HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 04/07/2020 - RESOLUTION 2020-034 SUPPORTING THE GRANT APPLICATIAgenda Item 13
Item # 13 Page 1
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY April 7, 2020
City Council
STAFF
David Myers, Land Conservation Manager
Mark Sears, Natural Areas Manager
John Stokes, Natural Resources Director
Tawnya Ernst, Real Estate Specialist III
Ingrid Decker, Legal
SUBJECT
Resolution 2020-034 Supporting the Grant Application for a Special Opportunity Open Space Grant from the
State Board of the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund for the Laramie Foothills Conservation Project.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is to adopt a resolution supporting the Laramie Foothills Conservation Project and the
City and County’s related grant application to the State Board of the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund
(GOCO). GOCO is requesting the resolution from grant applicants to ensure that the applicants are willing and
able to financially participate if the grant is awarded.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
The Laramie Foothills expansion project is an important opportunity for the City and Larimer County to
conserve an additional 3,773 acres adjacent to Soapstone Prairie Natural Area and Red Mountain Open
Space. With Larimer County taking the lead, GOCO accepted the concept paper for GOCO’s 2020 Special
Opportunity Open Space Grant in February. The full application deadline is April 9, 2020.
The original Laramie Foothills project in 2005 conserved more than 50,000 acres including Soapstone Prairie
Natural Area and Red Mountain Open Space - due in part to GOCO’s contribution of $11.6 million. grants.
Both the City and Larimer County identify the Laramie Foothills as a high priority conservation area in their
respective Natural Areas and Open Lands Master Plans. Recently, the City partnered with Larimer County on
the purchase of the 800-acre Red Mountain inholding. Moreover, since 2005 the City has conserved additional
9,919 acres adjacent to Soapstone.
The 3,773 acres proposed for conservation are significant to both Soapstone Prairie and Red Mountain, for
habitat protection and wildlife connectivity. The acreage spans four properties and would include two
conservation easements and two fee purchases. Larimer County is the lead on negotiations for an 884-acre
conservation easement, 980-acre conservation easement, and a 1,029-acre fee purchase, adjacent to Red
Mountain Open Space. The City is the lead in negotiations for an 880-acre fee purchase adjacent to
Soapstone Prairie. It should be noted that GOCO requires that all fee acquisitions have a conservation
easement held by a third party. Therefore, Larimer County will hold a conservation easement on the City’s
880-acre fee acquisition and the City will hold a conservation easement on the County’s 1,029-acre fee
acquisition.
Agenda Item 13
Item # 13 Page 2
The Vicinity Map (Attachment 1) shows the general location of the four properties; the exact locations of the
properties and the names of the landowners are not shown as the negotiations are ongoing.
If the GOCO grant is awarded, staff will ask City Council to adopt a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute
a grant agreement with GOCO, as well as an Intergovernmental Agreement with Larimer County for the
Laramie Foothills Conservation Project. In addition to the resolution, staff will seek adoption of an ordinance
authorizing the conveyance of a conservation easement to Larimer County on property acquired in fee by the
City and the acceptance of a conservation easement to the City on property acquired in fee by Larimer County.
CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS
Total projected budget is $5,316,300. Total projected cost to the City will be $1,609,225. Larimer County will
contribute $2,402,450 and GOCO will contribute $1,304,625 if the grant is awarded. The City’s portion of the
project funding is already appropriated for land conservation and available for expenditure in the Natural Areas
fund.
BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
Timing of the grant application did not allow for a formal vote by the Land Conservation and Stewardship
Board (LCSB). However, the project has been discussed with the LCSB. The LCSB has shown general
support for the project and GOGO grant.
ATTACHMENTS
1. GOCO Vicinity Map (PDF)
144,448
4.6
GOCO Grant Application Vicinity
This map is a user generated static output from the City of Fort Collins FCMaps
Internet mapping site and is for reference only. Data layers that appear on this
map may or may not be accurate, current, or otherwise reliable.
109,748
City of Fort Collins - GIS
3.0
Legend
1:
WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere
0 1.50 3.0 Miles Notes
Conservation Easements
Natural Areas
Natural Area (City of Fort Collins)
State, County or Other Municipal Open Space
Meadow Springs Ranch (City of Fort C
Growth Management Area
City Limits
Citations
ATTACHMENT 1
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RESOLUTION 2020-034
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
SUPPORTING THE GRANT APPLICATION FOR A
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY OPEN SPACE GRANT FROM THE
STATE BOARD OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO TRUST FUND
FOR THE LARAMIE FOOTHILLS CONSERVATION PROJECT
WHEREAS, the City, in partnership with Larimer County, is applying for a Special
Opportunities Open Space Grant from the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund (“GOCO”) to
help fund a joint City/County land acquisition as part of the Laramie Foothills expansion project
(the “Project”); and
WHEREAS, the Project would conserve over 3,500 acres of land adjacent to the
County’s Red Mountain Open Space and the City’s Soapstone Prairie Natural Area; and
WHEREAS, if GOCO awards the grant, the amount of the GOCO grant could be up to
$1,304, 625; and
WHEREAS, the City’s share of matching funds for the Project are already budgeted in
the Natural Areas fund and are available for expenditure on the Project; and
WHEREAS, as part of its grant application process, GOCO requires that the governing
body of any entity applying for grant funds approve of and show its support for the grant
application through a resolution of the governing body; and
WHEREAS, should GOCO award the grant for this Project, City staff will ask the City
Council, by a separate resolution, to authorize the City to enter into a grant agreement with
GOCO and an intergovernmental agreement with the County for the Project.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT COLLINS as follows:
Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and
findings contained in the recitals set forth above.
Section 2. That in light of the foregoing, the City Council hereby supports and
approves of the City and County applying for a GOCO Special Opportunity Open Space Grant to
benefit the Laramie Foothills Expansion Project.
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Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 7th
day of April, A.D. 2020.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_____________________________
City Clerk