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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 03/05/2013 - ITEMS RELATING TO THE STATE HIGHWAY 14-MULBERRY PEDATE: March 5, 2013 STAFF: Jason Stutzman Craig Foreman AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 10 SUBJECT Items Relating to the State Highway 14-Mulberry Pedestrian Bridge Relocation Project for the Poudre Trail. A. Resolution 2013-016 Authorizing the Mayor to Execute an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation to Receive Funding for the State Highway 14 - Mulberry Pedestrian Bridge Relocation Project for the Poudre Trail. B. First Reading of Ordinance No. 034, 2013, Appropriating Unanticipated Revenue from the Colorado Department of Transportation into the Mulberry to Lemay Pedestrian Bridge-Poudre Trail project in the Capital Projects Fund. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City’s Engineering and Park Planning Departments were awarded a grant from the federally funded North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization totaling $368,000 for the relocation of two existing steel pedestrian bridges and the construction of a new concrete section of the Poudre trail. The general vicinity of the project is between Mulberry Street and Lemay Avenue, along the north side of the Poudre River. This project will build the trail, bridge abutments and piers to receive one of the relocated pedestrian bridges. Adoption of the Ordinance appropriates the grant money for the project and adoption of the Resolution authorizes the Mayor to sign the grant agreement. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will be replacing the Highway 14 (Mulberry Street) bridge over the Poudre River near Lemay Avenue beginning in late 2013. Immediately adjacent to the current roadway bridge are two City-owned steel pedestrian bridges. The new roadway bridge will include bike lanes and sidewalks so the pedestrian bridges will no longer be needed at this location. CDOT will relocate the pedestrian bridges at its expense. One of the bridges will be reused as part of this project. Trail users at Lemay Avenue currently must use on-road bike lanes or sidewalks to continue on the Poudre Trail east of Lemay. This route includes steep access ramps off Lemay Avenue near Riverside Avenue. The new concrete trail (1,100 feet in length) will connect the existing trail from the underpass at Mulberry Street to a new trail underpass at Lemay Avenue, continuing east to the new relocated pedestrian bridge spanning the Poudre River and connecting back to the existing trail downstream of Lemay. This trail realignment project eliminates the steep grades of the existing access to the trail at Lemay Avenue, provides continuous trail connectivity along this section and will improve the overall enjoyment for trail users. FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACTS The City was awarded a grant from the federally funded North Front Range MPO totaling $368,000. This grant will contribute significantly towards building new trail bridge abutments and piers to receive one of the relocated pedestrian bridges. The estimated total construction cost of State HWY 14 - Mulberry Pedestrian Bridge Relocation Project for the Poudre Trail is $530,000. The City’s share of the cost ($162,000) is available in the Conservation Trust Fund. Federal Funds $ 368,000 Local Agency Matching Funds (Conservation Trust) $ 92,000 Local Agency Overmatch Funds (Conservation Trust) $ 70,000 Total Project Funds $ 530,000 March 5, 2013 -2- ITEM 10 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS The new trail and bridge alignments have been located to minimize disturbance to the river environment. The portion of the trail alignment within the City Owned Springer/Williams Natural Area has been coordinated with Natural Areas staff and no significant environmental impacts were identified. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading and the Resolution. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION The Parks and Recreation Board and Land Conservation Stewardship Board were briefed on the State Highway 14 - Mulberry Pedestrian Bridge Relocation project during 2012 and 2013. PUBLIC OUTREACH The Project Team has met with property owners adjacent to the new pedestrian bridge location. The description of the project will be posted on the City website. Public outreach will be intensified prior to, and during trail construction to inform trail users of the impacts of the project on their use of this trail section. ATTACHMENTS 1. Project Area Map A 2. Parks and Recreation Board minutes, October 24, 2012 3. Land Conservation & Stewardship Board minutes, January 9, 2013 ATTACHMENT 1 Breeze-Thru Car Wash Questions regarding encroaching into the Poudre River Buffer May 2, 2012 1 Agnew Car Wash/Breeze-Thru Car Wash May 2, 2012 Meeting Summary Questions regarding encroaching into the Poudre River Buffer In attendance: City staff: Peter Barnes, Craig Foreman, Marsha Hilmes-Robinson, and Lindsay Ex Owners and Representatives: Andrea Agnew, John Agnew, Genise Agnew, Deanne Fredrickson, David K., and Larry Owen Applicant Proposal: • The Breeze-Thru Car Wash owners expressed that they have run out of vacuum space for their clientele. AS the City wants to move the bike path onto their property, they were wondering if they could revise their site plan to increase the efficiency of their users’ circulation. • The expansion of the site plan footprint would keep the same number of pay stations, but would further encroach into the buffer zone. The applicants asked if any level of increased landscaping or off-site mitigation would be allowed. • The applicant also indicated they were concerned about the trail being so close to their business and the possibility of vandalism, etc. Craig Foreman addressed this issue with a few details about the trails’ operations and timing, and he provided them with his contact information in case any additional concerns arise. Staff Response: • City staff noted that the buffer at this carwash was already significantly reduced (from 300’ to 90’), and that any further encroachment would not be supported by staff. Staff would not support increased landscaping or off-site mitigation. In addition, Lindsay noted that the trail is an allowable use within a buffer zone (see Section 3.4.1 of the Land Use Code), but pay stations are not. • Peter Barnes indicated that, if the proposal is deemed to be a “change in character” to the existing site plan, then a Major Amendment would be required (see Section 2.2.10(B) of the Land Use Code). • If the applicants were to pursue this Major Amendment, staff would move forward with a recommendation of denial to the Hearing Officer. If the Hearing Officer upheld staff’s recommendation and denied the application, the applicants could appeal their case to City Council. • Marsha Hilmes-Robinson noted that if the applicants do wish to proceed, that the use they are proposing is an allowable use within the floodplain. A floodplain use permit and $25 permit fee would be required. The pay station would need to be floodproofed or be elevated 2 feet above the 100-year flood elevation. All floodplain checklist items including showing the floodplain boundary would need to be included on the plans. Discussion Outcomes: • When the applicant asked if there was anyone else to talk to about this, Lindsay said she had already discussed this with her supervisor (Laurie Kadrich) and that Laurie indicated that if the project were to move forward, she would be supportive of staff’s recommendation of denial. • No next steps were discussed at the meeting. ATTACHMENT 2 ATTACHMENT 3 RESOLUTION 2013-016 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO RECEIVE FUNDING FOR THE STATE HIGHWAY 14 - MULBERRY PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE RELOCATION PROJECT FOR THE POUDRE TRAIL WHEREAS, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will be replacing the Highway 14 (Mulberry Street) bridge over the Poudre River near Lemay Avenue commencing in late 2013; and WHEREAS, immediately adjacent to the current roadway bridge are two City-owned steel pedestrian bridges which will no longer be needed at this location because the new highway bridge will include bike lanes and sidewalks; and WHEREAS, CDOT will relocate the pedestrian bridges at its expense; and WHEREAS, the Poudre River Trail in the vicinity of the intersection of Lemay Avenue and Mulberry Street includes steep access ramps and would benefit by the installation of one of the steel pedestrian bridges for a new trail underpass at Lemay Avenue; and WHEREAS, the City was awarded a grant from the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization in federal funds in the amount of $368,000 for the purpose of constructing new trail bridge abutments and piers in order to receive one of the relocated steel pedestrian bridges; and WHEREAS, the City has sufficient funds available in the Conservation Trust Fund in the amount of $162,000 to supplement the grant from the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization in order to completely fund the project in the amount of $530,000; and WHEREAS, the new trail and bridge abutments have been located to minimize the disturbance to the river environment and have been coordinated with the Natural Areas staff such that no significant environmental impacts will occur; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that the intergovernmental agreement with CDOT should be executed for the purpose of receiving funding for the bridge relocation project in the vicinity of State Highway 14 and the Poudre River. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that the Mayor is hereby authorized to execute an intergovernmental agreement with Colorado Department of Transportation to receive funding for the State Highway 14 - Mulberry Pedestrian Bridge Relocation Project for the Poudre Trail for the purpose of receiving funding from the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization in the amount of $368,000 with City matching and overmatching funds to be made available from the Conservation Trust Fund in the amount of $162,000 for a total project cost of $530,000. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 5th day of March, A.D. 2013. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk ORDINANCE NO. 034, 2013 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING UNANTICIPATED REVENUE FROM THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INTO THE MULBERRY TO LEMAY PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE - POUDRE TRAIL PROJECT IN THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND WHEREAS, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will be replacing the Highway 14 (Mulberry Street) bridge over the Poudre River near Lemay Avenue beginning in late 2013; and WHEREAS, the new roadway bridge will include bike lanes and sidewalks, and the two City- owned steel pedestrian bridges at this location will no longer be needed; and WHEREAS, CDOT has agreed to relocate the pedestrian bridges at its expense; and WHEREAS, one of the two bridges will be reused as part of this project and the other will be set aside for use in a future project; and WHEREAS, a new concrete trail will be built to connect the existing trail from the underpass at Mulberry Street to a new trail underpass at Lemay Avenue, which will continue east to the City’s relocated pedestrian bridge spanning the Poudre River and connect back to the existing trail downstream of Lemay; and WHEREAS, this trail realignment project will eliminate the steep grades of the existing access to the trail at Lemay Avenue and provide continuous trail connectivity along this section to improve the overall enjoyment for trail users; and WHEREAS, the City has received a federal grant through the North Front Range Metropolitan Planing Organization (NFRMPO), totaling $368,000, for the Mulberry to Lemay Pedestrian Bridge - Poudre Trail Project; and WHEREAS, the grant requires matching funds and overmatching funds in the amount of $162,000, which are available from existing appropriations in the Conservation Trust Fund - Trail Acquisition and Development; and WHEREAS, the estimated total construction cost for building the new trail bridge abutments and piers to support the relocated pedestrian bridge is $530,000; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9, of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins 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 have 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. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that there is hereby appropriated for expenditure from unanticipated revenue in the Capital Projects Fund the sum of THREE HUNDRED SIXTY-EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS ($368,000) for the Mulberry to Lemay Pedestrian Bridge-Poudre Trail project in the Capital Projects Fund. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 5th day of March, A.D. 2013, and to be presented for final passage on the 19th day of March, A.D. 2013. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 19th day of March, A.D. 2013. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk