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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 04/07/1998 - ITEMS RELATING TO THE VISITORS CENTER AT THE ENVIR AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 10 A-B DATE: April 7, 1998 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF: goLeanne Harter SUBJECT: Items Relating to the Visitors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center Annexation. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinances on Second Reading. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 44, 1998, Annexing Property Known as the Visitors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center Annexation. B. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 45, 1998,Amending the Zoning Map of the City of Fort Collins and Classifying for Zoning Purposes the Property Included in the Visitors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center Annexation. On March 17, 1998,Council unanimously adopted Resolution 9843 Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement with Colorado State University Concerning the Development of the Environmental Learning Center and Implementation of the Poudre River Environmental Learning District Conceptual Land Use Plan, and Resolution 98-44 Setting Forth Findings of Fact and Determinations Regarding the Visitors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center Annexation. On March 17, 1998, Council also unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 44 and 45, 1998, which annex and zone approximately five (5) acres in size, located south of Prospect Road, north of the existing Environmental Learning Center. The site is owned by Colorado State University and the primary use will be the Visitors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center. The proposed zoning for this annexation is POL-Public Open Lands zone district. APPLICANT: Colorado State University OWNER: Colorado State University AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 18 A-D FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL DATE: March 17, 1998 STAFF: Leanne A. Harter SUBJECT : Items Relating to the Visitors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center Annexation. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends adoption of the Resolutions and of the Ordinances on First Reading. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A. Resolution 98-43 Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement with Colorado State University Concerning the Development of the Environmental LearningRCen`ter and Inpleaientation of ffie Poudre River Environmental Learning District Conceptual Laud Use'Platn, B. Resolution 98-44 Sett g`Forth Finding's ofFact and Determinations Regarding the Visitors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center Annexation. C. Hearing and First Reading of Ordinance No. 44, 1998, Annexing Property Known as the Visitors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center Annexation. D. Hearing and First Reading of Ordinance No.45, 1998,Amending the Zoning Map of the City of Fort Collins and Classifying for Zoning Purposes the Property Included in the Visitors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center Annexation. This is the voluntary annexaticm and zoning of anareavf pproximately five(5)acres in size,located south of Prospect Road,north tithe exis g Environmental Learning Center. The site is owned by Colorado State University and the primary use will be the Visifors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center. The proposed zoning for this annexation is POL-Public Open Lands zone district. APPLICANT: Colorado State University OWNER: Colorado State University DATE: March 17, 1998 2 ITEM NUMBER: 18 A-D BACKGROUND: The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: N: County FA-Farming;C;E;LMN;UE(Interstate Lands Rezoning)-primarily vacant S: RC; Environmental Learning Center site E: C; vacant W: County FA-Farming;vacant, The Visitors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center Annexation is approximately 5 acres in size, located south of Prospect Road (tothe west of the Resource Recovery Farm). The site was identified in the Poudre River Environmental Learning District Conceptual Land Use Plan (April 1997)as the future location for the Visitors' Center. (A copy of that plan is attached for reference.) The construction of the Visitors' Center is a joint project among the City of Fort Collins, Colorado State University, State of Colorado, and the Fort Collins Convention and Visitors' Bureau. It is anticipated that construction on the Visitors' Center could start in spring, 1998,with completion in the spring of 1999. This is a voluntary annexation, located within the Urban GrowtkArea of the City of Fort Collins. The City may annex property located within the UrbanlGrowth Area Boundary (UGA), provided that the property has 1/6th contiguity witlthe exii boundary. According to the policies and agreements between the City dFort Collins and Latimer County outlined in the Intergovernmental Agreement for the Urban Growth Area, the City will agree to consider for annexation property in the UGA whenever the property is eligible for annexation according to State law. The proposed Visitors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center Annexation does comply with this requirement. Resolution 98-44 authorizes the execution of an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City and Colorado State University relating to the annexation of the five-acre site that was recently donated to Colorado State University. The agreement would specify that the City and Colorado State University's desire to implementthe Land Use Plan.for the-Environmental Learning and Visitors' Center, and the University's agreement ` utilize and develop the'property in accordance with the Land Use Plan. Under the provisions oftthe IGA, the-dniversity will develop the five-acre site as an element of the University's approximately_200-acres of pro rty located in Latimer County. As such, the annexation ordinance under which the University property was annexed specifically exempts the University from the City's zoning and land use regulations. Proposed Zoning Even though the annexation ordinance exempts the property from the City's Zoning and Land Use Regulations as long as the property is owned by the State Board of Agriculture(CSU),Colorado law requires that all newly annexed lands be placed into a zone district. The proposed zoning for the annexation is the POL,Public Open Lands zone district. The POL zone is for large,publicly-owned parks and open lands which have a community-wide emphasis or other characteristics which warrant inclusion under this separate designation rather than inclusion in an adjoining neighborhood or other district designation. DATE: March 17, 1998 3 ITEM NUMBER: 18 A-D i The Visitors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center complies with the definition of Parks, recreation and open lands,which is described in the Land Use Code as follows: I Parks, recreation and open lands shall mean natural areas as defined by the Natural Areas Policy Plan,parks and recreation facilities as defined by the Parks and Recreation Policy Plan, environmental interpretation facilities, outdoor environmental research or education j facilities, or public outdoor places. (Emphasis added) Parks,recreation and open lands are permitted uses in the POL zone district. The POL zone district designation is consistent with the policies City Plan and is compatible with the existing uses and surrounding zoning. PLANNING AND ZONING'BOARD RECOMMENDATION: i On March 5, 1998,the Planning and Zoning Board voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council approve the Visitors' Center at the Environmental Learning Center Annexation and Zoning with the POL-Public Open Lands zone district as recommended by staff. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: ! I Staff recommends approval of the-Visitors'-Center_at=the Environmental Learning Center with a zoning of POL-Public Open Lands Zone District,which is consistent with the adopted City Plan. _ I I <�c I i II f