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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmail - Mail Packet - 9/2/2014 - Email From Lindsay Ex Re: Poudre River Buffer - Solar Garden1 Sarah Kane From: Sarah Kane Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2014 8:46 AM To: City Leaders Cc: Karen Cumbo; Lindsay Ex; Bruce Hendee Subject: Poudre River Buffer Council, Please see below: ~~ Dear Madame Mayor and Councilmembers: At the August 19 Council meeting, a question was asked regarding the buffer width between the Poudre River and the proposed solar garden at the former Pickle Plant site (at the NE corner of Riverside and Mulberry). The purpose of this memo is to clarify the response already provided. A buffer (or Natural Habitat Buffer Zone) is established through the development review process by the decision maker (in this case, an Administrative Hearing officer). While the project has submitted a Project Development Plan, staff is still reviewing this project for compliance with the Land Use Code and the project has not yet gone to public hearing. Thus, the buffer zone has not been established. Regarding the buffer width, the site is located in the River Downtown Redevelopment (RDR) zone district. In the RDR zone district, development proposals are required to “establish, preserve or improve a continuous landscape buffer along the River as an integral part of a transition between development and the River. To the maximum extent feasible, the landscape buffer shall consist predominantly of native tree and shrub cover…” To meet this standard, the project’s Ecological Characterization Study proposes that a minimum 50’ buffer be provided between the solar garden and the Poudre River. The initial proposal provided by the applicant indicates that the buffer provided ranges between 70-200’. As noted above, this project is still under review for whether this width adequately provides a continuous landscape buffer. Staff is working with the Natural Areas Department and the applicant to establish a buffer in excess of the ECS recommendation and that enhances the ecological value of the site (in compliance with the Land Use Code) prior to the project’s public hearing. We hope this helps to clarify the response to this question. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Sincerely, Lindsay Ex Lindsay Ex, AICP, LEED GA Senior Environmental Planner Planning Services | City of Fort Collins lex@fcgov.com 970.224.6143 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 Sarah Kane Executive Administrative Assistant City Manager’s Office PO Box 580 300 LaPorte Ave., Building A Fort Collins, CO 80522 tel: 970-416-2447 fax: 970-207-7931 Click here to Tell Me About My Service...I Want to Know!