HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 04/07/2020 - POSTPONEMENT OF SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 04Agenda Item 16
Item # 16 Page 1
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY April 7, 2020
City Council
STAFF
Cameron Gloss, Planning Manager
Brad Yatabe, Legal
SUBJECT
Postponement of Second Reading of Ordinance No. 044, 2020, Updating the Harmony Corridor Plan for the
Gateway Area and the Harmony Corridor Standards and Guidelines to May 19, 2020.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff requests this item be postponed to May 19, 2020 in order to prioritize Council agenda items and in light of
the public participation expected for this item.
This Ordinance, adopted on First Reading on March 3, 2020, by a vote of 4-2 (Nays: Summers, Troxell;
Gorgol absent) amends the Harmony Corridor Plan and the Harmony Corridor Standards and Guidelines by
adopting revised Plan polices, standards and guidelines pertaining to the “gateway” area located west of I-25.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
During the City Council discussion at First Reading of the Ordinance, some Councilmembers discussed the
possibility of the City staff and the major “Gateway” area property owner continuing a dialogue about land
conservation strategies. No additional discussions with the major property owner have taken place since the
time of the hearing on March 3.
ATTACHMENTS
1. First Reading Agenda Item Summary, March 3, 2020 (w/o attachments) (PDF)
2. Ordinance. No. 044, 2020 (PDF)
Agenda Item 8
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AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY March 3, 2020
City Council
STAFF
Cameron Gloss, Planning Manager
Brad Yatabe, Legal
SUBJECT
First Reading of Ordinance No, 044, 2020, Updating the Harmony Corridor Plan for the Gateway Area and the
Harmony Corridor Standards and Guidelines.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is to consider a request to amend the Harmony Corridor Plan and the Harmony Corridor
Standards and Guidelines by adopting revised Plan polices, standards and guidelines pertaining to the ‘gateway’
area located west of I-25.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This is a staff-proposed update of the Harmony Corridor Plan, a policy plan, and the Harmony Corridor Standards
and Guidelines, a document that sets forth binding development standards. The Harmony Corridor Plan and
the Harmony Corridor Standards and Guidelines were originally adopted in 1991 and have been amended from
time to time, most recently in 2006. The changes revise Plan polices and development standards and guidelines
pertaining to the gateway area located west of the intersection of Harmony Road and I-25 and extending north
and south of Harmony Road (“Gateway” or “Gateway Area”). The proposed vision reflects a shift in general
direction regarding the type of development to occur in the developable portions of the area: away from low-
intensity, non-retail employment uses, toward a mixed-use, multi-story pedestrian district that could take better
advantage of multi-modal transportation improvements planned for Harmony Road and I-25.
While this proposed vision reflects a shift in the basic concept for the mix of uses, three other aspects are
consistent with the City’s existing vision for the area: first, a focus on the overall landscape treatment to highlight
the river valley setting; second, an approach to development character that is different from typical commercial
highway interchanges; and lastly, attention to the mix of uses, and private and public improvements that will
match the desire for an inviting, attractive Fort Collins entry that provides a degree of community separation from
the adjacent Town of Timnath.
The requested Harmony Corridor Plan amendments include three components:
Harmony Corridor Plan Chapter 3 that updates the general policies pertaining to the entire Harmony
Corridor. Revised Chapter 3 is Attachment 1 with deletions struck through and additions highlighted;
Harmony Corridor Plan Chapter 5 that updates policies and design strategy specifically for the Gateway,
revised Chapter 5 is attached to the Ordinance because the revisions are extensive and the strike-
through/highlight format was not feasible; and
ATTACHMENT 1
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New Harmony Corridor Standards and Guidelines Section V for the Gateway, Section V is attached to
the Ordinance and this is an entirely new section.
B. GATEWAY AREA CHARACTERISTICS
1. Current Conditions
Commercial Uses. Four visually prominent commercial uses have been developed under County zoning
adjacent to the west side of the interchange, which substantially affect the image of the area as a gateway to the
city. These include a gas station, cell tower, and landscape nursery business on the south side of Harmony
Road, and a vehicular-oriented commercial building with outdoor storage on the north side. Across I-25 to the
east, the Town of Timnath has developed a regional shopping area anchored by WalMart and Costco.
Residential Uses. In 2018, a 368 unit-apartment complex (The Wyatt) was constructed on 23 acres at the
southwest corner of Harmony and Strauss Cabin Roads. The development plan received a modification to the
25% secondary use limitations. One key attribute to the site design is the retention of the wetland at the corner
of Harmony and Strauss Cabin and installation of cottonwoods and other river landscaping within an expanded
setback.
Public Uses. The City of Fort Collins Arapaho Bend Natural Area located north of Harmony Road and east of
Strauss Cabin Road, encompasses almost 50% of the land area within the Gateway. A state-owned Park-n-
Ride facility operated by the City of Fort Collins and officially known as the Harmony Transportation Transfer
Center lies north of Harmony Road, ¼ mile west of the interchange.
2. Zoning and Land Use Adjacent to the Gateway
North South East West
Zoning County FA-1 - Farming RUL (Rural Open
Lands)
I-25; Town of Timnath
Regional Commercial
HC (Harmony
Corridor)
Land
Use
Single-family residential;
City-owned conservation
area
Vacant; some
delineated wetland
resources.
Large format and in-
line retail
Single and multi-family
residential
Morningside); Banner
Medical Center;
Hewlett-Packard
C. SUMMARY OF APPLICABLE ADOPTED PLANS AND POLICIES
1. Existing 1991 Harmony Corridor Plan
The Harmony Corridor Plan (The Plan) was adopted in 1991, for the Harmony Road corridor from College
Avenue to I-25. It includes the Gateway within its land use designation of “Basic Industrial Non-Retail
Employment”, which covers a majority of the corridor. This designation emphasizes office, institutional, light
industrial and other similar employment development, and also allows for some limited supporting commercial
and residential uses. There were amendments to the Plan in 2006 impacting the use of some properties,
including the Front Range Village shopping center site, yet there were no substantive changes related to the
Gateway.
The Plan also contains a special chapter (Chapter 5) highlighting the Gateway differently from the rest of the
Harmony Corridor, due to the exceptional significance of the I-25 interchange entrance to Fort Collins, combined
with the Cache La Poudre River valley setting.
In effect, the existing Gateway Area chapter suggested that special tailoring of the underlying employment-based
land use designation was needed; however, it did not establish a vision or specific strategy for the area over
time. Instead, it explained issues that needed significant follow-up work. It also described “Alternative Gateway
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Concepts”, ranging from typical highway interchange commercial development to public purchase for open
space. It concluded that:
“Additional work is required to develop a strategy for shaping the future of this important segment of the
community.”
It also stated that the starting point for additional work was to be the concept of a gateway entrance integrating
high-quality development with the natural characteristics of the existing landscape.
As the general ideas of the original Plan were explored further in subsequent years, they were clarified into
concepts for a community edge tapering down in development intensity, with the river valley floodplain corridor
helping to preserve the separate identities of Fort Collins and Timnath through ‘community separators’, and
providing scenic, recreational, educational, habitat, and water management functions. The concepts include
limited development that would be integrated and unobtrusive in the landscape, with low, horizontal buildings
blended into river valley landscaping, with low-intensity development activity consisting mostly of employment
uses.
With recent development of a large, multi-phased commercial center (Walmart/Costco/restaurants/inline
commercial), the community separator concept has been lost east of I-25 in the Town of Timnath; however, there
are design elements supporting preservation of the Poudre River Valley landscape that continue to have validity
west of I-25 and that can provide a degree to community separation from Timnath.
D. IMPETUS FOR PLAN AMENDMENT
The existing 1991 Plan called for additional work to set a strategy for the Gateway Area. The proposed Plan
update would:
Reflect 29 years of additional work, changed conditions, and new information since the original Plan.
Reflect aspects of the City Plan Update (2019) regarding compact, mixed-use pedestrian-oriented
development responsive to the needs of employers and the need to improve the linkage between land use
patterns and transportation/transit investment.
Following are some key changes and new information since 1991:
Since then, the City’s Growth Management Area has expanded approximately three miles further south
along I-25.
City Natural Area Purchases. The portion of the Gateway Area north of Harmony Road was purchased as
a City Natural Area (Arapaho Bend) in 1995. In a multi-year process (1997- 2003), the City and Larimer
County purchased the 843-acre Fossil Creek Reservoir Regional Open Space/Natural Area. Eagle View
Natural Area was purchased immediately south of Kechter Road in 2002.
Gravel Mining Completed, late 1990’s. Gravel mining operations were completed in the 265-acre portion of
the area south of Harmony Road and east of Strauss Cabin Road, leaving a completely altered landscape
with extensive open water in gravel pit ponds. These mining operations extended an additional half-mile
south from the Gateway.
City Natural Area Purchase Declined South of Harmony Road. Around 2004, the undeveloped, gravel-mined
property south of Harmony Road was offered and considered for purchase as a City Natural Area, mainly
for community separator and viewshed purposes. Wildlife habitat was not considered a significant purpose,
due to the gravel-mined landscape. The City studied the opportunity, but declined to purchase the property,
due to costs and liabilities of mining permit closeout, water augmentation, and site restoration, given
numerous other higher priority demands on the Natural Areas Program. There have been subsequent
discussions between area property owners and the Natural Areas program staff, yet the status remains the
same.
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Existing Commercial Uses. Four visually prominent commercial uses have been developed under County
zoning adjacent to the interchange, which substantially affect the image of the area as a gateway to the city.
These include a gas station, cell tower, and landscape nursery business on the south side of Harmony Road,
and a vehicular oriented commercial building with outdoor storage on the north side. Larimer County
approved a variance for the cell tower (2007) at the southwest corner of I-25 and Harmony Road over the
objections of the City staff.
Transportation Transfer Center (TTC, or Park-and-Ride) Facility Built. The Natural Areas Program sold land
on the north side of Harmony Road for this use in the late 1990’s.
City Structure Plan (1997). The original City Plan land use map (City Structure Plan) envisioned a low-
intensity “soft edge” of the city in the Gateway District area, suggesting that development intensity would
generally taper down to a fairly open river valley landscape.
Two Community Separator Studies. Reports completed in 1999 and 2003 convened multiple jurisdictions,
explored issues, and described opportunities for preserving distinct visual and physical separation and
identity of Fort Collins, Timnath, and Windsor in and around the subject area.
The 2003 Fort Collins-Timnath-Windsor Community Separator Study specifically identified a separator
opportunity consisting of the Poudre River floodplain corridor, which forms a broad swath around all corners
of the I-25/Harmony interchange.
The separator studies generally described possible implementation actions, which would require increasing
cooperation among regional cities and towns at their edges along I-25.
I-25 Land Use Plans Completed. Plans adopted in 2001 (Northern Colorado Regional Plan) and 2003 (Fort
Collins) for land fronting the I-25 Corridor. The Regional I-25 Plan called for a common I-25 development
vision to be created by Northern Colorado communities, but only Berthoud, Windsor and Fort Collins adopted
the Plan. The preferred land use pattern supported development concentrated in mixed-use ‘activity centers’
that support alternate modes of transportation, and that natural areas, open lands and views were protected
that contribute to the open character of the corridor. Fort Collins also adopted its own subarea plan mirroring
the regional effort and creating complementary design standards.
Retail Development at Interchanges. During the last two decades, the retail industry has seen the evolution
of “big box” superstores, power centers, lifestyle shopping centers, and mixed use “town center”
developments, all creating increasingly regional market characteristics, typically wanting to locate at or near
interstate interchanges. The retail evolution continues as a result of on-line purchase options.
Major Interstate Development. Retail/commercial activity and competition for sales tax has changed rapidly,
becoming fairly aggressive along I-25. The interstate has become a focus of annexations and development,
with advocates of regional metropolitan development widely promoting I-25 as “Northern Colorado’s Main
Street”.
In 2003, the Larimer County Events Center and the Centerra Lifestyle Shopping Center opened, adding
momentum to development pressures along I-25.
A Super WalMart center was constructed in Timnath in 2009 on the northeast corner of the Harmony/I-25
interchange; the floodplain was filled; and the development was built directly against the interchange.
Within the same timeframe, the entire east side of I-25, directly across from the Gateway Area, was re-
planned by Timnath for Regional Commercial development, extending one mile southward from Harmony
Road along I-25, thus significantly undermining Community Separator concepts for this area. Costco opened
in 2014, with restaurants and freestanding retailers added since that time.
Taller Buildings (2000’s). Taller buildings began to emerge along I-25 in Northern Colorado, with the 8-story
Embassy Suites constructed next to the Larimer County Events Center and other 6-story buildings planned
nearby.
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Ridgeline Development. Development has occurred and will continue along the top of the bluff, or river
valley wall, immediately west of the Gateway Area, with highly visible buildings along the ridgeline. This
diminishes the potential for long scenic vistas across the river valley to the mountains beyond, as a defining
concept for the Gateway Area.
Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Highlights Harmony Road. A multi-year process spanning
2007-2010. CDOT undertook an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process from 2008-2010,
evaluating alternative transportation scenarios for I-25 and related north-south transportation facilities
between the Denver Metro area and North Front Range. The Harmony interchange is shown in the draft
EIS as a significant hub for future bus transit on both I-25 and Harmony Road.
In 2008, the Riverwalk Project (later renamed Nine Bridges) was proposed on 268 acres at the southwest
quadrant of the Harmony interchange that included residential, commercial and employment uses with a
channelized water feature/riverwalk passing through the property. The property was annexed after City
Council approved a series of emergency ordinances to block Timnath’s annexation of the former Riverwalk
site. The annexation issue was resolved through mediation. The development plan did not move forward,
and the property was later sold.
As part of Riverwalk, and different land use proposals for the other privately-owned properties on the south
side of Harmony Road, additional work in the area has included:
o gravel mine permit closeout under State statutes,
o consideration of City purchase of portions of the area for Natural Area and/or water utilities
purposes,
o analysis of earthwork changes to reshape the floodplain under FEMA and City regulations,
o sewer, water, and other utility services investigation and planning, and
o consideration of various economic land use and development approaches.
Bustang, CDOT’s interregional express bus service, began its north terminus in Fort Collins during 2016.
The Harmony Transit Center becomes one of the area’s key pick-up and drop-off sites.
The Wyatt Apartments (2018). A 368 unit-apartment complex was constructed on 23 acres at the southwest
corner of Harmony and Strauss Cabin Roads. The development plan received a modification to the 25%
secondary use limitations. One key attribute to the site design is the retention of the wetland at the corner of
Harmony and Strauss Cabin and installation of cottonwoods and other river landscaping within an expanded
setback.
City Plan Update (April 2019). City Plan’s land use map (City Structure Plan) continues to designate the
Gateway Area for Parks and Natural/Protected Lands north of Harmony (except for the State Lands parcel)
and the balance as a Mixed Employment district. The long-range transportation plan calls for high-frequency
transit along Harmony Road and designates the southwest corner of the interchange as an activity center.
One of the short-term, high-priority implementation actions of the City Plan Update is to assess our land
supply to ensure that land is available to support business needs and to create a more detailed vision for
the community’s gateways.
Larimer County denied a variance request in April 2019 for a freestanding electronic message center sign
on the north side of Harmony Road, 1/8 mile west of I-25. The proposed sign would have been non-compliant
with the proposed Design Standards and Guidelines.
E. PROPOSED HARMONY GATEWAY DISTRICT VISION
The changes, issues, and additional work noted above, have led to a more refined future vision of this area.
The proposed vision reflects a shift in general direction regarding the type of development to occur in the
developable portions of the area: away from low-intensity, non-retail employment uses, toward a mixed-use,
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multi-story pedestrian district that could take better advantage of transit planned for Harmony Road, the rest of
the community, and I-25.
While this proposed vision reflects a shift in the basic concept for the mix of uses, three other aspects are
consistent with the City’s existing vision for the area: first, a focus on the overall landscape treatment to highlight
the river valley setting; second, an approach to development quality that is different from typical commercial
highway interchanges; and lastly, attention to private and public improvements that will match the desire for an
attractive Fort Collins entry.
The proposed vision would move the existing Plan forward to fulfillment of its call for additional work to set a
strategy for the area. And finally, it would fit with numerous aspects of City Plan regarding integration of efficient
land use, the environment and transportation choices, and investment in the community’s gateways.
The update to Chapter 5 of the Harmony Corridor Plan describes ten basic design elements that apply to future
development and public investment and that are implemented through metrics contained within Standards and
Guidelines:
1. Naturalistic River Valley Landscape
Cottonwood groves, willows, and other native plantings will form the most dominant aspect of the area’s
image as seen by users of Harmony Road and drivers on I-25. Under this approach, a naturalistic river
valley landscape, instead of buildings and signs, becomes the primary view that’s experienced.
2. Landscaped Setbacks Along Harmony and I-25 for Visual Image and Character
These newly landscaped areas along streets will be designed to screen parked vehicles and intentionally
frame intermittent views of buildings and their signage as part of the image of buildings sited within a
landscape.
3. Unified Harmony Road Gateway Streetscape
In the Gateway Area, streetscape enhancements will be an extension of naturalistic landscaping in
abutting land uses.
4. Fort Collins Entryway Signs
A landscaped native stone sign wall or other complementary entry sign would reinforce the gateway
impression and will be carefully considered, sited and designed considering relationships to similar
initiatives at other City gateways. The Fort Collins entry sign would be installed on the north side of
Harmony Road in a location readily visible to motorists.
5. Habitat Protection and Mitigation
Riparian landscaping will contribute to a larger continuous corridor of riparian habitat in rural and open
lands across the larger southeast edge of Fort Collins.
City, State, and Federal regulations already govern impacts to existing habitat that would likely occur
with development. They generally emphasize protection in place but also allow for alternative mitigation
of losses if necessary.
On the south side of Harmony Road where greater land use changes are expected, the changes will
include habitat improvements to mitigate expected losses associated with filling ponds and future
development.
6. Regional Trail Corridor
A landscaped trail corridor thirty to fifty feet wide (or more) will run like a ribbon through the south side
of Harmony road to assist in linking trails and Natural Areas to the north and beyond the Gateway toward
the south-the Poudre River Trail in Arapaho Bend Natural Area on the north, and Fossil Creek Trail in
Eagle View.
7. Mobility Hub
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City Plan identifies the Harmony interchange area as a Mobility Hub recognizing its long-term potential
to offer transfers, drop-offs, a station for bus rapid transit (BRT), intersecting multi-use trails, and regional
bus transit in addition to its park-n-ride function.
8. Limitations on Commercial Signs
Commercial signs within the Gateway Area will be consistent with the Plan’s character elements as well
as compliant with the City’s Sign Code. Proposed is a prohibition of Electronic Message Center (EMC)
signs within the Gateway Area.
9. Stealth Wireless Telecommunication Facilities
New standards would prohibit conventional wireless and other telecommunication towers, unless in
those cases where they are screened, roof-mounted equipment or are “stealth” installations located
within church steeples, grain silos or other similar structures common to the area’s landscape.
10. Unique Land Use and Development Standards
Development Standards and Guidelines (discussed more fully in the following section) provide clear
direction for future development:
o The intention is to promote a mixed-use activity center within the Gateway Area on the south
side of Harmony. While retail uses are included, and visibility to traffic is important, the proposed
vision does not include typical shopping center or commercial strip formats oriented to the
highway. Retail uses would be well-integrated into a pedestrian-oriented development. ‘Big Box’
stores (50,000 square feet or greater in size) and drive-through restaurants would be prohibited
uses. Under the proposal, the mix of uses would be limited to the following distribution:
Residential 25% minimum
Retail and Commercial 50% maximum
Employment 25% minimum
o To maximize community separation and promote a more ‘open’ site character, a minimum of
40% of the Gateway Area on the south side of Harmony Road must be as an open, landscaped
area with naturalistic plant materials and landforms. Land included within this landscaped area
may include:
Landscaped setbacks from I-25 and Harmony Road
Designated floodways
Delineated natural habitat or features
Stormwater detention areas
Other landscaped areas with a minimum land area of 10,000 square feet and 30
feet in width at any location.
Landscaping within naturalistic areas is encouraged to be upsized to the extent reasonably
feasible.
o An incentive to promote civic or cultural uses in the area south of Harmony Road is provided
through an exemption of such uses from the Harmony Corridor land use limitations.
o Building heights limited to three stories for attached residential and five stories for commercial
and mixed-use buildings. An exemption permits one additional story for commercial and mixed-
use buildings if structured parking is provided.
o Beyond the visual image, development would reflect community goals regarding efficient,
walkable development. The combination of image and other underlying qualities would define
it as a gateway to the community as well as a destination in itself.
o Integration of a regional bicycle trail sited and designed to maximum the user experience.
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o A primary orientation to pedestrians and bicyclists would mutually support public transit planned
for Harmony Road and I-25 and allow the Gateway Area to become less dependent on car traffic
over time.
F. HARMONY GATEWAY DISTRICT STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES
The Harmony Corridor Plan is accompanied by a companion Standards and Guidelines document. This
document supplements the already high standards found in the Land Use Code to specifically implement the
Plan as development occurs over time. The document includes provisions for required actions known as
“standards” (denoted +), and suggested actions which are known as “guidelines” (denoted o).
This new section is added to the document, in conjunction with the Plan amendment, to address defining aspects
of development including:
Required Mix of Uses
Continued Prohibition of Large Retail Establishments
Framework of Streets, Drives, and Walkways
Building Grouping and Orientation - Streets and Waterway
Parking Located to Support the Pedestrian District
Transit-Ready Design
Building Character to Enhance the Pedestrian District
Landscape Setbacks Along Harmony Road and I-25
Landscaping for River Valley Character
Trail Connections
Commercial Sign Limitations
BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
Planning and Zoning Board
At its February 20, 2020 hearing, the Planning and Zoning Board approved a motion (4-2, Haefele and Schneider
opposed) that City Council adopt the amendments to the Harmony Corridor Plan and Harmony Corridor
Standards and Guidelines with the conditions that the City of Fort Collins participate with the private landowners
in the creation, management, and maintenance of the 40% natural area created within a Development Plan, of
which up to 20% of the natural area requirement could be satisfied by cultural amenities. City participation would
include purchasing or contributing in other financial matters and maintaining the area in perpetuity for the public
enjoyment. Further, the Board found that the Harmony Corridor Plan is in need of the proposed amendments
and the proposed amendments will promote the public welfare and will be consistent with the vision, goals,
principals, and policies of City Plan and the elements thereof. The February 20 Planning and Zoning Board
minutes will be provided to Council in the read-before packet on March 3.
Other Boards and Commissions
At the direction of City Council, the Natural Resources Advisory Board, Land Conservation and Stewardship
Board, Water Board, Transportation Advisory Board and Economic Advisory Commission held public hearings
on the proposed Harmony Corridor Plan Amendment and Standards and Guidelines and made
recommendations to City Council. All five of these advisory bodies unanimously recommended adoption of the
amendments and supported the change in the revised ratio of land uses permitted, and which would result in a
greater mixture of uses within the Harmony Gateway Area. Most of the Boards also raised concerns about the
potential for higher water use given the increased landscaped setbacks along Harmony Road and I-25 and the
40% naturalistic landscaped area requirement. To address concerns about water use, one of the key design
guidelines expressing support for xeric landscape principles and limiting more lush plantings to high-use areas
was changed to a mandatory design standard. There was also a suggestion from the Water Board that setbacks
along Harmony Road could be reduced should a regional trail corridor be constructed within the Gateway Area.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
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A. COMMUNITY MEETINGS
Four public events have been held this past year to review the status of the Gateway Plan Update. These events
included:
This workshop provided an assessment of relevant Harmony Corridor Plan policies and Land Use Code
standards, and opportunities and constraints that began the discussion of issues facing the area. The inventory
covered topics such as:
Land use summary of existing Structure Plan and Harmony Corridor Plan land use designations, Harmony
Corridor zone district use standards, and recommendations from the City Plan Update draft.
Natural Resources identifying natural features and conditions such as Poudre River floodplain/floodway,
riparian and wetland areas, natural habitat and physical features.
Transportation System including existing and future access and circulation within the Harmony Gateway;
and
Appearance and Design summary of existing Land Use Code and Harmony Corridor Standards and
Guidelines requirements and previous viewshed analyses.
Workshop 2 (January 30, 2019) Concepts and Vision
The staff team prepared initial concepts based on public and stakeholder input from the Public Workshop 1,
analyzed pros and cons, and worked with citizens in a second hands-on workshop setting to identify additional
concepts, and-finally-define a preferred direction for amending the Harmony Corridor Plan. Several tools were
used, including GIS mapping and hand drawn sketches, that illustrate the various design and land use options.
A consultant illustrator was on-hand to allow participants to “draw” their ideas.
Open House (February 27, 2019) Refining the Vision
Maps and illustrations were refined, along with initial draft Chapter 5 Harmony Gateway text describing the
direction provided in the first two workshops.
I-25 Gateways Workshop (October 21, 2019) Land Use Scenarios
Four Land Use Scenarios were developed by staff that depict potential alternative patterns for vacant or
redevelopable land within the Gateway Area. Small group discussions were held that captured preferences for
the proposed scenarios and suggest alternative scenarios or changes to the four scenarios evaluated.
The four alternative future land use scenarios were distinguished primarily by differences in density/intensity
of development, mix of uses, and amount of open and undeveloped areas, as summarized below.
Scenario A: Base-case (current BINREAC (Basic Industrial and Non-Residential Activity Center) Harmony
Corridor Plan land use designation)
Mitigate floodplain impacts
Reflect continuation of the current Harmony Corridor Plan policies and HC zone district standards
Assumes at least 75% primary employment/industrial uses, with a maximum of 25% secondary
(commercial/retail, housing, public) uses
6 story non-residential and 3 story residential building height limit
80-foot wide landscaped setback along Harmony Road and I-25
Habitat buffer surrounding heron rookery
Scenario B: Increased Commercial and Housing with Big Box
Mitigate floodplain impacts
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Assumes a mixed-use employment district, with a greater retail and commercial (max 50%) and residential
(min 25%) with a minimum of 20% primary employment/industrial uses
Provides limited big box retail (max cumulative 250,000 sq. ft.)
Civic/community facilities are viewed independently and are not subject to the use proportions
Allows potential for drive-through restaurants if screened and in areas subordinate to pedestrian spaces
and focal points
Average 140-190-foot-wide “naturalistic” landscaped setbacks along Harmony Rd. and I-25
6 story non-residential and 3 story residential building height limit
Regional trail corridor
Habitat buffer surrounding heron rookery
Scenario C: Increased Commercial and Housing without Big Box
Same as Scenario B, but big box and drive through restaurants are prohibited
Scenario D: Reduced Intensity
Mitigate floodplain impacts
Mix of concentrated uses with required open space to reduce development ‘footprint’ of buildings and
parking areas
“Naturalistic” Open land areas constitute at least 40% of the area south of Harmony, between I-25 and
Strauss Cabin Road.
Assumes a mixed-use employment district, with a greater retail and commercial (max 50%) and residential
(min 25%) with a minimum of 20% primary employment/industrial uses
Average 140-190-foot-wide “naturalistic” landscaped setback along Harmony Road.
Maximum height of 5 stories for commercial/retail and 3 for residential
Regional trail corridor located further from I-25
Habitat buffer surrounding heron rookery
All of the scenarios reflect the removal of two of the three remaining open, unlined water ponds fed by
groundwater. The ponds were created through the extraction of gravel which illegally exposed the groundwater.
Under Colorado law, storing water in a pond requires a storage right unless the pond is included in a plan for
augmentation or substitute water supply plan. The remaining pond area with legal rights for storage is located in
the southeast corner of the ‘Gateway’, adjacent to which is a great blue heron nest site in a large Eastern
Cottonwood tree near the southeast corner of the pond.
City Council Work Session May 15, 2019
At its Work Session, City Council directed staff to incorporate the following additional comments into the public
process and future drafts of the Harmony Corridor Plan Update for the ‘Gateway Area’:
Land Use Intensity: Staff was requested to further explore alternative land use and development pattern
scenarios with lesser intensity. Each of the alternatives should consider impacts to transportation and
natural features. The majority of Council expressed pursuit of a ‘middle pathway’ that would make the
Gateway Area more inviting, but not too developed. Some members suggested that the proposed DRAFT
changes were tantamount to an up-zoning.
Design Character: While there was acknowledgement that proposed design standards include naturalistic
elements based on the Poudre River valley character, it was suggested by some members that the design
parameters do not fully take into account the existing open character of the area and that Natural Areas and
Nature in the City concepts could be incorporated more clearly. Some elements of the design standards,
particularly the I-25 and Harmony landscaped edges, regional trail, and sign limits, were viewed positively.
Review Process: General support was expressed for the Gateway Plan Update community engagement
process used to date. It was suggested that more time and public discussion is needed to examine
Agenda Item 8
Item # 8 Page 11
alternative scenarios, vet the ideas, and to receive comments from the Transportation Advisory Board and
the Land Conservation and Stewardship Board.
City Council Work Session October 22, 2019
At the October 22nd Council Work Session, staff presented the four alternative land use scenarios that were the
result of a four-month public process, including work sessions with six boards and commissions and a community
workshop.
Council Comments and General Direction
The Council generally indicated support for Scenario D, and the concept of additional mixed-use within the
Gateway, with further investigation of specific elements of a stakeholder-initiated alternative scenario. Elements
within the revised Standards and Guidelines were requested to include:
Potential for limitation of residential uses: Staff is being requested to further investigate potential for
reducing residential uses within the floodplain and due to air quality impacts. Staff will provide research to
the Council on both topics when the item comes back for consideration.
Design Character: Council reiterated its support for the revised design standards shared at the May Work
Session. Staff has been asked to consider a requirement to ‘upsize’ trees as a way to support wildlife. One
member expressed concern about the lack of visibility to commercial uses given the dense landscaping
proposed along I-25 and Harmony.
Cultural Recreational Uses: Staff was asked for measures to further incorporate cultural and recreational
uses within the Gateway through development standards or incentives.
B. PUBLIC COMMENTS:
A series of comments were collected during the course of the community engagement process that can be
summarized under the following major topics:
Expansion of the Gateway Boundary ½ mile further to the South
Earlier versions of the Harmony Gateway Amendment expanded the current Gateway Area boundary
one half mile further to the south, bringing the south boundary to Kechter Road and including land zoned
Rural Lands (RL). Objections were received about the appropriateness of expanding the gateway.
Based on citizen concerns, the expanded area was removed from consideration so that the Gateway
Area boundary remains unchanged from the 1991 delineation.
Update to the Harmony Corridor Plan Unnecessary
There has been a general perspective expressed that the Harmony Corridor Plan does not need to be
updated and that existing standards reflect present community values. Some citizens contend that the
area south of Harmony Road should remain in an undeveloped state, including existing wetlands, ponds
and the floodway/floodplain boundary configuration.
Changes do not Support Community Separation
Development South of Harmony Road will not support the Community Separator Concept or provide
adequate protection of the Poudre River as a resource.
Lack of Support Toward Greater Retail and Residential Uses
A shift toward greater retail and residential uses South of Harmony Road is inappropriate in that the area
is within a flood plain and development will negatively impact natural habitat and features.
Heron Rookery
Development could have a negative impact on the Heron Rookery located roughly in alignment with
Rock Creek Drive.
Agenda Item 8
Item # 8 Page 12
Mandate for Cultural Uses
Some stakeholders expressed an interest in mandating that 20% of the land area south of Harmony
Road include a cultural use.
Building footprint limitations
Some concern has been expressed about allowing large retail establishments (20,000 - 50,000 sq. ft.)
in floor area despite the prohibition of “big box” retail uses (50,000 sq. ft. or greater).
Scenarios Feedback
Of the four Scenarios presented at the community workshop and with several Advisory Boards and Commission,
support for Scenario D was most prominent.
An alternative scenario was presented by a group of stakeholders that suggested a further lessening of
development intensity than that suggested under Scenario D.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Revised Harmony Corridor Plan Chapter 3 (highlighted to show changes) (PDF)
2. I-25 Gateways Workshop Summary, October 21, 2019 (PDF)
3. Community Comments (PDF)
4. Correspondence (PDF)
5. Alternative Harmony Corridor Plan-Stakeholders Proposal (PDF)
6. Work Session Summaries, May 14 and October 22, 2019 (PDF)
7. Powerpoint presentation (PDF)
-1-
ORDINANCE NO. 044, 2020
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
UPDATING THE HARMONY CORRIDOR PLAN FOR THE HARMONY GATEWAY
AREA AND THE HARMONY CORRIDOR STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES
WHEREAS, City Council originally adopted the Harmony Corridor Plan (“Plan”) in 1991,
Resolution 91-42, as an element of the City’s comprehensive plan, now known as City Plan; and
WHEREAS, City Council also adopted in 1991, the Harmony Corridor Design Standards
and Guidelines (“Standards and Guidelines”) by means of Ordinance 28, 1991, to further the
policies set forth in the Plan by means of binding development standards and advisory guidelines;
and
WHEREAS, Chapter 5 of the Plan, titled Alternative Gateway Concepts, discusses
implementation actions that should be taken to continue planning efforts specific to the Harmony
gateway area (“Gateway”) located on the north and south sides of Harmony Road west of the
intersection of Harmony Road and Interstate 25 and more particularly depicted in the Plan; and
WHEREAS, in furtherance of planning efforts for the Gateway as stated in the Plan, City
staff is proposing amendments to Chapters 3 and 5 of the Plan and to add a new section, Section
V. Harmony Gateway Area, to the Standards and Guidelines and has initiated the amendment
process; and
WHEREAS, because the Gateway serves as an entryway into the City, it is a uniquely
important area in terms of its beneficial effect on civic pride, economic prosperity, and the health,
safety, and welfare of the City; and
WHEREAS, on February 20, 2020, the Planning and Zoning Board on a 4-2 vote
recommended that Council approve the staff proposed changes conditional upon the City
participation with private landowners in the creation, management, and maintenance of the
required 40% natural area requirement within the ODP, of which up to 20% of the natural area
requirement could be satisfied by cultural amenities, with City participation to include purchasing
or contributing in other financial matters and maintaining such areas or amenities in perpetuity for
the public enjoyment; and
WHEREAS, City Council finds that the amendments to the Plan and the Standards and
Guidelines are in the best interest of the City and its citizens and promote the general public health,
safety, and welfare.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED 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.
-2-
Section 2. That the City Council finds that the Plan is in need of the proposed
amendments in order to appropriately regulate and allow development within the Gateway while
preserving its important role as an entry way into the City.
Section 3. That the City Council finds that the proposed amendment will promote the
public welfare and will be consistent with the visions, goals, principles, and policies of City Plan
and the elements thereof.
Section 4. That the City Council finds that the proposed Standards and Guidelines
contained in Section V, as set forth in Exhibit “A” attached hereto and incorporated herein, are
necessary to carry out the policies contained in the Plan and are hereby incorporated into the
Standards and Guidelines, and upon adoption, shall be binding upon development as though set
forth in the Land Use Code.
Section 5. That the amendments to Plan Chapter 3 as set forth in Exhibit “B” attached
hereto and incorporated herein be incorporated into the Plan.
Section 6. That the amendments to Plan Chapter 5 as set forth in Exhibit “C” attached
hereto and incorporated herein be incorporated into the Plan.
Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 3rd day of
March, A.D. 2020, and to be presented for final passage on the 7th day of April, A.D. 2020.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
Passed and adopted on final reading on the 7th day of April, A.D. 2020.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
1
EXHIBIT “A”
V. HARMONY GATEWAY AREA
The Harmony Gateway Area is an exceptional location due to high values the community
places on the Poudre River valley (“river valley”) and the high public visibility of the
entryway to the City.
The intent for the Gateway Area is to capture the special opportunity to integrate a
mixed-use employment activity center within a landscape that expresses community
values for environmental features and the larger corridor of open and rural lands edge of
the City along the river corridor and Fossil Creek Reservoir in southeast Fort Collins.
Development shall be programmed and designed with an emphasis on landscape
development to emphasize a sense of place derived from the river valley setting.
These Standards and Guidelines are to ensure that as development and redevelopment
occurs as part of the Gateway Area, it fulfills the vision described in Chapter 5 of the
Harmony Corridor Plan for the area.
(+) Denotes a development standard
(o) Denotes a suggested guideline
2
EXHIBIT “A”
Design Standards and Guidelines
1. Naturalistic Landscape Development: River Valley Character and Image
The intent is to create the effect of Harmony Road passing through a larger river
valley landscape that spans across Harmony Road with buildings and parking lots
carefully clustered and integrated unobtrusively within the landscape and not merely
lining the major roadways with conventional landscaping around buildings and
parking lots.
Landscaped Setback Dimensions. A landscaped setback area for buildings and
parking lots averaging 140 feet in depth for parking lots and 190 feet in depth for
buildings shall be provided from the edge of vehicular travel lanes along
Harmony Road and I-25. The landscaped setback area may include sidewalks and
tree lawns. Minimum landscaped setback depth shall be 70 feet for parking lots
and 95 feet for buildings. (+)
Landscaped Setback Design. This landscaped setback area shall be comprised of
a river valley landscape design that includes groupings of native cottonwoods,
willows, evergreens and other plant materials in conjunction with other native and
xeric plantings appropriate to specific positions within the landscape plan and
shall consist of one tree and ten shrubs per twenty-five lineal feet of frontage. (+)
2. Parking Lot Location and Screening. Locating large parking lots between buildings
and the landscape setback areas along Harmony Road and I-25 is encouraged to
consolidate vehicular impacts of both parking and traffic on the roadways away from the
internal pedestrian-friendly public space framework. (o)
If such parking lots adjacent Harmony Road and I-25 are not fully screened by berms and
planting in the landscape setback area, additional screening shall be provided with the
following:
o At least 30 additional shrubs per one hundred lineal feet of frontage, or
o At least 8 additional trees per one hundred lineal feet of frontage, or
o An alternative combination of trees and shrubs approved by staff as providing
equal or better screening than the above; or
o Fences or site walls that replace the need for screening that such landscape
plantings would provide. (+)
Off-street parking shall be consolidated into shared parking lots wherever appropriate in
order to avoid interrupting pedestrian frontages in the public space framework. (+)
3
EXHIBIT “A”
3. Service and Loading Areas. If any truck operations for servicing and loading are not
fully screened from Harmony Road and I-25 by other means, they shall be fully screened
by building massing or architectural wall. (+)
4. Potential Channelized Floodway. If the Poudre River floodway is channelized within
the Harmony Road and I-25 setback area, the channel and adjacent upland areas shall be
designed to complement and reinforce the overall naturalistic landscape with informal,
undulating grading of landforms, to the maximum extent feasible and within engineering
requirements, not rigidly-engineered geometric grading. (+)
The programming and design of naturalistic river valley landscaping should be designed
to provide consideration for maintenance activities such as irrigation, weed control, tree
trimming, shrub and plant pruning, and replacement and reseeding, which consideration
should be equal to the consideration given to design. (o)
5. Incorporation of Water into Landscaped Setback. Drainage channels and/or
wetlands are strongly encouraged in landscaped areas along Harmony Road and I-25 to
further reinforce the distinct landscape setting. (o)
6. Landscaping Development: River Valley Character and Image. Landscaping
shall be developed to express xeriscape principles and characteristics consistent with
Section 3.2.1(E)(3) and include plants native to the river valley landscape. More lush
plantings that requiring significant watering, such as flower beds and lawns, shall be
limited to appropriate high-use areas. (+)
7. Mixed-Use Employment Activity Center Within the Landscape Setting
A. Public Space Framework
Development of streets, buildings, parking lots and other site improvements will be
arranged to form a unified mixed-use employment activity center. Within this center
shall be a framework of streets and public spaces that provide for an attractive,
cohesive and walkable area that reflects the unique site context.
A Framework of Streets. Street-like private drives, walkway spines and a trail
corridor shall be established to form sites for buildings and parking lots with the
emphasis on forming a distinct overall sense of place into which buildings and
parking lots fit. (+)
On-Street Parking. On-street parking should be maximized on streets scaled and
designed to reinforce the distinct pedestrian orientation of the Gateway Area. (o)
Trail Corridor. Development shall provide an area for a trail corridor, which
may be located within, and will be counted towards, the area for landscape
setbacks. The trail corridor should also create linkage with the Fossil Creek and
4
EXHIBIT “A”
Poudre River Trails to the south and north of the Gateway Area respectively.
Alignment and design shall be determined in collaboration with the City (+) and
maximize the user experience. (o)
Bus Transit. Accommodation should be provided for bus stops and routes linking
the mixed-use employment center to transit service on Harmony Road. Final
transit stops and route configuration is subject to the review and approval of
TransFort. (o)
B. Permitted Uses
All individual uses permitted in the Harmony Corridor (HC) Zone District shall be
permitted in the Gateway Area subject to the following minimum and maximum use
limitations. (+) The use percentages shall be measured using gross site area on
land located within the Gateway Area as set forth in any development plan. The
following use limitations and requirements shall be referred to collectively as the
“Land Use Limitations.”
Retail/Commercial Limitation. Retail and commercial uses shall not exceed
50% of development. (+)
Minimum Employment Use Requirement. Office, light industrial, and non-
retail employment uses shall occupy at least 25% of development. (+)
Minimum Residential Use Requirement. Residential uses shall occupy at least
25% of development. (+)
Minimum Naturalistic Landscaped Area Requirement. Coverage of streets,
buildings, and parking lots is limited to 60% of the site area. The remaining 40%
shall be retained as an open, landscaped area with naturalistic plantings. The
following areas shall be counted in fulfillment of the minimum 40% requirement:
o Landscaped setbacks from I-25 and Harmony Road
o Designated floodways
o Delineated natural habitat or features
o Stormwater detention areas
o Trail Corridor
o Other landscaped areas with minimum dimensions of 10,000 square feet
and 30-foot width at any location.
(+)
5
EXHIBIT “A”
Civic Uses Effect on Calculations. Civic uses such as parks and recreation space,
cultural facilities, community facilities, a trail corridor, and other public uses are
not subject to the Harmony Corridor land use limitations. Such uses, if developed,
may be applied toward the minimum employment or residential use requirements
at the election of the applicant. (+)
Additional uses shall be permitted as follows: artisan and photography studios
and galleries; limited and unlimited indoor and outdoor recreation facilities; dog
day-care facilities; grocery stores; supermarkets; exhibit halls; funeral homes;
parking lots and garages; small scale reception centers; large retail establishments
as defined below subject to individual and collective size limitations set forth
below; gasoline stations; entertainment facilities and theaters; day Shelters; and
open air farmers’ markets. (+)
Large Retail Establishment Size Limitations. No individual large retail
establishment may exceed 100,000 square foot footprint. (+)
Total floor area of large retail establishments (more than 25,000 square feet) in
the gateway area shall not exceed 250,000 square feet. (+)
Large retail establishment shall mean a retail establishment in a single building
occupying more than twenty-five thousand (25,000) gross square feet of floor
area. Movie theaters, recreational, entertainment and indoor recreational uses, and
similar shall not be classified as large retail establishments and shall not count
towards this limitation. (+)
Large Retail Establishment Exceptions. In instances where a large retail
establishment (more than 25,000 SF) is developed as part of a vertical mixed-use
building, it shall not count towards the large retail establishment floor area
limitations. (+)
Mixed Use Dwellings. Mixed use dwellings are encouraged to add vitality and
charm to the sense of place, add interest to the buildings, and reveal and capitalize
on specialized residential products uncommon in suburban markets. (o)
C. Buildings
Building Grouping and Orientation – Public Space Framework. Buildings
and their entrances should be brought together along the overall public space
framework. Each building should contribute to and reinforce the overall goal of
creating a walkable destination with a primary orientation to the overall
6
EXHIBIT “A”
framework and other buildings nearby; and orientation to individual parking lots
secondary. (o)
Buildings should offer attractive pedestrian-scale features and outdoor spaces to
complement the streetscape. (o)
Maximum Height. Five (5) stories for commercial and mixed-use buildings and
three (3) stories for residential buildings, with an exception provided for six (6)
story mixed-use buildings if structured parking is integrated into the mixed-use
building. (+)
Building Character. The architectural program for the Gateway Area shall
emphasize high-quality building materials providing visual interest for pedestrians
and that complement the colors and textures of the river valley (e.g., natural or
cultured stone, brick, textured concrete masonry units with architectural finishes,
stucco, high quality precast and prestressed architectural concrete, architectural
metals, glass, timbers); and architectural lighting. (+)
D. Signs
Commercial Signs. Signs should be designed and oriented to reduce visual
clutter along I-25 and Harmony Road. (o)
Wall signs should be designed as an integral element of the architecture, with the
sign shape and materials complementing the architectural style and features. (o)
Internally illuminated signs should not create glare that would distract motorists
or pedestrians, nor should the degree of illumination contribute to night sky light
pollution. (o)
Two types of signs are prohibited within the Harmony Gateway:
1. Off-premise advertising (billboards); and
2. Electronic Message Center (EMC) signs
(+)
3
LAND USE
The final test of an economic system
is not the tons of iron, the tanks of oil, or
miles of textiles it produces. The final
test lies in its ultimate products – the sort
of men and women it nurtures and the
order and beauty and sanity of their
communities.
LEWIS MUMFORD
EXHIBIT "B"
INTRODUCTION
The national image enjoyed by Fort Col-
lins as an excellent place to live and do
business is well deserved. Few cities in
the nation have a more spectacular set-
ting, a more qualified work force, or a
more pleasing climate. The Harmony
Corridor isa key opportunity to maintain
and enhance the community’s positive
image and quality of life.
As the Harmony Corridor emerges as a
focus of development activity in south-
east Fort Collins, this is an opportune
time to look at current development
trends and determine what specific fu-
ture land uses would be most desirable
to complement other development in the
area.
ISSUES
The issues surrounding future land use
in the Harmony Corridor appear to fo-
cus on the need to manage development
to achieve a level of quality consistent
with the economic, environmental, visual
and other “quality of life” objectives of
the community; while guiding the corri-
dor to become a major business center
in northern Colorado that attracts desir-
able industries and businesses and, at the
same time, provides effective transitions
from residential neighborhoods.
Another important issue is the concern
that the Harmony Corridor should not
develop as a typical commercial “strip”
with frequent curb cuts, inadequate land-
scaping, and highly fragmented develop-
ment lacking coordinated site planning.
Finally, the corridor offers unique oppor-
tunities to attract desirable industries and
uses that can provide long-term economic
stability for the community. Fort Collins
has the opportunity to choose which in-
dustries are important for its future.
These choices will set the direction for
the community’s economy for the next
forty years. In this regard, the issue ap-
pears to focus on the need for more pre-
dictability in guiding industries and busi-
nesses choosing to locate in the corridor
area.
CURRENT LAND USE POLICIES AND
REGULATIONS
City Plan, the City’s
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, is the
official statement of long-range planning
policy regarding a broad variety of land
use planning issues including growth
management,
environmental protection, and locational
policies for specific land use classifica-
tions.
The Harmony Corridor serves as an
element of City Plan.
The Land Use Code, on the other hand,
is not a Plan. It is a land use regulatory
mechanism, like zoning, which is used to
implement the goals, objectives and
policies of City Plan.
The Harmony Corridor Plan
promotes the maximum utilization of
land within the corridor, higher density
development, phased growth, a mix of
uses and concentrated building activity.
The availability of public facilities, includ-
ing streets, sewer, water, natural gas, and
electricity, establishes the corridor as a
preferred location for intense urban ac-
tivity including a mix of residential, in-
dustrial, commercial and recreational uses.
Properly designed, multiple use develop-
ments make sense from both a public and
private standpoint. People can and should
have the opportunity to live near where
they work, where they shop where they
go out to eat, and where they find recre-
ation. The auto becomes less necessary,
thereby relieving the transportation sys-
tem and reducing air pollution. Direct-
ing growth to those areas of the commu-
nity where utilities are already in place,
saves money and makes more efficient use
of the existing public investment in in-
frastructure improvements.
The adopted land use policies within the
Harmony Corridor Plan also encourage a
variety of retail activity in the corridor,
including commu- nity and regional
shopping centers. Strip commercial
development is discouraged.
Transitional land uses or areas are also
provided for in the Plan to be located
between residential and commercial
areas except in specified areas where a mix
of residential and commercial uses are
encouraged in a live-work environment.
All residential areas are encouraged to
include a mix of single family and multi-
family dwelling units of differing types
and densities. Other uses such as parks
and schools are also expected to develop
in the future to serve the expanding
residential areas.
Since the late 1970’s, development in the
Harmony Corridor has been especially
attractive and sensitive to the unique char-
acteristics and importance of the area.
The decision by Hewlett-Packard to lo-
cate in this corridor has had the positive
residential development in the area has
also been very good. The challenge at
hand is to determine if any additional
land use policies are needed which could
improve upon, reinforce and enhance the
pattern of land use occurring within the
corridor.
PLANNING FOR
THE FUTURE
INTRODUCTION
Both the City Council and the Planning
and Zoning Board have the responsibil-
ity and the authority to undertake the
preparation of long range plans and poli-
cies. This planning effort offers an op-
portunity to establish a refined vision for
the corridor. It includes creating a desir-
able living and working environment for
future inhabitants, an exciting gateway
into the community, as well as an impor-
tant center for business and commerce.
The land use plan for the Harmony Cor-
ridor is intended to improve upon, rein-
force and enhance City Plan. It offers a
vision of a future that many people and
interests can identify with and seek to
implement.
THE PROCESS
Several different land use alternatives
were considered before finally arriving at
the recommended one. These alterna-
tives ranged considerably in intensity of
development, character and practicality.
They were reviewed by the property own-
ers in the study area and the general pub-
lic. The recommended land use plan was
synthesized by staff based on several
months of public review and comment at
a variety of forums.
The land use plan is depicted on Map 10.
The intent of the land use plan and map
is to provide for an orderly, efficient and
attractive transition of vacant rural land
to urban use; and to:
(a) Maximize the use of existing services
and facilities (streets and utilities).
(b) Promote the development of the
corridor as a high quality, self-con-
tained and compact business center.
(c) Provide for the location of industry
and business in the city by identify
ing prime locations for such uses.
(d) Provide shopping and service areas
convenient to both residents and em-
ployees of the corridor.
(e) Provide for a variety of housing
types.
(f) Preserve and protect existing residen-
tial neighborhoods from intrusive or
disruptive development.
THE VISION
The vision for the corridor area is that it
become a major business center in north-
ern Colorado attracting a variety of busi-
nesses and industries serving local as well
as regional markets. It should also include
a mixture of land uses including open
space, residential, office, recreational, and
retail activities.
The focus of most development activity,
especially commercial, should be at the
major street intersections. The intensity
of land use should decrease as distance
from Harmony Road increases and as the
distance from the major intersections in-
creases. To promote pedestrian, bicycle
and transit use, development in the area
should be compact. Buildings, spaces and
street frontages should be well-designed
and of high quality materials and work-
manship.
Business and industry provide the major
economic focus of the corridor area. The
land use mix also includes a variety of
commercial uses to meet tenant and
neighborhood resident needs.
Community and regional commercial ac-
tivities are introduced in well-planned
shopping centers, industrial parks and
mixed used areas, and designed to draw
shoppers from the surrounding
community and region.
Free-standing highway related commer-
cial (convenience stores, fast food
restaurants, gas stations and the like) are
not permitted to locate outside of
planned shopping centers or industrial
parks. Only neighborhood scale shopping
centers are allowed in residential areas,
although this restriction does not apply
in certain mixed use areas.
Hotels to serve business tenants within
the park will grow in importance. These
hotels will be sited near major
employment hubs, and in most cases be
visible from Harmony Road.
Low intensity retail, restaurants, day care
facilities, health clubs, personal service
shops, business services (print shops, of-
fice supply, etc.), banks and other similar
commercial activity is concentrated in at-
tractively designed centers, integrated
into planned industrial parks and mixed
use areas.
Buffer areas (transitional land uses, linear
greenbelts, or other urban design
elements) are provided to serve as
cushions between the adjacent residential
neighborhoods and the commercial
areas. The existing, low density residential
LAND USE PLAN
GOAL STATEMENT
Encourage and support mixed land use development in the Harmony Corridor while dis-
couraging “strip commercial” development and promoting the vitality and livability of
existing residential neighborhoods.
POLICIES
LU-1 Strive for excellence and high quality in the design and construction of
buildings, open spaces, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and streetscapes
by establishing and enforcing design guidelines specific to the corridor
area.
An important part of the Harmony Corridor Plan is the desire to continue the high standard
of quality established by recent development projects in the corridor area. One way that
this can be accomplished is through the development and implementation of design guide-
lines specific to the corridor itself. These guidelines should be adopted as a part of the
criteria that the City uses to review development of the corridor area. These guidelines
should address the following issues:
Streetscapes, including fencing and screening.
Landscaping.
Street and parking lot lighting.
Building setbacks.
Architectural design and materials.
Pedestrian and bicycle access and circulation.
LU-2 Locate all industries and businesses in the “Basic Industrial and Non-
Retail Employment Activity Centers” in the areas of the Harmony Cor-
ridor designated for such uses on Map 10. Secondary supporting uses
will also be permitted in these Activity Centers, but shall occupy no more
than 25 percent (25%) of the total gross area of the Overall Development
Plan or Planned Unit Development, as applicable.
The Harmony Corridor offers an opportunity for creating a major business and industrial
center in northern Colorado, due to its desirable location, accessibility, available infrastruc-
ture, and land ownership pattern. Attracting desirable industries and businesses into the
community, and in particular, the Harmony Corridor, achieves an important public pur-
pose because it promotes primary and secondary jobs and generally enhances the local
economy.
Basic Industrial and Non-Retail Employment Activity Centers are locations where indus-
trial uses and/or office or institutional type land uses are planned to locate in the future in
business park settings. Base industries are firms that produce goods and services which are
produced for export outside the city, and thereby import income into the city. Typical
business functions include research facilities, testing laboratories, offices and other facili-
ties for research and development; industrial uses; hospitals, clinics, nursing and personal
care facilities; regional, vocational, business or private schools and universities; finance,
insurance and real estate services; professional offices; and other uses of similar character, as
determined by the Planning and Zoning Board.
Secondary uses include hotels/motels; sit-down restaurants; neighborhood convenience
shopping centers; childcare centers; athletic clubs; and, a mix of single family and multi-
family housing. If single family housing is provided, at least a generally equivalent number of
multi-family dwelling units must also be provided. “Multi-family” shall mean attached single
family dwellings, 2-familly dwellings or multi-family dwellings.
Secondary uses shall be integrated both in function and in appearance with an office (or
business) park, unless a special exemption is granted by the Planning and Zoning Board. In
order for such an exemption to be granted, the applicant must demonstrate to the
satisfaction of the Board that the granting of the exemption would neither be detrimental to
the public good nor impact the intent and purposes of the foregoing requirement and that
by reason of exceptional narrowness, small parcel size, or other special condition peculiar
to a site, undue hardship would be caused by the strict application of this require- ment.
The essence of the Basic Industrial and Non-Retail Employment Activity Center is a com-
bination of different types of land uses along with urban design elements that reduce
dependence on the private automobile, encourage the utilization of alternative transporta-
tion modes, and ensure an attractive appearance.
LU-3 All retail and commercial land uses, except those permitted as secondary uses in the Basic
Industrial and Non-Retail Employment Activity Centers, shall be located in Mixed-Use Activity
Centers which comprise different types of shopping centers. All shopping centers, except
neighborhood convenience shopping centers, shall be limited to the locations shown on Map 10.
Neighborhood convenience shopping centers shall also be permitted in the Basic Industrial and
Non-Retail Employment Activity Center as described in LU-2.
The Plan allows for a broad range of retail uses to occur in shopping centers which satisfy the consumer demands of
residents and employees who live and work in adjacent neighborhoods, as well as from the community or region.
Coordinated planning of a “center” rather than isolated individual uses is the most effective means of avoiding the
“strip” type of development.
The scale and design of the shopping centers should be compatible with neighboring uses. Shopping centers can and
should play an important role in the identity, character and social interaction of surrounding neighborhoods. They
should be easily accessible to existing or planned segments of public transit. Adequate auto accessibility, especially for
community and regional shopping centers, is important. Shopping centers should have a physical environment that is
conducive to pedestrian and bicycle travel.
LU-4 Allow a broader range of land uses within the Gateway Area as shown on Map 10. The Gateway
Area permits a mix of all uses allowed in the “Basic Industrial and Non-Retail Employment
Activity Centers” plus additional complementary uses that fit a special urban design framework as
described in Chapter 5. All uses including the individual uses in Convenience Shopping Centers
may occur throughout the area. Retail and commercial uses shall occupy no more than 50% of the
mix of uses in the Overall Development Plan or Planned Unit Development as applicable.
Development in the area is intended to form a mixed-use place to attract employment uses with the convenient
mixing of uses as an amenity. Retail and commercial uses are allowed in any portion of the area because
development will be coordinated to minimize impacts on sensitive uses such as residential uses and on visual quality.
The focus within the Gateway Area will be on naturalistic landscaped edges along I-25 and Harmony Road; and on
urban design of pedestrian-friendly placemaking in areas of building development. Building development will be
clustered away from I-25 and Harmony Road and designed to blend unobtrusively into the landscape setting.
LU-5 Provide for the advance planning of large, undeveloped properties in the
corridor area.
Coordinated planning of large parcels of land in the corridor area can generally provide greater opportunity for more
innovation and variation in design, increase efficiency in utility services, and accomplish many more of the policies
and objectives of the commu- nity than does a more piecemeal approach to development planning.
LU-6 Locate a broader range of land uses in the areas of the Harmony Corridor known as Mixed-Use
Activity Centers as shown on Map 10.
Mixed-Use Activity Centers are areas where a broader range of land uses may locate. The Mixed-Use Activity Center
permits, in addition to the uses listed in the “Basic Industrial and Non-Retail Employment Activity Center,” a range
of retail and commercial uses to occur in shopping centers. If single-family housing is provided, at least a generally
equiva- lent number of multi-family dwelling units must also be provided. Neighborhood service centers, community
shopping centers, and regional shopping centers, and a lifestyle shop- ping center shall be limited to those locations
shown on Map 10.
The essence of the Mixed-Use Activity Center is a combination of different types of land uses along with urban design
elements that reduce dependence on the private automobile, encourage the utilization of alternative transportation
modes, and ensure an attractive appearance.
LU-7 Retail and commercial land uses are intended to be concentrated in shopping centers in most
areas. Neighborhood convenience shopping centers shall also be permitted in the Basic Industrial
and Non-Retail Employment Activity Center as described in LU-2. Retail and commercial land uses
will be allowed in the Gateway Area both within shopping centers and as components of mixed use
development.
The Plan allows for a broad range of retail uses to occur in shopping centers which satisfy
the consumer demands of residents and employees who live and work in adjacent neigh-
borhoods, as well as from the community or region. Coordinated planning of a “center”
rather than isolated individual uses is the most effective means of avoiding the “strip” type of
development.
The scale and design of the shopping centers should be compatible with neighboring uses. Shopping centers can and
should play an important role in the identity, character and social interaction of surrounding neighborhoods. They
should be easily accessible to existing or planned segments of public transit. Adequate auto accessibility, especially
for community and regional shopping centers, is important. Shopping centers should have a physical environment
that is conducive to pedestrian and bicycle travel.
LU-8 Recognize the importance of the continued livability and stability of
existing residential neighborhoods as a means to expanding future eco-
nomic opportunities in the corridor.
The corridor area contains existing residential areas whose existence contributes to the
future economic health of the corridor area. Future development in the corridor should
be sensitive to these areas.
LU-9 Preserve a transition or cushion of lower intensity uses or open space
between existing residential neighborhoods and the more intense indus-
trial/commercial areas.
An important goal of the Harmony Corridor Plan is to provide a harmonious relationship
between land uses and to protect the character of new and existing residential neighbor-
hoods against intrusive and disruptive development. Open space, setbacks, landscaping,
physical barriers and appropriate land use transitions can be effective was to provide a
cushion between different uses. The following are generally considered to be appropriate
transitional land uses:
professional offices
multi-family housing
churches
childcare centers; and
assisted living, memory care,and short-term care facilities.
Potential
Lifestyle/Regional
Shopping Center
HARMONY CORRIDOR PLAN
LAND USE PLAN MAP 10
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS
The following actions need to be taken by the City to ensure that the land use section of
the Plan is implemented over the years to come.
1. The City Council and the Planning and Zoning Board should adopt the Plan amendment.
2. The City should annex all unincorporated areas within the Harmony Corridor, in
accordance with the parameters of the Intergovernmental Agreement between
the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County.
3. The City should amend design standards and guidelines which reinforce the dis
tinctiveness and quality of the corridor area.
4. When reviewing new development proposals in the corridor, the City shall evalu-
ate such proposals according to the standards and guidelines adopted as part of
the Harmony Corridor Plan. The Harmony Corridor Standards and Guidelines are in
addition to existing development regulations that apply to specific development
proposals.
5. The City should establish means of effectively encouraging industries and busi-
nesses to locate in the Harmony Corridor.
6. The City should explore local landmark district designation of existing historic
structures.
7. The City should continue to study the distribution of basic industrial and non-
retail jobs as part of the City Plan Update (2019) implementation recommendations
and consider amendments to the Land Use Code recognizing changes in land use
policy. Revise policies of the Plan as needed.
5
HARMONY GATEWAY AREA
Updated 2020
“The goal of gateway planning is to arrange the landscape with a sense of arrival and a positive image of the place”
Michael Barrette
EXHIBIT "C"
The gateway area comprises about 450 acres extending one mile north and one-half mile south of
Harmony Road
Harmony Road, formerly State Highway 66,
smooths out the topography of the bluff
North side of the road: Arapaho Bend Natural Area
INTRODUCTION
This updated Chapter 5 builds upon ideas
and recommendations of the original 1991
Harmony Corridor Plan.
The Setting
The Gateway Area extends along both
sides of Harmony Road from I-25 to the
edge of the Cache La Poudre river valley,
defined by a bluff just over a half-mile west
of I-25.
The bluff, also known as the valley wall, is
a result of the river’s down-cutting action
as it meandered within its floodplain for
many thousands of years. While it is a
notable geographic feature from a
historical perspective, it simply presents a
modest hill for users of Harmony Road.
Lying within the river valley below the
bluff, the area consists of low ground,
ponds, and wetland areas—all remainders
from extensive past gravel mining
operations.
The Gateway Area is an exceptional
location due to high values the community
places on the Cache La Poudre River
corridor and also on the Harmony Road
interchange with I-25 as the most-traveled
entryway into the city.
This juxtaposition creates the unique
opportunities and significance that make
the Gateway Area a prominent aspect of
the Harmony Corridor Plan.
The types of development that highway
interchanges typically attract do not mesh
well with the community’s values regarding
this unique opportunity.
The challenge is to balance different and
sometimes competing objectives for land
use and development.
What’s A Community Gateway -- Why Is It
Important?
Community plans commonly address prominent
entryways as special opportunities to cue entry into and
departure from the given city. A well-planned gateway
can:
• Contribute to a sense of community with a look and
feel of local values, civic intention, and pride
• Offer a sense of arrival and welcome for visitors
• Offer a familiar and welcoming feel for residents,
signifying home in a positive way
• Avoid homogenous highway-oriented corporate
character that blurs local identity
• Invite attention to the city as a place to visit, in
addition to being an area to drive through
Harmony Corridor Plan Background:
General Direction for the Area
The Harmony Corridor Plan, adopted in
1991, identified the ‘Gateway Area’
but did not establish a vision or strategy
for the area. Rather, it explained issues
that were still in flux at the time and
described alternative concepts. It
concluded that:
“Additional work is required to develop a
strategy for shaping the future of this
important segment of the community.”
The starting point for additional work was
to be the concept of a well-planned and
attractive entrance to Fort Collins
integrating quality development with
naturalistic characteristics and features of
the river valley landscape.
This concept was described as ‘Alternative
A’ in the original plan. Key points are:
• Incorporate wetlands, lakes and
drainageway areas as an elaborate open
space network laced with an extensive
system of trails.
• Blend development into naturalistic
landscaping, favoring light industrial
and office uses and discouraging
commercial uses unless they can be
blended unobtrusively into the
naturalistic setting.
• Provide significant setbacks from streets
for any development forming a
greenbelt around the interchange.
• Establish standards for architecture and
landscape plans emphasizing naturalistic
character.
• Ownership, maintenance and liability
issues would need to be negotiated and
could include re-investment of tax
dollars created by development,
dedication of land by property owners
or developers, and public funding.
The Harmony Corridor Plan’s
overarching direction for land use along
the entire corridor included the Gateway
Area. That is, the area was designated as
‘Basic Industrial Non-Retail Employment’
for future development with an emphasis
on business park-type employment uses
and avoidance of highway commercial
“strip” type development with a generous
landscaped setback area along the roadway.
However, while the corridor-wide
employment designation was applied to the
Gateway Area, the area is also highlighted
separately and prominently throughout the
plan in addition to having its own chapter.
The area is distinct and different from the
uplands to the west which comprise the
rest of the corridor.
EXISTING CONDITIONS ISSUES
Poudre River Floodway
In 2020, most of the property in the
gateway area is within a 100-year floodplain
of the Poudre River, and significant
portions of the area are within a floodway
(a mapped area reserved for the passage of
flood flows with virtually no development
permitted).
The river itself is the angled north edge of
the gateway area. It then crosses I-25 a
half-mile north of the interchange and
continues east through the Town of
Timnath.
However, limited flow capacity under the
I-25 bridge crossing would cause flood
flows to back up behind the bridge in a
flood event and break out of the river
channel to flow down through Gateway
Area across Harmony Road.
The Colorado Department of
Transportation (CDOT) and the City are
exploring possibilities for a new I-25
bridge together with downstream flood
improvements that could allow flood flows
to remain in the river channel and remove
the floodway from the Gateway Area.
Unless and until such a solution is reached,
no residential development is allowed in
the floodway, and any other development
would face the very difficult challenge of
showing no adverse impact on adjacent
properties. This challenge would be
prohibitive for any significant development
in the floodway.
However, developers could propose to
channelize and realign the floodway by
completely reshaping the landscape, to
create developable land. The necessary
filling and grading would require a multi-
year process of engineering, design,
coordination and permitting. The City,
FEMA, and possibly other jurisdictions
and stakeholders would be included.
Floodway issues are a complex
interjurisdictional matter beyond the scope
of this Harmony Corridor Plan.
This plan update establishes a vision and
strategy for land use and development in
the event that floodway constraints are
removed in a separate process.
Gravel Pit Ponds
In 2020, four gravel pit ponds exist on the
south side of Harmony Road in the
gateway area and are in varying states of
compliance with State water law. These
ponds are unintentional residual results of
past gravel mining and were never
intended to be the permanent land use on
the property.
wetlands develop around the edges in
addition to the habitat value of open water.
Anticipated future changes to the property
would necessarily involve at least some
degree of loss of habitat, and such changes
require mitigation of the habitat loss under
City Land Use Code standards. Mitigation
requirements would offer opportunities for
more intentional habitat improvements as
part of a whole reshaped landscape.
Existing Land Uses
The north side of Harmony Road mostly
consists of the City’s Arapaho Bend
Natural Area and the Transportation
Transfer Center (TTC or park-n-ride), a
joint facility of the City and CDOT that
was carefully carved out of the Natural
Area. The commercial property abutting
the northwest corner of the interchange is
not within the City Limits.
On the south side of Harmony Road, the
existing gas station and adjacent cell tower
are not within the City Limits. The
existing plant nursery business was
established under County jurisdiction prior
to annexation and has since been annexed
along with the remainder of the gateway
area on the south side of Harmony Road.
The remainder of the south side comprises
gravel-mined ponds. Parcels on the
southwest and southeast corners of
Harmony and Strauss Cabin Roads are
outside of the 100-year floodplain. The
southwest corner of Harmony and Strauss
Cabin Road was recently developed with
an apartment complex. A 10-acre parcel on
the southeast corner of Harmony and
Strauss Cabin Road was approved in 2015
for a convenience shopping center,
although the development plan approval
has expired, and the property remains
undeveloped.
Changed Conditions Since the Original
1991 Plan
Major changes and new information since
1991 have informed the planning process
for the Gateway Area plan update in 2020.
Prominent examples include:
• Jurisdiction over Harmony Road was
transferred from the Colorado
Department of Transportation to the
City of Fort Collins, and the
designation as a State Highway was
removed.
• Gravel mining operations were
completed, throughout much of the
gateway area, altering the landscape.
• The portion of the gateway area on the
north side of Harmony Road was
purchased by the City as the Arapaho
original 1991 plan to maintain the
character of the river valley.
• The portion of the gateway area on the
south side of Harmony Road was
considered for purchase as a City
Natural Area for Community Separator
and viewshed purposes starting in the
late 1990’s. Habitat was not considered
a significant purpose due to the gravel
mined landscape. The City considered
the opportunity on multiple occasions.
• A large, visually prominent cell phone
tower was built adjacent to the
interchange on the south side
of Harmony Road in the County’s
jurisdiction.
• The City’s 1997 Comprehensive Plan
update known as City Plan designated
Harmony Road as one of four
Enhanced Travel Corridors for
future high-frequency transit in the
long-term structure of the city.
• The City Structure Plan map (City
Plan’s land use map) envisioned a
‘Green Edge’ of the city along the low-
lying southeastern edge of city
including the Gateway Area, suggesting
that development intensity would taper
down to a fairly open and rural
landscape, helping to preserve the
separate identities of Fort Collins and
Timnath.
• The City and County twice extended
Fort Collins’ Growth Management
Area southward from its boundary ½
mile south of Harmony Road at the
time of the original Harmony Corridor
Plan. In 2020, it extends 3½ miles
further south to the SH 392/Carpenter
road interchange area.
• Two Community Separator studies
were conducted, in 1999 and 2003,
describing potential opportunities for
preserving distinct visual and physical
separation and identity of Fort Collins,
Timnath, and Windsor. These studies
were a forum for discussion of
cooperative land use planning among
jurisdictions and property owners.
• The 2003 Fort Collins-Timnath-
Windsor Community Separator
Study specifically identified the Poudre
River floodplain corridor, which forms
a broad swath around the I-
25/Harmony interchange, as a primary
opportunity to keep Fort Collins and
Timnath separate. The Separator
studies generally described possible
implementation actions, which
would require increasing cooperation
development widely promoting I-25 as
“Northern Colorado’s Main Street”.
• Fort Collins’ position in the regional
retail trade area has weakened
significantly since 2001. The City of Fort
Collins faces increasing competition for
regional retail purchases; this has
translated into a decrease in retail sales
inflow and increased retail sales leakage
since 2001.
• Soon after the Separator studies were
completed in 2004, the Town of
Timnath re-designated the east entire
east side of I-25 directly across from the
gateway area for Regional Commercial
development, extending from the
interchange one mile southward,
negating the Separator concepts for
that area. Walmart, Costco, and
associated commercial pads were
developed.
• CDOT conducted an Environmental
Impact Study process evaluating
alternative transportation scenarios for
I-25 and related north-south
transportation facilities between the
Denver Metro area and North Front
Range, showing the Harmony
interchange as a significant hub for
future bus transit.
• Taller buildings began to emerge along
I-25 in Northern Colorado, with an 8-
story hotel constructed near the Larimer
County Events Center and other 6-story
buildings planned nearby.
• Development along the top of the
river valley wall has significantly altered
the potential for scenic views looking
west across the river valley to the
mountains beyond, as described in the
original 1991 plan.
• Property owners, professional
consultants, prospective developers, and
City staff have evaluated several land
use initiatives for the south side of
Harmony Road. These were based on
reclaiming gravel-mined land and ponds,
completely reshaping the floodplain,
developing an activity center, and
exploring possibilities for City purchase
of certain property. These efforts
produced significant information and
understanding, but none led to Harmony
Corridor Plan amendments or land use
actions.
• Most of the property in the Gateway
Area on the south side of Harmony
Road was annexed with the exception
of the existing gas station property.
• Eagle View Natural Area was
VISION FOR THE GATEWAY AREA
Gateway Area Looking West
Overview
Property owners, community members, decision makers, and various other
stakeholders, both public and private, need a shared understanding of how
continuing changes should be channeled to contribute to a positive vision.
The original 1991 Harmony Corridor Plan set a direction and starting point:
to create a community entryway that integrates high-quality development into a
naturalistic landscape with riparian characteristics associated with the river valley.
Office and light industrial uses were encouraged; commercial uses were discouraged
unless they could be shown to blend unobtrusively into the naturalistic setting.
That general direction has remained valid. 29-plus years of changes, new
information, and public discussion have built on that starting point and reaffirmed
the essential ideas to make the most of the unique opportunity to form a Fort Collins
gateway and a special destination over time if land uses change.
The community’s vision for this entryway includes specific acknowledgement that
the whole approach to land use is notably different from typical commercial
development oriented to interstate highway exits. Rather, the vision is to provide
relief from the protypical highway development.
ESSENTIAL HARMONY GATEWAY DESIGN ELEMENTS
Implemented as part of the Harmony Corridor Plan update and related Standards
and Guidelines, ten basic design elements will apply to future development within
the Gateway Area:
1. Naturalistic River Valley Landscape
2. Landscaped Setbacks Along Harmony and I-25 for Visual Image and
Character
3. Unified Harmony Road Gateway Streetscape
4. Fort Collins Entryway Signs
5. Habitat Protection and Mitigation
6. Regional Trail Corridor
7. Mobility Hub
8. Limitations on Commercial Signs
9. Stealth Wireless Telecommunication Facilities
10. Unique Land Use and Development Standards
1. Naturalistic River Valley Landscape
Cottonwood groves, willows, and other native plantings will form the most
dominant aspect of the area’s image as seen by users of Harmony Road and drivers
on I-25. Under this approach, a naturalistic river valley landscape, instead of
buildings and signs, becomes the primary view.
Example of a landscape-dominant entryway corridor where buildings and signs are afforded intermittent visibility
2. Landscaped Setbacks Along Harmony and I-25 for Visual Image and
Character
Where buildings and parking lots are developed, landscaped setback areas will be
provided that average at least 140-190 feet wide along Harmony Road and I-
25.These newly landscaped areas along streets will be designed to screen parked
vehicles and intentionally frame intermittent views of buildings and their signage as
part of the image of buildings sited within a landscape. As such, the setback area can
undulate within the average, with some buildings and parking closer to the roadways
if parking is fully screened and encroaching buildings are well-integrated into the
landscape.
I-25 Landscape Setback Concept
Grading in these setback areas will be informal and have vertical undulation,
reflecting landforms shaped by river movement to complement plantings and
reinforce the naturalistic landscape. Grading should be at a scale perceivable to
drivers at speeds and volumes on Harmony and I-25.
Grading may double as critical floodway and/or drainage facilities and a trail corridor
depending on outcomes of separate efforts regarding floodway changes.
Harmony Streetscape with Naturalistic Landscaping Concept
3. Unified Harmony Road Gateway Streetscape
Perhaps the strongest and most direct impression that can be made for people
moving through or coming to the area is the Harmony Road streetscape.
This streetscape includes the street edges as experienced by users of the street, and
medians. It includes improvements within the City right-of-way and improvements
as part of abutting land uses.
For motorists entering the city, medians and streetscape improvements on the north
side of Harmony Road would have the highest visibility. The landscaped medians
reduce the scale of the large roadway and add beauty.
As much as possible within space constraints, informal groupings of trees including
cottonwoods will span across sidewalks which will be detached and slightly
meandering in conjunction with naturalistic grading.
Harmony Road Streetscape, Landscape Setback Area, and New Street at Park-n-Ride Signal Concepts
4. Fort Collins Entry Sign
Streetscape design projects will explore the most complementary way to include an
entry sign in conjunction with the landscaping. For years, public interest has been
expressed in a clearer message to motorists that they are entering Fort Collins, at all
major highway entry areas.
In the public planning process for the Gateway Area, community members’ input
clearly indicated that any isolated, attention-grabbing sign, monument, sculpture or
similar entry feature is not important in favor of a naturalistic landscape to move
through.
A landscaped native stone sign wall or other complementary entry sign would
reinforce the gateway impression and will be carefully considered, sited and designed
considering relationships to similar initiatives at other City gateways.
5. Habitat Protection and Mitigation
Land use changes will include riparian landscaping that contributes to a larger
continuous corridor of riparian habitat in rural and open lands across the larger
southeast edge of Fort Collins.
City, State, and Federal regulations already govern impacts to existing habitat that
would likely occur with development. They generally emphasize protection,
enhancement, and alternative mitigation of any losses with land use changes.
For example, on the south side of Harmony Road where greater land use changes
may occur, habitat improvements would be required to mitigate expected losses
associated with filling ponds and future development.
Newly created ponds, channels, and landscape areas would be part of the framework
for development and would be extensively landscaped with native river valley
plantings. This would provide a basic degree of urban habitat, mainly for birds and
small aquatic species.
With complete reshaping of the most or all of the landscape, there are apparent
opportunities for improvements to go beyond minimal mitigation of losses and
achieve significant enhancement over unintentional and unsanctioned status of
the habitat that has formed in the gravel-mined landscape.
6. Regional Trail Corridor
A landscaped trail corridor thirty to fifty feet wide (or more) will run like a ribbon
through the south side of Harmony road to assist in linking trails and Natural
Areas to the north and south—the Poudre River Trail in Arapaho Bend Natural
Area on the north, and Fossil Creek Trail in Eagle View in the south.
The corridor will be an integral part of the formative framework of public space
into which buildings and parking lots will fit. The corridor may be located within
required landscape setback areas and should be sited and aligned to maximize the
user experience.
Developers will coordinate with the City on appropriate trail design, including
alignment, width, surface materials and details.
Trail Corridor Concept, North Portion of South Side of Harmony
7. Mobility Hub
City Plan identifies the Harmony interchange area as a ‘Mobility Hub’ recognizing its
long-term potential to offer transfers, drop-offs, a station for bus rapid transit (BRT),
intersecting multi-use trails, and regional bus transit in addition to its park-n-ride
function.
This recognition centers around the TTC; but if any significant development is
brought to fruition on the south side of Harmony as envisioned, it will complement
the functioning of the TTC starting with a BRT stop and a comfortable pedestrian
crossing of Harmony Road. Such development could add options such as car shares,
electric charging, and shuttles to connect across Harmony.
8. Limitations on Commercial Signs
Commercial signs within the gateway area will be consistent with the Plan’s character
elements as well as compliant with the City’s Sign Code. Present code provisions
prohibit off-premise signs (billboards) and place limitations on sign size, height, and
manner of display.
Requests for modifications and/or variances to the Sign Code will be evaluated
against adopted Harmony Gateway policies. Further, any Planned Unit Development
(PUD) application would be required to include a Uniform Sign Program specifying
sign type, heights, sizes, placement and lighting.
9. Stealth Wireless Telecommunication Facilities
Making a provision for wireless telecommunication facilities (typically cell towers)
balances the needs for residents and the travelling public to have adequate
telecommunication services while still protecting key views and upholding the
naturalistic design character of the Gateway. New standards would prohibit
conventional wireless and other telecommunication towers, unless in those cases
where they are screened, roof-mounted equipment or are “stealth” installations
located within church steeples, bell towers, flagpoles, grain silos, structures common
to the area’s landscape or integrated into building architecture.
10. Land Use and Development Standards
South Side of Harmony Road
This 136-acre area has been zoned for development under the Basic Industrial Non-
Retail Employment Activity Center land use designation since 1991, with the
potential for major development if the floodway was to be removed and gravel pit
ponds filled. In 2020, a 10-acre parcel of developable land exists at the southeast
corner of Harmony and Strauss Cabin Roads.
For development to proceed on the south side of Harmony Road beyond the vacant
10-acre parcel, the entire gravel-mined floodplain landscape would need to be
completely reshaped from the current gravel pit configuration, filling the ponds in
conjunction with a solution to contain the floodway.
Naturalistic river valley landscaping dominated by groupings of cottonwoods and
willows would be required to create a significant riparian greenbelt image along
Harmony Road and I-25. This landscaping would complement and contribute to the
larger swath of open and rural lands at this southeast edge of the city and riparian
tree groves on the north side of Harmony Road.
Coverage of streets, buildings and parking lots would be limited to 60% of the site
area, with the remaining 40%comprising he newly created naturalistic landscape
setting. Groupings of evergreen trees would screen parking and help to frame
selective intermittent visibility of buildings and their signage and add winter interest.
Development will form an interesting, walkable mixed-use destination with buildings
brought together along sidewalks and other walkways and outdoor spaces. While
most people will arrive by private vehicle, the pattern will make it convenient and
inviting to ‘park once’ and walk within the area.
Because of the focus on a walkable framework, development would be mutually
supportive of public transportation, by being convenient for walking, transit use,
and bicycling upon arrival.
Buildings Brought Together in a Walkable, Mixed-Use Area
Beyond the visual image, the pattern would reflect multiple community values
regarding livable, sustainable community development. Its character would define it
as a notable gateway to Fort Collins and a unique shopping/employment/living
destination in the region and state.
Mixed Land Uses
A diverse mix of businesses, jobs, and urban housing at relatively high densities,
allowing as many opportunities for cross-use as possible within walking distance.
This mix offers a chance for people to live, work, and visit with minimal
dependency on cars.
Uses could include retail, restaurant, office and institutional buildings, corporate
and light industrial employment, lodging and hospitality uses, and a variety of
urban styles of housing.
The mix of uses would be limited to the following distribution (as a percentage of
net developable acreage):
Residential: 25% minimum
Retail and commercial: 50% maximum
Employment: 25% minimum
(office, light industrial, institutional)
Public Space Framework of Streets
Buildings and parking lots will be fitted into a well-planned framework of public
space, with blocks formed by streets, or pedestrian ‘spines’ adequate to function in
lieu of streets. ‘The term ‘streets’ is inclusive of street-like private drives.
Pedestrian Crossings of Harmony and Strauss Cabin Roads
Prominent pedestrian crossings would be provided at Strauss Cabin & Harmony
Roads for reasonably comfortable east-west and north-south pedestrian
movement throughout the area.
.
Strauss Cabin Pedestrian Crossing Concept at Apartments on West Side
Buildings and Parking Lots
Buildings and their entrances would be brought together along streetfronts that
may combine with a trail corridor and small park and public spaces and define the
district.
Building Fitted in and Brought to Streetfronts
Accordingly, parking would be either distributed along active pedestrian streets,
or consolidated in lots or structures that do not interrupt the pedestrian and visual
environment. Landscape plantings internal to parking lots reflect the overall plant
pallet for the area.
North Side of Harmony Road
The existing land use is likely to remain within a reasonable planning time horizon.
The park-n-ride could potentially expand to a degree or add a parking structure as
part of long-range plans for a transit hub, but its essential footprint, function,
streetscape, and naturalistic landscape are expected to remain consistent with the
overall vision.
At such time that these properties redevelop, the Land Use and Development Standards
described above for the south side of Harmony Road will be apply to the north side
of Harmony Road.
TTC (Park-n-Ride) Landscape Setback Character
The commercial property abutting the interchange, under County jurisdiction,
appears unlikely to request annexation and redevelopment within a planning time
frame. In the meantime, it will remain a reminder of a past era when it was zoned
for commercial uses at an outlying highway exit beyond the City Limits.
Northeast Commercial Corner Abutting the Interchange
DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS TO IMPLEMENT THE STRATEGIES
Architectural, site, landscape and sign plans will be subject to design standards and
guidelines that emphasize a distinct place and image consistent with the vision.
PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT
Trail corridor and other open spaces: ownership, maintenance and liability issues
would have to be negotiated. Retaining significant amounts of open space may
require the expenditure of public funds or a reinvestment of tax dollars created by
the development.
GATEWAY AREA GOALS
Shape the future of the gateway area to:
1. Emphasize opportunities of the river valley setting.
2. Express a positive image, community values, and a distinct local feel.
3. Shape development south of Harmony Road to form a walkable, mixed-use
district south, including diverse businesses, jobs, urban styles of housing and city
amenities.
4. Take advantage of future public transportation systems along Harmony Road
and I-25 by evolving a transit hub.
POLICIES
GW-1 Establish a well-planned and attractive gateway entrance to Fort Collins
at the I-25 interchange, emphasizing the natural scenic qualities of the
area.
GW-2 Protect and enhance the natural resource value of the Cache la Poudre
River.
GW-3 Encourage continued master planning efforts in the gateway area.
GW-4 Establish design standards and guidelines for development in the gateway area
that emphasize scenic and natural resource values.
GW-6 Create networks of open space and trail systems, that incorporate urban
wildlife habitat.
GW-7 Support a balanced transportation system within the context of a pedestrian
district that prioritizes pedestrian, transit and bicycle use as well as driving.
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS
The following actions need to be taken by the City to ensure that the gateway section
of the Plan is implemented.
1. PLAN ADOPTION
Gateway Plan amendment adoption by City Council.
2. GATEWAY PLANNING PHASE TWO
The City should continue the gateway planning effort through the following design
and coordination activities:
DESIGN
• Adopt Harmony Corridor Gateway Design Standards and Guidelines.
• Develop and fund a Harmony Road gateway streetscape design.
• Design a Fort Collins entry sign and develop a funding mechanism.
• Develop a conceptual plan for a regional multi-purpose trail.
• Design a naturalistic landscape design for the Harmony and I-25 rights-of-way.
COORDINATION
• Coordinate with the long-range planning efforts of other City departments –
Transportation, Parks and Recreation, Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Utilities.
• Coordinate with the Colorado Department of Transportation in regard to
decommissioning of frontage roads, and landscaping in the highway right-of-way.
purchased immediately south of the area
across Kechter Road.
• An Overall Development Plan (ODP)
was approved for the south side of
Harmony Road based on the
requirement for 75% ‘Primary’ uses
(non-retail employment and institutional
uses). A Convenience Shopping
Center was subsequently approved
under the ODP as a ‘Secondary use’.
The ODP presumes filling of ponds and
complete reshaping of the floodplain.
• An apartment complex was built at the
southwest corner of Strauss Cabin Road.
• Regional traffic volumes continue to
increase on Harmony, Strauss Cabin,
and Kechter Roads.
and decreasing competition for sales
tax among regional cities and towns at
their edges along I-25.
• The retail industry saw the evolution
of “big box” superstores, power
centers, and lifestyle shopping centers,
all serving an increasingly regional
market.
• In 2003, the Larimer County Events
Center and the Centerra Lifestyle
Shopping Center opened.
• Retail/commercial activity and
competition for sales tax has changed
rapidly and becoming increasingly
aggressive along the I-25 corridor. The
interstate has become a focus of
annexations and development, with
advocates of regional metropolitan
Bend Natural Area. (With the
exception of the commercial property
abutting the northwest corner of the
interchange which remains under
County jurisdiction at the present
time.)
• The Transportation Transfer Center
(TTC, aka park-n-ride), was built on
the north side of Harmony Road, by
the City and CDOT (on land
purchased from the Natural Areas
Program). The TTC and Arapaho
Bend implemented ideas described
protected wetland, wildlife and
vegetative areas were described in the
The technical complexity of the water
issues is beyond the scope of this plan,
similar to the floodway issues noted above,
and are interrelated with the floodway
issues.
For planning purposes, at least two of
these ponds should be considered as likely
to be completely changed, with exposed
water significantly reduced by filling and
grading.
The habitat value associated with the
ponds has been increasing with time as
The plan’s direction for additional work
based on ‘Alternative A’ included a listing
of Implementation Actions—giving
direction on the additional work needed.
Over the past 25-plus years, a large body
of that work along with new information,
changed conditions, developer initiatives,
studies and analysis has led to this 2020
amendment which sets forth a vision to
fulfill the direction of the original plan.
uses in the surrounding neighborhoods
are maintained and enhanced. As
business activity expands, new housing
stock of a mix of types and densities is
introduced as integral parts of the
business and industrial parks and mixed
use areas.
effect of attracting other light industries
and office users. The quality of recent
commercial and