or clustered residential development. Districts Involving Community/Regional Retail Of the different types of Districts in City Plan, the Downtown, Community Commercial, and Commercial Corridor are locations where community/regional retail land uses occur. These are described below for the purpose of allowing Council to discuss I-25 initiatives in the context of the City's whole approach according to current adopted plans. • The Downtown The Downtown is identified as the community's primary activity center for government, office, finance, culture, entertainment, and specialty retail uses. The Downtown contains designated Historic Districts to preserve structures developed in the late 1890's and early 1900's. The area is pedestrian oriented and the northern hub of Transfort , the City's mass transit system, and the Mason Corridor. In the late 1970's, the last major department store remaining in the Downtown relocated to the Foothills Mall fostering the recognition that the Downtown needed to evolve into the type of government, office, finance, culture, entertainment, and specialty retail use area it is today. Thus, the community/regional retail uses in the Downtown are the entertainment, dining and bars, and specialty retail establishments and not major department stores. The Downtown is unique in that it serves the surrounding neighborhood, community, and regional market. The Downtown is also a major destination for visitors. • Community Commercial Districts Community Commercial Districts include the Foothills Mall, North College, Campus West, and Mountain Vista activity centers. The vision for Community Commercial Districts is to combine moderate density residential, employment, service, retail, cultural, learning and civic uses. The districts' physical environment will be conducive to promoting walking,bicycling, car and van pooling, and public transit use, and thereby reducing reliance on single-occupant vehicles, and providing a high quality of urban life for residents. Vertical mixed-use will be encouraged. Community Commercial Districts 3 will be developed on sites with the potential for redevelopment (e.g., Foothills Mall, North College) and in new areas (e.g., Mountain Vista) within the GMA. - Foothills Mall The Foothills Mall is a key component to achieving the City's vision to maintain its role as a regional economic center. Built in the early 1970's, it was the community's second interior shopping mall and offered several major anchor department stores with supporting specialty retail that drew consumers from northern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming, and southwestern Nebraska. Recent losses of two anchor stores and several specialty shops have highlighted the need for redevelopment. As such, it is the top priority area in the City's economic development efforts. Recent approval as an Urban Renewal Plan Area will allow the use of Tax Increment Financing to assist in redevelopment efforts. The Mall remains a prime location for higher end retail, fashion retail, and home furnishings serving a community and regional market. - North College Avenue The North College Avenue area is an aging, outdated commercial highway corridor into Fort Collins. The area is planned for mixed use infill and redevelopment over time, requiring extensive public-private partnerships to retrofit basic urban infrastructure. Within the 510-acre area, undeveloped parcels total about 100 acres, with significant potential for redevelopment in addition to new development. The area is within a mile-and-a-half radius of the Old Town core. Market analysis predicts mostly smaller businesses emphasizing basic neighborhood commercial, with the possibility of one or two larger destination (big box) retailers. The vision is to complement Downtown with unique and interesting semi-industrial character, and to capitalize on the Poudre River as a defining theme, for example with special streetscape near the river. - Campus West This district is completely developed, with the original development dating back to the 1960's. The area has remained economically viable primarily due to student oriented shopping and services close to CSU. Ownership is divided among numerous small parcels. The area may offer opportunities for redevelopment to increase intensity with vertical mixed-use development, including above ground floor office, services and residential. However, there is little potential for significant new ground-floor retail square footage. The area was originally developed as an auto-oriented commercial strip, with pedestrian and bicycle improvements added incrementally through the years. This District primarily serves the surrounding neighborhood, and to a modest extent the entire community. 4 - Mountain Vista The Mountain Vista Community Commercial District is the only activity center located on"green fields" vacant/undeveloped property. The planned district is projected to be a long-term development,based on the build-out of surrounding residential neighborhoods over the next 10-20 years. This district is separated from the interstate by approximately one mile by a combination of industrial and employment land uses. The Mountain Vista Community Commercial District represents a unique opportunity to develop a new mixed-use commercial center linked to the Downtown with an enhanced travel corridor. The vision of the District is to provide living, working, shopping and entertainment, with pedestrian oriented design for streets and blocks reflecting a"mini-downtown-like" character. Mountain vistas will be emphasized with view corridors established by street alignment and building placement. While this district will primarily serve the northeast neighborhoods, with its unique nature and location, this destination may also serve the north part of the community, Wellington, and parts of Timnath. • Commercial Corridor Districts Commercial Corridor Districts include South College Avenue(and the Mason Corridor), East Mulberry Street, the designated Retail Centers along Harmony Road, and Interstate Interchanges. - South College Avenue (and the Mason Corridor) South College Avenue has been the city's primary retail shopping corridor. The corridor will continue to provide a wide range of retail, service and recreation uses to meet consumer demands from surrounding neighborhoods and the community at large. Large retail merchandisers are expected to continue to find the corridor an attractive place to serve the community. Over time, underutilized and/or outdated sites along the corridor will redevelop, providing additional housing and employment in close proximity to the Mason Corridor bus rapid transit line, and allowing expanded economic opportunities. Redevelopment will result in greater densities particularly centered around transit stops. The Mason Corridor may contain some retail opportunities serving the new residential and office uses such as personal service shops, copy shops, dry cleaners and convenience retail in vertically mixed development projects. The design of the corridor generally will accommodate a variety of travel options, including automobile, pedestrian, bicycle and transit. New development will incorporate pedestrian scale designs through appropriate landscaping, parking, and building design. Over time, streets will be improved to better accommodate pedestrian and bicycle travel and connections for these modes to key destinations, such as the Foothills Mall, will be enhanced. 5 - East Mulberry Corridor The East Mulberry Corridor represents a three-mile long area fronted predominantly by existing auto related and highway oriented commercial uses from I-25 to Lemay Avenue. The existing commercial fronting the corridor serves the East Mulberry area, highway traffic, and community. The existing Mulberry/Lemay Crossing Shopping Center with Wal Mart and Home Depot serves the community and region (north and east of Fort Collins). Other smaller tracks of land have potential for modest general commercial redevelopment. There are no tracks of vacant land off sufficient size within the corridor to accommodate regional retail commercial uses. The vision for the corridor is for the gradual transition from auto-oriented commercial and industrial uses to higher quality mixed-use commercial immediately adjacent to the highway with attractive entryway landscaping along the length of the corridor. Two employment centers are planned at the Greenfields Drive and Timberline intersections. As the old airport land redevelops, additional employment and mixed-use residential development will emerge. - Harmony Corridor- Retail Centers The Harmony Corridor Plan designates a number of locations for certain types of shopping centers. All of the shopping center designations have approved development plans and are either built or are under construction. Centers range from neighborhood service centers (e.g., the Safeway-anchored center) to regional retail centers (e.g., Front Range Village). The vision for the centers has been to provide the benefits of needed goods and services, while addressing visual impacts of commercial development and accommodating pedestrians as much as possible. The trade area for these centers is the neighborhood and community, with some businesses capturing a regional market. - I-25 Corridor The 1-25 corridor is a 10-mile long area stretching along the eastern side of the city, from SH 392 on the south to County Road 52 on the north. This corridor includes five (5) major interchange gateways into the community. Three(3) of the five interchange gateways are identified as retail commercial activity centers (Harmony Road and Mountain Vista being the exceptions). The preservation of open space, the Poudre River corridor, and view corridors are important components of the I-25 Corridor's vision. The corridor will be served with a balanced and safe transportation network, including both intra-city and inter-city mass transit. This corridor is largely undeveloped at four(SH 392, Harmony Road, Prospect Road, and Mountain Vista) of the five interchanges (Mulberry Street). The 6 corridor contains key open lands, especially along stream corridors (Poudre River), which are being preserved through public purchases and conservation easements. The Anheuser-Busch Brewery anchors the north end of the corridor, and existing businesses at locations near the Mulberry Street interchange are mainly highway-oriented commercial/retail, hotels, restaurants, gas stations, furniture stores, recreational vehicle sales, and manufactured housing sales. The vision for I-25 interchange areas is to create quality, mixed-use developments incorporating attractive architecture, site planning, and design features to provide aesthetically pleasing gateways into the community. Community/regional retail uses are to be concentrated in compact activity centers at interstate interchanges rather than being allowed to strip out along the highway's frontage. Employment districts and/or open lands are to be located between the commercial/retail activity centers. The following sections discuss each interchange area. - SH 392 Interchange The I-25/SH 392 Interchange is the southeast gateway into Fort Collins and the primary gateway to the Town of Windsor. The SH 392 interchange is identified as a regional commercial activity center in the Fort Collins City Structure Plan(1997) and Fossil Creek Reservoir Area Plan (1998) and the Windsor Comprehensive Plan (2002). Land on the east side of the interchange is designated for commercial, employment and residential uses within the Town of Windsor. On the west side, within the Fort Collins GMA, the land is designated for a mix of residential, commercial, and employment land uses; retailers serving a regional market are expected to find this interchange an attractive location. Important natural resources on the west side including wildlife, shoreline and wetland habitat adjacent to Swede Lake area, has or will be protected through public purchase or development buffering standards. The interchange bridge design will reflect a unique gateway character with attractive landscaping features. A future regional transit station in the interstate median is planned to link both sides of the 1-25 Corridor with Park and Ride facilities and supporting mixed-use development. - Harmony Road Interchange The west side of the Harmony Road interchange area is designated as a "Basic Industrial Non-Retail Employment Activity Center"in the Harmony Corridor Plan (1991). Developed uses have been envisioned to be primarily employment, with the possibility for limited secondary, supporting commercial uses (e.g.,hotel, convenience shopping, day care, etc.), and possibly some integrated residential uses. Any secondary, supporting uses are limited to 25% of any development plan. 7 This land use designation is accompanied by a special description of the interchange area as the"Gateway Area"requiring additional work to set a tailored strategy for land use. The starting point for additional work was to be an emphasis on naturalistic qualities of the river valley landscape setting, with any development integrated into the setting. City Plan reinforced these ideas by incorporating part of the area into its Poudre River Corridor designation on the Structure Plan map. Later, in 1999 and 2003, Community Separator studies were done jointly by Fort Collins, Timnath, Windsor, and Larimer County. These studies further reinforced the general idea of this edge of the city tapering down in terms of development intensity, with the river valley landscape helping to preserve the separate identities of Fort Collins and Timnath. Gateway Area lands on the north side of Harmony Road now constitute a City Natural Area, with the exception of a commercial parcel directly abutting the northeast corner of the interchange, and the City's Transportation Transfer Center. - Prospect Road Interchange The Prospect Road interchange area is identified as a major activity center in the I-25 Subarea Plan (2003). As an activity center, the vision is for the area to develop with a mix of uses including community/regional retail, office, employment, and residential units, perhaps in mixed-use structures. Due to relatively smaller parcel sizes and existing floodplain constraints, larger scale regional/community retail businesses may have difficulty locating within the interchange activity center. Employment districts adjacent to the activity center have a prohibition against the development of commercial "secondary uses"within one-quarter mile of the interstate highway. Development standards in the City's Land Use Code require a block street development pattern rather than allowing the area to develop with stores surrounded by large parking lots containing outlying smaller pad sites. Development standards also include additional set back requirements,building placement, and height restrictions. - Mulberry Street Interchange The Mulberry Street interchange area, like the Prospect interchange, is identified as a major activity center in the I-25 Subarea Plan (2003). While the vision for this interchange is to create quality, mixed-use developments incorporating attractive architecture, site planning, and design features to provide aesthetically pleasing gateways into the community, most of the area incudes existing commercial development that has occurred in the County over the past several decades. The vision 8 for the City is for the area to develop/transition over time with a mix of uses including retail, office, and employment, perhaps in mixed-use structures containing other uses. The northeast quadrant, representing the only remaining large tract of vacan land, is designated as an appropriate location for a community/regional retail center and highway oriented businesses. Employment districts adjacent to the activity center have a prohibition against the development of commercial "secondary uses" within one-quarter mile of the interstate highway. Development standards in the City's Land Use Code require a block street development pattern rather than allowing the area to develop with stores surrounded by large parking lots containing outlying smaller pad sites. Development standards also include additional set back requirements, building placement, and height restrictions. - Mountain Vista Interchange The Mountain Vista Interchange was improved in the early 1980's in response to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery and to accommodate existing and future traffic volumes. The land uses on the east side of the interchange are planned for employment and urban estate residential uses within the Fort Collins Growth Management Area. The west side of the interchange is planned for future employment. No community or regional retail use is planned for this interchange. The vision for this interchange area is for a well designed gateway to the mixed-use employment center on the east and west sides of the interchange, but also leading into the Mountain Vista Community Commercial District. Limited commercial uses will be allowed but will be setback from the interchange by Y< mile offering a unique opportunity for quality gateway features and landscaping in conjunction with attractive office and industrial buildings and other supporting employment uses fronting Mountain Vista Drive and I-25. 2. City Plan Vision for the Environment Fort Collins has been at the forefront in considering the environment in community development. City Plan's vision places strong emphasis on environmental quality. The key components of this environmental vision include: air quality, water quality, reduction of solid wastes, and the preservation of natural areas and wildlife habitats. Specific principles and policies that apply in the I-25 Corridor deal with the protecting the Poudre River Corridor, preserving open lands for agricultural preservation and community separator purposes, protecting natural areas, and requiring development buffers. The principles and policies for the Poudre River Corridor are intended to maintain a mixed-use corridor in which the river and surrounding lands are carefully managed to: 9 (1) protect and enhance a diverse set of public values; and(2) allow appropriate private uses within the corridor. The public values that are important within the corridor include: • Natural areas, wildlife habitat, environmental and water quality • Recreation, parks, trails, and designated public access areas • Rural character and agricultural use • Floodplain and flood hazard management The Poudre River corridor has distinct segments containing unique opportunities. The segment within the I-25 Corridor is known as the"Conservation Open Lands" segment and stretches on the west side of 1-25, from Drake Road on the north to Harmony Road on the south. This river segment possesses significant natural and historic resources. Land uses in this area should emphasize natural areas protection, historic structures preservation, and open lands conservation to assure protection of significant resources. City Plan also pays special attention to Boxelder Creek which passes through the 1-25 Corridor. Specific policies are aimed at protection of the creek as a natural feature and its utilization as a"green" corridor connecting neighborhoods and activity centers. Views of the mountains are protected by design and land use standards which concentrates development at the interchanges; and, lower intensity, park-like office/industrial parks located between the interchange activity centers. Community separators in the 1-25 Corridor are intended to preserve a permanent physical separation between Fort Collins and surrounding communities. The Northern Colorado Community Separators Study (1997) was specifically developed to identify potential separator areas in the region. With respect to the 1-25 Corridor, there are three community separators of interest, the Windsor, Timnath, and Wellington separators. With the exception of the Harmony Road interchange, prospective development at the Mountain Vista, Mulberry Street, Prospect Road, and SH 392 interchanges do not directly impact any of these community separators. The Structure Plan map for the areas east of 1-25 depicts a feathering of more intense and higher density urban uses adjacent to the highway to rural type uses and open lands east of the City's GMA boundary. Between County Road 52 on the north to approximately Prospect Road on the south, the map depicts a Rural Lands classification, which is an area for large lot detached single-family housing and agricultural uses. The map also shows the planning areas for the Town of Timnath and Wellington, and the GMA boundary for the Town of Windsor. Community separators for Fort Collins-Wellington, Fort Collins-Timnath, and Fort Collins-Timnath-Windsor are also shown. Community separators are intended to consist of a blend land uses that are typified by very low intensity uses, mostly open lands. Tools that have been used by Fort Collins, Larimer County, and surrounding communities to create community separators include comprehensive plans, land use plans, zoning, and acquisition of property/development rights. The City's Natural Areas Program has helped create separators through the 10 acquisition of property rights, either through the acquisition of fee ownership or the acquisition of conservation easements from willing sellers. At Harmony Road and I-25, land on each corner was identified at one time as potential community separator. Since that time, a portion of the northwest corner was acquired as the Arapaho Bend Pond Natural Area. In addition, a commuter parking lot and a construction supply company also occurred on the northwest comer. With respect to the other comers, Natural Areas staff believes that its ability to effectively achieve any further land conservation is extremely limited to non-existent. Chances for success are limited in part because the land in question is already well on its way to commercial uses and/or the cost of land is prohibitive. For example, the northeast corner has been approved for a Wal Mart Supercenter by the Town of Timnath and the southeast corner is annexed by Timnath and zoned for regional commercial development. Even if the City had an opportunity to acquire interests in land at other locations near this interchange, it is very unlikely that staff would recommend proceeding because the overall chances for limiting development at the interchange are extremely low and the opportunity costs are extremely high. Any acquisition of property/development rights at this corner would make it much harder financially for the program to make strategic investments in the Wellington separator, along the river corridor west of I-25, or in the foothills. Finally, the Fossil Creek Reservoir, adjacent to the I-25/SH 392 Interchange on the west side, represents a significant natural resource for the community and region. Together, the City and Latimer County have undertaken a major partnership in preserving open lands and habitat surrounding the Reservoir area, including the acquisition of the regional park. City Plan includes specific language aimed at protection of the natural wildlife, shoreline and wetland habitats in this area and buffers to development. 3. City Plan Economic Health Vision and the Economic Action Plan One of City Plan's Vision statements with particular relevance to the Work Session is: o Fort Collins will maintain its role as a regional economic center. As part of working toward that end, the City Council has created and adopted an Economic Action Plan. Its purpose is to describe specific activities to enhance the local economy. Over the years, a healthy economy in Fort Collins has been achieved by focusing on preserving and enhancing the natural environment,preserving and maintaining programs and services that contribute to a high quality of life, continuing to build on the success of the Downtown area, and maximizing the value of Colorado State University in our community. The Economic Action Plan contains an Economic Vision and Economic Values statements as follows: Economic Vision: A healthy economy reflecting the values of our community in a changing world. 11 The Plan also lists several Economic Values: o The primary keys to our unique identity and economic health are: o The Natural Environment o Old Town/Downtown o Colorado State University o Culture and the Arts o We value the Poudre R-1 Schools, Front Range Community College, and our other educational institutions and the quality education they provide. o Sustainability and economic health are strengthened through community partnerships and collaborations, o We value the next generation of citizens and their quality of life as much as our own. o We value businesses that contribute to economic, environmental, social and cultural health of our community. o Supporting innovation and growing businesses from within are important to economic health o We value our existing businesses and the prospect of welcoming new businesses. o We value a City organization that is: o Proactive about our economy o Responsive to business concerns o Municipal services contribute to making Fort Collins a great and visionary city and depend on a healthy economy that fuels a reliable revenue stream. The last item in the above list is the link between high quality municipal services and a reliable income stream. Since the majority of the City's tax revenues come from sales tax, this is the key point of the Economic Action Plan that relates to community/regional retail development in the I-25 Corridor. The Plan talks about being proactive regarding economic issues. The City has been proactive in working with the developers and adjoining communities on issues of transportation and new regionally oriented retail development. Staff routinely analyzes monthly tax collections to better understand where the community is losing local retail opportunities and factors that information into the City's overall retail strategy. The Plan also talks about identifying key infrastructure gaps that may stall development. This relates to groups like the Boxelder Alliance which is working on solving floodplain issues, and on needed improvements to the SH 392/I-25 and Prospect Road/I-25 interchanges. Lastly, the plan talks about keeping the buildable lands inventory up-to-date to be constantly aware of land area needs for all types of land uses and to be able to identify where community/regional commercial activities are best directed. In summary, staff feels that the City Council's Economic Action Plan provides a comprehensive framework for addressing job creation objectives balanced with pursuing the rebuilding of the City's sales tax base. The work that has been done in evaluating the economic impact of the Mason Corridor project, analysis of the plan amendment request at Prospect Road and I-25 and supporting the analysis of the SH 392 interchange are all consistent with the Economic Action Plan. 12 4. City Plan Vision for Transportation City Plan identifies and describes the vision for the transportation system's role and function in Fort Collins. The plan identifies several key tenets upon which the City's transportation infrastructure is planned, built and maintained. These include key concepts stressing the importance of multiple modal travel opportunities and choices, the need for inter-dependence of land use and transportation planning, and the integration of local transportation plans with regional, state, and national systems. City Plan contains transportation vision statements that are designed to assure that Fort Collins will develop a safe, convenient, and efficient transportation system integrating many modes of travel .to assist in improving air quality,managing traffic congestion, and supporting efficient land use. The City's transportation and land use decisions will be mutually supportive. The community's growth will be contained in a compact pattern that facilitates pedestrian, bicycle, and transit travel and integrates with nearby county, regional, state, and national systems. Alternative modes, especially walking and bicycling, will be a practical and enjoyable means of travel. And, the community will have a comprehensive public transit system. Linkages of the Fort Collins' transportation infrastructure to the I-25 Corridor are reflected in the provision of adequate arterial roadway connectivity to the interstate, planning for local transit service that works in concert with proposed future inter and intra-regional transit systems, local "complete street"design standards that ensure multi- modal accessibility in designated activity/shopping areas, and provision of collector and arterial roadways parallel to I-25 that are intended to serve local trip needs. 13 II Pendine Applications for City Actions at Interchanges There are three pending applications in the I-25 Corridor as follows: • Acceptance of the SH 392/I-25 Interchange Improvement Plan, including certain implementation actions • SW and NW Intersections of Harmony Road—amendment to City Structure Plan and the Harmony Corridor Plan • NE Intersection of Prospect Road—amendment to City Structure Plan and the I- 25 Corridor Plan Changed conditions and new information has necessitated reexamination of some City Plan ideas and past subarea and corridor planning efforts at two of these interchanges— Prospect and Harmony. Over the last 4-5 years market conditions and trends and development projects authorized through land use decisions by other jurisdictions have impacted the general idea about a"green" edge east of I-25. As annexations and development have been happening more and more aggressively both inside and out of Fort Collins, I-25 is quickly becoming the major commercial corridor in Northern Colorado, with other uses filling in the corridor as well. The result of these changes is that population growth in Fort Collins and the northern Colorado region has and will continue to place more people in closer proximity to the I- 25 Corridor. The regional retail shopping market is following this population growth. The I-25 Corridor's interchanges are now viewed by many retailers as prime locations for mass merchandisers and other retails serving the regional retail market. For most areas, the interchanges are in need of significant improvement and are acting a barrier to the envisioned and planned development. It is unlikely that in the foreseeable future there will be any significant amounts of federal and state funding for interchange improvements; most believe that local solutions through public-private partnerships will need to be pursued. A major question is how does the City react to these conditions, changes and trends and what, if any choices, should the City consider making within its plans related to community and regional retail opportunities in the I-25 Corridor. And, regardless of the type of development that occurs at these interchanges, the City needs to have a strategy and a plan for their improvement. 1 Acceptance of the I-25/SH 392 Interchanee Improvement Plan The I25/SH 392 Interchange Improvement Plan represents a joint plan between the City of Fort Collins and the Town of Windsor as directed by the Intergovernmental Agreement established in 2006. This plan provides a clear framework and direction for improving the interchange via a public/private partnership. The plan focuses on strategic implementation actions and identification of critical next steps to achieve the primary goal to fund and reconstruct the interchange. The key elements of the plan include 14 interchange design, natural area buffers and funding scenarios. The plan will require additional discussions, refinement and coordination, as part of forthcoming implementation efforts. The interchange design shown in the plan is consistent with the Northern Colorado I-25 Corridor EIS recommendation by CDOT for a"tight diamond" interchange configuration. The Windsor Town Board accepted the plan and Intergovernmental Agreements on November 26, 2007. During the December 4th, 2007 Hearing, Fort Collins City Council tabled the Resolution until a future date,pending further discussions regarding the I-25 corridor. If staff receives direction from City Council to proceed in scheduling the Hearing, the adoption of Resolution 2007-106 includes the following actions: 1) Accepting the I25/SH 392 Interchange Improvement Plan; 2) Approving the agreement regarding highway 392 interchange among Town of Windsor, City of Fort Collins, and Metro Acquisitions, LLC; and 3)Approving the intergovernmental agreement among the Colorado Department of Transportation, Town of Windsor, and City of Fort Collins. Staff has recommended adoption of the Resolution. 2 Approval of Amendments to the City Structure Plan and Harmony Corridor Plan - Harmony Gateway District The subject area involves about 285 acres on the west side of the Harmony/I-25 interchange. All but 15 acres are on the south side of Harmony. About 180 of the 285 acres are included in the current Harmony Corridor Plan, and are designated as "Basic Industrial Non-Retail Activity Center"; and, 100 acres is currently planned for potential rural estate lots. City staff supports changing the current designations to a special mixed-use"Harmony Gateway District'designation. The proposed designation would increase the allowance for mixed uses including retail, and generally increase the urban intensity of development to foster a transit-ready pedestrian district. Under the proposed amendment,urban development would create a unique and prominent shopping, employment, and living destination. To do this, staff would bring forward an update to the Harmony Corridor Plan stating a new, more refined vision, goals, and policies emphasizing special opportunities of the location. New development standards would be prepared to supplement the already-high standards found in the Land Use Code, to specifically implement the plan as development occurs over time. Key concepts emphasize and capitalize on the opportunities of reclaiming the existing gravel mine landscape; creating a high quality gateway; developing a focused node of business activity; and, creating a pedestrian district with mutually supportive mixed uses and a distinct sense of place. The district would mutually support the evolution of public transit on Harmony Road and I-25, and at the Transportation Transfer Center as a future transit hub. 15 More specific concepts that would form the basis of the proposed plan amendment include: South Side of Harmony Road (270 acres): • The scarred gravel pit landscape would be completely reshaped to create waterways, canals, and bridges as centerpieces for development. Development would provide a"riverwalk" along new waterways similar to what many have long desired along the Poudre River itself. • Waterways would also provide naturalistic riparian landscaped areas on the opposite bank from the"riverwalk" side, providing a basic level of aquatic and bird habitat as well as a different type of image. • The Gateway District would be a pedestrian district with multi-story urban development, diverse businesses,jobs, urban styles of housing, and amenities for pedestrians. • A primary orientation to pedestrians within the District would support public transit and allow the District to become less dependent on car traffic over time. Harmony is one of four `Enhanced Travel Corridors' on the City Structure Plan that will link the whole city with high frequency transit over time. Also, CDOT's Draft EIS for transportation improvements in the region shows Bus Rapid Transit on 1-25 connecting to Harmony. • Trails would connect the Poudre River and Fossil Creek trails to the north and south respectively. • Building heights up to 6 stories would be allowed in general, as they are throughout the Harmony Corridor. • While retail would be included, and a degree of visibility is important, the proposed vision does not include typical shopping center or"big box"retail formats oriented to the highway. • The existing large, visually intrusive cell tower along with the existing gas station and landscape business on the south side of Harmony would be redeveloped to complement the gateway concept. North Side of Harmony Road (15 acres): • The existing Transportation Transfer Center(TTC) and commercial building/supply yard would be included in the Harmony Gateway District designation. The concept is to redevelop the commercial property, further enhance the TTC as a mixed-use transit hub, and include both sides of Harmony Road in any streetscape image improvements. The proposed plan update described above reflects a shift in thinking in many ways. This area has been seen as a city edge and a potential community separator. However, changes in the context of the site are recasting the area as a regional mixed-use center and transit hub. 16 The following are some relevant changes and new information since 1991: • City Natural Area Purchase. Lands and ponds on the north side of Harmony Road were purchased as a City Natural Area. • City Natural Area Purchase Declined South of Harmony Road. `Gateway Area' lands south of Harmony Road were considered for purchase by the City Natural Areas program,but were declined due to costs and difficulties of gravel mine closeout and restoration. The purchase was considered mainly for Community Separator and viewshed purposes, rather than for habitat purposes. • Transportation Transfer Center(TTC, or Park-and-Ride) Facility Built. Natural Areas sold land on the north side of Harmony for this use. The long range plan is to connect Transfort (and the Mason Corridor) to this facility with high frequency bus service with potential for connection to a region-wide bus system along I-25. • Two Community Separator Studies Done. Reports done in 1999 and 2003 describe potential opportunities for preserving buffers between Fort Collins, Timnath, and Windsor, to retain distinct identity of the towns. These studies provided an unprecedented forum for discussion of cooperative land use planning among jurisdictions and property owners. One specific Separator was the Poudre River floodplain corridor which forms a broad swath around the I-25/Harmony interchange, between Fort Collins and Timnath. This corresponds to a green corridor shown on the City Structure Plan. The Separator studies generally describe possible implementation actions, which would require increasing cooperation and avoiding competition among regional cities and towns at their edges along 1-25. Such implementation has proven easier said than done in the competitive development market and sales tax environment of Northern Colorado. • Retail Industry Evolution. "Big box" superstores, power centers, lifestyle shopping centers, and mixed use"town center" developments, all emerged since the 1991 Plan, creating increasingly regional market characteristics and development pressure on regional highway locations. • East Side of 1-25 Planned for Regional Commercial Development. The area previously described as a Community Separator around the I-25/Harmony interchange, directly across from the subject property, was later designated for large footprint retail uses requiring regional visibility and access, in an approved update to the Timnath Comprehensive Plan. • Northeast Quadrant Floodplain Filled, Big Box Retail Center Approved. A Super Wal Mart shopping center is approved on land that has been removed from the floodplain directly against the northeast corner of the interchange. • Solutions Explored With Property Owners. Staff has had many conversations over the years with several owners and prospective developers exploring possible outcomes for the property to blend public and private goals for reclamation of the gravel pits and use of the land and water,based on interpretation of the existing Plan's intent. All of these conversations included requests by property owners and developers for regional retail and/or highway oriented uses. None of these past conversations progressed to annexation or development applications. • Ownership/Development Team Now Ready to Annex. Within the last year, the City has been approached by an ownership and development team with a proposal 17 for the area, primarily involving the south side of Harmony. They want to annex, and work with the City on a special development plan in accordance with the proposed Harmony Corridor Plan amendment and its companion development standards. A City Council work session has been scheduled for March 25 to discuss this request. 3. Approval of Amendment to City Structure Plan and I-25 Corridor Plan - Prospect Road Interchange NE Corner A City Structure Plan and I-25 Corridor Plan amendment is requested for the NE corner of I-25 and Prospect Road to convert 85 acres of employment district to 66 acres of commercial and 19 acres of employment, and to convert 20 acres of urban estate to employment. Approximately 30 acres of an existing commercial district would be retained. The change would result is a total of 96 acres of commercial and 39 acres of employment. The change is designed to permit a larger parcel for a mix of community/regional retail, employment, and commercial uses. The loss of employment acreage in the NE has been compensated for by the addition of 143 acres of employment at the SW corner. The City Council has discussed this plan amendment at a previous work session (11/27/2007). Staff is recommending approval of the plan amendment. 18 III. Changes and Trends in the Retail Market and Regional Conditions Over the last 20 years, the North Front Range area has grown at a rapid pace. The rapid growth within the region caused the historic role of communities within the area to shift. The City of Fort Collins now exists within a developing metropolitan area. Adjacent towns, such as Loveland and Windsor, have grown into significant communities with shopping and employment of their own. This changing dynamic has and will continue to have an effect on Fort Collins. These effects are summarized below: • The City of Fort Collins has grown by over 40,000 individuals since 1990 to a total population of 129,511 in 2006. • The average household incomes in the City has risen to approximately$69,000 in 2006. • Approximately one-third of all households within the City earn over$75,000 annually; many national retailers consider this income bracket when evaluating potential sites. • Retail sales per capita have decreased slightly in the City of Fort Collins to $15,796 in 2006, while retail sales per capita have increased in both Loveland and Windsor to $18,005 and $7,918 respectively. • In 2006, based on Census of Retail Trade data residents of the City of Fort Collins were estimated to spend approximately$1.3 billion on retail goods. Approximately $1.1 billion was spent within the City at local retail establishments (82 percent), while approximately $240 million was spent outside of the City(leakage of 18 percent). • Also in 2006, there was a total of$1.4 billion in retail goods purchased within the City. Approximately$1.1 billion of these purchases were made by City residents (77 percent), while the remaining$341 million were made by non-residents (inflow of 23 percent). Population and Retail Sales Projections Based on the existing distribution of sales, the primary trade area for regional retail within the I-25 corridor includes the remainder of Larimer County excluding Estes Park. The trade area includes communities oriented to Fort Collins for major commercial services. Residents from these communities primarily shop in Fort Collins for goods not available in their own communities. Furthermore, Fort Collins acts as an entertainment and cultural destination for the larger trade area. Visitors to Fort Collins for these alternative purposes also frequent the shops and eating and drinking establishments within the City. Based on an update to the buildable lands inventory,historic building permit trends, and expectations about infill development a revised population forecast was developed as part of the Mason Corridor Economic Study. This revised household forecast combined with Colorado Department of Local Affairs and North Front Range MPO expectations about future growth form the basis of the population forecast for the market area described 19 above. This forecast becomes the basis for an estimate of supportable retail sales and square feet along the I-25 corridor in the future. The results of this analysis are summarized below: • The population of the trade area is currently estimated at 300,356 and will grow to approximately 513,100 by 2030. This growth in population will translate into additional total personal income (TPI)within the market area. TPI is calculation by multiplying the estimated population by the per capita income for the trade area. • The current TPI within the trade area is estimated at $8.6 billion. By 2030, the total personal income within the market area will grow by an additional $6.5 billion dollars based on population forecasts. • Between 2006 and 2030 the distribution of TPI will shift dramatically as the Weld County portion of the trade area grows more rapidly than Latimer County. The City of Fort Collins will decrease from 47.5 percent of total TPI to 42.4 percent by 2030. The rest of Larimer County will remain constant at approximately 46.6 percent, while the portions of Weld County in the trade area will increase from 5.9 percent to 11.0 percent by 2030. • The increase in TPI will translate into approximately$2.1 billion in retail expenditure potential (sometimes referred to as buying power) by 2030. This additional retail expenditure potential will support approximately 6.9 million square feet of retail space. • In the near term, approximately 1.7 million square feet of regional retail (excludes convenience oriented retail uses such as grocery stores) will be supportable between 2006 and 2015 within the trade area. Based on the previous analysis completed on the Front Range Village project, the net new sales estimated at this center will reduce the supportable retail space during this time period to 1.5 million square feet of regional retail. 20 IV. Transportation Conditions at Interchanges 1. Overview There are five full interchanges on the I-25 corridor serving the Fort Collins area, as follows: • Mountain Vista • SH-14/Mulberry • Prospect • Harmony • SH-392 Harmony Road was most recently improved in 1999, and Mountain Vista was improved in the 1980's. The remaining interchanges have received only minor improvements to increase safety and mobility since their initial construction in the 1950's or 1960's. Overpasses with no access onto I-25 are found at Vine Drive and at LCR-32 (Kechter Road). There are no plans by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), or the City of Fort Collins to pursue interchanges at these locations. 2. Interchange Existing Conditions CDOT has provided data on existing conditions and levels of service(LOS) for each of the five Fort Collins area interchanges. Sufficiency ratings for the interchanges designate the facility condition as: • Not Eligible for Replacement(Operating well; good condition) • Structurally Deficient(Focuses on the basic structural integrity of the bridge. These include bridges which are in advanced stages of deterioration, marginal condition, and those that do not have the desired load carry capacities.) • Functionally Obsolete (Represents the ability of a bridge to deal with traffic conditions regarding number of lanes, clearances, geometry, limited sight distance, speed reducing curve, etc. These bridges have acceptable load cant' capacity,but impose unacceptable physical restrictions.) The table below shows that Harmony and Mountain Vista interchanges are in good condition and are not currently eligible for replacement. SH-1 4/Mulberry, Prospect, and SH-392 are all classified as Functionally Obsolete. The west bound movement on SH- 14/Mulberry is also classified as Structurally Deficient. 21 Fort Collins Area Interchange Sufficienc Ratio s SH- Mountain Vista 14/Mulberry Prospect Harmon SH-392 62.8 WB 66.0 94.2 Not 72.3 Sufficiency 94.6 Not eligible Structurally Functionally eligible for Functionally -Rating - atio for replacement Deficient Obsolete replacement Obsolete 75.8 EB Functionally Obsolete Current Level of Service: Mountain Vista, SH-14/Mulberry, and Harmony interchanges are all currently operating acceptably, with most peak hour movements operating at LOS A or B. The interchange at Prospect operates at a lower peak hour LOS at the ramps and west side frontage road (LOS D to F). The SH-392 interchange operates at peak hour LOS D to F on the southbound ramps and west side frontage road. Replacement Cost: The North I-25 Environmental Impact Study (EIS)project team has estimated replacement costs for each interchange along the I-25 Corridor: • Mountain Vista $19.5M + ROW costs • SH-14/Mulberry $24.3M + ROW costs • Prospect $22.7M + ROW costs • Harmony $27.8M + ROW costs • SH-392 $28.5M +ROW costs (source: I-25 EIS) 3. Fort Collins Transportation Plans as they relate to the I-25 Corridor The City of Fort Collins has addressed and incorporated the relationship of the local transportation system to the I-25 Corridor into several key plans, including the Transportation Master Plan (2004),Master Street Plan (2007 rev.), City Structure Plan (2007 rev.),1-25 Regional Corridor Plan (2001), and the 1-25 Corridor Plan (2003) o Transportation Master Plan (2004): Developed a vision and supporting policy for a complete, multi-modal transportation system, including ties to regional and inter-regional systems: • Arterial road connections to the I-25 Corridor • Transit connection to the I-25 Corridor via the Harmony Road Enhanced Travel Corridor and Harmony Transit Center 22 o Structure Plan (rev. 2007): Identified a system of four Enhanced Travel Corridors (ETC) that form the backbone of a full grid transit system,plus provide multi-modal accessibility to major arterial corridors (Mason, Harmony, Timberline and a yet to be identified northern connection). The Harmony ETC connects to I-25 and future regional and inter-regional transit opportunities via the Harmony Transit Center. o I-25 Regional Corridor Plan and I-25 Subarea Plan (2003): Identified future transit service opportunities to key activity centers at specific interchange locations (Prospect, Harmony, SH-392). These plans also identified the importance of developing parallel road corridors that will serve local trips rather than force them onto a congested I-25. LCR-5 and Timberline were identified as parallel road facilities for I-25 in the Fort Collins area. 4 North I-25 Environmental Impact Statement(EIS) The Federal Highway Administration(FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and Colorado Department of Transportation(CDOT) commissioned an in-depth analysis of transportation infrastructure improvement needs and opportunities between Fort Collins and the Denver Metro area. This study will build on the findings of the previously completed North Front Range Transportation Alternatives Feasibility Study, which was a Major Investment Study completed in 2000. This EIS is the next step in planning for transportation improvements along the I-25 corridor. The North I-25 EIS study area spans seven counties and more than 40 communities and local agencies. This process examines roadway, transit, and operational improvements and compares them to a baseline, "do- nothing" scenario, For major transportation projects, the National Environmental Policy Act(NEPA) requires that a range of alternatives be considered and that their environmental impacts be analyzed. This type of study is required prior to the commitment of federal funds to any major project, or prior to any action taken by a federal agency that might cause a significant impact on the environment. The North I-25 Environmental Impact Statement is led by two federal agencies, the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. Basic steps in this process include: • Scoping: A public process to help define the purpose and need for the proposed action or project and to identify environmental issues that need to be studied. • Data Collection: Collecting transportation, environmental and land use data. This step will also include developing a tool for predicting future (year 2030) travel. 23 • Development of Alternatives: Identifying a wide range of highway, transit and other types of alternatives, then narrowing these to the reasonable range of alternatives for detailed study. This will include a "No-Action" Alternative. • Analysis of Alternatives: Transportation, social, economic and environmental impacts of a reasonable range of alternatives are studied in detail and comparisons are made. • Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS): A printed report for public review and comment is prepared documenting the need for the project, describing alternative courses of action, analyzing likely impacts from each alternative, and describing any steps to be taken to avoid impacts or minimize harm to the environment. • Public and Agency Review of the DEIS. • Preparation of a Final Environmental Impact Statement: Documents preferred alternatives and provides response to comments that were made on the DEIS. • Record of Decision: Documents the decision and commits to mitigation of impacts by the lead federal agencies. The DEIS will evaluate the impacts of various actions to the following resources and cultural features: • Air quality • Archaeological properties • Economics • Energy • Farmlands • Floodplains • Hazardous materials • Historic properties • Land use • Noise • Paleontological resources • Parks, historic properties and wildlife refuges • Pedestrians and bicyclists • Public safety and security • Recreation • Relocation/right of way • Social, economic and environmental impacts to low income or minority populations • Threatened or endangered species • Visual quality • Water quality/water resources • Wetlands • Wildlife and fisheries 24 The analysis of direct impacts will include those associated with construction processes and operations. Not only will the direct impacts of proposed actions be studied, but also cumulative and indirect impacts and effects. (Source: Colorado Department of Transportation, I-25 EIS) The project was launched in 2005, and is anticipated to conclude with an official Record of Decision (ROD) late in 2009. The project is currently in the review of the DEIS. The project team has conducted an in-depth evaluation of each I-25 interchange, describing existing traffic volumes, level of service, and future traffic conditions with an improved interchange. Recommended future design improvements are identified for each interchange. 5. The Federal/State Funding Picture Constructed in the 1950's and 1960's, the United States interstate highway system was originally intended to serve national security needs then interstate, long range travel trips. Use of the system has changed over time and now the interstate is often, sometimes predominantly, used for regional or even localized trips. This has resulted in a marked increase in congestion and degradation of facilities much earlier than planned. Federal and State funding for transportation infrastructure improvements has slowed drastically. Combined with sharply escalating construction costs, needs far outstrip resources available. It has been estimated that federal funds flowing to states could be reduced as much as 30% in FY 2009 (July 2008). CDOT estimates that current funding available for Surface Treatment, Bridge, Safety and Maintenance Operations programs for the next 10 years will total approximately$815 million dollars. Funding needed to keep the system maintained per plan totals $1.8 billion dollars. This forecast funding shortfall of over one billion dollars will result in a marked degradation of system quality,mobility, and ultimately safety if left unaddressed. If federal and state funding is not available, then local and public—private partnerships will become more the norm to help backfill needs. This may not always be a voluntary action. Currently there is pending legislation by Colorado Representative Glenn Vaad to turn jurisdictional and financial responsibility of state highways in urban areas over to local municipalities through which the roadway runs. This would have a tremendous impact on local governments, including the City of Fort Collins. Governor Ritter commissioned in 2007 a Blue Ribbon Panel on Transportation to examine needs, funding shortfalls and recommend measures to address this looming problem. The Panel has recommended a combined package of increased fees and taxes to offset the State's shortfall by$1.5 billion dollars a year. This would allow ongoing system maintenance, as well as repairs and capacity improvements to roads and interchanges throughout the state. It now appears that Governor Ritter is not likely to 25 bring a statewide transportation ballot measure to the voters any sooner than 2009, if then. The majority of interchange improvements or new construction was traditionally funded by the federal and state governments. This began to change in the 1990's as federal transportation funding slowed and as land uses intensified near interchanges. As the economy slowed post 09/11, public-private partnerships increased and private development more frequently paid for infrastructure improvements previously the sole domain of the public sector. As a result of reduced federal and state transportation funding, public-private partnerships, inter-city collaboration and private development have begun to participate in interchange improvement costs. While some minor safety and operational improvements continue to be funded solely by CDOT, new interchanges or large-scale improvements to existing interchanges are often a multi-agency funding partnership of some sort. New interchanges on I-25 at 136`h and 144`h Avenues were collaboratively paid for by Westminster and Thornton, with significant private development participation. Interim and long-range improvements to Crossroads Boulevard and US-34 interchanges are being paid by the City of Loveland through a special district with Centerra. There simply is not enough money available and programmed for CDOT to pay for large-scale interchange improvements in Northern Colorado. There is a spreadsheet connected to the Responses to Council Member Questions attachment which shows various recent interchange improvement projects in Northern Colorado, their funding sources and forecast replacement costs (2030). This information is provided by CDOT Region 4 staff. 26 Attachment 2 • City Council Work Session February 12, 2008 Responses to Council Member Questions Responses to Ouestions from the 11/27/07 Work Session—Prospect Road Plan Amendment 1. How does the NE Prospect/I-25 plan amendment detract from the City's top priority to focus on redevelopment of the Foothills Mall? What impacts would development along I- 25 have on the Downtown,the Mall and the Mason Corridor? The rezoning does not detract from the City's priority to the Mall for one primary reason: These efforts appeal to two different types of consumers. The efforts to revitalize the Mall are focused on providing new and unique retailers and an experience that does not yet exist in Northern Colorado. The Mall will need to develop that timeless "sense of place"that makes it a destination as well. The Prospect Road plan amendment on the other hand would be focused on convenience and providing access to retail for those consumers that reside, do business, or utilize I-25 for commuting and daily activities. They are complementary efforts and not mutually exclusive. The impacts of a rezoning on I-25 would be nominal to the Downtown and the Mason Corridor. The Downtown is clearly a destination experience for consumers from the standpoint that people go there for the experience and ambiance. Mason Street Corridor will likely cater to residents and businesses within proximity of that area. 2. How would potential uses at the rezoning site compete with uses currently in the City, or that could locate in the City(especially large retail establishments on South College)? The question would be viewed differently by various retailers. The retailer that is new to the region will be attracted to the site that provides the greatest potential for traffic flows. As a result, I-25 corridor will be attractive to a big box mass merchandisers that desires high volume at a site that doesn't offer ambiance. Access to the greatest potential number of households is a key factor. On the other hand, the retailer desiring a"sense of place"and/or being part of greater collage of retailers/restaurants and entertainment to create a destination will filter its decision process quite differently from the outlet that is based solely on volume. 3. What are the current retail sales in Fort Collins, both in total and per capita? What proportion of those sales are generated by citizens of Fort Collins and what proportion by sales to non-citizens? What is the current vacancy rate in FC retail developments? Fort Collins 2006 total net taxable retail sales - $1.413 Fort Collins 2006 retail sales per capita- $15,796 • . 77% of sales are generated by Fort Collins citizens 23% of sales generated by sales to visitors 1 • . Current retail vacancy rate of 6% 4. What is the projected rate of growth in Fort Collins retail sales over the next 25 years? What factor is included in that projection to recognize increasing internet sales? What changes, if any, are projected for the proportion of non-citizen retail sales? • The region is projected to support an increase in retail sales of$2.1B by 2030. • Increasing internet sales were not factored into the projection. It has been our experience that the shift towards retail purchases over the internet has already taken place. A significant increase in internet sales as a percent of the total over the time period is not expected. • No changes to the proportion of non-citizen retail sales were factored into the projection. 5. What is the saturation point for retail in Northern Colorado and how does the rezoning add competition in the market for projects coming on-line,like the Bayer Project? 6. How much additional retail will the region be able to support? At what point do we become saturated? 7. Does it take 75,000 more people to support the projected market demand of 1.5 million additional sq. feet of retail space? Forecast growth will support 1.7 million square feet of regional retail by 2015. There are seven potential retail sites within the corridor(between 392 and Mulberry)that • can support an estimated 3.7 million square feet. 8. How much sales tax would 1.5 million sq. feet of retail generate? 1.5 million square feet of retail would generate$450M in annual net taxable sales. This would result in an additional $13.5M in annual sales tax collections at the current tax rate. The assumption is based on average sales of$300/SgFt. 9. What would the anticipated ten-year demand of 1.5 million square feet of retail be equivalent to (projects) that are already in the city? 1.5 million square feet of retail space would be the equivalent of Front Range Village plus three Wal-Mart Super Centers. 10. If the city does not have sites for regional commercial development,will it happen somewhere else? According to the trends in large retail projects that are inclined to be along interstates,they tend to pull from a larger regional marketplace. Therefore, if the City of Fort Collins is not proactive in their planning of the interstate uses, this retail will likely go to other communities along the I- 25 corridor. • 11. What sites in the city could potentially be infill/redevelopment areas for regional retail? 2 • • North College has the potential for 1-2 big boxes serving mostly the north of the river to the Wyoming border. • Foothills Mall has the potential to capture some of the regional retail market, specifically clothing,home furnishings, and specialty retail. • Downtown also has potential to capture the regional retail market as a unique shopping destination; specialty retail. • Interstate 25 interchanges: Prospect, Mulberry, Harmony and SH 392. 12. If regional serving retail is not permitted along the interstate,will it go to South College, the Mall or Downtown? The types of mass merchandisers and other highway oriented retail that typically want to locate along interstates, are unlikely to locate within the town—i.e., Mall, South College or Mason. If denied the opportunity to locate along the interstate in Fort Collins, they will be likely seek sites outside Fort Collins,but within a close commuting distance. 13. What are the two best examples of highway planning south of Fort Collins? • Staff believes there are no examples of development along the I-25 corridor that were required to develop along the lines of the regulations contained in the City's Land Use Code. 14. How does the Prospect Road plan amendment conflict with the I-25 Subarea Plan? Both the rezoning of 143 acres into the E, Employment District in the SW quadrant of the Prospect Road/I-25 interchange and the requested rezoning of 66 acres to C, Commercial and 39 acres to E, Employment in the NE quadrant conflict with the direction in the I-25 Subarea Plan as adopted in 2003. In order to justify the rezonings, amendments to the City Plan Structure Plan map and policies within the I-25 Subraea Plan will be necessary. The Structure Plan map was amended to change 25 acres of commercial land and 116 acres of open space to 143 acres of employment in the SW quadrant to justify the SW rezoning request. Amendments to change 66 acres of industrial land to commercial, 20 acres of industrial to employment, and 19 acres of urban estate to employment will be necessary to justify the NE quadrant rezoning request. 15. How does the Prospect Road plan amendment endanger the community separator plans? The amendment does not directly impact any of the designated community separators. 16. Clarify Timnath's land use plan amendment and state legislation, city options. Also, the IGA between Timnath and Larimer County. • A response to this question has been delivered to Council under separate cover. 3 • 17. Did the P&Z Board give due diligence to the Prospect Plan amendment? Staff informed the Board of Council's concerns regarding the rezoning requests. The Board indicated that they believe they gave the rezonings due diligence and received sufficient information at their work session to make informed decisions on the rezoning requests. 18. Would like to see some analysis as to how Boxelder Creek is protected. How do the 20 acres contribute to that protection in the Boxelder continuum,i.e.,not just this site. The protection of Boxelder Creek itself, and the associated floodplain, will be accomplished through basically four requirements: 1. Site development construction and permanent erosion control requirements in the Stormwater design manual. 2. There are erosion buffer limits defined in the Boxelder/Cooper Slough Master Drainage Plan. 3. The Floodplain requirements in the City code, Chapter 10. 4. The Natural Area buffers in the Land Use Code. The most significant impact on the property located at the NE corner of Prospect/I-25 interchange is that most of it is already in the floodplain due to a spill of flood waters over the • embankment of Boxelder Creek that then flow south along the east side of I-25. The actual creek itself(the low flow channel) crosses a small portion of the property in the northwest corner. This is where Boxelder Creek flows west under I-25. And,because the box culverts cannot pass the entire 100 year flow, excess overtops the bank and flows south and east spreading out over most of the property. In the big picture, once all the improvements in the Boxelder basin are completed, this overflow is eliminated and the water can pass under I-25 from the east side to the west side. However, plan implementation could take years; in order to develop and/or market the property now the property owners have talked about constructing a channel on their site to confine the existing floodplain into a smaller area. It will take about 20 acres of land for the channel but will remove the floodplain from the remainder of the site. The 20 acres would be available in the future for development when all the Boxelder Drainage basin improvements are in place. However, the channel area would be quite narrow and long and not readily developable; mostly likely it will remain open. The 20 acres of channel is an interim fix to allow development on the property but it would not benefit any other property. 19. What does the 1-25 Subarea Plan look like if the changes are approved? Include Mulberry and Prospect. The plan amendments and rezoning requests will not affect the Mulberry interchange area. The interchange will remain designated as a major activity center in the 1--25 Subarea Plan. Most of • the parcels adjacent to the interchange are developed. The largest tract of vacant property is about 46 acres in size and is located in the NE quadrant. 4 • In the NE quadrant of the Prospect/I-25 interchange, most of the land requested to be rezoned is land planned for industrial development. Thus, the land uses would change from industrial to commercial. • • 5 • Responses to David Roy Ouestions 12/11/07 1. How many interchanges have been "improved" or built in the last five years from border to border on I-25? Colorado Department of Transportation Region 4 Staff provided information on improved or reconstructed interchanges along I-25 since 2000. Unfortunately,they only provided information from the Denver Metro area north. CDOT R4 staff is trying to provide additional information for I-25 south to the New Mexico border in time for the work session discussion. From I-270 north, there were 15 interchanges along I-25 that were either improved or reconstructed since 2000. Please reference the spreadsheet attachment for details. 2. How many of these received funding from the State of Colorado? Eleven of the 15 interchange improvement projects reported received some form of funding from state or federal sources. Three of the projects were funded entirely by local municipalities, and one was a combined local, state and federally funded effort. 3. How many were development oriented? Of the 15 interchange improvement projects reported, four were development related. • 4. What were the funding mechanisms for each one? CDOT R4 Staff did not provide specific information as to the funding mechanisms used for the development-related interchange improvements. Staff will try to see if this information is available in time for the work session discussion. Funding sources are listed below in#5 where relevant. 5. What were the price tags for each one? a. Crossroads Boulevard: $1.2M in STP-Metro, $3.8M remaining balance from City of Loveland and special district(interim improvements only) b. US-34: $11.5M City of Loveland and special district c. 144th: $20.4M Collaboration between Cities of Thornton and Westminster,plus special district d. 136`h: $12.3M Collaboration between Cities of Thornton and Westminster,plus special district • 6 Improved or Reconstructed Interchanges along 1 -25 since 2000 Intersected Streets or Highways Improved, New or Construction Construction Cost Funding Source Description of Work EIS (2030) Interchange Reconstructed Year In Million Reconstruction Cost 2005 $$ SH 14 (Mulberry Street Improved 2001 0.6 Federal/state Eliminated cloverleaf SE loop, realigned on ram $24.3M + ROW cost Prospect Road (CR 44) Improved 2006 0.4 Federal/state Three signals, spot widening for Rest Area relocation $22.7M + ROW cost SH 68 Harmon Road Reconstructed 2000 20.0 Federal/state New bridge, widened Harmony, on and off ramps, transit center $27.8M + ROW cost SH 392 Improved 2007 1 .0 Federal/state Realigned off ramp, installed traffic signals $28.5M + ROW cost T2 Crossroads Boulevard Improved planned 2008 est. 5.0 $1 .2M in Federal STP Metro Funds and City of Loveland Interim Safety Improvements - Construct roundabouts at $21 .OM + ROW cost is responsible for the remaining balance OO ramp terminals US 34 Improved planned 2008 est. 11 .0 $11 .5M City of Loveland OO Interim Safety Improvements - Eliminate cloverleaf NE&SW loops $404.4M + ROW cost (2 reconfigure off ramps, traffic signals, enhance architec, landscape SH 402 Improved 2007 0.5 Federal/state Installed traffic signals $30.7M + ROW cost TO SH 66 Reconstructed 2007 17.0 Federal/state New bridge, widened SH 66, on and off ramps, ark-n-Rides SH 52 Reconstructed 1999 12.0 Federal/state New bridge, widened SH 52, on and off ramps CR 8 Reconstructed 2005 10.5 Federal/state New bridge, widened WCR 8, on and off ramps SH 7 Improved 2005 0.6 Federal/state Realigned on and off ramps, installed traffic signals 144th New 2006 20.4 $9.8M City of Westminster New bridge, widened 144th Ave., on and off ramps, pedestrian $10.611v! City of Thornton TO underpasses and drainage features crossing 1-25, landscape 136th New 2003 12.3 $7M City of Thornton New bridge, widened 136th Ave., on and off ramps, landscape $5.3M City of Westminster TO 120th Reconstructed 2005 13.2 Federal/state New bridge, widened 120th Ave., on and off ramps 1-270 New 2005 15.8 Federal/state Noise walls, flyover • Responses to Ben Manvel Ouestions 12/28/07 1. What are the current traffic counts and Levels of Service(LOS) in every direction at the I-25 interchanges serving Fort Collins? Interchange Location SH- VPD &LOS Mountain Vista SH-14/Mulberry Prospect Harmony 392 West side vehicles per day v d 6,300 30,500 19,200 36,600 11,400 East side v d 2,500 14,400 4,100 12,700 18,800 West frontage road v d 3,800 1,400 2,300 minimal 1,700 West frontage road Level Of Service LOS A-B B-C A e/w, D-E n/s A C-D East frontage road v d 1,400-1,500 3,700-3,900 900-1,300 600 3,700 East frontage road LOS A-B A-B a/w, B-D n/s A-B A e/w C n/s B Southbound off ramp v d 800 11,500 2,300 5,100 6,600 Southbound on ramp v d 3,700 3,900 3,600 12,900 4,800 Northbound off ramp v d 3,400 12,000 6,800 12,000 4,800 Northbound on ramp v d 800 3,800 2,300 4,800 6,700 Southbound ramps LOS A-B A-B A e/w, C-D n/s A F Northbound ramps LOS A-B A-B A e/w, F n/s C B • 2. What is the estimated cost of improving each of these interchanges to a satisfactory level of service, given projected growth in Vehicle Miles Traveled(VMT)? (All estimates in 2005 dollars,provided by I-25 EIS analysis; 2030 forecast year) • Mountain Vista: cost not yet provided (pending) • SH-14/Mulber y: $24.3M+ROW cost • Prospect: $22.7M+ROW cost • Harmony: $27.8M +ROW cost • SH-392: $28.5M+ROW cost 3. If such improvements are to be done serially,what priority order would be optimal form a traffic planning point of view? If traffic mobility and safety are the ONLY criteria determining order of improvement, City of Fort Collins transportation staff would recommend: • SH-392 • Prospect • SH-14Mulberry • Mountain Vista • Harmony 4. Have tactics such as ramp metering and roundabouts been considered to ease congestion at the interchanges pending future reconstruction? • 7 • There are examples of CDOT and local municipalities considering innovative design and operational techniques to extend the safety and performance life of an interchange. Loveland and CDOT are constructing roundabouts at the ramp terminals as interim improvements to the Crossroads Boulevard interchange. Ramp metering is usually reserved for urban,metro highways that are very highly congested. Ramp metering allows for a more ordered merge of traffic onto a congested highway. The I-25 EIS project team examined a variety of design and operational tools in making their recommendations. 5. What funding sources, at what levels, have been used to improve interchanges elsewhere along I-25? Please see answers#4 & 5 to Councilperson Roy's questions. 6. Is tolling a possibility? The I-25 EIS examined"managed lanes" (congestion pricing/tolling/High Occupancy Vehicle) as part of the recommended package alternatives. Managed lanes were examined in terms of I-25 usage,not access on and off via the interchanges. 7. Are there any negative consequences to federal or other funding from the increased VMT's caused by developing major shopping centers at I-25 rather than as part of infill and redevelopment projects? • None are known. On the contrary, due to the severe lack of funding available from state, federal, and local sources, it is often the opportunity of adjacent development that is willing and able to contribute to necessary improvements that will accelerate interchange replacement or improvement. • 8 ATTACHMENT �..� CITY OF FORT COLLINS STRUCTURE PLAN Wellington 000_._______.___ _� _ CR-58- - - - - - - - - - - �' 1 4NMsor M / 287 I Reservoir IY 1 Fort Collins - -_� 1 elfin ton GR-56 i Separator 1 Cobb Douglas Lake La orte + � ,Bellvue it }7 - airy _ ---'-'— -- Lake ; I - ER-54G CRa52 Long Po,xf Country-Clubs - — "L}..r.�L— WilloxT rde"mare' Mluntain-Vista � - o _ \ Lake U cd Csu Footh lls hVine. Campus u ' T '\ r- - GMA r Expansion _ . Area � /T� ---- Mulberry SH 14 Lory :. State - '1 ._._.., Park Csu Prospect v Csu = a t m >. z diu U 1 1 _Drake Timnafh L_ } r'\ Fort Cc Ilins - Reservoir Tim ath Sepa ator Horsetooth '\ Mountain rsetooth - - - — Park _-„_j v m � I. N \ Timnath Harrrnn ony i Fort ollins - �'- �\ Tir nath - �- l._, _ � I - Wi dsor �. �l v Se arator . Wildflowe 1 - ; Ex -- Trilby-- _.._._.._.I �-- rea - wsi creek �" �� .— C-arpenter - SH-392 Fort Collins - 287 Loveland Separator ', Winds r C>R=38 Lov land tL 0 0.5 1 Boundaries Districts Miles �+p dF Downtown District Industrial District Edaes Corridors do Fort Collins GMA `��9 p Community Separator N Enhanced Travel Corridor (Transit) r� Potential GMA Expansion Community Commercial District Neighborhoods ",HMI II Foothills POudre River Corridor fed Other City GMA If Commercial Corridor District Urban Estate '4Y_ � Rural Lands If Poudre River Planning Area Neighborhood Commercial Center Low Density Mixed-Use Open Lands, Parks, Stream Corridors Adjacent Planning Areas Campus District Medium Density Adopted Mixed-Use December 18, 2007 / `/ City Limits IfEmployment District ATTACHMENT 4 ' Regional / ' , tyCommuni MTN VISTA Shoppi ng O RTHD 'i st ri ct s I MULIJERRY T\ i DOWNTOWN and CA i � Activity EMP , i i i i ' Centers FOOTF ILLS25 ' HARMONY ' SH 392p r(9-to � 5 w