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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 11/20/2001 - RESOLUTION 2001-158 EXPRESSING THE CITY COUNCILS E AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 21 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL DATE: November 20,2001 STAFF: Joh.1 Fischbach SUBJECT: Resolution 2001-158 Expressing the City Council's Endorsement of the Larimer County Open Lands Master Plan and Urging the Approval of Said Plan by the Board of County Commissioners of Larimer County. RECOMMENDATION: Staff and the Natural Resources Advisory Board have reviewed the Master Plan and recommend that the Council formally endorse the plan. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Larimer County will be responsible for all costs associated with the Master Plan; however, opportunities may arise for the City to partner with Latimer County on the acquisition of lands that will directly benefit the City. Over the past five years the City and County have partnered together to protect several thousand acres. 10 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The development of the Latimer County Open Lands Master Plan has been a year-long citizen driven process. Considerable time and effort have been expended to ensure that Courtly residents including City of Fort Collins residents had ample opportunity to give input and receive information about the master plan. This effort is reflected in the large amount of public participation received throughout the planning process. BACKGROUND: Development and preparation of the Open Lands Master Plan began in late 2000. The Open Lands Master Plan is an update to the 1993 Larimer County Parks Comprehensive Parks Master Plan. The Open Lands Master Plan focuses on the specific goals and mission of the Open Lands Program within the Parks and Open Lands Department and is a guide and vision for land protection efforts and regional trail projects. The Open Lands Master Plan was prepared using a participatory process including four public meetings and over 35 meetings with local boards, commissions and non-profit agencies throughout the project. In addition, a scientific citizen survey was conducted and three separate newsletters were mailed to county residents at various stages of the planning process. DATE: November 20, 2001 2 ITEM NUMBER: 21 The Open Lands Master Plan highlights important resource and agricultural areas for protection and regional trail corridors for the future vision of the Open Lands Program. These areas were determined based upon resource mapping, review of past studies and public input. The areas and trails noted in the plan are schematic and not all of the lands within the important resource and agricultural areas will be protected. The Open Lands Program will continue to work only with willing landowners and will use a combination of fee simple and conservation easements to achieve land protection goals. Additional elements of the plan include explanations of the acquisition process, property evaluation, agricultural land evaluation and assessment, management planning process, development review, partnerships, financial information including revenues, funds, and income projections, the volunteer program, small grants program, educational components and resource research and mapping. i RESOLUTION 2001-158 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS EXPRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL'S ENDORSEMENT OF THE LARIMER COUNTY OPEN LANDS MASTER PLAN AND URGING THE APPROVAL OF SAID PLAN BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LARIMER COUNTY WHEREAS, in Fall 2000, Larimer County staff began the planning process to update Larimer County's 1993 master plan for parks,which addressed the need for the County to establish an open space program; and WHEREAS, working with the planning consultant DHM Design Corporation, Larimer County staff has developed a proposed Latimer County Open Lands Master Plan, dated October 2001 (the "Master Plan"), which plan has been the subject of extensive public outreach, comment and input; and WHEREAS,in addition to numerous public meetings,Latimer County has surveyed County residents to further identify issues, concerns and preferences regarding open space and regional trails, has disseminated newletters to the public regarding the planning process and the proposed Master Plan, and has gathered citizen input on setting of priorities for protection strategies and regional trails; and WHEREAS, on November 15, 2001, the Larimer County Open Lands Advisory Board considered the Master Plan and recommended approval of the Master Plan to the County Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners; and WHEREAS, the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County have in the past and continue to work closely on land conservation efforts, including the preservation of lands that have been identified as critical community separators consistent with the Intergovernmental Plan for the Region Between Fort Collins and Loveland previously entered into by the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County,and the City of Loveland,in accordance with Resolution 95-82, adopted by the:Council on June 20, 1995 (the"Joint Plan for the Region"); and WHEREAS,the City of Fort Collins has entered into a number of joint property purchases, planning agreements and other related intergovernmental agreements with Larimer County,as well as with the City of Loveland,many of which advance the general purposes of the Joint Plan for the Region; and WHEREAS,the Master Plan incorporates the objectives and priorities of the Joint Plan for the Region, including the identification of key separator properties to be preserved in order to advance the goals and objectives of the Joint Plan for the Region; and WHEREAS, the Master Plan reflects the overwhelming support for open lands protection that has been expressed by Larimer County voters, including in particular Fort Collins voters, through their support oftwo separate ballot initiatives for Larimer County open space tag:provisions; and WHEREAS,the Master Plan is consistent with the high priority that the City has assigned to land conservation and complements the City's Natural Areas Policy Plan and City Natural Areas programs; and WHEREAS, the adoption of the Master Plan by the Board of County Commissioners of Larimer County will help to facilitate the ongoing cooperative efforts of the City and Larimer County in the area of land conservation, and will further advance the Joint Plan for the Region and the various existing intergovernmental agreements between the City and Larimer County in this regard. NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that the City Council hereby endorses the Larimer County Open Lands Master Plan,dated October 2001,and urges the County Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners to adopt the Master Plan in accordance with the recommendation of the Larimer County Open Lands Advisory Board. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council held this 20th day of November, A.D. 2001. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk