HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 10/18/2016 - Memorandum From Jon Haukaas, Ken Sampley And Kurt Friesen Re: October 18 Agenda Item #8 - Center Outfall Water Quality Pond Easement, Gardens On Spring Creek, CsuUtilities
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M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: October 4, 2016
TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers
THROUGH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Kevin R. Gertig, Utilities Executive Director
FROM: Jon Haukaas, Operations Manager - Water Engineering & Field Services
Ken Sampley, Water Utility Engineering Manager
Kurt Friesen, Director of Park Planning & Development
RE: Read-Before Memo – October 4, 2016 City Council Meeting
Council Item #5 – Center Outfall Water Quality Pond Easement
A citizen emailed a number of questions regarding action to grant an easement to CSU from
construction of a joint water quality pond that would be primarily on CSU property and a small
portion of City property. Staff has compiled the following responses:
Question 1: Do the two staff members listed from the City and, "a few from CSU" have the
authority to usurp the 2013 City Water Quality Master Plan which wisely channeled water to flow
from campus east under Prospect and the Burlington Northern Railroad?
Response: The 2013 Water Quality Master Plan identified multiple outfall locations for City
stormwater outfalls. Much of the northerly portions of campus do drain to the east of the RR
tracks. A city outfall is identified to discharge on the east side of Center Avenue. There is
currently an outfall discharging without treatment directly to Spring Creek equally serving areas
on the CSU campus and areas of the city outside campus boundaries at the location of this water
quality pond project.
The Water Quality Master Plan approved a Water Quality Pond fully on City property at this
location as seen in the attached exhibit. The City entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement
that addresses the impacts of the stadium, the pedestrian tunnel and includes requirements for
water quality management for the CSU flows at this location. CSU and City staff recognized the
efficiencies that could be created if the City pond was expanded onto CSU property to provide
the required treatment in a joint manner.
DocuSign Envelope ID: D31C127D-D863-4026-AF9A-A47ADDCE1B50
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Question 2: Its proposed that The Center Outfall Water Quality Pond will service both CSU and
The Gardens on Spring Creek. How does it service The Gardens when its located uphill, on the
opposite side of Spring Creek and down stream from the actual gardens and amphitheater?
Response: The Water Quality pond is not designed to serve the Gardens on Spring Creek. The
Gardens have their own Water Quality facilities. This project would serve portions of CSU and
areas of the City along Lake St and Prospect Ave plus west of Shields St.
Question 3: Why would the City allow draining the CSU basin here? It should be drained below /
east of the two dams (Centre Ave. and the Burlington Northern Railroad) per Master Plan in 2013.
This proposal will drain the STADIUM and new housing and parking and the new greenhouses
immediately west of Centre Ave. where the underpass is flooded by Spring Creek half the summer
already.
Response: This water quality pond serves runoff from existing imperious area. That flow is
currently discharged without treatment directly to Spring Creek. There is no change in the
amount of water discharged through this system as a result of redevelopment on campus. The
impervious areas served by this pond are approximately an equal split between area on the CSU
campus and areas of the city outside campus boundaries.
This Water Quality pond is to address stormwater quality; it is not intended to provide detention
for flood control purposes. The stadium has stormwater detention built underground near the
facility as part of its design that meets requirements per City Code.
Question 4: Why is this retention pond, on City property, designed to a 2 year event standard?
Draining these three huge impervious areas into a FEMA Floodway with housing needs engineering
to be a valid solution.
Response: The WQ pond is designed to address stormwater quality, with the desired quantity of
treatment being the Water Quality Capture Volume (WQCV). This roughly equates to a 2-year
frequency. The underground system does not collect all of the stormwater runoff generated
upstream. A large portion flows on the ground surface and in existing streets.
Question 5: Sheely residents may or may not have questions about the new adjacent trail spur for
event access North bound to the CSU Stadium and South bound to the Amphitheater access but four
months ago there was no plan or budget for a new trail. Now that an entire new trail is planned will
you commit to build Lilac Park which was paid for 20 years ago? (Still the only 1 square mile in city
without park)
Response 5: The trail is unfunded to date; CSU is working with City partners to obtain a grant
and further the bicycle connectivity goals of both the CSU and City bike master plans, making
for a safer transition from the Spring Creek trail to the Prospect underpass and CSU bicycle
network.
DocuSign Envelope ID: D31C127D-D863-4026-AF9A-A47ADDCE1B50
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Lilac Park will be developed at some point in the future. Currently, funding has not been
identified for the project. When the park is developed, outreach will occur with the neighborhood
to discuss desired park elements.
Question 6: Lilac Park was paid for by the current residents through development fees. The
Horticulture Center conversion to Amphitheater takes that unbuilt park with the promise of the park
being built north of Spring Creek. This retention pond again decreases or eliminates our park. It
definitely removes parking and structure options.
Response 6: The Water Quality pond has been part of the Council approved Water Quality
Master Plan since prior to Council’s action on the amphitheater. The area proposed to be used
for water quality treatment is a very small portion of the property and will not significantly
eliminate the ability to construct the park in the future. Lilac Park will be developed at some
point in the future after a funding source has been identified.
Question 7: Can Poudre Fire Authority access the new CSU greenhouses if you cut off the current
access to Centre Ave. with a retention pond?
Response: PFA access to the greenhouses is from the north and will not be impacted by this
project.
Question 8: Developers plan storm water retention prior to construction especially when dumping
water off on a neighboring property. Definitely when dumping that water onto City property. CSU
is a State entity so they are not required to comply with Fort Collins development requirements. But
tunneling under Prospect on City land and expelling their water outflow onto the city and residents
does have to be approved. Why is the city staff that reviewed this ordinance limited to two
departments and no public input.
Response: The City entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement that addresses the impacts of
the stadium, the pedestrian tunnel and includes requirements for water quality management. It
specifically requires this water quality pond. That IGA was the catalyst to begin discussions of
combining the required water quality pond and construct the city Water Quality pond as a joint
project, thereby greatly increasing the effectiveness of either project alone. It could then meet
the needs of CSU and address a city deficiency identified in the 2013 Water Quality Master Plan.
Question 9: Its obvious why CSU wants a solution to all this water. It flooded the library and
Student Union during the Spring Creek Flood. But why would the city accept all this water from a
huge area? This area is comprised of newly built impervious surfaces including the new CSU
stadium, new CSU housing, new CSU greenhouses flowing into a, "2 year event" retention pond and
an already flooded Spring Creek where City Council decided to build the Amphitheater structures in
the FEMA 100 year floodway. Your literally rechanneling all this water into the exact spot where
Spring Creek Flooded. But now it will have structures and Centre avenue as a bottleneck.
Response: All work in the Spring Creek floodplain is required to meet FEMA regulations for
floodplain management and ‘no rise’ conditions. Staff has reviewed the designs associated with
these projects to ensure these requirements are met. An additional Intergovernmental Agreement
DocuSign Envelope ID: D31C127D-D863-4026-AF9A-A47ADDCE1B50
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between the City and CSU addresses the management of stormwater runoff for the campus area.
The redevelopment of CSU is reducing overall impervious area or adding additional retention
facilities to mitigate runoff in a manner that meets City criteria.
DocuSign Envelope ID: D31C127D-D863-4026-AF9A-A47ADDCE1B50