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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 09/04/2001 - POSTPONEMENT OF SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 13 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 17 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL DATE: September 4, 2001FROM: Mark Sears SUBJECT : Postponement of Second Reading of Ordinance No. 136,2001,Authorizing the Conveyance ofNon- exclusive Easement Interests for the Construction of a Sixteen Inch Water Line by the Fort Collins—Loveland Water District on Portions of Coyote Ridge Natural Area, McKee Farm Open Space, and Long View Farm Natural Area,to September 18, 2001. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends postponing adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading to September 18,2001. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Fort Collins-Loveland Water District has planned since 1986 to construct water storage tanks on the land now known as Coyote Ridge and a water pipeline to the tanks across Longview Farm Open Land, McKee Farm Open Land and Coyote Ridge Natural Area. These parcels are owned either by the City of Fort Collins alone or in partnership with Larimer County and Loveland. The pipeline is needed to supply water to existing and projected growth within the District's existing Service Area. Ordinance No. 136, 2001, was adopted 5-2 on First Reading on August 21, 2001, authorizing the necessary easements for the construction of a sixteen inch water line on portions of Coyote Ridge Natural Area,McKee Farm Open Space and the Long View Farm Natural Area. Staff is waiting on result of the appraisal to determine the compensation and recommends Second Reading of this Ordinance be postponed to September 18, 2001. AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 45 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL DATE: August 21, 2001 STAFF: Mark Sears SUBJECT: First Reading of Ordinance No. 136,2001,Authorizing the Conveyance ofNon-exclusive Easement Interests for the Construction of a Sixteen Inch Water Line by the Fort Collins—Loveland Water District on Portions of Coyote Ridge Natural Area,McKee Farm Open Space,and Long View Farm Natural Area. RECOMMENDATION: Staff and the Natural Resources Advisory Board recommend adoption of the:Ordinance on First Reading. This easement request meets the new Natural Areas Easement Policy, with one eacception; recommending that 14 the application fee be waived.Negotiations with the District on this easement predate 6R of the policy and therefore the application fee was never part of the negotiations FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Fort Collins-Loveland Water District will beKresponsible for all costs associated with the construction of the water pipeline and restoration of disturbed areas. The District has agreed to pay fair market value as compensation for the temporary construction easements and the permanent easements. This value will be determined prior to second reading. Staff recommends waiving the application fee. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Fort Collins-Loveland Water District has planned since 1986 to construct water storage tanks on the land now known as Coyote Ridge and a water pipeline to the tanks across Longview Farm Open Land, McKee Farm Open Land and Coyote Ridge Natural Area. These parcels are owned either by the City of Fort Collins alone or in partnership with Larimer County and Loveland. The pipeline is needed to supply water to existing and projected growth within the District's existing Service Area. After eighteen months of negotiations and analyzing many alternative tank locations and water line alignments the City, County and the District have reached agreement on a proposed alignment.The proposed easements would allow the construction of the new water pipeline across the Longview Farm Open Land, the McKee Farm Open Land,the Coyote Ridge Natural Area, and the Larimer County Landfill. The proposed pipeline alignment minimizes the impact to the natural areas and open lands. The watertank location on the Larimer County Landfill, which will become a natural area in the future, minimizes the visual impact for nearby property owners, natural area users, and motorists on Taft Hill Road as well as minimizing the impact on the natural areas. (See attached maps.) A copy of the temporary and permanent easement forms that the District has agreed to sign are on file in the City Clerks Office. The final temporary and permanent easements will be completed and signed prior to second reading. DATE: August 21, 2001 2 ITEM NUMBER: 45 BACKGROUND: The Fort Collins-Loveland Water District is a political subdivision of the State of Colorado,formed to provide water service to urban areas in south Fort Collins, north Loveland and areas of unincorporated Larimer County between the two cities. The District obtains its water from Horsetooth Reservoir,treats the water at its Soldier Canyon Treatment Plant,and transports it to its service area via a series of pipelines. The District completed a master plan for its future facilities in 1986. Among the future facilities identified in this plan were water storage tanks on the land now known as Coyote Ridge and a water pipeline to the tanks across Longview Farm0gen Land,McKee Farm Open Land and Coyote Ridge Natural Area. The storage tanks and water lute would serve developments east of Shields Street and south of Trilby Road. Melody Homes, the developer of Ridgewood Hills, east of Shields and south of Trilby is the first developer to need the additional water storage. Therefore they are "y " e District to construct the first of what may ultimately be three-one million gallon wa "" and the distribution water line to connect the tank to their development. The water line an torage will be needed by future developments east and south elds and Trilby. The ,htis requested a 100-foot wide temporary construction easemenC"ardaU-foot wide permanent easement for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the water pipeline. The proposed water line alignment starts on the Ridgewood Hills Development. It then goes south onto the Longview Farm Open Land, which is owned jointly by Larimer County, City of Loveland and the City of Fort Collins. The line proceeds west across a portion of the Longview Farm that is owned entirely by the County. The Imelhen crosses the Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad, a small parcel of land owned by 'Mark Powell,and then across Shields Street. Once under Shields Street the water line will proceed west along the northern boundary of McKee Farm Open Land, which is owned by the City of Fort Collins. Just before Taft Hill Road the line will turn and go north across Coyote Ridge,which is owned by the City of Fort Collins,parallel to and just east of Taft Hill Road for approximately 3/4 of a mile. At that point it will cross Taft Hill Road and then proceed north across Coyote Ridge,`which is owned jointly by the County and the City,just west of and parallel to Taft Hill Road. The water line will cross Trilby Road on to the Larimer County Landfill, which is owned by the County. The`water line will proceed west along the north side of Trilby Road on the>County's landfill property 'for approximately 3/4 mile. The water line will then head northwest approximately 1,000'to the tank site,which is also on the County's landfill property.(See attached map.) City Natural Resources staff and County Open Lands staff have worked closely with the District to determine the recommended location for the tank and the water line alignment. Staff considered the ecologie'al impacts of the water line alignment and the tank location, the visual impacts of the tank location, and the needs of the district for pipeline and tank construction and operation. City Natural Resources staff and County Open lands staff feel that the proposed watertank location on the Larimer County Landfill, which will become a natural area in the future, minimizes the visual impact for nearby property owners, natural area users, and motorists on Taft Hill Road as well as minimizing the impact on the natural areas. At staff s request the District and Developer analyzed four alternative tank locations and more than four water line alignments. The first tank location proposed was the original location on Coyote Ridge as was shown on the 1986 Master Plan. This location was not acceptable to City and County staff due to its proximity to the newly open Coyote Ridge Trail and the extreme impacts to the DATE: August 21, 2001 3 ITEM NUMBER: 45 natural area. The second tank location considered was on private property south of Trilby Road. The tank location would have been acceptable,however the water line alignment to the tank would have crossed diagonally through Coyote Ridge Natural Area causing extreme impacts to the natural area. The third location considered was the site now being proposed on the Larimer County Landfill. The fourth tank location was on the Ridgewood Hills development. This location would have required the construction of an elevated tank. The construction of the first one million gallon tank would have been very high priced and aesthetically displeasing to the area residents as well as motorists on College Avenue and Shields Street. The construction of the second tank and possibly the third tank in the future made this alternative totally unreasonable in terms of costs, maintenance and especially aesthetics. Two water line alignments from the proposed tank location were considered. The one now being proposed and another which would have gone east on Trilby to Shields, down Shields a mile and then across the Longview Farm Open land as is being proposed nOw Thelatea,option would have been extremely expensive, caused Trilby and Shields to be tom up and the roads closed for several months. The proposed tank location is just north of Trilby Road and sits between two hogbacks. The one million gallon tank will be 38' high and 80' wide and will be painted a sage green color to blend in with the surrounding native vegetation. The hogback to the east will partially block the view of the tank from Taft Hill Road. Less than 20' of the tank will be visible from the east. The hogback to the west will partially block the view of the tank from the few homes west of the tank. Approximately 30' of the tank will be visible to the west. The option of burying the tank was discussed with the District.The ecological impact would be similar to that of an above ground tank, and the cost for construction would have been more than double, therefore the District was not willing to consider building an underground tank. In addition to the design considerations for locating the pipeline, Natural Resources staff developed additional provisions that are included in the easement and on the plans for resource protection during construction and for restoration of the property following construction. Some of the more significant measures include the following: • Ecological characterization study to determine if plant or wildlife species of concern are present. Construction is then scheduled to avoid or minimize the impact on the species found and p sensitive plants are removed for transplanting following construction. • Use of construction fencing to limit construction activity to the easements. • Erosion control. • Maintain good communication with Natural Resources representative prior to, during, and following construction to assure that the resource protection measures are being implemented correctly. • Segregation of topsoil from disturbed areas. • Replace topsoil and reseed the disturbed areas per Natural Resources specifications. • Payment of fees for the City to take over the ongoing management of the revegetation. • Natural Resources must accept the restoration before the Contractor is relieved of responsibility by the District. DATE: August 21, 2001 4 ITEM NUMBER: 45 With these resource protection measures in place, staff recommends approval of the proposed easements. Construction of the new water line will have an impact on the following public lands: Longview Open land,the McKee Farm Open land,the Coyote Ridge Natural Area,and the Larimer County Landfill. However,the pipeline is an essential public facility that has been anticipated for 15 years. The District has worked with City staff to locate the pipeline appropriately and to implement the appropriate resource protection measures. s. x n. M -W i