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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 02/21/2012 - ITEMS RELATING TO THE NORTH COLLEGE IMPROVEMENTS PDATE: February 21, 2012 STAFF: Kyle Lambrecht Rick Richter AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 13 SUBJECT Items Relating to the North College Improvements Project - Conifer Street to Willox Lane. A. Resolution 2012-008 Authorizing the Execution of an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation for Funding for the North College Improvements Project - Conifer Street to Willox Lane. B. First Reading of Ordinance No. 016, 2012, Appropriating Unanticipated Grant Revenue in the Capital Projects Fund and Appropriating Prior Year Reserves and Authorizing the Transfer of Existing Appropriations in the Keep Fort Collins Great Fund for the North College Improvements Project - Conifer Street to Willox Lane. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO) has awarded the City of Fort Collins $2,039,000 in federal funds to design improvements, and begin rights-of-way acquisition along North College Avenue between Conifer Street and Willox Lane. This Resolution authorizes the Mayor to sign an intergovernmental agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) authorizing the City of Fort Collins to receive this funding. The Ordinance will appropriate fiscal year 2012 federal funds into the Capital Project Fund for use on the North College Improvements Project – Conifer to Willox. Keep Fort Collins Great (KFCG) funds are intended to be used as the local funds required for the project as per the intergovernmental agreement with CDOT. This project is one of the highest ranked roadway projects in the City’s Capital Improvements Plan. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION North College Avenue, also known as US Highway 287, is a major north-south, four lane arterial that runs through north Fort Collins, providing both local and regional connectivity. Through previous planning efforts, City staff identified the need to enhance the northern gateway to the city, improve multimodal travel while accommodating the large volume of interstate truck traffic, and to address aging utility infrastructure and drainage issues. There was also a desire to establish a strong connection between the growing North College corridor and the rest of the community, in particular, the historic Old Town area as well as the locally and regionally significant Poudre River bicycle/pedestrian trail. The portion of North College Avenue north of Conifer Street to Willox Lane is typical of older state highway corridors; it was constructed over many years in a fragmented approach aimed at accommodating development, minor roadway improvements, and increased traffic flows. North College is, within this section, a four-lane highway with a striped center left turn lane, has partially paved shoulders, sporadic curb and gutter, occasional drainage swales, discontinuous sidewalks, no on-street bike lanes, and minimal defined accesses. Much of this section of North College lacks defined business access points, creating a dangerous traveling environment, as well as impacting vehicular flow for a defined truck route. In addition to high automobile and truck traffic volumes, many pedestrians and cyclists use North College to access residential, employment, and commercial destinations. Through previous improvement projects, much of the North College Corridor either has been constructed, or will be constructed, to current City of Fort Collins street standards by the end of 2012. The section of North College from Conifer Street to Willox Lane will be the only remaining section of North College within the city limits to be constructed to complete the City’s vision for the corridor. In the summer of 2011, the NFRMPO awarded the City of Fort Collins $2,039,000 in federal funds to design improvements and begin rights-of-way acquisition along North College Avenue between Conifer Street and Willox Lane. The funding will be available over a four year period. Of the total federal funds received for this project, $1,426,000 is currently available for use by the City. Per the intergovernmental agreement, $326,481 is required from the City in 2012 as local match and over-match funds. February 21, 2012 -2- ITEM 13 Goals for the roadway and streetscape improvements along North College Avenue between Conifer Street and Willox Lane include: • Creating a safe and effective travel corridor for all users including bicycles, pedestrians, transit users, passenger vehicles, and heavy vehicles. • Defining access points as highlighted in the US 287/SH14 Access Management Report. • Maintaining compatibility with utilities, including stormwater, water, sewer, power, and communications. • Supporting the economic viability of the project area. • Upgrading the image of the North College Corridor while minimizing impacts to existing infrastructure. • Maintaining compatibility with the intent of previous local planning efforts. All of the planned improvements along North College Avenue will be designed in accordance with previous planning efforts: the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards (LCUASS), the CDOT Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, the US 287/SH14 Access Management Report, and the North College Corridor Plan. FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACTS Ordinance No. 016, 2012, will authorize the appropriation of fiscal year 2012 Federal Grant Funds into the City of Fort Collins Capital Project Fund to begin the design and right-of-way acquisition phases for the North College Improvements Project – Conifer to Willox. The following is a summary of the funding appropriation: Funding Summary (FY 2012) Total Federal Funds $1,426,000 Local Agency Matching Funds (2011 unspent KFCG Funds) $226,000 Local Agency Match and Overmatch Funds (2012 budgeted KFCG Funds) $100,481 Total Budgeted Funds $1,752,481 The North College Improvements Project – Conifer to Willox was awarded a total of $2,039,000 from the NFRMPO. The following is an anticipated schedule summary of the federal funding awarded to the project: FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 TOTAL Federal Funds $1,426,000 $174,000 $19,000 $420,000 $2,039,000 One of the primary goals of this project is to support the economic viability of the project area by upgrading the image and safety of the North College Corridor, while minimizing impacts to existing infrastructure. This is consistent with adopted long-term plans for the area, including the North College Corridor Plan (2007) and Fort Collins City Plan (2011). The project will address these goals through the design and construction of multimodal improvements, urban design features, the consolidation and definition of accesses, and other improvements which target and encourage redevelopment. The awarded federal funds will enable design development as well as partial right-of-way acquisition. At this time no funds have been identified for construction. With a completed design, the project will be in a position to compete for potential construction funding. The completion of these improvements will provide an economic benefit to the North College area as well as to the City of Fort Collins as a whole with increased property values and sales tax collection. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS The project will have a positive impact on long-term air and storm water quality. The addition of improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities will increase the number of people walking and biking along North College Avenue, resulting in a clearly definable air quality improvement. The utility upgrades in this project include improvements to the stormwater distribution system. Stormwater will ultimately be piped to water quality ponds where suspended solids and February 21, 2012 -3- ITEM 13 hydrocarbon contaminants from roadway drainage will be removed prior to discharge into receiving waters. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution and of the Ordinance on First Reading. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION The Transportation Board will receive updates as the project progresses. PUBLIC OUTREACH The North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization has received a project overview presentation resulting in awarding federal funds to the project. The project team plans significant public outreach throughout the project, including public open houses, individual meetings with property owners, regular updates to the North Fort Collins Business Association, and project updates to be posted on the project’s website, http://www.fcgov.com/engineering/ncollege.php. ATTACHMENTS 1. Location Map ÉZYXW ÉZYXW ³I ÕZYXW Project Location Map ¥ North College Avenue - Conifer Street to Willox Lane 0 750 1,500 3,000 Feet 1:10,825 North College Avenue Improvement Area E Vine Dr Conifer St Hickory St Willox Ln Willox Ln N College Ave Cache la Poudre River Legend City Limits ATTACHMENT 1 RESOLUTION 2012-008 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR FUNDING FOR THE NORTH COLLEGE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT - CONIFER STREET TO WILLOX LANE WHEREAS, North College Avenue is a major four-lane arterial that also serves as the gateway to the northern part of the City and provides both local and regional connectivity; and WHEREAS, City staff has identified a need to enhance the northern gateway by improving multi-modal travel and accommodating a large volume of interstate truck traffic as well as addressing the aging utility infrastructure and drainage issues along the route; and WHEREAS, the City also desires to establish a strong connection between the North College corridor and the historic Old Town area as well as the Poudre River bicycle/pedestrian trail; and WHEREAS, in furtherance of these goals, the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO) has awarded the City $2,039,000 in federal funds to design improvements and commence right-of-way acquisition along North College Avenue between Conifer Street and Willox Lane, which project is one of the highest ranked roadway projects in the City’s Capital Improvements Plan; and WHEREAS, the intergovernmental agreement is to be entered into between the City and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), which intergovernmental agreement calls for City matching funds in the sum of $326,481; and WHEREAS, all of the planned improvements along North College Avenue will be designed in accordance with the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards, the CDOT Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction and the US 287/SH 14 Access Management Report as well as the North College Corridor Plan. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that the Mayor is hereby authorized to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with CDOT in order to provide federal funding to the City in support of the North College Improvement Project between Conifer Street and Willox Lane in the sum of $2,039,000, with City matching funds in the sum of $326,481. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 21st day of February, A.D. 2012. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk ORDINANCE NO. 016, 2012 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING UNANTICIPATED GRANT REVENUE IN THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND AND APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES AND AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF EXISTING APPROPRIATIONS IN THE KEEP FORT COLLINS GREAT FUND FOR THE NORTH COLLEGE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT- CONIFER STREET TO WILLOX LANE WHEREAS, as a result of previous capital improvement projects, much of North College Avenue has been reconstructed or will be reconstructed to current City street standards by the end of 2012; and WHEREAS, the section of North College Avenue from Conifer Street to Willox Lane is the remaining section of North College Avenue, within the City limits, that does not meet current City street standards; and WHEREAS, this portion of North College Avenue is a four-lane highway with a striped center left turn lane, partially paved shoulders, sporadic curb and gutter, occasional drainage swales, discontinuous sidewalks, no bike lanes, and undefined access to local business; and WHEREAS, the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization awarded the City $2,039,000 in federal funds through the Colorado Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) to be received over four years to design improvements and begin right-of-way acquisition for the North College Improvements Project - Conifer Street to Willox Lane (the “Project”); and WHEREAS, the City Council has adopted Resolution 2012-008 authorizing the City to enter into a contract with CDOT for the Project; and WHEREAS, $1,426,000 of the funds will be available for the Project in fiscal year 2012 and the City will need to provide local matching funds in the amount of $326,481 for the Project; and WHEREAS, $226,000 in matching funds is available in reserves in the Keep Fort Collins Great Fund and an additional $100,481 is available for transfer to the Project from existing appropriations in such fund for transportation capital needs; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9, of the City Charter permits the City Council to make supplemental appropriations by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year, provided that the total amount of such supplemental appropriations, in combination with all previous appropriations for that fiscal year, does not exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received during the fiscal year; and WHEREAS, City staff has determined that the appropriation of the revenue as described herein will not cause the total amount appropriated in the Capital Projects Fund to exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received in that fund during any fiscal year; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9 of the City Charter permits the City Council to appropriate by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year such funds for expenditure as may be available from reserves accumulated in prior years, notwithstanding that such reserves were not previously appropriated. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That there is hereby appropriated from unanticipated federal grant revenue in the Capital Projects Fund the sum of ONE MILLION FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY-SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,426,000) for expenditure on the Project. Section 2. That there is hereby appropriated for expenditure from prior year reserves in the Keep Fort Collins Great Fund the sum of TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS ($226,000) for expenditure on the Project. Section 3. That the unexpended appropriated amount of ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE DOLLARS ($100,481) is authorized for transfer from the Keep Fort Collins Great Fund operating budget to the Project. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 21st day of February, A.D. 2012, and to be presented for final passage on the 6th day of March, A.D. 2012. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 6th day of March, A.D. 2012. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ Chief Deputy City Clerk