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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResponse to Constituent Letter - Mail Packet - 07/22/2025 - Letter from Mayor Jeni Arndt to Senior Advisory Board re memorandum from July 10, 2025 re Remington/Oak Parking Lot Mayor City Hall Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.416.2154 970.224.6107 - fax fcgov.com July 17, 2025 Senior Advisory Board c/o Sarah Olear, staff liaison PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 Dear Chair Dr. Alicia Durand and Board Members: On behalf of City Council, thank you for providing us with the memorandum dated July 10, 2025 regarding the Remington/Oak Parking Lot. We understand that the Board recommends that Council maintain this as a parking lot for older adults, differently-abled residents and parents with children in strollers who use it frequently to access downtown businesses and amenities due to its “close-in” proximity. Thank you also for offering to meet with Councilmembers to discuss other ways affordable housing could be achieved in the community. As we consider any future development, it’s important that we first stabilize and optimize our current approach to parking downtown. To that end, we are conducting a parking optimization study to help us better understand what improvements can be made to our existing system. This study will outline the steps needed to operate the current parking supply efficiently and effectively with financial stability. We intend to complete the study, evaluate and implement recommendations, and provide time for the changes to impact the system before making any decisions regarding the Remington/Oak parking lot. This measured approach, focusing on parking optimization first, will ensure that decisions about future development, including potential uses for the Remington/Oak parking lot, are thoughtful, informed, and made with careful consideration. Thank you for the knowledge and perspectives that you bring to the Board and share with City Council. Best Regards, Jeni Arndt Mayor /sek cc: City Council Members Kelly DiMartino, City Manager Rupa Venkatesh, Assistant City Manager Josh Birks, Deputy Director, Sustainability Services City of Fort Collins Senior Advisory Board Members: Alicia Durand, Myles Crane, Debbie Bradberry, Tom Hilbert, Suzanne King, Joe Glomboski, Sarah Schilz and Karen Miller July 10, 2025 RE: Remington/Oak Parking Lot Mayor Jenny Arndt, Mayor Pro Tem Emily Francis, and Fort Collins City Council Members, I am writing to you on behalf of all the members of the Fort Collins Senior Advisory Board regarding the city owned property at Block 122 (a.k.a. the Remington/Oak Parking Lot) in Downtown Fort Collins, bounded by Oak Street on the North, Remington Street on the East, Olive Street on the South, and Montezuma Fuller Alley on the West. By motion, discussion and vote at our monthly meeting July 9th, our Board unanimously requests you to reconsider the plans in discussion to build housing over the existing parking lot for several reasons. We agree with the concerns put forth at your June 5, 2025, meeting with the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority, as noted below: “In January 2025, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) raised concern regarding the GID No. 1 original purchase of the Remington Street parking lot and its relationships to HC and their private partner redevelopment concept. The concern focused on the original purpose for the purchase of the property and its acquisition with GID funds. The CAO reviewed GID statutes, and nothing appears to exist impeding the legal transfer of this property to HC. Furthermore, nearly 5 decades of oA-street surface parking operations have clearly delivered the original intent of the acquisition. In February 2025, StaA shared the CAO’s findings and the City’s perspective that DDA, City, and GID all share multiple aligned and competing interests for Downtown. Parking and Housing being two of the largest aligned and competing interests. The DDA continued to express concerns regarding the displacement of downtown parking and the challenges it would present to all of Oldtown, including the small businesses that own and operate in the area.” Additionally, we are concerned about the understanding of the current use of this parking lot by neighborhood apartments/condos, retail shoppers, downtown workers, museum patrons, concert goers as well as restaurant customers. Our direct concern is for the number of older adults who rely on this “close in” parking, allowing them to access all that downtown Fort Collins oAers. In addition, diAerently abled citizens and parents with children in strollers rely on this important lot for access to this part of the city. Requiring all three of these groups (older adults, diAerently abled citizens and parents with children in strollers) to walk several more blocks to a parking garage is, frankly, a misunderstanding of the challenges these groups face. The Remington/Oak Street Parking Lot is an integral part of assuring that all citizens of Fort Collins, as well as visitors to our city, can fully access housing, dining, and retail services. The safety of all Fort Collins citizens and visitors must be considered when proposing to limit access to our city. We, the Senior Advisory Board for the City of Fort Collins, strongly request that our City Council continue to review the proposal to limit access to our city’s resources in favor of housing options and look for other options to address those needs. Cutting oA access for all to safely, comfortably and conveniently access our downtown resources should continue to be a City Council priority. The Senior Advisory Board would be happy to engage with council members to find an alternative solution to the lack of aAordable housing in this area without significantly limiting accessibility to our city for all. Sincerely, Dr. Alicia Durand, Senior Advisory Board Chair