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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Read Before Packet - 5/5/2020 - Memorandum From Delynn Coldiron Re: Item #16 - Exception For Remote Hearing Of Hughes RezoningCity Clerk 300 LaPorte Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6515 970.221-6295 - fax fcgov.com/cityclerk May 5, 2020 To: Mayor and Councilmembers From: Delynn Coldiron, City Clerk Re: Item #16‐ Exception for Remote Hearing of Hughes Rezoning. Attached please find public comments regarding the Hughes Stadium Site Rezoning, submitted since April 21 through 4:45 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, 2020. 1 Delynn Coldiron From: Beth Benscheidt <ilvftc830@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, April 24, 2020 3:48 PM To: City Leaders Cc: Beth Subject: Zoning for Hughes Stadium Development Since I have been going to the City Council meetings and other meetings related to the Hughes Development (Drake Center), I've only heard a few people say anything positive about building houses in the area. Most of the discussion at these meetings, has been about how to mitigate problems that this development was going to cause. I know Fort Collins needs more low income housing, and that has been a focus of a few of our council members. Most people who have lived here for more than five minutes, consider the Hughes Stadium area a LANDMARK of Fort Collins. We feel it's a really Special place. It's just not an appropriate place to build low-income housing, or any other housing. Especially because of the traffic restrictions, (only three main streets to carry the cars). There are alot of low income housing and apartment units being built in other developments. After CSU was granted that land, they built a sports venue, that was used primarily for football games and occasional concerts and such. In the past 50 years, the remaining land around the stadium has been densely filled-in with a multitude of houses. Our traffic and pollution are already at high levels. Please see Coloradoan Articles: * 8-10-19 "Denver, northern Colorado short on clean air" * 8-19-19 "Air quality misses another deadline" " EPA says Fort Collins region has too much ozone." * 12-17-19 "EPA lowers Denver area's quality rating to "serious" * 12-22-19 " Authorities issue pollution advisory" At one of the recent CC meetings, a lady from the traffic dept I believe, estimated there may be 6000 car trips each day. I'm sure you can access that info. I'm just trying to get you to think about how this is going to affect our quality of life on West Drake, West Stuart, and West Prospect (where there is an elementary school just a few blks east of Overland. There is already a development going in on Drake and Overland with I believe 325 houses. Then, no doubt the Drive-in movie land will be developed at some point, (a few more houses.) Currently, the EPA has determined Fort Collins air quality is unacceptable 4 (four) days out of the year, or about 1% of the time (because of high ozone). What will the air quality be like after the previously mentioned developments are finished. What's Acceptable? To breathe unhealthy air 1%, 5%, 10% of the time? Building this development UP AGAINST a MOUNTAIN, isn't going to help the air flow. I'm asking that we delay any further development in this area until we find out what the consequences are going to be on our air quality from the projects that have already been initiated. We already have On-Peak and Off-Peak electrical rates and it looks like we'll be having restricted water usage in the coming future. Why are chewing off our own foot? Please, I just want the Council Members to think about the true ramifications of how this development will affect our quality of life. Most Sincerely, Beth Benscheidt From: Karen Kalavity To: Sarah Kane; Wade Troxell; Kristin Stephens; Susan Gutowsky; Julie Pignataro; Ken Summers; City Leaders Subject: Hughes Stadium Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 9:02:38 AM Re: Hughes Stadium Re-“Development” I am guessing the vote for the Hughes Stadium re-“development” will be delayed again, but the reality is there should be a vote to put this thing to rest, ONCE and FOR ALL! We are dealing with this situation, in the first place, because the Ft. Collins City Council, CSU and developers saw fit to build a new and expensive, out-of-touch football stadium a few years ago. The stadium ‘design” and construction required that eminent domain be used to displace businesses and homeowners within the downtown area of Ft. Collins to create a place where contractors could build an expensive place for a mediocre football team. It is very likely, with this new age of the Corona Virus, and the subsequent social distancing, that very few people will even be using this expensive stadium any time soon. But the “debt” incurred by building the stadium has become the basis of a “reason” to justify selling off 165 acres of prime real estate that CSU and the state of Colorado owns. I am sorry, but this thing smells so much of basic corruption that I cannot believe we are supposed to take it seriously at all. Even the “Ethics Committee” which has allowed city council members to vote on whether their own actions are ethical, rather than requiring an objective third party to make that decision, is more than troubling. It is not CSU, or City Council’s right to sell real estate owned by the people of the state of Colorado and sell it off for “peanuts” to a shady developer like Lennar Homes. It is not even their right to sell it off to a reputable developer, although a reputable developer would not be involved in this deal in the first place. Vote this thing down ONCE and FOR ALL! Sincerely, Karen Kalavity From: Sarah Kane To: Delynn Coldiron; Sara Gonzales; Heather Walls Subject: FW: Postponement of the 2nd reading of the Hughes Zoning Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 3:32:21 PM For your tracking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Kane Executive Administrative Assistant to Deputy City Manager Jeff Mihelich and Mayor Wade Troxell City of Fort Collins 970-416-2447 office From: Mary Grant <msgrant026@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 3:32 PM To: Susan Gutowsky <susan.gutowsky@gmail.com>; Wade Troxell <WTroxell@fcgov.com>; Julie Pignataro <jpignataro@fcgov.com>; Ken Summers <ksummers@fcgov.com>; Ross Cunniff <rcunniff@fcgov.com>; Emily Gorgol <egorgol@fcgov.com>; Kristin Stephens <kstephens@fcgov.com>; Rebecca Everette <reverette@fcgov.com>; Carrie Daggett <CDAGGETT@fcgov.com>; Sarah Kane <SKane@fcgov.com> Cc: Matt Bloom <matt.bloom@kunc.org>; Marc Sallinger <marc.sallinger@9news.com>; Jacy Marmaduke <jmarmaduke@coloradoan.com> Subject: Postponement of the 2nd reading of the Hughes Zoning City Council Members, Thank you for the focus you are putting on supporting Fort Collins through the pandemic. During this time of critical priorities and Stay at Home orders, it is important to ensure that the business addressed by the City Council is essential and allows for appropriate levels of participation. I am asking you to support the postponement of the 2nd reading of the zoning for the Hughes property until this issue can be held in a forum that allows the community to attend and participate in person. This issues has packed the City Council Meetings because it is so important to this community. Since the Stay at Home order was put into place community participation has been minimal, and the quality of that participation has been inconsistent at best. Two weeks ago, I made comments at the City Council Meeting and was not aware, until I saw it in the Coloradan the next day, that my comments could not all be heard. Please vote to postpone the 2nd Reading of the Hughes Zoning until the Community can participate in person. Thank you. Best, Mary Grant 80521 Helping organizations stay the course and navigate rough seas. From: Jake Knebgl To: City Leaders Subject: May 5th council meeting Date: Monday, May 4, 2020 6:03:25 PM Council members again i am a resident of district 6 i am writeing to in in regurads to item 6 on tommorows (may 5th) city council meeting agenda " EXCEPTION FOR REMOTE HEARING OF HUGHES REZONING") and i request that my statement and questions be inculded in the citizen comment portion of the meeting on issue # 6 As a resident of district 6 i am strongely opposed to this motion and ask that the council vote no on its . The Issue of the huges rezozing is not something that shoud be done in a remote vewing setting .this issue impacts hundreds of residents of district 6 inculding myself and we will get the majority of the negitive impacts of this rezoning . This again seems to be a clear attempt by CSU which our mayor and one sitting councilmember are employed by to cut the citizens of district 6 out of being able to be present and invouled . We are residents and citizens of ft collins and we strongly request that we are allowed to be in city hall in person to give our statements and voice our concerns when this issue is voted on and that an independent investgation by an independent non city agency be conducted into the ethics concrens of the hughes rezoneing my questions are this issue are this Has CSU donated any monies to councilwomans stephens campain for county commissner and or donted the use of any of their facilities for councilwoman stephen's pervious or upcoming campain events it is documeted record (councilmember campain reports) that several council memebrs had donated to the campains and reelection campains of other councilmemembers in the last election cycle.. councilman ross to councilwoman stephens max individual countribion councilwoman stephens to councilowman gorgol max individual contribution how dose the city council defend that in such setting such as the ethics review borad that council members who make up this borad have donated to council mebers who are being acoused that impartilaty is maintained and the procress was free of any personal feelings by counilmembers towards tht accused member that could very well have influnced thier vote givin thier clear desire to see that other councilmember relected you have councilwoman stephens who is being accused of ethics violations on this rezoneing issue givin her employment by CSU donating to the city council election of councilwoman gorgol who repersents district 6 where the hughes site is located .how do you assue the citizens of district six that councilwoman gorgols vote on the rezoning is was not infulanced by councilwoman stephens support of councilwomans gorgols campain for city council In closeing the residents of distrct 6 again raise of concrens over the enployment of both mayor troxell and councilwoman stephens by CSU and our strong disgust that the city uses the defense that CSU is not a buissness to clear mayor troxell and councilwoman stephens We are well aware of the huge sum of money CSU stands to lose if this rezoning fails ,,We ask once again that our council stand with the people of district 6 who you repersent and have already voiced our strong and unified oppesion to the rezoning of huges amd the huge negitive impact it will bring to our neighborhoods and quility of life and not CSU's and president Mconell's greed Thank you From: Nick Frey To: City Leaders Subject: Please postpone Hughes second reading Date: Thursday, April 16, 2020 11:38:37 PM Dear City Leaders: I would like to state that I concur with Rebecca LaPole and have quoted her email from 3/31 below. I feel that the community should be able to physically and materially participate in such a controversial decision, and this cannot occur on April 21st. “ I see the agenda for City Council tonight has Hughes listed last with a recommendation from the City Manager to postpone the hearing until April 21. With the latest Federal regulations encouraging us to stay at home until at least April 30, I'm requesting that this issue be postponed until after that date. We've learned that an online meeting is not an effective way for the City staff to conduct a public forum. This issue is important to hundreds in our community, and many do not have access to computers with video conferencing capabilities. Those of us who do have access saw how ineffective it was to try to meet that way earlier this month. Please do the right thing by our community and country to prevent the spread of the virus, and delay this meeting until May. ” Thank you for your consideration. — Nick Frey The NMF Group, LLC nfrey09@gmail.com 970.215.2826 — From: Lindsay Morgan To: City Leaders Cc: Lindsay Morgan Subject: Concerning the Hughes Property Decision Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2020 1:13:30 PM The City is once again attempting to force the final decision on the rezoning of the beloved Hughes property during an unprecedented time when we are unable to fully and fairly participate as residents of Fort Collins. The City staff knows full well that conducting in-person public hearings is categorically impossible due to the continued risk of COVID-19 to our community. Furthermore, despite a recent Council decision that prohibited important Zoning issues from being heard and decided via remote Council meetings, the City staff is nevertheless asking Council to make an EXCEPTION on the Hughes rezoning decision. That means that the ultimate fate of Hughes could happen via REMOTE hearing, not a preferred in-person hearing, should the Council agree to make an exception to its original, recent decision. The overwhelming public sentiment has been clear: Because of the uncertainty of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and because there have been countless residents disenfranchised from fair participation and public comment as a result of unreliable remote meeting software, and a confusing remote comment registration process, our City Council MUST WAIT until our community is safe to convene again IN PERSON to discuss the final rezoning of the beloved Hughes property. Sincerely and Seriously, Lindsay Morgan 80526 From: Ted Walkup To: City Leaders Subject: Second Reading for Hughes Rezoning Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2020 4:04:37 PM I am requesting that City Council include the Hughes rezoning in its earlier decision not to hear zoning issues remotely. An exception should not be made for the Hughes rezoning. This issue has been tightly contested among Councilmembers and remains extremely unpopular among Fort Collins residents. Trying to push through this rezoning while constituents cannot fully participate in person is simply unfair. Please delay any action on Hughes rezoning until it is safe for residents to participate in person at Council meetings. Thank you. Ted Walkup 3514 Pratolina Court Fort Collins, CO 80521 Sent from my iPad