HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 05/17/2005 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 054, 2005, AUTHORIZ ITEM NUMBER: 11
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY DATE: May 17, 2005
FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF: Matt Baker
SUBJECT
First Reading of Ordinance No. 054, 2005, Authorizing the Transfer of Appropriations from the
Street Oversizing Fund to the Capital Project Fund - Timberline Road Improvements Project to
Be Used for Completion of Engineering Design and Establishing Appropriations for Railroad
Crossing Improvements at the Project.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Developers have contributed $100,000 to the City to begin the engineering design of Timberline
Road from Prospect to Drake. There are additional engineering design costs with the project to
be funded by Street Oversizing. This item appropriates $184,000 into the project budget for the
completion of the final engineering design. In addition, railroad crossing permits with Great
Western Railroad for widening the track on both Timberline Road and Prospect Road need to be
submitted one year in advance of the construction in order to schedule the railroad crews. The
permit requires that funds for the crossing material and labor be budgeted and available in the
project. $280,000 will be appropriated and earmarked for the railroad crossing agreement in
order to submit the required permits and work orders. The total transfer amount is $464,000 and
is available in existing Street Oversizing Fund appropriations.
BACKGROUND
Traffic congestion at the intersection of Timberline Road and Prospect Road is well below the
City's level of service requirements, with almost all legs and turn movements failing during the
morning and afternoon peak rush hours. In accordance with the Adequate Public Facilities
Ordinance, any new development which impacts this intersection cannot proceed until these
existing deficiencies are corrected.
In the absence of any City Capital Improvement funding for this intersection, two developers are
electing to privately fund these improvements in order to proceed with their development
projects. These developers are the majority property owners and have proposed the initiation of
a special improvement district to spread a portion of the cost through assessments to other
undeveloped property in the area benefitted by the improvements.
May 17, 2005 -2- Item No. 11
Pursuant to an agreement with the City, the developers have provided $100,000 in funds to allow
the City to begin the engineering plans, estimate of costs, and maps of the district. An additional
$184,000 is funded by the Street Oversizing Fund to finalize the engineering design.
The Great Western Railroad requires that funding be available prior to the submittal of the work
order requests. This money will be used to place concrete crossing material the entire width of
Timberline Road and add twelve feet of rubberized crossing to Prospect Road. $280,000 will be
appropriated into the project to satisfy the Railroad's permit and work order requirements.
BACKGROUND
Timberline Road, from Drake Road to Prospect Road is currently the highest deficiency segment
in the City's street network. Attempts by the City to create a funding mechanism for the
necessary improvements have been unsuccessful.
The City's Adequate Public Facilities ("APF") Ordinance does not allow any additional
development to impact failing intersections. A detailed cost estimate has been developed that
indicates $2.5 million is needed to improve the intersection to meet minimum levels of service
necessary to allow additional development in the area. The improvements contemplated are:
• Dedicated right turn lanes on all legs of the intersection
• Double left turn lanes on Timberline Road
• Additional through lanes on Timberline Raod
These interim improvements will add capacity to the intersection, but will not include
landscaped medians, concrete paving, enhanced crosswalks, or other elements not necessary to
increase levels of service.
There are two large development parcels which are currently affected by the APF Ordinance.
The James Company is proposing the Sidehill development project on the east side of
Timberline Road and north of Drake Road and the Cumberland Group owns 80 acres on the west
side of Timberline Road and north of Drake Road. Neither of these developments can be built in
the absence of improvements to the Timberline/Prospect intersection. These developers have
elected to fund the $2.5 million APF improvements in order to proceed with their development
projects.
In addition to the APF improvements, normal arterial roadway improvements are required along
the frontage of developing properties through the normal Street Oversizing Program. An
estimate of these frontage improvements is $4.8 million.
Total project costs are estimated at $7,310,197 for the Timberline Road, Prospect Road to Drake
Road Project.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity Map
ATTACHMENT
GREAT WESTERN RAILROAD CROSSING
PROSPECT ROAD
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DRAKE ROAD
Great Western Railroad Crossing On Timberline
Road Widening Project from Drake to Prospect
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W+E C'iec of tore Cnllins
S May 4, 2005
ORDINANCE NO. 054, 2005
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE STREET
OVERSIZING FUND TO THE CAPITAL PROJECT FUND - TIMBERLINE ROAD
IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT TO BE USED FOR COMPLETION OF ENGINEERING
DESIGN AND ESTABLISHING APPROPRIATIONS FOR RAILROAD CROSSING
IMPROVEMENTS AT THE PROJECT
WHEREAS, in 2004, Timberline Road, from Prospect Road to Drake Road was identified
as the highest deficiency segment in the City's street network, with almost all legs and turn
movements failing during the morning and afternoon peak rush hours; and
WHEREAS, Section 3.7.3.(D.)(1)(b) of the City's Land Use Code requires that all
developments meet or exceed the transportation level of service standards contained in Part II of the
City of Fort Collins Multi-modal Transportation Level of Service Manual for motor vehicles,
bicycles, and pedestrians; and
WHEREAS,James Company and the Cumberland Group(the"Developers")are developing
two parcels within a one-mile radius of the intersection of Timberline Road and Prospect Road(the
"Intersection") and have agreed to privately fund interim improvements at the Intersection (the
"Improvements")that are necessary to meet the minimum levels of service for the Intersection; and
WHEREAS, on November 4, 2003, City Council accepted a petition on behalf of the
Developers to create a special improvement district(the"SID")as a mechanism for repaying the cost
of the Improvements through assessments levied by the City against benefitted properties in the SID;
and
WHEREAS, as part of a development agreement between the Developers and the City,the
Developers have agreed to advance the sum of$100,000 to fund engineering and design work on
the Improvements; and
WHEREAS,the City has received said amount of$100,000 from the Developers,which City
Council appropriated in the Capital Projects Fund - Timberline Road Improvements Project (the
"Project"),by adopting Ordinance No. 26,2004 on March 2,2004,and the appropriated funds were
used to prepare plans, cost estimates, and maps of the proposed SID in order to begin the
engineering design of the Improvements; and
WHEREAS,Council approved additional Project appropriations in 2004,totaling$362,050,
to be used for the street oversizing portion of the design, geotechnical reports and environmental
studies, and four-lane design of Timberline Road from Prospect Road to Drake Road; and
WHEREAS, staff has determined that an additional $184,000 is needed to finalize
engineering design of the Project, and $280,000 is needed for railroad crossing permits with Great
Western Railroad for widening the track on both Timberline Road and Prospect Road; and
WHEREAS, staff recommends using existing appropriations in the Street Oversizing Fund,
totaling $464,000, to be used to fund the Project's final engineering design and railroad crossing
permits for track widening; and
WHEREAS, Article V, Section 10, of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins ("Charter")
authorizes the City Council to transfer any unexpended and unencumbered amount or portion
thereof from one fund or capital prof ect to another fund or capital project,provided that the purpose
for which the transferred funds are to be expended remains unchanged; and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of the City Council to authorize the transfer of appropriations,
totaling$464,000, from the City's Street Oversizing Fund to the Capital Projects Fund-Timberline
Road Improvements project, for appropriation therein, to be used for final engineering design and
railroad crossing permits for track widening associated with the Project.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS that the unexpended appropriated amount of FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR
THOUSAND DOLLARS ($464,000) is hereby authorized for transfer from the Street Oversizing
Fund to the Capital Projects Fund - Timberline Road Improvements Project, for appropriation
therein, to be used for final engineering design and railroad crossing permits for track widening
associated with the Timberline Road Improvements project.
Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 17th day of
May, A.D. 2005, and to be presented for final passage on the 7th day of June, A.D. 2005.
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
Passed and adopted on final reading this 7th day of June, A.D. 2005.
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk