HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 02/05/2002 - RESOLUTION 2002-018 APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE SOU AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 38
FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL DATE: February 5,2002
STAFF: Kathleen Reavis
SUBJECT:
Resolution 2002-018 Approving and Adopting the South College Avenue/US 287 Access Plan
Update and Making Corresponding Amendments to the Master Street Plan.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The overall cost estimate for the proposed improvements included in the South College Avenue/US
287 Access Plan Update is$32,000,000(in year 2002 dollars). Funds for these improvements will
be provided through a combination of public and private sources as these corridors redevelop and/or
as safety needs occur over time (20+years).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The purpose of this project is to update the existing Access Plan for South College Avenue/US 287
that was originally approved in 1989. This is a joint project among the City of Fort Collins,Larimer
County, and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The consulting services of
Felsburg, Holt, & Ullevig are being used to assist with this project.
Enclosed for Council review is a copy of the final draft of the Executive Summary from the South
College Avenue/US 287 Access Plan Update report. In addition, there are two proposed
amendments to the City's Master Street Plan that are necessary in order for it to reflect the
recommendations contained in the South College Avenue/US 287 Access Plan Update.
BACKGROUND:
The purpose of this project is to update the existing Access Plan for South College Avenue(US 287)
which was originally approved in 1989 by the City of Fort Collins and the Colorado Department of
Transportation (CDOT).
The City of Fort Collins, in partnership with CDOT and Latimer County, has similar access plans
for all of the state highways within the Growth Management Area. These state highways include
DATE: February ITEM NUMBER:
Harmony Road(SH 68), North College Avenue(US 287), Jefferson/Riverside(SH 14), Mulberry
Street(SH 14), as well as the existing plan for South College Avenue(US 287).
This plan update is a joint effort by the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County, and CDOT. In
addition, the consulting services of Felsburg, Holt, & Ullevig have been used to assist with this
project.
A critical part of the Access Plan Update for South College Avenue has been tailoring the plan to
the specific local needs of this corridor while respecting the community-wide and regional mobility
functions of the highway.The City has been the driving force working with CDOT to negotiate for
the most flexible plan possible given the State Highway Access Code regulations.
The goal of this project is to develop an updated plan for the South College Avenue (US 287)
corridor that works for business/property owners,the City,Larimer County, and CDOT. The plan
must balance the local and regional mobility functions of US 287 with the need to provide local
access to adjacent properties in a safe and equitable manner.
The benefits of a successful Access Plan include a reduction in the number of accidents,improved
traffic flow, reduced vehicular emissions, increased safety for all modes of transportation, and the
creation of more attractive community corridors and gateways.
As part of the update process, the limits of the original South College Access Plan have been
extended to include the portion of the corridor between Trilby Road and Carpenter Road(CR 32).
This extension allows the plan to cover the portion of South College Avenue that is located within
the City's Growth Management Area.
Most of the recommended improvements from the 1989 Access Plan have been completed north of
Harmony Road due to the development along this portion of the corridor over the last 12 years.
Therefore, staff has concentrated the update efforts on the portion of the corridor south of Harmony
Road to Carpenter Road.
Staff has incorporated an extensive public process into this project that has been used to gain public
feedback to assist with the proposed recommendations. Staff has hosted ten public open house
events as well as attended numerous meetings with property and business owners along the South
College corridor in order to work one-on-one with them to develop a mutually acceptable plan. City
and CDOT staff have worked diligently to develop a plan that offers fair,reasonable,and safe access
for the short-term and long-range future for the South College corridor. The plan recommendations
have been reached through a great deal of consideration and compromise on behalf of all the parties
involved with this project.
Staff has received a great deal of valuable public comment on this project. The short-term plan was
specifically developed in response to citizen input and reflects how transportation improvements
could be implemented over the next 10 years given the existing land use patterns along the portion
of the corridor between Bueno Drive and Trilby Road. Staff has also modified several areas of the
proposed long-term plan (year 2020 and beyond) for the corridor based upon citizen involvement
with this project.The result of the combined effort between public agency staff and the citizens has
created a well-balanced plan for this important community and regional corridor.
DATE: a ruary 20W 3
ITEM NUMBER: 373
Intergovernmental Agreement
As part of this Access Plan Update, the City,County and CDOT will need to adopt a new,updated
Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for South College Avenue/US 287. There is an amendment
process established as part of the IGA. This process can be used over time to update/revise the
corridor plans as necessary and will require agreement among all signatory agencies. The IGA also
includes a provision that the agencies establish a process to jointly review the Access Plan at least
every three years in order for the plan to be periodically updated to reflect changing land use and
transportation conditions along the corridor. Staff will bring the updated IGA to City Council in
April 2002.
Master Street Plan Revisions
Staff has identified two amendments to the City of Fort Collins Master Street Plan (MSP). These
proposed changes to the MSP consist of alignments and functional classifications for the roadways
called for in the South College/US 287 Access Plan Update. Significant public outreach regarding
the Master Street Plan revisions,including 10 open house events as well as individual meetings with
business and property owners, was done as part of the Access Plan Update efforts.
The Proposed Master Street Plan amendments include:
1. Add new Collector Street on the west side of South College/US 287 between Trilby Road
and Skyway Drive. This new street is necessary to provide an alternative Iocal circulation
route for traffic accessing the property along South College Avenue from the adjacent
neighborhoods.
2. Add new Collector Street on the east side of South College/US 287 between Trilby Road and
Bueno Drive. This new street is necessary to provide an alternative local circulation route
for traffic accessing the numerous commercial properties along South College Avenue. This
street will provide local connections between commercial properties as well as connections
to this area from adjacent neighborhoods.
Collector Streets are designed to accommodate passenger vehicles, delivery vehicles/trucks,
bicycles,and pedestrians and offer a convenient local street alternative for short distance trips rather
than require drivers to solely rely on using the higher-volume, state highway system.
Recommendations
The Planning and Zoning Board and the Transportation Board voted unanimously to approve the
Plan and recommend to City Council that the Plan be approved.
LIST OF ATTACHMENTS:
1. Executive Summary (Final Draft) from overall project report, including maps of corridors
and proposed access management improvements. Also includes cost estimates and
recommended priorities for access improvements along the corridor.
Ia. Detailed plan sheets for the short-term and long-range Access Plan Update.
DATE: a ruary 5,
ITEM NUMBER: 38
2. CDOT Letter.
3. Copy of the Planning and Zoning Board minutes from its meeting on January 17, 2002.
4. Copy of Transportation Board minutes from its meeting of November 14, 2001.
South College Avenue(US 287) Access Control Plan Update Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Background and Purpose
The City of Fort Collins (City), in concert with the Colorado Department of Transportation
(CDOT) and Larimer County (County), is updating the Access Control Plan for United States
Highway 287 (US 287), a major artery of the City and County street system. This highway is an
important regional route in northern Colorado, providing north/south access throughout the front
range of Colorado by connecting such communities as Lafayette, Berthoud, Fort Collins and
beyond. Near the City of Fort Collins, this route carries a wide range of vehicle and travel types,
from semi-truck delivery vehicles to commuter traffic between Fort Collins and Loveland.
Development pressures within the study corridor will continue to increase the travel demand
along this route. Providing good mobility and a safe operating environment for all modes of
transportation is essential to the vitality of the corridor.
In 1989, the South College Avenue Access Control Plan, Swallow Road to Trilby Road was
prepared. An Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA)to implement the Access Control Plan was
developed and the City and CDOT formally adopted the agreement in 1989. The purpose of the
current study effort was to work closely with residents, property and business owners, and
highway users to update the existing Access Control Plan for the US 287 corridor. The Access
Control Plan needed to be updated based on the increase in projected traffic growth and on
land use issues since 1989.
i This Report summarizes all of the collected data, analyses and access control improvements for
! the study corridor. The goal of this project is to develop an IGA that provides the legal basis for
the implementation of the Access Control Plan Update and that furnishes direction to property
owners and the governing agencies to address current and future transportation needs.
Study Area
The limits of the corridor extend from the juncture of US 287 with Carpenter Road (LCR 32) in
Larimer County to the intersection of US 287 with Swallow Road in Fort Collins. This corridor
represents an extension of the existing Access Control Plan study area by about 1 mile further
to the south of Trilby Road. This extension was necessary to encompass the current boundary
of the Fort Collins Growth Management Area (GMA). Within the project limits, US 287 also has
a local street designation, being South College Avenue.
Existing Access
There are currently 87 public and private access points along this corridor. The access types
have been classified as follows:
Public Road Public Road
Intersections with Intersections without Driveway Total Number
Signals Signals Accesses of Accesses
13 11 63 87
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Accident History
The accident history of the corridor reveals that 738 accidents occurred during the period from
January of 1997 to June of 1999. Approximately 25% of these accidents had at least one injury,
twice the injury percentage along North College Avenue, for example. There were no fatalities.
Of the total number of accidents, approximately 90 percent were access related.
Development of the Plan
The physical and operational characteristics of US 287 are managed by the COOT; however,
this roadway also traverses the boundaries of two governmental agencies within the study
limits, the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County. The City of Fort Collins,through the office of
Transportation Planning, was the primary force behind the development of this project with
direct input and cooperation with Larimer County and CDOT.;_All of the project is within the City
of Fort Collin's Growth Management Area.
The primary project team for development of the Access Control Plan was comprised of City
and County staff,and the Access Manager for CDOT-Region 4. Plan progress was coordinated
with other departments within the City, County and CDOT organizations, while meetings with
local business owners, property owners and residents were conducted.
Public Involvement
One of the most critical elements of this project was involvement with the public at open houses
that were held at key stages of the study. A series of 11 open houses were conducted. The
first meeting included a formal presentation that addressed the objectives of the access
management efforts and provided information as to the plan process, access management
principles and techniques, and how the project may be implemented over time. The subsequent
open houses provided exhibits on the DRAFT plans to obtain public input. Comment sheets
and notes on the DRAFT plans were used to record property and business owner concerns.
Final plan revisions were presented at the last round of open house meetings.
Visual aids were used that included a video on access management prepared by the Federal
Highway Administration. Exhibits showing recent accident data, existing and proposed traffic
volumes, and existing and proposed access locations were available, with City, County, COOT,
and the consultant in attendance to answer questions and to receive comments, concerns, and
input. Mailing lists of adjacent property owners within 500 plus feet of South College Avenue
were maintained for the study, with property and business owners being notified of each public
meeting. Press releases were also used to inform the general public.
City, County and COOT staff also visited numerous sites along each corridor to talk individually
with property owners, business owners and residents that were not able to attend one of the
public meetings. These meetings were very informative since issues related to a specific
access or property owner need could be addressed on a one-to-one basis.
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• Public involvement for this project resulted in business and property owners being actively
involved in developing access solutions.
Access Control Plans
Figures ES-1 and ES-2 provide overviews of the major access improvements included in the
Access Control Plan Update. Both Short-Term and Long-Range plans have been prepared.
Since implementation of the improvements may take several years, and since funding will likely
come from a variety of different sources, a phasing priority of improvements was assigned to
each plan. Since it is difficult to define funding levels within speck time periods, the priorities
were established on the basis of the greatest need as opposed to a likely time-frame for
implementation.
Short-Term Access Control Plan Uodate
The highlights of the Short-Term plan along South College Avenue are listed below. The Short-
Term plan applies only for the section of South College Avenue between Trilby Road and Bueno
Drive. The improvements are listed in order from the south end of the project to the north end.
► A raised and landscaped median will be constructed in South College Avenue between
Trilby Road and Skyway Drive.
► Construct parallel collector street on the west side of South College Avenue between
Trilby Road and Skyway Drive.
► Access along the east side of South College Avenue, between Trilby Road and Skyway
Drive, shall be consolidated to a total of three accesses: 1) a % movement access
(southbound left turn) will be located approximately 630' to the north of Trilby Road, 2) a
'/. movement access (southbound left turn) will be located approximately 11 00' to the
south of Skyway Drive, and 3) a RIRO access will be located about 640' to the south of
Skyway Drive. These three access points will have access between them via a frontage
road. The frontage road will have a cul-de-sac at the south end approximately 275' to
the north of Trilby Road, while the north end of the frontage road can be accessed from
Skyway Drive, albeit via only an eastbound right-in access. A raised median shall be
provided on Skyway Drive to prohibit other movements onto the frontage road.
► Access along the west side of South College Avenue, between Trilby Road and Skyway
Drive, will also include a total of three accesses: 1) a RIRO access approximately 500' to
the north of Trilby Road, 2) a % movement access(northbound left turn) will be located
approximately 11 00' to the south of Skyway Drive1300' to the south of Skyway Drive,
and 3) a RIRO access about 650' to the south of Skyway Drive.
P. The existing frontage road on the west side of South College Avenue, between Skyway
Drive and Saturn Drive, shall be re-aligned further to the west along Skyway Drive to
provide greater access spacing between the frontage road and South College Avenue.
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► The roadway corner radii in the southwest and northeast corners of the South College
Avenue/Skyway Drive intersection shall be constructed to accommodate northbound and
southbound u-tum movements for single-unit vehicles.
► A raised and landscaped median will be constructed in South College Avenue between
Skyway Drive and approximately 225' to the north of Saturn Drive, and between
approximately 225' to the south of Smokey Street to about 350' to the south of Bueno
Drive.
► An access circulator will be provided to the south of Skyway Drive. The circulator will
connect the'/. movement access located approximately 1300' to the south of Skyway
Drive with Skyway Drive. Approximate connection point with Skyway Drive is 450' to the
east of South College Avenue.
► Between-Skyway Drive and Saturn Drive, a cross-access driveway will be developed
along the east side of South College Avenue. Movements with the cross-access
driveway at the Skyway Drive connection will be restricted to right-in only.
► An access circulator will be provided between Skyway Drive and an existing access
circulator that extends to the south of Saturn Drive. The new access circulator will be
located about 450' to the east of South College Avenue, connecting to the exist
circulator. An east/west access circulator will be developed between the new frontage
road and the new access circulator. The east/west circulator will be located
approximately 300'to the north of Skyway Drive in an existing easement.
► At the South College Avenue/Satum Drive intersection, vehicle movements will be
restricted to right-in, right-out and left-in (% movement) for both the northbound and
southbound directions of travel.
► The South College Avenue/Smokey Street intersection will be restricted to northbound
right-in and right-out and southbound left-in (3/, movement). At the South College
Avenue/Crestridge Street intersection, vehicle movements will be restricted to right-in
and right-out for the southbound direction of travel. These restrictions are recommended
since: 1) minimum Code sight distance requirements for outbound left turn movements
are not met, 2) Smokey and Crestridge Streets are not aligned, thereby restricting being
able to have inbound left turns to both streets or through movements across South
College Avenue, and 3) these intersections do no meet current Code traffic signal
spacing requirements.
The "T" intersection pairs of Smokey and Crestridge Streets on South College Avenue
can be considered for the installation of a traffic signal in the future if the following
conditions are met:
1. Meet current Code signal spacing,
2. Meet MUTCD traffic signal warrant criterion,
3. These intersections are re-aligned to form one four-legged intersection, and
4. The grade of the intersection approaches would need to be reduced.
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► A bicycle/pedestrian connection should be constructed between Bueno Drive and Fossil
Ridge Drive to the northeast of Bueno Drive.
► Access circulator drives (either public or private) are shown on the plan and are intended
to provide cross-access between properties.
The Short-Terre Access Control Plan improvements are intended to compliment existing
development patterns and to serve as a stepping stone to implementing the Long-Range
Access Control Plan goals.
Long-Range Access Control Plan Update
The long-range improvements for South College Avenue are listed below. The character of
South College Avenue is anticipated to change dramatically over time as land use changes.
These improvements reflect the projected transportation infrastructure necessary to
accommodate the expected traffic volumes related to these land use changes as well as due to
regional traffic growth. There are improvement recommendations that are common along the
corridor and they are listed first. The improvements are listed in geographical order, from south
to north.
Corridor-Wide Improvements
► Construct the City of Fort Collins Major Arterial cross-section between Carpenter Road
and Harmony Road. The Major Arterial section consists of six through lanes.(3 each
direction), a 19-foot raised and landscaped median, 8-foot bike lanes, 7-foot sidewalks
and two 10-foot parkways within a 141' right-of-way. Some of the median may have
been constructed during the Short-Term improvement phase; however, the majority of
the raised median would still require construction. Raised medians should not be
constructed until appropriate segments of the parallel street system are constructed so
that alternate routes are available.
► Construct parallel streets to provide circulation alternatives for local residents and
businesses. The system will connect with existing public streets when available. These
streets will be classified as Collector, Local and Local-Modified streets. The new
collector streets will be added to the City's Master Street Plan (see Appendix D).
Locations for the parallel street system are:
► Between Trilby Road and Skyway Drive on both the east and west sides of South
College Avenue (Collector streets). This street was included in the 1989 Access
Control Plan.
► Between Skyway Drive and Smckey Street on the east side of South College
Avenue (Collector street). This street was included in the 1989 Access Control
Plan.
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► Between Fossil Creek Parkway and Fairway Lane on the east side of South
College Avenue (local street standard). This street was included in the 1989
Access Control Plan.
► Between Fairway Lane and Palmer Drive on the east side of South College
Avenue (modified local street standard). 'This street is new for the Access
Control Plan Update.
► Gated openings in the new median along South College Avenue shall be provided for
emergency vehicle access at all public street intersections that do not have median
openings. The gate mechanisms shall be operated by devices in fire trucks,
ambulances, etc. during emergency calls.
► Additional RIRO access can be provided at the approximate locations shown on the
aerial photographs. The location of these access points can fluctuate and is dependant
upon the size or type of redevelopment that may occur. The minimum access spacing
for a roadway with a posted speed limit of 55 mph (current speed limit between
Carpenter Road and Fairway Lane) is 450 feet, while for a posted speed limit of 40 mph
(current speed limit between Fairway Lane and Swallow Road), the minimum access
spacing is 275 feet per the Code. The spacing requirements represent the distance
between adjacent accesses or between an access and an adjacent public street
intersection.
Location-Speck Improvements—South to North Direction
► Construct exclusive right turn lanes for the northbound and southbound directions of
travel at the Carpenter Road intersection.
► Construct a second southbound left turn lane for movements onto Carpenter Road;
construct associated improvements on the south side of the intersection.
► Construct 3/, movement accesses for both the northbound and southbound directions of
travel approximately 1050' to the north of Carpenter Road.
► An access circulator shall connect Carpenter Road with Triangle Drive at Strassburg
Drive.
P. If existing parcels redevelop sufficiently, construct a cross-access on the east side of
South College Avenue between Carpenter Road and Victoria Drive.
► Install a new traffic signal at Triangle Drive when appropriate traffic signalization
warrants of the MUTCD are met and an approved engineering study indicates that a
traffic signal will improve the overall safety and/or operation of the intersection.
► Construct a % movement access (northbound left turn) approximately 900' to the north
of Triangle Drive.
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► Construct% movement accesses for the northbound and southbound directions of travel
approximately 1530' to the north of Triangle Drive.
► Reconstruct Trilby Road to the City of Fort Collins' Minor Arterial cross-section between
South College Avenue and a new Collector street (approximately 675'from South
College Avenue) on the west side of South College Avenue: Trilby Road should have
exclusive (eastbound) left, through and right turn lanes at South College Avenue.
► Reconstruct Trilby Road to the City of Fort Collins' Arterial cross-section between South
College Avenue and Debra Drive. Trilby Road should have exclusive (westbound) left,
through and right turn lanes at South College Avenue. The entry to Debra Drive must be
distinguished as a Local street in contrast to the Arterial street construction on Trilby
Road.
P. Construct parallel Collector streets between Trilby Road and Skyway Drive on both sides
of South College Avenue. On the west side of South College Avenue, the Collector
Street will align with Mars Drive at Skyway Drive, while on the east side of South College
Avenue, the alignment must be a minimum of 150' from South College Avenue.
► Construct % movement accesses (southbound left turn) at approximately 650' to the
north of Trilby Road and at about 11 00'to the south of Skyway Drive.
N. Construct a % movement access (northbound left turn) approximately 1300' to the south
of Skyway Drive.
► Construct a parallel Collector street on the east side of South College Avenue between
Skyway Drive and Smokey Street.
► Construct'/. movement accesses for both the northbound and southbound directions of
travel at Saturn Drive.
► The South College Avenue/Smokey Street intersection will be restricted to northbound
right-in and right-out and southbound left-in (3/< movement). At the South College
Avenue/Crestridge Street intersection, vehicle movements will be restricted to right-in
and right-out for the southbound direction of travel. These restrictions are recommended
since: 1) minimum Code sight distance requirements for outbound left turn movements
are not met, 2) Smokey and Crestridge Streets are not aligned, thereby restricting being
able to have inbound left turns to both streets or through movements across South
College Avenue, and 3) these intersections do no meet current Code traffic signal
spacing requirements.
The"T" intersection pairs of Smokey and Crestridge Streets on South College Avenue
can be considered for the installation of a traffic signal in the future if the following
conditions are met:
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South College Avenue(US 287) Access Control Plan Update Repoli r
1. Meet current Code signal spacing,
2. Meet MUTCD traffic signal warrant criterion,
3. These intersections are re-aligned to form one four-legged intersection, and
4. The grade of the intersection approaches would need to be reduced.
► Restrict vehicle movements to RIRO at Bueno Drive.
► RIRO movements will be allowed on the west side of South College Avenue, opposite
Bueno Drive, when this parcel develops.
► A bicycle/pedestrian connection should be constructed between Bueno Drive and Fossil
Ridge Drive to the northeast of Bueno Drive.
► The design of South College Avenue to Major Arterial standards should provide for the
installation of a pedestrian underpass along the future Fossil Creek Trail approximately
700' to the south of Fossil Creek Parkway.
► Construct an exclusive westbound right turn lane on Fossil Creek Parkway at South
College Avenue.
P. Construct the extension of Sneed Drive from about 500' to the north of Fossil Creek
Parkway to Fairway Lane.
► Install a new traffic signal at Fairway Lane when appropriate traffic signalization warrants
of the MUTCD are met and an approved engineering study indicates that a traffic signal
will improve the overall safety and/or operation of the intersection.
P. Modify the westbound Fairway Lane approach to include an exclusive left turn lane. An
interim improvement is to also install a raised median on Fairway lane (east side of
South College Avenue); median to remain in place until frontage road connection on the
north and south sides of Fairway Lane are replaced by the parallel street connection.
► Construct a southbound right-in (RI) only access approximately 270' to the north of
Fairway Lane on the west side of South College Avenue.
► Construct a parallel street on the east side of South College Avenue between Fairway
Lane and Palmer Drive. The street would be constructed to a modified Local street
standard that would include two 12-foot travel lanes, two 6-foot parkways and 4.5-foot
sidewalk on the east side of the street.
► Install a raised median on Palmer Drive with said median to remain in place until the
frontage road connection on the south side of Palmer Drive is replaced by the parallel
street connection.
► Exclusive right turn lanes will be provided on the northbound, southbound and
eastbound approaches at the Harmony Road intersection.
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► Construct a second southbound left turn lane for movements from South College
Avenue onto Boardwalk Drive. These improvements will require constructing a second
acceptance lane (eastbound direction) on Boardwalk Drive.
► Construct second northbound and southbound left turn lanes on South College Avenue
at the Horsetooth Road intersection.
► Construct an exclusive eastbound right turn lane on Horsetooth Road at South College
Avenue.
P. Construct dual southbound and westbound left turn lanes at the Monroe Drive
intersection. In addition, the northbound and eastbound directions of travel will have
exclusive right turn lanes.
► The frontage road on the west side of South College Avenue will be closed between
Foothills Parkway and Swallow Road.
► Construct an exclusive southbound right turn lane on South College Avenue at Swallow
Road.
► Access circulator drives (either public or private) are shown on the plan and are intended
to provide cross-access between properties.
Cost Estimates
It has been estimated that all of the improvements recommended in the Access Control Plan
Update could be implemented for approximately$32,150,000 (in Year 2001 dollars): This
estimate is for construction costs only and does not include right-of-way acquisition or
displacement/ relocation costs.
The cost estimates for the corridor are more clearly defined as follows:
P. South College Avenue:
Short-Term = $ 2,950,000
Long-Range = $29 200,000
TOTAL = $32,150,000
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Implementation
The improvements recommended in the Access Control Plan Update represent both Short-Term
and Long-Range plans and, as such, will be implemented over time as traffic and safety needs
arise and as funding allows. Future funding for implementation will require participation from
both public and private sources. The designs shown in these plans are schematic concept
alignments. Detailed engineering drawings of exact roadway alignments and other access
related improvements will be conducted as project funding is identified and will consider
constraints due to natural features, storm drainage, floodplain issues and other topographic
features. The recommended improvements could be implemented by several means:
► Re-development by Property Owner-When a property re-develops to anew land use,
or when an existing property owner wishes to modify access or the property frontage,
the governing agency can require the property owner to implement the improvements
identified in the Access Control Plan Update.
► City. County or COOT Capital Imorovement Funds- Larger scale projects could be
constructed as capital improvement funds become available from the governing
agencies.
► Metropolitan Planning Organizations- In addition to funds that may be available from
local or state agencies, monies could be available through the North Front Range
Transportation &Air Quality Planning Council that would provide construction
opportunities for larger scale projects.
In order to ensure that these improvements can be implemented in the future, it is important that
the Access Control Plan Update be adopted by each of the governing entities in the corridor and
that they be used in all transportation and land use planning which could affect US 287.
Therefore, the US 287 Access Control Plan Update must be adopted through Intergovernmental
Agreements between CDOT, Larimer County and the City of Fort Collins.
Since conditions may change over time, a key element of the IGA is a specified process for
modifying the plan in the future. This process calls for the creation of an Advisory Committee
comprised of one representative from each of the signatories of the IGA. Amendment requests
would be reviewed by the Committee and changes could be made only with the affirmative vote
of all signatories. The Advisory Committee will review the Access Control Plan Update and IGA
at least every three years for needed updates and will adjust project cost estimates annually to
reflect inflation. This process should ensure continuing coordination between the agencies and
is consistent with the other access plans within the City of Fort Collins Growth Management
Area such as for North College Avenue (US 287) and State Highway 14.
4FELSBURG .
HOLT &
ULLEVIG
Page xii
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STATE OF COLORADO
. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
-Region a OT
1420 2nd Street a�w
Greeley,Colorado 80631
(970)353-1232
DATE: December 4, 2001
TO: Ron Phillips, City of Fort Collins and Marc Engemoen, Lorimer Co nt
FROM: Tess Jones, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)
RE: South College Access Control Plan
Ron and Marc, CDOT is anxious to finalize the update of the South College A Control Plan. The Plan is critical to
preserve this very important regional roadway. Public involvement has provided valuable input to both an interim and
ultimate plan, and I believe the Plan as being presented in this final round of Open House meetings will enable the City,
County and CDOT to ensure that this corridor will serve the public need for transportation and mobility far into the future.
With the inevitable Increases in traffic along that corridor, a long-range plan that predicts the modifications to
intersections and accesses will assist us in making equitable decisions as properties are developed and as uses change.
The establishment of a vision for the corridor also assists property owners and perspective investors in planning for the
future.
A short-term plan was created in response to public concerns and in recognition that some existing conditions present
hazards, confusion and congestion that need to be mitigated sooner rather than later. Intersection spacing from the
,ntage roads"to the highway, limited sight distance, and frequency of access in the areas between Trilby and Bueno
e are addressed by the short-term plan.
Ultimately, the construction of a raised median and the resultant change of many of the existing accesses to right-in/right-
out will greatly improve the safety of the roadway. The consolidation of accesses and the geometric changes at
intersections will also increase the safety. In order for medians which lima access to be installed, alternate roadways or
"access circulators"will be required. In some cases, this will result in circuity of travel for traffic, and this seems to be
unavoidable. We have done what we can to keep out-of-direction travel to a minimum and still ensure good access
design.
The identification of intersections that are to be signalized in the future is an important role of an access planning
process. The Plan identifies two potential additional signals. While we are working toward the goals for signalization as
defined in the State Highway Access Code, we recognize that the volume of side road traffic needing to enter the
highway may result in progression that is less than desirable and the efficiency of travel along the road will degrade as
traffic increases, but absent this Plan the traffic could be at a near stand-still.
Nationwide statistics show that more than fifty percent of all traffic accidents are access-related. Accident records along
this roadway show that approximately twenty-five percent of all accidents involve personal injury. This is double the
percentage for the areas addressed in our North College and Riverside/Jefferson and Mulberry Access Control Plans.
Changes shown in the Plan will result in fewer conflict points at which accidents could occur and the severity of accidents
should be reduced.
This Plan is not without opposition even though we have worked closely with many property owners and business people
to modify the Plan in consideration of their needs and ideas. In some cases,we are still hearing the"do nothing"
response. That Is not an option. In the absence of a modified Plan,the Access Control Plan of 1989 will continue to
govem decisions made along this corridor. The updated Plan we propose provides better vehicular circulation for the
area and goes far to insure that as changes of land use occur over time,the owners will have reasonable and safe
ess. We have worked diligently over the past year and a half to listen to the ideas and recommendations in public
ms and in one-on-one meetings, and have incorporated the ideas we heard that seemed reasonable, while still
eting our goal of protecting the major investment in our high-volume roadway.
The decision-makers at the Colorado Department of Transportation are prepared to approve the Plan.
PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD MINUTES
JANUARY 17, 2002
Project: Recommendation to City Council for the
South College Access Plan Update
Project Description: The purpose of this project is to update
the existing Access Plan for South
College Avenue (US287) which was
originally approved in 1989 by the City
of Fort Collins and Colorado Department
of Transportation (CDOT).
Hearing Testimony, Written Comments and Other Evidence:
Member Bemth declared a conflict of interest on this project.
Kathleen Reavis, Transportation Planner gave the staff presentation. Ms. Reavis
stated that this project has been ongoing for about a year and a half. The City of
Fort Collins and CDOT have been working on Access Plans for all the State
Highway Systems within our community. There are approved Access Plans for
North College, Jefferson and Riverside and Mulberry (State Highway 14). In
addition there are Access Plans for Harmony Road and South College which
have been in place since 1989. She stated that the components of the update
Plan include extending the southern boundary of the Plan to include the portion
from Trilby Road to County Road 32 (Carpenter Road).
The goals behind the project and why staff believes it is important to update the
Plan at this point are many. It is very important to have a long-range vision for
this important corridor of the community that reflects the current conditions as
well as the future conditions for that area. It is important to have a Plan that
works for not only the City, CDOT and Larimer County, but also works for the
businesses and property owners along the corridor. It is important to stress that
this Plan is a long-range vision Plan for the corridor, it's not an immediate fix, but
it is setting the frame work for how this corridor can grow and change over the
next 20 years or beyond.
The public outreach component of this project and the Plan update has really
been the cornerstone of their work. They have done over 11 public workshops
and meetings with community members and property and business owners along
the corridor. They have done direct mailings to everyone along the corridor, and
they have done a lot of individual one on one meetings with people.
Planning and Zoning Board Minutes
January 17, 2002
Page 2
Ms. Reavis spoke about the funding of the projects associated with the update.
She stated that funding could come from public funds like City, County or CDOT
funding mechanisms to address improvements along the corridor that are access
related. The other mechanism that would bring forward the changes is through
the development or redevelopment process of properties along the corridor. In
that case the funding is provided through a combination of public or private
sources. The other way these changes come about over time is just through
property owners making improvements to their frontage of their property.
Ms. Reavis reported some of the issues facing them on the South College
corridor today.
• The close proximity of the frontage road intersections at the side street being
too close to the main highway intersections.
• Insufficient pedestrian facilities.
• Large areas where they just have open undefined access points that have
been developed on their own over the years.
• Making left turns due to sight distance and limited visibility.
Ms. Reavis reported that the existing traffic volumes along the South College
corridor range from 28,000 to 38,000 vehicles per day. The projections that are
being looked at for the year 2020 is almost double that along the corridor. Those
are areas that we look at today and say that they are fine, but when you are
looking at trying to carry twice the traffic volume through the corridor, that is
where they start to see some problems.
Ms. Reavis touched on the State Highway category, which is established by the
City, County and CDOT. The last time this was looked at was 1998, where all
the State Highways were looked at within the Growth Management Area and it
was established what was the most appropriate category for those roadways
based on how they function today and how they will continue in the future. The
section of South College Avenue south of Harmony Road to County Road 32
(Carpenter Road) is classified as a non-rural arterial A type of roadway. The
section north of Harmony to Swallow Road is a non-rural arterial B. The
difference is that the A category is a much higher level highway and has higher
design standards and is intended to be a primary through movement corridor for
our community and the region. The B category would allow closer spaced
signals and more access.
They are also looking at the portion of South College that today the current
posted speed limit is 55 mph. All of the agencies involved in the project
recognize that as the corridor continues to grow and traffic volume increases as
development and redevelopment occurs, that speed limit will need to be reduced
Planning and Zoning Board Minutes
January 17, 2002
Page 3
to 45 mph in the future. Ms. Reavis went on to say that South College Avenue
south of Harmony Road is projected to be a 6-lane arterial roadway.
Ms. Reavis reviewed the highlights of the short-term plan:
• The short-term plan specifically covers the area from.Bueno Drive on the
north to Trilby Road on the south.
• Is based on the existing land use of the area.
• Is based on the existing frontage road system in the area. The plan does
offer some additional changes to that to compliment that system.
• Safety improvements.
• Recommendation of a new portion of collector street on the west side of
College between Skyview and Trilby.
• No additional new traffic signals, only the existing signalized intersections that
are in the area.
• Defining driveways.
Ms. Reavis reviewed a portion of the long-term plan, which sets the vision and
framework for the corridor. In addition to some of the elements she mentioned
• under the short-term plan, they are recommending additional parallel circulation
streets along the corridor, both on the east and west sides of South College..
There will be new signals proposed as part of the long-range plan for the
corridor. One will be at Triangle Drive, which is the.signalized intersection of the
Shenandoah development. That signal was part of the Overall Development
Plan for the Shenandoah neighborhood. In addition to that there are two
potential signalized intersections they are showing. One is at Fairway Lane and
South College, the other is at the intersection of Crestridge and Smokey and
South College. They are also recommending as part of the long-term plan that a
signal that was shown in the 1989 Plan, six hundred feet north of Trilby Road be
removed.
Ms Reavis stated that most of the intersections along South College can meet
the City's level of service D requirement. There are three locations where they
have found that they were not able to achieve that in the future given our
standard level of improvements. Those locations are Harmony Road and South
College, Horsetooth Road and at Swallow Road. These intersections will be
looked at when the City's Transportation Master Plan is updated later this year,
those will be components that will be addressed in terms of how we are going to
tackle these intersections that are not meeting our minimum level of service
standard.
Planning and Zoning Board Minutes
January 17, 2002
Page 4
Changes to the City's Master Street Plan are also being taken forward with this
plan. There are two areas that new collector streets are being recommended as
part of the system. Those are the areas between Trilby and Skyway on the west
and Trilby and Bueno Drive on the eastside of South College.
There is no difference between the 1989 Access Control Plan and this update in
terms of signalized intersections. Both Plans have 14 signalized intersections
included. There is a substantial difference in the number of right-in-right-out and
three-quarter movement access points. The new plan that is proposed for the
update has 14 additional right-in-right-out and 8 additional three-quarter
movement access points.
Ms. Reavis reviewed the public involvement process and what highlights and
changes were made to the plan based on the input from the community. The
Short Term Plan was developed specifically based on the public's suggestions
and concerns. The potential signal at Crestridge and Smokey was added which
was not part of the initial recommendations for the Long Term Plan. The 22
additional direct three-quarter and right-in-right-out access points along the
corridor were added. Also some of the rear circulation roads have been removed
that did not seem to be workable from a detail standpoint. There have been
some additional median openings along the corridor, where it was felt that the
initial assumptions about cross access between properties were just not going to
be realized in the short term.
An issue that has come forward through the project has been some specific
points raised from the community along the area near Skyway. The five points
raised were:
• The plan offered right of safe entry both northbound and southbound to
College Avenue. The plan has been gone through and made sure that it is
possible to get to all areas along the corridor both northbound and
southbound. In some cases you have to rely on the circulation streets that
are part of the plan, but there is access back to signalized intersections from
all the areas along the corridor.
• That the frontage roads remain to the existing businesses. The Short Term
Plan is based on using the frontage road system along the corridor, though it
is complimented by other connections in the area as well to get travelers back
to the signalized intersection at Skyway.
• Ingress and egress to businesses not be circuitous or confusing or indirect.
Staff has worked very diligently to make sure that the access is as direct as
possible, not confusing and easy to understand by the traveling public.
Planning and Zoning Board Minutes
January 17, 2002
Page 5
• Developers should be required to compensate for all the changes along the
corridor. Through our standard City and County process, there is already a
mechanism in place that as new development occurs, they are required to
mitigate their traffic impacts along the corridor.
• An economic impact study be done along the corridor to gauge whether or not
there are any economic impacts associated with the access changes that are
being recommended. There has not been a separate economic impact study
for the project. What has been done instead, is we have looked at our local
community— again, access management principles are not new to Fort
Collins, and they have been in place since 1989. We have corridors that
have built out under those types of conditions in other areas that have similar
types of access to them. We find that the businesses and properties along
those corridors are doing very well and they have good safe operating and
convenient access in and out of those areas.
Overall most of the points that have been raised by the community members
along that portion of the corridor, the City, County and CDOT agree with. There
is one area of their request that we have not been able to meet and that is the
request for an additional traffic signal between Trilby and Skyway. The options
have been looked at and have been considered. We cannot recommend that
there be an additional traffic signal added in that half-mile section.
Ms. Reavis reviewed the next steps of the Access Plan Update for South
College. Included in the final draft for the plan report includes the cost estimates
for the corridor. What they have found for the cost of all of the associated
improvements is thirty two million dollars. Three million dollars associated with
the short-term improvements and twenty nine million for the long term. They are
also working to finalize the Intergovernmental Agreement with Latimer County
and CDOT that would go hand in hand with the Access Plan. Safety is a very
important piece of this project and something that staff believes would be
achieved through these recommendations. Another benefit is the enhanced
gateway features they offer through installation of raised landscaped medians
and the landscaped parkway along the corridor that offers visual improvements
to the corridor as well as functional and safety improvements.
Public Input
None.
Member Craig asked about the IGA and the enforcement of this Plan. If a project
comes in and they are in the city limits, do we show them the Plan and tell them
that this is what is needed. Also, is that the process in the County?
Planning and Zoning Board Minutes
January 17, 2002
Page 6
Ms. Reavis replied that was why the IGA is so important, because it does make it
a regular part of our development review process as well as a regular part of the
County development review process. Everyone is operating off of the same book
regardless if a project comes in in the city limits or the County.
Member Craig asked about the Mulberry Access Plan and with that plan there is
the same three partnership agreement and there are some County projects that
have not gone along with the plan. Her concern is that we are making a plan, but
as long as a lot of the sites are in the County, the Plan might not be
implemented. Are we going to end up with a lot of blotches that become existing
deficiencies when the property comes into the city and then the City will have to
make up for those deficiencies?
Ms. Reavis responded that as part of developing the IGA for South College, staff
has been using the experience of the Mulberry Corridor learning experience. We
are finding what worked well and what did not work. Mulberry was one of the first
corridors where we added Larimer County as a signing agency on the IGA. In
the past some of the corridors have just been between the City and CDOT. By
going through the process of looking at the IGA for South College in a lot of detail
and determine if there are areas that need to be strengthened or changed in
order to reflect the County development review process. If there is a problem
with something that is coming in through the County, we would try to work with
them as best we can to get the improvements, or at least improvements that are
working toward the Access Control Plan recommendations.
Member Craig asked if the property owners were comfortable enough with the
Plan, so that when redevelopment does happen, we would get a buy in. Her
concern is that we would make a plan that we would have to go to the voters or
dig into our very empty pocket and say how are we going to make this happen.
Ms. Reavis felt that was a good point and the impressions that we have received
from the businesses and property owners along the corridor has been mixed.
There are people along the corridor who think the plan is a good plan and is
needed and supportive of it; there are other business owners that are not happy
with the plan and feel that they would rather have no plan at all for the future.
We have been working with them as best we can to explain why the plan is
important and why the elements being recommended in the plan need to be
done.
Chairperson Gavaldon asked about the traffic signal proposed at Fairway Drive,
and directly south there is one at Cameron Drive. He asked if the Cameron Drive
signal would go away.
Planning and Zoning Board Minutes
January 17, 2002
Page 7
Ms. Reavis replied that they are not proposing that the signal at South College
and Cameron Drive be removed. It is just showing a potential location for where
a future signal could be at Fairway and South College Avenue. Ms. Reavis
stated that if conditions would change in the future and there was a way to get a
direct connection to the existing signal at Cameron, we certainly would re-
evaluate that and decide at that point if we could go without a signal at Fairway.
It is only shown as a potential signal. It would have to meet all the signal
warrants and design requirements that the City and CDOT have for a signalized
intersection.
Chairperson Gavaldon stated that he supported a trade off for one or the other.
He favored the Fairway signal and felt that the signal at Cameron should go
away. He asked if that was the spot that the southside connection for the Mason
Street Corridor would be.
Ms. Reavis replied that the south end of the transit system for the Mason Street
Corridor is just south of Spradley Barr and would be accessed off of Fairway.
Chairperson Gavaldon felt that was a good argument for eliminating the
Cameron signal. He felt there should be some serious consideration be put to
one or the other.
Ms. Reavis responded that those were good comments and it is something that
has been looked at as part of this project. She asked the Board to keep in mind
that Cameron on the west-side of College does not look like much in terms of
traffic volume or generation, but the signal at Cameron is Fossil Creek Parkway
on the other side of the intersection. It connects now over to Lemay and does
carry not only a lot of traffic today, but is projected in the future to carry a lot of
traffic through there. It is the only east/west connection between College and
Lemay. She did not think that it would be possible in the future to remove that
existing signal at that location. She did agree that there would have to be a lot of
thought and a lot of deliberation would have to be done before a signal would be
added at Fairway.
Member Craig had a concern with the collector street shown between Trilby and
Skyway. She asked if staff worked with the Natural Resource Department with
putting that in because she is aware that area does have some natural resource
value. She was concerned about the protection of that area.
Ms. Reavis replied that they have worked closely with not only the Natural
Resources Staff but also other City Departments with all the recommendations
that the Plan is showing. The center of that alignment could vary and could
. curve to address the existing Natural Resource concerns that are on the site.
Planning and Zoning Board Minutes
January 17, 2002
Page S
Member Torgerson moved to recommend to City Council approval of the
South College Access Plan Update. Member Carpenter seconded the
motion.
Member Craig commended staff and the hours that were spent trying to make
property owners, Larimer County and City officials happy. She appreciated that
because when you get into roads and private property, it is very conflicting. She
is also very pleased that they have revisited the IGA, because she feels that
there have been many problems in the past with the County in regards to putting
together an agreement, but the enforcement is not necessarily always there.
She felt that was very important because there are so many pre-existing
conditions, we don't need new development coming in and creating more
deficiencies.
Chairperson Gavaldon also expressed his thanks and felt the work was good.
He felt that the citizens were listened to because it shows in their data. He felt
there was an attempt to give everyone a fair view on giving his or her input into
the Plan. He also thanked CDOT for their support and the reinforcement of the
IGA.
The motion was approved 5-0. Member Bernth did not vote because of a
conflict of interest and Member Meyer was absent.
Attachment 3
Draft minutes to be approved by the Board at their December 19,2001 meeting.
. REGULAR MEETING MINUTES of the
TRANSPORTATION BOARD
November 14,2001
5:45 p.m.
City of Fort Collins-Community Room
215 N.Mason Street
FOR REFERENCE:
CHAIR: Christophe Ricord 472.8769
VICE CHAIR: Dan Gould 482.1074
STAFF LIAISON: Don Bachman 224.6049
ADMIN SUPPORT: Cynthia Scott 224.6058
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: ABSENT:
Dan Gould
Bruce Henderson
Tim Johnson
Tom Kramer
Brad Miller
Ray Moe
Christophe Ricord
Brent Thordarson
Heather Trantham
Steve Yeldell
CITY STAFF IN ATTENDANCE:
Don Bachman
Gary Diede
Randy Hensley
Mark Jackson
Ron Phillips
Kathleen Reavis
Tom Reiff
Peter Wray
GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE:
R. A. Plummer-Consultant
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Ricord called the meeting to order at 5:52 p.m.
Transportation Board
DRAFT Regular Meeting Minutes
November 14.2001 Page 4
6. ACTION ITEMS
a) S.COLLEGE ACCESS PLAN—Reavis
Ms. Reavis distributed additional handouts to the members: Executive Summary of the
project report and a list of upcoming public meetings.
It was explained that this plan is not a new one,rather it is an update to the existing plan
that was done in 1989. As part of the updateprocess,the southern boundary was
extended down to CR 32,also known as Carpenter Road This way it covers the entire
Growth Management Area. As part of the update process, it was important to look at the
changes that have happened along the corridor since 1989. Some changes have been very
substantial such as traffic volume and land use changes along the corridor. It was
important to update the plan so it works for all the agencies involved and for the property
and business owners. The founding principles of the project have been safety and an
equitable access and a priority from the very beginning.
As with all the City's access plans,they are intended to come about over time. The intent
is to have a framework so that as the corridor changes, grows and development occurs we
can be working toward a system that fits together,is functional and accomplishes things
such as safety improvements.
This plan update is a joint effort by the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County and the
Colorado Department of Transportation(CDOT). Additionally,the consulting services
of Felsburg,Holt and Ullevig have been used to assist with this project
The public outreach portion has really been the heart of the project. We have worked
particularly close with the business and property owners south of Harmony Road. Several
open houses have been held as well as numerous individual meetings with business and
property owners along the corridor. We sat down with them and asked what aspects of
these plans do you like, not like, and what can we do to try to work together to find some
common ground. That has been a very beneficial part of the process. The one-on-one
time has been great because some people can't attend open houses or they don't feel
comfortable speaking up. It took a long time to conduct all those meetings,but it was a
critical part of the public process.
The number one question staff is asked about the project is,"When will the changes take
place and who will pay for it?" Ms. Reavis said that there are several ways the changes
will come about over time. They can come about through the project side in terms of
redevelopment of the property or property owners trying to fix up the front of their
property for better access. There is also the public side. When we go in to ...
improvements or corridor enhancements,large-scale capital projects along the corridor
that's another way that these improvements come about. Typically,over a long corridor
such as this one, it is a combination of public and private sources over a long period of
time. When we look at the whole area,we are looking at a 20-year plan in terms of
traffic, land use and change.
Transportation Board
DRAFT Regular Meeting Minutes
November 14. 2001 Page 5
Some of the issues plaguing South College south of Harmony Road involve the frontage
road These roads are wonderful until you get to the intersection with a side street.
Another issue is obviously the lack of pedestrian and bicycle facilities. There is transit
service along South College and is now serving Loveland,but some of the transit stops
are very difficult to get to. The open,undefined access is an issue as is site distance
problems--the difficulty making left-tuns out is a problem compounded by site
distance issue. In looking at the accident history for the corridor,all these access
conditions show up in approximately 901/6 of the accidents that occur there.
Ms. Reavis explained that the short-term plan was a direct result of the input received
from the public. It covers the portion of the corridor from Bueno Drive on the north to
Trilby Road on the south. This is really the most difficult part of the corridor in terms of
challenges. We heard loud and clear from people that it's one thing to look at a 20-year
horizon with traffic projections,but what's going to happen now,in the short term. A
critical part of the short-term plan is that it uses the existing frontage road system. It
doesn't close them off.
The long-range plan for the area, much like the short-term plan,has the most significant
changes occurring south of Harmony. Ms.Reavis went over the plan showing where two
new signals are planned(Triangle Drive and Fairway Lane) and where one signal is
proposed to be removed. This is the signal that is currently about 650' north of Trilby.
An important issue discovered through the traffic analysis is that there are three
intersections that we cannot get to meet a Level of Service(LOS)D. The only way to get
them above where they are now is to add substantial improvements to the intersection
such as triple left-turn lanes or additional through lanes. Things like that are outside the
scope of our Master Street Plan and outside the scope of"normal"intersection
improvements.
When this is taken forward through the City Council,the Master Street Plan will need to
be amended as part of this. Also,the City,County,and CDOT will require the adoption
of a new,updated Intergovernmental Agreement(IGA)and an amendment process will
be established as part of the IGA. This process can be used over time to update/revise the
corridor plans as necessary and will require agreement among all signatory agencies.
Ms. Reavis stated that the Board's recommendation is requested in order for this project
to move forward. There will be a final public meeting at the end of the month or the first
week of December.
Board Comments/Questions:
Trantham: What happens to Skyway as part of the long-term plan? Reavis: With the
long-tern plan,we're getting away from frontage road system and trying to replace that
with more of a... road or alternative access along the corridor. There will still be
connectivity along the front in terns of interconnected parking lots and service drives,
but the main public connectivity would be along the backside to the collector street. This
is similar to other areas north of Harmony. Mitchell Drive is a good example of that.
Transportation Board
DRAFT Regular Meeting Minutes
November 14,2001 Page 6
Ms. Reavis pointed out that an important fact to keep in mind about South College is that
because it will ultimately be widened to six lanes someday,a portion of the area that is
currently frontage roads may need to be used.
Kramer. A lot of the frontage roads there seem to be in a state of disrepair. Is that the
State's responsibility or is it private property? Reavis: It's a mix. They are not CDOT
frontage roads along South College like they are along Mulberry. But,in some cases,
they are local publicROW so that it could be either a City road or a County road. There
is one portion where it is private. There is still public access,but it is not public ROW.
"There was a motion and a second to recommend approval of theplan aspresented
Discussion: Johnson commended stag on their excellent public outreach efforts.
II,Chaii Ricord stated that staff has risen admirably to the challenge of trying to
integrate as many of the current City values into pre-existing conditions as possible.
• :TTee'inotion carried ananimously.;', .: ,:. _, `, ;, ,
b) NORTFIERN COLORADO TRUCK MOBILITY STUDY—Jackson
Mr.Jackson stated that this item is before the board as an action item this evening
because staff is nearing the last few weeks of this effort. It goes before a City Council
Study Session on December I 1 and for a final hearing on December I8. Therefore, it
was important that the board have a chance to make a statement or recommendation
before then.
At the last board meeting Mr.Jackson laid out the recommendations and the final
findings. Some of the issues that were encountered were very strong feedback from both
Larimer County Commissioners and the Colorado Department of Transportation
Management that drove a lot of the recommendations especially as far as the selection of
remaining routes if you will.
Processwise, staff is doing the last round of public outreach,there were open houses
during this past week,presentations are being done for boards,commissions,the
Chambers of Commerce, etc. Staff is also finishing up final documentation and all the
appendix work.
Since a lot of detail was presented at the last meeting, Chair Ricord requested that Mr.
Jackson only review the non-route-based strategies. Jackson said that the throughout the
effort, the non-route based strategies(NRBS)have been overshadowed a lot of times
when talking about different routes,which is understandable given the emotional content
of showing lines on a map next to someone's property. In a lot of ways,the NRBS are
the things that we can really hang our hats on in this effort We re-established a lot of
really critical contacts, not only with the trucking industry,which is important,but also
with the regulatory enforcement agencies and ports of entry folks to name a couple. A
lot of good things could come out of re-establishing those communications and although
it doesn't solve the entire problem, it does help with some. Mr.Jackson then went over
the NRBS.
RESOLUTION 2002-018
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE SOUTH COLLEGE AVENUE/US 287
ACCESS PLAN UPDATE AND MAKING CORRESPONDING AMENDMENTS
TO THE MASTER STREET PLAN .
WHEREAS, in 1989, the City and the Colorado Department of Transportation ("CDOT")
established the South College Avenue/US 287 Access Plan; and
WHEREAS, since the adoption in 1989 of said Access Plan, the City, in partnership with
CDOT and Larimer County, and utilizing the consulting services of Felsburg, Holt &Ullevig has
developed an update to the South College Avenue/US 287 Access Plan (hereafter referred to as the
"South College Avenue/US 287 Access Plan Update" or "Update'); and
WHEREAS,the fundamental goal of the Update is to balance the local and regional mobility
functions of US 287 with the need to provide local access to adjacent properties in a safe and
equitable manner; and
WHEREAS,the benefits of a successful access plan include the reduction in the number of
accidents, improved traffic flow, reduced vehicular emissions, increased safety for all modes of
transportation,and the creation of a more attractive community corridor and gateway to the City;and
WHEREAS,an extensive public process has been utilized in the development of the Update;
and
WHEREAS,the Council has determined that the South College Avenue/US 287 Access Plan
Update is in the best interest of the citizens of the City because it enhances the fundamental goal of
local and regional mobility of US 287 and provides local access to adjacent properties in a safe and
equitable manner, and, accordingly, serves to benefit the health, safety and welfare of the citizens
of the City; and
WHEREAS, the Council has determined that the Update should be approved;and
WHEREAS, the Update includes certain recommendations for amendments to the Master
Street Plan of the City; and
WHEREAS,the Council has determined that the recommended amendments to the Master
Street Plan are in the best interests of the City and serves to benefit the health, safety and welfare of
the citizens of the City.
NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS as follows:
Section 1. That the South College Avenue/US 287 Access Plan Update,dated February
5,2002,a copy of which Update is on file in the City Clerk's Office,is hereby approved and adopted.
Section 2. That the City of Fort Collins Master Street Plan is hereby amended to reflect
the recommendations contained in the South College Avenue/US 287 Access Plan Update,as shown
on Exhibit "A" attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council held this 5th day of February,
A.D. 2002.
Mayor Pro Tern
ATTEST:
City Clerk
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
PROPOSED MASTER STREET PLAN
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