HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Read Before Packet - 11/17/2020 - Memorandum From Delynn Coldiron Re: Item #13 - Hughes Citizen Initiated Petition - Public Comments
City Clerk
300 LaPorte Avenue
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6515
970.221-6295 - fax
fcgov.com/cityclerk
MEMORANDUM
Date: November 17, 2020
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Delynn Coldiron, City Clerk
Cc: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Kelly DiMartino, Deputy City Manager
Re: Item #13-Hughes- Citizen Initiated Petition - public comments
Attached please find public comments regarding the Hughes Stadium Property, submitted from
Thursday, November 12, 2020 until 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 17, 2020.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 62DA7226-F150-4344-AFEA-7AA3FDF26540
From:Aaron Provencio
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 3:47:31 PM
The area formerly taken up by Hughes Stadium is a very special location to many of us who
grew up in Fort Collins. By keeping this space open and dedicating it to environmental
protection and wildlife conservation you help to continue to build on our city’s legacy of
sustainability and continue to demonstrate the value that your citizens place on our access to
natural areas. Don’t let this legacy space fall into the hands of those who won’t appreciate
what it means. Keep it a place for the people of Fort Collins and the nature that makes our city
so special.
-Aaron Provencio
Citizen
CSU Grad
From:Melanie Clark
To:Delynn Coldiron
Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Hughes open space/development conversation
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 3:24:17 PM
Attachments:image001.png
Hi Delynn,
Please see the below email regarding Hughes.
Thank you!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Melanie Clark
Executive Administrative Assistant
City Manager’s Office
970-416-4312
COVID19 Resources
For all residents: https://www.fcgov.com/eps/coronavirus
For businesses: https://www.fcgov.com/business/
Want to help: https://www.fcgov.com/volunteer/
From: Amy Hahn <mesror@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2020 3:22 PM
To: Wade Troxell <WTroxell@fcgov.com>; Kristin Stephens <kstephens@fcgov.com>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Hughes open space/development conversation
Dear City Managers and City Council,
You have in front of you tonight a citizen initiative with ~8000 signatures
asking that you act in the best interest of us, the citizens you represent.
There is a growing feeling among citizens of Fort Collins that CSU, once a
partner worth bragging about, has turned into an 800-lb gorilla with a
drug problem hell bent on stealing from the family who have supported it
all these years. This doesn't wash.
The Hughes stadium property should be maintained and enhanced in its
entirety as open space for the use, enjoyment and overall benefit of the
citizens of the City of Fort Collins. The reasons are many and listed below.
It is time for CSU to stop managing its financial issues on the backs of this
town. The City Council and Management need to understand and act in the
interest of the citizen majority, NOT in the interest of the 800-lb gorilla.
Why preserve Hughes as open space?
Value as a wildlife corridor and buffer
Value as a (relatively) un-fragmented ecosystem
Proximity to a viable prairie dog colony
Value as a recreational space
Value as a mental health resource to the people of Ft. Collins and
visitors to this town (there is much research supporting this)
Value as an aesthetic draw
Value as ecosystem services such as mitigation of carbon and
airborne chemicals.
Air pollution & traffic problems from the proposed Lennar
development as residents will not have robust access to public
transportation
Potential as a nature education space that can be used by all
Potential as a showcase for the City Natural Areas department
Opportunity for Fort Collins to "walk the walk" on several fronts:
quality of life, understanding of the value of open space, carbon
sequestration, all that good stuff that you like to talk about when
courting businesses to come to this town...
Thank you,
Amy Hahn
1
Heather Walls
From:Sarah Kane
Sent:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 3:26 PM
To:Heather Walls
Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Hughes open space/development conversation
For your files.
From: Amy Hahn <mesror@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2020 3:22 PM
To: Wade Troxell <WTroxell@fcgov.com>; Kristin Stephens <kstephens@fcgov.com>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Hughes open space/development conversation
Dear City Managers and City Council,
You have in front of you tonight a citizen initiative with ~8000 signatures asking that
you act in the best interest of us, the citizens you represent.
There is a growing feeling among citizens of Fort Collins that CSU, once a partner worth
bragging about, has turned into an 800-lb gorilla with a drug problem hell bent on
stealing from the family who have supported it all these years. This doesn't wash.
The Hughes stadium property should be maintained and enhanced in its entirety as open
space for the use, enjoyment and overall benefit of the citizens of the City of Fort
Collins. The reasons are many and listed below.
It is time for CSU to stop managing its financial issues on the backs of this town. The
City Council and Management need to understand and act in the interest of the citizen
majority, NOT in the interest of the 800-lb gorilla.
Why preserve Hughes as open space?
Value as a wildlife corridor and buffer
Value as a (relatively) un-fragmented ecosystem
Proximity to a viable prairie dog colony
Value as a recreational space
Value as a mental health resource to the people of Ft. Collins and visitors to this
town (there is much research supporting this)
Value as an aesthetic draw
Value as ecosystem services such as mitigation of carbon and airborne chemicals.
Air pollution & traffic problems from the proposed Lennar development as
residents will not have robust access to public transportation
Potential as a nature education space that can be used by all
Potential as a showcase for the City Natural Areas department
2
Opportunity for Fort Collins to "walk the walk" on several fronts: quality of life,
understanding of the value of open space, carbon sequestration, all that good stuff
that you like to talk about when courting businesses to come to this town...
Thank you,
Amy Hahn
From:brndnann@aol.com
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Stadium
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 2:10:37 PM
Hello,
I am aware of an item on Tuesday's agenda regarding the Hughes Stadium site. I am pleased, as a
citizen of Fort Collins, that this item is before you for consideration. I am hopeful that the council will
adopt the proposed ordinance without alteration.
Thank you,
Ann Brandon
601 Agape Way
Fort Collins 80524
601-259-4190
brndnann@aol.com
From:Wagner,Ann
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Please keep Hughes stadium site as Open Space
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 7:47:42 PM
As a resident of Fort Collins since 1977, and an avid user of local hiking trails and natural areas,
I strongly urge the City of Fort Collins to do everything possible to keep the former site of
Hughes Stadium as a natural area / open space. During the COVID crisis, we have seen how
many people utilize the local trails and natural areas for exercise and recharging. The Hughes
site is ideal, as it is very accessible to Fort Collins residents, and adjacent to Horsetooth
Reservoir. It would be a tragedy to see this piece of foothills property turned into a housing
development.
Ann Wagner Turner
604 Garfield St., Fort Collins 80524
aewagner@colostate.edu
From:Annie Krieg
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Please Adopt Zoning Measures for Hughes to Make It An Open Space
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 8:40:10 AM
Dear City Council and City Leaders of Fort Collins,
You have worked tirelessly for our amazing community throughout this challenging year. I
appreciate your service and dedication and feel grateful to live in Fort Collins.
I know you will continue to fight for all Fort Collins residents. Thus, I am writing to urge you
to listen to the mandate of the residents of Fort Collins and zone Hughes Open Space
immediately.
Honor the legacy of both the original native inhabitants of this land and the Maxwell family
farmland. Honor the irreplaceable wildlife in our beautiful foothills ecosystem by protecting
their habitat. Create an open space that will be there for all residents of Fort Collins now and
in the future.
Thank you for considering this request. I eagerly await an update after today's meeting.
Warmly,
Dr. Annie Krieg
520 N Sherwod St Unit 7
Fort Collins, CO 80521
From:Anya Davies
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Keep Hughes Stadium an Open Space
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 1:28:52 PM
To Whom it May Concern,
My name is Anya Davies and I'd like to make an argument for keeping Hughes Stadium zoned
as an open space. This would also allow for a wildlife rehabilitation center, Nothern Colorado
Wildlife Center, to be built on a small portion of that land. This would allow them to expand
their care beyond reptiles and amphibians, and include mammals small to medium, as well as
birds and waterfowl. I volunteered in WildKind the wildlife rehabilitation center in Larimer
Humane Society back before 2012. I also interned at Greenwood, the center in Longmont.
What I've noticed is that we get such a discrepancy in the numbers of wildlife brought in from
Fort Collins at Greenwood, than we had every year in WildKind. This means a lot of injured
or orphaned wildlife, from Fort Collins and surrounding areas aren't getting the care and
rehabilitation they could, just because people don't have the time to drive to Longmont, and
Greenwood doesn't have the resources to send someone out. As far as just the prospect of
having a proper wildlife rehabilitation center, it would provide more education to the
community on wildlife and some amazing opportunities. Voulenterring with wildlife as a child
helped me develop a passion that I still pursue into adulthood as a career. Ultimately, keeping
Hughes Stadium zoned as a open space would benefit both the wildlife, and community of the
area.
From:Ardith Johnson
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes stadium land
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 9:35:21 AM
As a longtime citizen of this wonderful city of Fort Collins, I am begging you to leave the
Hughes Stadium land as open space for the present and future citizens of Fort Collins to
enjoy. Nothing sets Fort Collins apart from other cities like its open space and trail system.
Once the land is developed, there is no going back to wild and natural. And this space against
the foothills is especially unique.
Please consider the reputation of Fort Collins as a gemstone of a city because of its open
spaces when you make your decisions.
Thank you,
Ardith Johnson
From:Barbara Denny
To:City Leaders
Cc:OEM; Darin Atteberry; Jacy Marmaduke
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space Zoning Initiative (For 11/17/20 City Council Meeting Agenda)
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 3:46:48 PM
To: City Council Members
I am writing to you, in heartfelt earnest, to encourage you to listen to the Fort Collins Citizens’ repeated, steadfast
request to keep the Hughes property as Open Space.
I know some of you have been consistently supporting this, yet some of you have not. I hope you will listen to us
this Tuesday eve and open your minds and hearts to our hopes for the future.
Some 25% of the electorate have already signed this petition that you will consider to adopt. Isn’t it evident what
your constituents are asking you to do?
Are you not elected to represent them?
This parcel has the highest conservation value of any land in town. As the already planned developments all over
town come to fruition, we will need this open space. Already, our other Natural Areas are under strain of
overcrowding. We need this Open Space that is easily accessible by bicycle, walking, or short transport, and
borders our beautiful foothills. It is the scenic entryway to Horsetooth Reservoir. It is so special. I do not
understand why this particular place needs to be developed, when there are so many other areas already under
consideration, and proceeding. So much development, happening so fast.
Please take a breath, and recognize that this is momentous, of the moment. And you can stand up to the moment,
and make the historic choice, your citizens are asking you to do…. Preserving the Hughes property for all
posterity. It’s a Legacy decision.
If we were not in a Pandemic, the Council Chambers would be overflowing with testimony. I will attempt to use the
ZOOM vehicle to participate, but it’s tricky for me and drops out suddenly. I know many Seniors who can’t
navigate it, and find it overwhelming.
It’s all been said before, hasn’t it?
How many times?
Isn’t it time to Vote YES?
Vote to Zone as Open Space.
Respectfully,
Barbara Denny
80521
From:Gotshall,Barbara
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space ordinance
Date:Friday, November 13, 2020 11:07:50 AM
Dear City Leaders:
Please adopt the Hughes Open Space Ordinance on November 17 – to serve Fort Collins citizens and
to keep this special land for all to enjoy!
Thank you,
Barbara Gotshall
2509 Tucker Court 80526
From:Barbette Santistevan
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Thursday, November 12, 2020 1:05:22 PM
Dear Mayor Troxell and Fort Collilns City Council members. I understand there is a council
meeting next week and on the agenda is the proposed us of the Hughes Open Space. As a
neighbor who lives directly east of the old Hughes Stadium site, I am STRONGLY opposed to
development of this land for anything other than open space/recreational use. We have
already seen a huge increase in traffic in our neighborhood with the development on the corner
of Overland and Drake and recognize that the development of the Hughes site would only add
to this problem. In addition, we have enjoyed access to the Hughes site for walking, sledding
and frisbee golf over the years when Hughes Stadium was still operating. As a resident of Fort
Collins since 1985 and a CSU alumni, I have seen an incredible amount of growth in and
around our City and feel that this space is one of the City’s last opportunities to keep
recreational space on the west side. We have enjoyed the views of the Front Range from the
City for the past 35 years and we are seriously considering relocating if this area is developed,
as planned, into a large residential area. It feels that further residential development on the
west side is taking away from what makes Fort Collins so unique and beautiful.
I hope you will seriosly take into consideration keeping Hughes as an open space for our
citizens to enjoy the natural beauty of this land.
Barbette Santistevan
bl.santistevan@gmail.com
From:bobnightwalker@aol.com
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes area
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 6:28:30 PM
Dear city council members,
My hope is that you give serious consideration to the old Hughes stadium area and keeping it
as open as possible. The number of signatures collected to put it on the April ballot keeping it
open space and allowing a wildlife rehabilitation center to be built exceeded all expectations.
This is an area that your constituents do not want to see developed and turned into high
density housing.
The area is a huge wildlife corridor, something that needs to be preserved, when we are
already seeing so much habitat loss and destruction of ecosystems.
Also allowing a wildlife hospital and education center to establish itself there brings so much
to the community. It brings a place where our neighbors can bring injured, sick, and orphaned
wildlife. It would provide a place of education with it’s school programs, internships, and
volunteer programs. Wildlife rehabs provides public safety by having highly qualified staff
that recognize and has the ability to diagnose potentially harmful zoonotic diseases.
They work closely with local and state health departments, and again provides a place that
people can take the animals to rather than try to help them themselves, potentially exposing
their household to various diseases or parasites. Lastly, a rehab center helps our community
with humane solutions to nuisance wildlife problems.
It is my belief that this is what the community wants to see happen with the old Hughes
stadium area. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Bob Nightwalker
Sent from AOL Mobile Mail
Get the new AOL app: mail.mobile.aol.com
From:brooke schneider
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 7:57:15 PM
Hello,
Please zone Hughes land as open space at the council meeting on Nov 17th.
Thank you,
Brooke Schneider
From:MerryRun
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Re: saving the Hughes Stadium property to become a Natural Area
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 4:24:39 PM
Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
I have resided in Fort Collins for sixteen years and have always appreciated the City
of Fort Collins' Natural Areas.
Friends from other places are always impressed with the City of Fort Collins' foresight
in the creation of Natural Areas for the health and aesthetic appreciation of its
residents.
We residents are very appreciative of your realization of the importance of Natural
Areas.
So much so, that in only several months, 8300 signatures were gathered to ask you
to purchase and transform the Hughes Stadium property/land, into a Natural Area, not
housing.
The nearby Pineridge Natural Area has become increasingly busy as more housing
has been built near that area. Traffic congestion and air pollution would inevitably
increase if the Hughes Stadium land also becomes residential.
Making the Hughes Stadium property/land into a Natural Area would create a swath
of open natural land along the foothills that would benefit both nature and residents,
rather than packing yet more density into the area.
People as well as wildlife need open space to relax and breathe in.You have a unique
opportunity to save for posterity a large area of irreplaceable open space near the
foothills.
Current and future generations will thank you for preserving the Hughes Property as
open space. Please honor this unique opportunity.
Sincerely,
Carole Hossan
504 Edwards Street
Fort Collins, CO 80524-3812
970 416-7414
From:Cathy VerStraeten
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Friday, November 13, 2020 2:44:24 PM
We are George and Cathy VerStraeten and live at 2801 W Lake Street. We respectfully request that you as our
representatives designate the Hughes Stadium property as Open Space this Tuesday November 17, 2020. Thank you.
Sent from my iPad
From:Celeste
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes stadium area
Date:Friday, November 13, 2020 1:03:41 PM
Hello council people! I just wanted to express my interest in purchasing Hughes stadium to
use as open space. It’s a great location and could be the perfect spot for a bike park, frisbee
golf or any other wonderful outdoors options. Thanks!
Celeste Cannon
Typed one key at a time from my iPhone.
From:Celeste
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes stadium area
Date:Friday, November 13, 2020 12:59:27 PM
Hello council people! I just wanted to express my interest in purchasing Hughes stadium to
use as open space. It’s a great location and could be the perfect spot for a bike park, frisbee
golf or any other wonderful outdoors options. Thanks!
Celeste Cannon
Typed one key at a time from my iPhone.
From:CHARLES KOPP Owner
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Use of Hughes Stadium site
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 1:20:04 PM
Dear City Leaders,
I've seen a T-shirt around town that describes Fort Collins as "Fort Construction,"
which I chuckle at but also find the point it makes pretty sad, considering the huge
amount of development going on and planned for the community. And currently very
alarming is the possibility of the former Hughes Stadium site becoming a sprawling
residential development by a big profit-driven developer. Therefore, I strongly urge
the Council to adopt the citizen-initiated ordinance to zone the property for public
open land, and for the City to purchase it at fair market value. Since the recent
petition for the initiative far exceeded the required number of signatures in only 60
days, it seems to approach a mandate that many people in the community do not
want to see the property developed as proposed, and that it's far beyond just the
people who live along and near Overland Trail who are against it.
I understand that the City has collected more than enough money through its Open
Space Tax in recent years to afford the purchase, and I even suggest possibly using
crowd-sourcing from concerned members of the community to voluntarily make
donations as a supplement to the City's purchase. Even though I don't live that close
to the property site and wouldn't be directly affected by a big development there, I
would still be willing to make a contribution according to my means to have it become
public land. It's location adjacent to the Maxwell and Pine Ridge Natural Areas
certainly make it a perfect fit for expanding those areas, which are already often
crowded from the amount of present development.
I am very bothered to hear about the arrogance and self-serving interests of Tony
Frank in his efforts to get CSU to bypass what appear to be the legally required City
reviews for a commercial development on the property. And likewise disappointed to
hear that our City Manager, Darin Atteberry, cut short any real negotiations with CSU
and favored the Lennar company's purchase proposal. If Mr. Atteberry is so pro-
development where it is inappropriate and lacks regard for citizen input on such
important matters, perhaps he's served long enough in his position.
The many of us who really care about better preserving our local environment and
quality of life have had some real recent disappointments with the approval of the
heavily Green-washed Montava monstrosity---which will essentially create a new
town within the boundaries of Fort Collins----and the decision of two of the outgoing
lame-duck County Commissioners to approve NISP---making the fight to save the
Poudre River more difficult. So it would be very heartening if we could at least save
the Hughes site from another big development. Though it seems very likely that if the
issue goes to ballot next spring, the ordinance would easily win, judging by its support
from the petition drive; it would still be much better if the Council approved the
ordinance now and established the zoning----standing up to CSU's bullying tactics,
which is very disappointing for an institution that's long been an integral part of and
heavily dependent on the Fort Collins community.
Let's make Fort Collins less "Fort Construction,", and more "Fort Conservation."
Sincerely,
Charles Kopp
Fort Collins
From:Christine
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 10:44:59 AM
Members of The Fort Collins City Council,
I am writing you to respectfully request that you listen to the community you serve. On November 17, 2020 please
vote to adopt the proposed ballot measure to zone Hughes as open space.
This open space will be sure to become a treasured jewel in the City of Fort Collins. Your efforts to keep this land
open for the great benefit of the citizens you serve will be a lasting legacy. Not unlike Teddy Rosevelt and his
national parks, the decision to keep Hughes as open space could be one of the greatest things this council will be
remembered for.
Preserving this land will ensure the health and diversity of animal and plant communities, prevent increased
flooding caused by additional impervious landcover, provide defensible land when the next forrest fire erupts, help
lessen pollution by absorbing contaminants from our air and water, maintain Fort Collins’ thriving out- door
lifestyle, avoid some costs associated with development and the subsequent maintenance of developed land, provide
a tranquil, noise-free island right at the base of our foothills amid the rush and bustle of life.
This is all especially important given how the citizens of Fort Collins leaned heavily on open space to maintain their
mental health during this year’s COVID-19 pandemic. All open spaces where consistently overflowing this summer
with the Hughes space itself being greatly utilized for this purpose.
We also saw the importance of keeping this land open as it became a very strategic camp for firefighters during this
year’s historic wild fires. Having this space open allowed for better protection of our great city.
If this opportunity is not seized upon now, the legacy you leave behind will be forever marred, and Fort Collins will
be a poorer city on many levels for it.
As a proud citizen of this city, I implore you on November 17, 2020 to vote to keep the precious parcel of land
known as “Hughes” as open space.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration in this matter.
Sincerely,
Christine
From:McFadden, Craig
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Stadium Open Space
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 4:48:00 PM
Please, please, PLEASE! use our open space money for land in Fort Collins and PLEASE use it for the
open space gem Hughes Stadium open space!! It’s such a special place and gets a lot of use. We
don’t need the opposite there – lots of extra people/traffic pressure on the area along with the poor
aesthetics this would create. PRESERVE THIS FORT COLLINS OPEN SPACE GEM!!!
Sincerely,
Craig McFadden
Fort Collins resident since 1998
From:Dan McCurdy
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughs Open Space
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 9:29:22 AM
RE: An ordinance to expand Public Open Lands in FC by requiring the City to acquire the Hughs
Stadium Property and use it for open space, natural areas, parks, recreation, and wildlife
rescue, and a migration corridor.
I strongly encourage the City Leaders to preserve the Hughs' Green Space - an essential part of
the of the City's conservation connectivity plans.
The residents have repeatedly expressed their conservation wishes as witnessed by the
quarter cent Open Space tax - a self-imposed tax approved by local voters repeatedly over the
last 30 years. Please spend those essential dedicated funds the way voters intended and
expand the needed open space within city limits.
In its own way, this property has similarities to the former Soderberg property which i voted
for while a resident and student. Each parcel represents an irreplaceable piece of the Front's
conservation green-space puzzle. Now that the city has this resource within their grasp, don't
flounder and squander this conservation opportunity and lose this piece forever based on
faulty, short-sighted thinking.
For example, a few detractors try to divert from the issue by mentioning that a portion of the
site was once used as a gravel pit as far back as 1950. That argument is unaware, self-serving,
and shallow. What was the land for millennia before a brief flash in time?
Fact - gravel pit restoration has long been a significant part of the City's public open space
preservation strategy. Where have these detractors been? Obviously out-of-touch and
uneducated with the reality of today's conservation. Their dim excuse should be regarded as
the ignorance that it is.
Gayla Maxwell Martinez - a descendent of the family that originally settled on the Hugh's site -
said it quite succinctly, "we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to restore some of what has
been lost."
The Citizens and wildlife are depending on you. Please do the right thing by permanently
conserving the irreplaceable Hugh's Open Space.
Thank you for your community service!
Sincerely,
Dan McCurdy
From:Schrom, Daniel - LIN
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Keep Hughes Space OPEN!
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 10:55:34 AM
Dear City Leaders,
You have an opportunity to save a prime piece of open space for future generations to enjoy!
Instead of buying up land outside of city limits, it would be nice to save land within city limits that
should remain open. Please do whatever it takes to keep as much of this land open as possible!
Thanks,
Daniel Schrom
From:Daniel Wendland
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes land
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 8:46:57 PM
You hold the beauty of our city in your hands on Tuesday night as you consider the citizens’ request to zone the
Hughes land as open space. Please don’t let CSU have free rein to crowd the land with housing, an irreversible
aesthetic and environmental calamity. Not only the 8000 petition signers but all the people of Fort Collins are
counting on your wisdom and foresight. Thank you! Kathleen Wendland and Dr. Daniel Wendland, 2706 Willow
Fern Way, Fort Collins
From:Wickwar, Denise - FS
To:City Leaders
Cc:Wickwar, Denise - FS; dwickwar
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Please Make The old Hughes site into Open Space
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 9:09:59 PM
Attachments:image002.png
image003.png
image004.png
I have lived in the neighborhood just south of Bauder Elementary school for 21 years. My family
friends and neighbors and I have used the open spaces near the Hughes site to sled with our
children, hike, walk and play frisbee golf on the course. We want that space left as open space and
we are counting on you to make that happen as representatives of the citizens of the city. CSU
has pressured the city, our representatives and the citizens into many decisions and choices that
have not been beneficial. This one is very important. Please do not let CSU pressure you into
making a decision that citizens clearly do not support. The collection of 8,300+ signatures in support
of this plan for Hughes is a demonstration of its preference among Fort Collins voters to CSU’s plan
for residential development. That petition alone captured 25% of the voter turnout in an average
Fort Collins municipal election (e.g., voter turnout in the 2019 municipal elections was 32,800). This
petition serves as a reliable representative sample that the conservation of Hughes as open space
has an abundance of support in the community, and is extremely likely to pass as a ballot measure in
April 2021.
Tony Frank and CSU have convinced the University Board of Governors to unanimously approve a
course of action that will attempt to circumvent the City of Fort Collins’ right to review and
approve development within its boundaries. Tony Frank’s claim that the BOG can do this under
the Site Plan Advisory Review Process is legally indefensible, in our reading of the Colorado Revised
Statutes and the City’s Land Use Code. We request that before the City Council decides whether or
not to enact the citizen initiated ordinance, every member has a complete understanding of how
the SPAR process would work in this situation and if it has applicability. If Council members
decline to adopt the ordinance, then they must be prepared to share with voters how they plan to
assert the City’s right to enact zoning for this property and how a private, for profit development will
be reviewed consistent with similar development proposals. The Site Plan Advisory Review process is
what CSU is using to circumvent the normal review processes for similar development projects.
Looking at both our Land Use Code and the Colorado Revised Statutes, the SPAR process is not
applicable when the development plan being proposed is not a public building. It is clearly stated in
Land Use Code Section 2.1.3 (E) (2): “ Applicability. A Site Plan Advisory Review shall be applied to
any public building or structure.” The development plan for the Hughes site is not for a public
building or structure. It is for residential and mixed use (commercial) development. Therefore, the
City would be violating its own Land Use Code by allowing this application to proceed under SPAR.
The most important responsibility of any council member is to act as extension of their
constituents by facilitating and enabling citizen participation, and by representing their collective
voice and interests in city government. We have lost so much of the open space that is close to
town. We as the citizens of Fort Collins have paid a lot in taxes along with the other local citizens.
Our natural areas, trails, and parks like Spring Canyon and City Park are being “loved to death”. They
are suffering from excessive use and overcrowding, which is particularly evident on any given
weekend at trailheads and parks around town. We need MORE large parks and natural areas in town
to absorb the overcrowding that is driven by increased development and growth. Hughes open
space offers the perfect opportunity to balance recreation and preservation as the City’s population
and recreational tourism grows. This parcel has the highest conservation value of any land in town.
It is extremely rare that a local government has the chance to expand open space and natural areas
in this way, and preserve miles of wildlife migration corridors that exist at the base of our foothills.
We need to jump on this opportunity or it will be lost forever, as our city continues to grow and
expand with an ever-increasing population and land development.
In EACH of the previous 5 YEARS, the quarter cent dedicated Open Space tax has collected over 8
million dollars. That’s over 40 million dollars in just 5 years! The total collected in the last 10 years,
from 2010 to 2019 was just under 74 million dollars. This is a citizen initiated, self-imposed tax
approved by Fort Collins voters repeatedly over the last 30 years. The money is there. Spend it the
way the voters intended and expand open space within our city limits. In Cameron Gloss’ original
presentation to Council (during the first reading of Hughes), he tried to give a history of the parcel.
Gloss tried to paint a picture of a worthless piece of land, being used as a gravel pit in 1950. But
what was that land before the qravel pit? How about when the land belonged to the natives? Like
Gayla Maxwell Martinez said, “we have an opportunity to restore some of what has been lost, an
amazing resource for wildlife and the migration of wildlife.
Gayla Maxwell Martinez, a descendant of the family that settled upon the land we now call the
Hughes Stadium site, said it best in a letter to the Council in May 2020: “The discussion regarding
future use of the land recently occupied by Hughes Stadium is not a question of whether or not to
build homes, but rather of whose homes are to be built? That is, will this land be used to construct
houses for an expanding human population or will we consider the equally urgent need to provide
homes for a diminishing population of meadowlarks, native pollinators, yucca and prairie sage and
scarlet globemallow, killdeer and red-tailed hawks? The choice we make will impact all of us for
generations to come.”
Thank you in advance for your consideration,
Denise
Denise Wickwar, PMP, CSM
Supervisory Project Manager
And
On Detail as NFS Branch Manager, NRRC
Forest Service
Chief Information Office/Natural Resource Manager
Project Management Office, PMO
Government cell 970631-7604
Personal cell 970-556-2719
denise.wickwar@usda.gov
2150 Centre Ave. Building A, Suite 300 Fort Collins, CO 80526
www.fs.fed.us
Caring for the land and serving people
This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended
recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the
information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal
penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and
delete the email immediately.
From:Dolores Williams
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Saturday, November 14, 2020 11:29:56 AM
Would be wonderful if some GOCO funds could be used to buy this space. The trails and sledding hill are such neat
uses for “quiet mid our noisy life” can’t be evaluated against money.
Dolores williams
From:Donna Mahler
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Stadium
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 8:20:08 AM
To our city leaders,
Please preserve the beauty of the Horsetooth area and foothills by voting against development. I lived in Las Vegas
for 30 years and saw the city grow and expand to become a sprawling area. The development had a negative impact
in terms of water supply, traffic, crime, sense of community, and desert creatures.
Please don’t let Fort Collins become another Las Vegas. Limit the development and help it remain a special place!
Donna and Jud Brown
Fort Collins residents
Sent from my iPhone
From:Donovan Golding
To:Julie Pignataro; Ross Cunniff; Emily Gorgol; Susan Gutowsky
Cc:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Nov 17th Hughes Agenda item
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 5:09:12 PM
I am not in favor of this development. I chose to live on the west side specifically for this open
space. The more power CSU seems to get the more they disrespect the City of Fort Collins, it's
residents, and the natural environment. CSU needs a wake up call in working towards and
together with what the residents of Fort Collins. Denying this development will be an emphatic
check on their growing influence over our city. Cosidering what we have gone through during the
pandemic this space has been invaluable to my mental health. As a combat veteran with PTSD the
ability to be able to settle my mind by enjoying this space has helped me tremendously. I do not
want this space developed.
Please add these comments to the public record for the November 17th Hughes agenda item!
Respectfully,
Donovan Golding
From:Doug Henderson
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] please conserve the Hughes Stadium site
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 1:33:22 PM
Mayor Troxell and City Council,
I urge you to act to conserve the Hughes Stadium site for the benefit of all Fort Collins, now
and for the future, by taking action to protect the site as part of the City's open space, also
thereby ensuring the continuity of natural area along the first foothill on the City's west side.
Hughes is the last of the city's large undeveloped green spaces. It is used by Ft Collins
residents for a variety of recreational and outdoor activities, and is important and unique in the
City's landscape. It would be a sad but permanent mistake for the site to become just more
surburbia sprawling into the foothills, encroaching and reducing green space, cluttering the
view of first foothill, and causing more traffic congestion everywhere east of there and
negatively impacting the whole rest of the city.
The city's natural areas and trails are already used heavily, with many areas suffering from
high use and overcrowding, which is harming natural values and users' experience. With
foreseeable continued population growth, the city needs more open space and natural areas.
The best and highest use of the unique Hughes site is for open space, outdoor recreation, and
natural habitat that benefits all Fort Collins residents -- and not for suburbia that benefits only
a few.
Over 8000 local residents from all parts of the city signed the petition to protect the Hughes
site as open space, in only 60 days when COVID constrained signature gathering. This is
strong evidence that Ft Collins residents support protecting the Hughes site as open space, and
don't want it to become more suburban sprawl into the foothills.
Please act to conserve the Hughes site as part of the City's open space, which will benefit Fort
Collins now and especially in the future as open space and natural areas become ever-more
important and valuable to the City's quality of life.
Respectfully,
Doug Henderson
Conservation Chair, Sierra Club Poudre Canyon Group
From:Ellen Halsey
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes zoning
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 5:04:41 AM
I am asking you to zone Hughes Open Space now for the community, for future
generations, and for wildlife preservation, for recreation, and appreciation and
enjoyment of nature. Fort Collins does not need to put housing on every inch of
property in the city.
Please adopt the Hughes zoning measure within 30 days, rather than waiting to put it
on the ballot in April 2021.
Give Hughes the proper zoning designation it deserves, one that honors its history
and legacy as native tribal land, and later Maxwell family farmland, long before CSU
took the helm just 50 years ago.
That property is already surrounded by open spaces. It's part of the natural areas. I
cannot imagine that much, if anything, needs to be done to make it usable space for
our community.
Thank you
Ellen Halsey
851 Campfire Dr
FC
From:Emily Olivo
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space Decision
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 6:46:01 PM
Please make this email a part of the public record for the November 17th Hughes agenda item:
Good evening Councilmembers,
I am writing you tonight in support of the City of Fort Collins acquiring the Hughes Stadium site as
preserved open space, with a portion of the land dedicated to a wildlife rehabilitation and education
center.
This site is culturally and ecologically valuable. When speaking with community members about the
open space, people shared numerous memories and family stories with me about games they
attended at the old stadium and how it is used currently for running with their pets or recreating
with friends. The word I so often heard when referring to the potential for it to be a housing site
was “shame.” What is so incredible about this, too, is in a moment of deep polarization we have an
issue that brings together people from both sides of the aisle. I helped collect signatures for this
petition, and the very first one that I collected was from a staunch Trump supporter, not a tree-
hugging liberal (though they signed too!)
In addition, trails and open space are what the Fort Collins community loves about living here. It is
one of the top 3 strongest traits of the city according to the 2019 Community Survey. In that survey
it was also found that “53% of residents wanted additional effort for the environment” and “60% of
community members identified environment as one of the three top priorities for City leadership in
the next five years.” This is your moment to fulfill that demand from your constituents.
Keeping this site as open space assists the city in reaching its Climate Action Plan goals; supports the
health of our soil, water, and air; and provides habitat connectivity for our wildlife. Turning this site
into housing will not only fail to meet these environmental needs, it will exacerbate the issues.
Additional housing so close to natural areas will provide more opportunities for human-wildlife
conflict, less flood and fire protection, fewer recreational opportunities, and more traffic congestion
on a 2-lane road.
Furthermore, the provision that a portion of the land is designated to a wildlife rehabilitation and
education center is incredibly important. Without a wildlife rehabilitation center in Northern
Colorado, there are thousands of sick, orphaned, or injured animals that go untreated each year.
With our human population increasing every year, the number of animals needing care is expected
to increase.
Connecting people with the outdoors and protecting wildlife- What could be more Fort Collins than
that?
This week, you can choose to acquire the property right away. Or, you can let it go to the ballot in
April, when we are confident that the people will choose yes. Every month that goes by there are
more animals in need that go without care. Every month that goes by, more people are recreating at
that space and building memories. You can choose to kick the can down the road, or you can make
this happen now and give your constituents some brightness in a dark year.
Thank you for your time and service,
Emily OlivoPronouns: she/her What’s this?
Education & Outreach Chair
Northern Colorado Wildlife Center
908-892-9761
From:Erin Forster
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 4:27:56 PM
I support the citizen initiative to (1) zone Hughes as Public Open Land and (2) pay CSU a fair market
value using any public and/or private funding sources but utilizing in particular the dedicated quarter
cent sales tax -- Open Space Yes! -- for acquiring Hughes as an addition to our City's open space.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
All the best,
Erin Forster
--
--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--
*--*
Erin R. Forster
Fort Collins, Colorado
"Let yourself be seen. Love with your whole heart. Practice gratitude. Lean into joy. Believe you are enough.” - Brene
Brown
From:Francoise Carpenter
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Stadium
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 6:30:13 PM
Dear City Leaders
I moved here in 2014 and had been running in the old Hughes stadium
land until it was demolished 2-3 years ago. This is next to the Maxwell
Natural area which connects to the Foothills trail. I have participated in
the Horsetooth Half-Marathon since the 90s. We used to start and
finish at the Hughes Stadium. I fell in love with Fort Collins at that time.
The number of acres per person to recreate is decreasing badly so the
quality of life in Fort Collins is also decreasing. The trails are crowded
daily and even more so this year due to the pandemic.
I am considering myself to leave the area because of the decreased
quality of life.
I can't imagine this land being turned in another dense Development like
the development across Overland.
Hughes Old Stadium land:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
That piece of land is an iconic piece of Fort Collins, like City Park, Old
Town, The Poudre, The Oval, The Foothills, and Horsetooth. It’s even
connected to Horsetooth and the Foothills. As voiced BY THE PEOPLE,
they want this piece of land to remain as open space for their recreation.
1.
a. Hughes is the last of the large undeveloped green spaces. It
has always been used for a variety of recreational and outdoor
activities, including running, walking, bird watching, dog
walking, frisbee golf, and winter sledding, to name a few.
b. During the pandemic, open space has proven to be a physical
and mental lifesaver, quite literally; allowing citizens open
space to recreate at, while maintaining social distancing
among open air.
The city has the money to purchase the property, and as a citizen and
your constituent, I am directing you to use the money set aside for this
very purpose, the Open Space Tax, to purchase this iconic piece of Fort
Collins land. From 2015 to present, the city has collected 8 million
dollars in taxes EACH YEAR. There is more than enough money in the
Open Space Fund to purchase this land.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
Françoise Carpenter
From:Gary Faris
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 7:08:16 AM
Dear Council Members, I would ask all of you to vote to designate the Hughes Open Space Area as Public Open
Lands. Thank You.
Gary Faris
From:Gary Faris
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] hughes ballot initiative
Date:Friday, November 13, 2020 12:10:22 PM
Fort Collins City Council Members:
I urge all of you to adopt the Hughes Ballot Initiative outright.
Thank you, Gary Faris
From:Gloria Katers
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] The Future of So Much: The Importance of the Hughes Land...
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 2:50:02 PM
Of all of the paths you take make sure a few of them are dirt - John Muir
Leaders,
You know it's in your hands, the most priceless land in our city. We can grow East and North
to our hearts content, but this land... this land to the west, that's all that's left. The space
between. The very special spot where nature and the community collide. Where our neighbors
from the west, those with fur and feathers, have found safe haven from the fires and now
flourish.
What purpose could there be in taking this priceless property and diminishing it to nothing,
because that's what it will be in the end. More pavement. There are no homes there, we are not
taking away anything from anyone, but should the path become pavement we certainly are.
Make your path, our path, be dirt.
1
Heather Walls
From:Gregory Loftin <gloftin@comcast.net>
Sent:Wednesday, November 11, 2020 2:36 PM
To:Sarah Kane
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Follow Up Flag:Follow up
Flag Status:Flagged
Hi Wade ‐
Understand there may be an upcoming ballot initiative on future development. My understanding is CSU owns the space
and will sell to the highest bidder. Seems this land was funded by taxpayer $’s . If that’s the case, I’d hope the local
citizens would have a say in any future development plans ‐ personally, I like the idea of more open space.
Just wanted to reach out and make my concerns known.
Thanks
Greg Loftin
Mountain Ridge Farms
From:Harry Rose
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Re: Item # 13 relating to Hughes Stadium Petition
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 8:53:09 PM
Council Members,
I'm writing to support the adoption of the Citizens Petition Regarding the Rezoning
and Acquisition of the Hughes Stadium Annexation Property.
Fort Collins should rise above the temptation to allow the development of this
property and should instead look to the future of our community by supporting more
open space for our citizens to enjoy. There isn't much undeveloped land left along the
foothills that's as easily accessed as the Hughes property. The property itself is a
good fit with Pineridge and Maxwell and a great site help provide a sustainable
environment for wildlife and recreation for citizens.
I would also caution Council on the negative effects further development in the
Hughes location would have on the transportation infrastructure, particularly Prospect
and Drake. Both of these streets have multiple intersections that are already at
service level D much of the day. Development of the Hughes property will only serve
to cause those service levels to further deteriorate.
I urge you to do the right thing and support the purchase of this property at fair market
value for public use.
--
Harry Rose504 Edwards St 80524970.430.6731Ubuntu Linux 20.04 LTS(\__/)(O.o )(> < )
From:Jake Knebgl
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] nov 17th 2020 council meeting
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 10:32:56 AM
mr mayor and council members..
Again long time resident of resident of district 6...i am writing today in reguards to two
items on todays (nov 17th 2020) city council meeting agenda and hat my comments
be inculded in the record
item 1 Regurding the rate increase on water and power utilites ..
less then a year ago this council apporved a time of day increase in power rates ..the
infromation provided to the residents of ft collin stated clearly that this increase was
needed to cover the expansion of new infrastructure ..now you are adding another 2-3
% increase on our reidents lessn the 12 months later could you please explain how
the time of day increase was not enough to cover what the city utilites needed? ..may
of your constituents are suffering hardships due to covid 19 and yet the city feels its a
good time to raise fees on it residents ..this matter shows clearly that ft collin needs to
follow colorados lead and make it so fee increases must be voted on by the citizens
..you council members countine to collect a paycheck from the tax payers of ft collins
while your constituents can not work to make ends meet ..perhaps this council could
forfit you city paychecks during this pandemic and put that money towards our utilite
system as you all suppport the fast paced buliding of more high priced homes that are
putting an unessercery strain on our utilite systems ..and it ssems very convinet that
all these increases are coming in mayor toxells last 6 months in office
item2 Huges stadium property
Recenty this council voted to deny CSU and tony franks bid to rezone the huges
stadium land parcel..Despite the overwheming outcry and opposition by the resdents
of both districts 5 and 6 who whould be directly impacted by development mr frank
and csu have stated that they intend to bypass the will and vote of the city of ft collins
and it citizens abd move ahead with the devlopment ,,this once again show the
compleate lack if respect or care that mr frank and csu have for our town and it
residnets...i remind this council that you do not work for mr frank or cuu you are
elected by the citizens of ft collins ..in 6 months time your constituents will be headed
to the ballot box to decide if you all keep your jobs and elect a new mayor .it will not
be mr frank and csu voting it will be the citizens who you repersent who mr frank and
csu are saying dont matter ...your constituents spoke cleaerly on the matter of huges
staduim open your ears and listen ..we will remember your actions in 6 months when
we vote
thank you for you time
From:Janie Arndt
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 5:13:18 PM
First, thank you all for serving. I know it’s a tough job.
Would it be nice for Hughes to be open space? Sure it would. Does CSU have the right to sell to whoever they
want? Of course they do. I oppose this issue being on the ballot. I oppose any attempts to coerce the university into
selling to the city. I do support private property rights. I also support more affordable housing options in Fort
Collins.
I have lived here for 46 years and have no financial interest in CSU or the housing industry.
Thank you for all the work you and the city staff have put into this issue.
Sincerely,
Mary Jane Arndt
1027 Pinnacle Pl
Fort Collins
From:jean darcy
To:City Leaders
Cc:pathsfoco@gmail.com
Subject:[EXTERNAL] ...that you don"t know what you"ve got "til it"s gone...
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 7:29:38 PM
Dear city leaders,
Please consider zoning the Hughes property as Open Space! Let's preserve some of what Fort
Collins has lost over the years - don't pave paradise and put up a parking lot! (or a bundle of houses)
Please,
Jean Darcy
From:Jeff Allison
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes stadium
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 11:33:10 PM
Good evening community leaders,
I would like to take this opportunity to express my support for the zoning of Hughes stadium
as open space. Fort Collins has the wonderful opportunity to preserve a beautiful landscape
and a valuable resource for future generations to enjoy. Thank you for your time
and consideration.
From:jennifer litzau
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Keep hughes space open with a wildlife rehabilitation and education center
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 11:50:06 AM
Hello city leaders of Fort Collins,
You are all well aware of the majority of residents who want hughes stadium space to stay
open. Our community would benefit greatly if the city purchased the space from CSU at fair
market value ( or donate it back to the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), and
Oceti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) who the land was stolen from) and preserve it as open space. Taking
care of the land is what CSU says they are reliable for being a land grant university. The city
has allocated funds and a majority of residents that wish to see it stay open space. Please do
the right thing and side with your constituents.
Wildlife preservation is much needed especially after our devastating fires. While preserving
this space we can also allocate 5 acres to wildlife rehabilitation and education center.
Expanding Northern Colorado Wildlife Centers rehabilitation services to birds and mammals!
Something our area desperately needs and our citizens would benefit from by offering
education, jobs, volunteer opportunities and rescue and rehabilitation of more wildlife in our
area.
Please vote to keep hughes stadium space open with a wildlife rehabilitation center to preserve
land and wildlife. Showing we, the city of Fort Collins care about preservation of our natural
world.
Best,
Jennifer litzau
From:Jessica Cunningham
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 7:35:57 PM
Hello,
I just wanted to say that as a resident of Larimer county and Fort Collins since 2008 I was
completely shocked to hear that we do not have a wildlife rehabilitation center here. The wild
spaces are looked after, but the wonderful wildlife that call these spaces home have no
advocates or care available to them. These creatures share this beautiful area with us and
deserve to be as well cared for as the humans and wild lands they reside with/in. Please add a
wildlife rehabilitation center to the old Hughes Stadium area so that we can do our part to care
for wildlife. Thank you for your time, consideration, and all you do.
Jessica Cunningham
970.237.9345
From:Jill Livengood
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] hughes open space
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 6:57:12 AM
I support the citizen initiative to (1) zone Hughes as Public Open Land and (2) pay CSU a fair market
value using any public and/or private funding sources but utilizing in particular the dedicated quarter
cent sales tax -- Open Space Yes! -- for acquiring Hughes as an addition to our City's open space."
Our citizens' foresight and dedication to Open Space have allowed us to collect over $8 million each
year for the last 5 years for this restricted purpose. Tell the Council we want our Open Space tax
used to preserve Hughes for its present and future citizens, for wildlife, for climate action, for
posterity as one of the city's iconic places.
Thank you for your activism
Jill Livengood 970-219-1011
From:Holcombe, John - SSC
To:Sarah Kane
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Wednesday, November 11, 2020 7:53:35 AM
I am writing in regards to the proposed open space at the former Hughes Stadium. This is a critical
decision by the City as I feel this space needs to be preserved for many reasons.
The area is a natural easement for wildlife along the foothills and filling that area with homes
would significantly impact wildlife roaming through that area.
This area is also a gateway to the Rocky Mountains, Horsetooth Reservoir, etc. Do we really
want 600 plus homes built that close to the foothills populating the already over used trails
and destroying the wildlife corridor that exists currently.
This area is a major recreational area for hiking, biking, walking, etc. People come from all
over the area to walk, bike and hike. Leave it open for all to enjoy.
Please pass this information to those that are the decision makers for the City’s open space. I
believe this is the most important space in this City and needs to be protected and remain as open
space/recreation for all to enjoy. Thanks
John Holcombe
From:John McCurdy
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes should be preserved as a Open Space Natural area
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 9:45:12 AM
To the Council:
Coloradoans are insisting Hughes should be preserved as a Open Space
Natural area. The City Council should listen to the mandate of the
residents of FT. Collins and zone Hughes Open Space IMMEDIATELY
for our community now, for future generations and for our wildlife
neighbors.
It would be incredibly selfish and unconscionable if the Hughes Natural
Area was not preserved for future generations.
It is clear Tony Frank, CSU and certain City Council members have no
idea of the anger seething in the Ft. Collins community as more and
more citizens continue to discover that CSU and certain City Council
members are attempting to develop this incredibly beautiful and unique
natural area.
A development in the Hughes area changes everything -- the ambience
of Ft. Collins -- it's charm -- and what makes Ft. Collins such a
wonderful and memorable place is centered and captured right there at
Hughes, right below the reservoir. There is no place like it!
Never ever have I heard of communities being in any way disappointed
in preserving natural areas. In fact, just the opposite.
In my view, natural areas provide the community better healthcare than
all the hospitals combined.
I am simply stunned at CSU's proposal. CSU should be ashamed of
itself for being so disconnected from their community.
CSU is posturing in a condescending and arrogant fashion. CSU seems
to adamantly despise and resent the community's initiative and desire to
preserve the Hughes natural area.
It is clear Tony Frank and CSU does not care what the community
thinks and has no desire in wanting to work with the community to get
this done in the manner the citizens of Ft. Collins prefer.
We can all speculate on the motives underlying CSU’s push for
development of Hughes.
Let’s look at some facts and try to put CSU’s motives into perspective:
CSU is attempting to defend their singularly focused development of
Hughes by saying:
1). CSU wants to provide “affordable housing”
2). CSU says that they cannot afford not to monetize Hughes.
Let’s first look at Tony Frank and CSU’s “affordable housing” ruse that
is being bandied about as one of the main reasons the CSU “needs” to
develop Hughes.
CSU has demonstrated by their new construction of expensive and
extravagant dorm complexes on campus that CSU has no concern
whatsoever with providing students with affordable housing.
These newly built “Taj Mahal” dorms such as Academic Village, which
replaced the modest Ellis Hall, are significantly more expensive than
the dorms CSU replaced and the “mortgages” on these new complexes
are paid for by the students with significantly ever increasing housing
costs.
Again, CSU has demonstrated they have no concern for students
housing costs. In fact, CSU is clearly taking advantage of the
vulnerability of students and their easy access to student loans to live in
such “Club Med lifestyle” complexes.
And here is the kicker, disgustingly, historically CSU required new
students to live in the dorms their first two consecutive terms!
CSU is hoping there are a few carp out there that will bite onto the
“affordable housing” hook. We know a few council members already
have. Are those council members dim-witted or just wanting to exploit
the community?
There are obviously ulterior motives at play in CSU’s decision making.
Now let us address CSU’s need to “monetize” the Hughes property.
The funding is already in place for preservation of this precious land.
The residents have repeatedly expressed their conservation wishes as
witnessed by the quarter cent Open Space tax - a self-imposed tax
approved by local voters repeatedly over the last 30 years. Please spend
those essential dedicated funds the way voters intended and expand the
needed open space within city limits.
Secondly, money was clearly not an issue when CSU blew $230 million
irresponsibly on the 42,000 seat football stadium.
To so many of us, it is surprising and perplexing that Tony Frank and
CSU seems to adamantly despise and resent the community's initiative
and desire to preserve the Hughes natural area.
However, when we consider just how big of a mistake the $230 million
42,000 seat football stadium is, just how big of a risky financial debacle
that unnecessary new stadium is and will become, we can see how CSU
would prefer extensive development on the Hughes site because
housing and buildings “hide” CSU’s indefensible and asinine stadium
decision much better than an open space natural area will.
One thing is a fact: CSU has irresponsibly entered the development
business – and CSU has shown their decision making in that regard to
be inconsiderate, irresponsible, and reckless in that regard -- and with
potentially catastrophic financial consequences.
CSU should have their feet held to the fire for that ridiculous,
irresponsible, and indefensibly risky financial decision that will haunt
the university and Colorado taxpayers for decades to come.
It is important to note CSU assures us that students will not be
responsible for any of the new stadium’s costs.
Forbes had a detailed article on how universities hide the athletic fees
the students are paying by including those fees in the “student fee”
category: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ccap/2014/12/12/who-
actually-funds-intercollegiate-athletic-programs/#4914e79617af
The future may soon reveal CSU’s conduct has been deceptive and
reckless at best regarding student financial responsibilities to athletics.
One thing is for certain:
Coloradoans are insisting Hughes should be preserved as a Open
Space Natural area. The City Council should listen to the mandate
of the residents of FT. Collins and zone Hughes Open Space
IMMEDIATELY for our community now, for future generations
and for our wildlife neighbors.
Sincerely,
John McCurdy
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
From:Joyce DeVaney
To:City Leaders
Cc:Sarah Kane
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Please support Hughes Stadium citizens" petition
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 1:55:06 PM
I strongly support the citizens’ petition, requesting that the City zone the Hughes Stadium property
in the Public Open Lands zone district and that the City use its best efforts to acquire the Hughes
Stadium Property at its fair market value for the purpose of using it for parks, recreation and open
lands, natural areas, and wildlife rescue and education. The acquisition of the Hughes Stadium
Property and conversion into public open lands would build upon the City’s significant history of
preserving open spaces and would provide an invaluable social, economic, and environmental
resource for current and future generations of Fort Collins residents. It would honor its history and
legacy, all the way back to Native tribal land. The Hughes Stadium property would represent a
crown jewel acquisition for Fort Collins open space.
Please listen to the thousands of Fort Collins residents (petition signed by over 8,000 people) who
are passionate about establishing something lasting, meaningful, and beneficial. Don’t let CSU turn
this “jewel” of our beloved City into bulldozers, dust, and concrete! I am really offended by Tony
Frank and the CSU Board of Governors blatantly disavowing any partnership with the City and
negating the concerns of Fort Collins citizens. It is greed, pure and simple!
Let’s live up to our reputation of being a “Choice City” and do the right thing – purchase the land and
turn it into Public Open Lands for all to enjoy!
Thank you for your consideration of my recommendation.
Joyce DeVaney
2842 McKeag Drive
Fort Collins, CO
From:Julia Robinson
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 7:25:15 AM
Dear Fort Collins city leaders:
I am writing to you to express my deep concern for the Hughes open space and to express my
opposition for CSU's proposed development of the land.
Ten years ago, I moved to Fort Collins, Colorado to attend CSU. After a few short months, I
knew this city would be my forever home. I loved how the city and its people valued the
outdoors, sustainability, and the numerous open space locations throughout the city.
After graduating from CSU and now teaching in the city as a high school teacher, I still felt that
Fort Collins was the place I was meant to be. However, as I have slowly watched the city
become over-developed and have watched CSU slowly take over by destroying homes and
neighborhoods for their own personal gain without listening to the public, I began to question
if this was the same city that values the outdoors and sustainability that I once thought it did.
When I was made aware of the Lennar CSU agreement, I was deeply saddened. The past ten
years I have played on that open space and enjoyed the features it has to offer. I could not
help but to question how CSU is known for sustainability. First the new stadium being built
and now this? This is not the definition of sustainability and saddens me that CSU broadcasts
such falsehoods.
In addition, when I talked to others and heard their disgust in CSU, I found that my views were
validated with the majority of the city. This was also validated when a petition that circulated
to place this issue on the ballot was signed by over 8000 people. CSU is a part of Fort Collins,
not the opposite so I believe it is immensely important for them to realize their role. If the
overwhelming majority of people do not want the land to be developed, shouldn't they have a
say? Shouldn't we be heard?
When I look at this issue in the long term, it is apparent that keeping the land as open space
will be far more beneficial to the city and its people than developing it. The city is being
developed from all around-- Timnath, the north side close to Loveland, Wellington, and then
the pockets of developments appearing throughout the city, so why can't we have an
untouched area that will provide a place for the people to enjoy nature and escape the busy
workday?
I know that you all are exceedingly busy, and I know that pressure is being placed on you from
CSU and from the constituents. However, I want you to think about what the people of Fort
Collins want instead of what the money-hungry university wants. I also ask you to think of any
children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews you may have. Do you want them to visit or live in
a city that is over-developed with limited places for them to play and experience nature or do
you want them to live or visit a city that values the outdoors and sustainability as much as I
once thought it did?
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you understand the great importance of
this issue to the people who care and love this city as much as I do.
Thanks,
Julia Robinson
From:Karen Dana
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Zone Hughes public open lands
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 10:01:28 PM
Please listen to the people of Fort Collins and vote to zone Hughes open space now for all of
our community, for future generations and for the benefit of our wildlife friends. This land is
a buffer for the foothills and Horsetooth Reservoir that preserves our diminishing open space
and lets us remember and enjoy the vistas that past generations were able to see. Once lost
to development this area is lost forever as a scenic space honoring the history of its past and
preserving the enjoyment of its future for all the people. Thank you. Karen Dana
1
Heather Walls
From:Sarah Kane
Sent:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 8:25 AM
To:Heather Walls
Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Fwd: Nov. 17 council Meeting/Hughes Stadium
Follow Up Flag:Follow up
Flag Status:Flagged
FYI
From: Karen Hart <karenlynnhart@comcast.net>
Sent: Monday, November 16, 2020 7:29 PM
To: Sarah Kane <SKane@fcgov.com>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Fwd: Nov. 17 council Meeting/Hughes Stadium
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Karen Hart <karenlynnhart@icloud.com>
Date: November 16, 2020 at 7:23:51 PM MST
To: skane@fcgov.com
Cc: Karen Hart Cell <karenlynnhart@comcast.net>, Bill cell <w.hart@comcast.net>
Subject: Nov. 17 council Meeting/Hughes Stadium
Dear Sarah,
Please forward my comments to my council members:
Dear Council,
Thanks so much for all you do, and have done, to make our wonderful town even better.
One of the biggest improvements we can make in Fort Collins would be the purchase of Hughes
Stadium for recreational use! The west end of town at the low foothills is uniquely beautiful. It helps
define our city and gives us all precious breathing space ‐ especially since we are now expected to live
on even more condensed residential properties.
I have lived on the west side of Fort Collins for 25 years, and know many who live in other parts of town
who regularly come to hike the trails near Hughes and to sled.
Please do not allow this precious open space to become developed for residential use. Please, please
purchase it rather than invest in far away Red Mountain or Soapstone open space.
As evidenced by the additional excess use of City Park and other areas, we are becoming too crowded.
And in the face of expected, continued growth we very much need the Hughes Stadium as blessed open
space.
Thank you,
Karen Hart
970‐420‐1737
2
Sent from my iPhone
From:Kate Forgach
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Stadium property
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 1:02:41 PM
I strongly urge you to vote for zoning the Hughes Stadium property as Public Open Lands.
The massive development of recent years has left us with far too much cement and not enough
open space.
In addition, this property is a terrible place on which to build a tightly packed housing
development. Ecologically and safety wise, we need to give this property back to the people.
CSU (read: Tony Frank) has made it clear they care NOTHING about Fort Collins citizens.
We can’t let them sell off these former public lands simply so they can pay down their useless-
stadium debt.
Thank you
Kate Forgach
Fort Collins
--
Kate Forgach Unicorn Hunter at Large
From:Kathryn Dubiel
To:City Clerk Office; Melanie Clark
Subject:[EXTERNAL] For the record of Agenda Item #13 Nov 17, 2020 City Council meeting : Why is CSU invoking the
use of SPAR?
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 2:21:42 PM
Attachments:SPAR comments to Council.docx
Please add this letter to the record of tonight's meeting - AIS for Item #13.
Thank you,
Kathryn Dubiel
From: Kathryn Dubiel <k.i.dubiel@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2020 12:31 PM
To: Susan Gutowsky <sgutowsky@fcgov.com>; Julie Pignataro <jpignataro@fcgov.com>; Ken
Summers <ksummers@fcgov.com>; Kristin Stephens <kstephens@fcgov.com>; Ross Cunniff
<rcunniff@fcgov.com>; Emily Gorgol <egorgol@fcgov.com>; Wade Troxell <wtroxell@fcgov.com>
Cc: Kathryn Dubiel <k.i.dubiel@hotmail.com>
Subject: Why is CSU invoking the use of SPAR?
Please add this email to the record for Agenda Item #13 Nov 17, 2020 Council meeting.
Dear Councilors and Mayor,
I respectfully submit these comments to present an interpretation of SPAR, Site Plan Advisory
Review. It has been applied to public entity projects many times and now is being suggested
by the Chancellor of the CSU System as applying to the development project proposed for the
Hughes Stadium site.
My comments are lengthy but I respectfully ask for your attention and thorough reading. I am
offering this background information since this process is being set in motion on Thursday,
November 19, 2020. Your complete understanding and awareness of how this project
proposal is being promoted as eligible for SPAR is urgently needed. One can easily be led to
believe it applies when it does not, in my researched opinion.
I ask that you consider what steps will be taken if the citizen-initiated ordinance is not adopted
by the Council. What outcome awaits our City? That is why I'm asking for your attention to
this pressing matter which may not be apparent to many and not yet associated with the
decisions being made tonight.
Thank you for your service to the community and representing the interest of the citizens of
Fort Collins.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathryn Dubiel
Fort Collins resident and Elector in District 2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three requirements for SPAR to apply to a project:
Ownership or operation by public entities
Public building or structure
Aligns with zoning
Why is CSU invoking the use of the SPAR?
To avoid oversight and local control of their development plans.
CSU seeks to expedite approval for their plan by using the SPAR provisions, limiting
local review to just 60 days, while also holding the power to overturn a vote of
disapproval by the P&Z Board, while the City Council is left entirely powerless and out
of the process. Chancellor Tony Frank knows he has unanimous consent of the BOG to
pursue this development, so meeting the required 2/3 majority vote to overturn the local
planning commission decision is a certainty.
Clearly, this is a maneuver to exclude citizen participation in this process, as well as
keep an obvious groundswell of public outrage from reaching the ballot in April 2021.
This is what we would call “voter suppression” in other circles.
When proposed by a private developer such as Lennar, any project the size and
complexity of the Hughes property proposal would take more than 6 months to go
through the City’s development review and approval process, and be closely scrutinized
for its alignment with our Land Use Codes. SPAR circumvents this.
If other CSU projects have used the SPAR process, why is it not applicable in this
case?
The Land Use Code is unambiguous in stating that a Site Plan Advisory Review’s
“purpose and effect” is meant for “improvements to parcels owned or operated by
public entities.” (LUC § 2.1.3. (E) (1)) Furthermore, its applicability is similarly
unambiguous: “A Site Plan Advisory Review shall be applied to any public building or
structure.” (LUC § 2.1.3. (E) (2) )
As an example, the SPAR for CSU’s proposed surface parking lot at 2400 Research
Boulevard (SPA #150002) was approved unanimously by the Planning and Zoning
Board. Why? It fit the criteria for Site Plan Advisory Review. The project created
improvements to parcels owned or operated by public entities (Board of Governors of
the Colorado State University System) and involved a public building or structure.
(LUC §5.1.2 Definitions: Structure shall mean a combination of materials to form a
construction for use, occupancy or ornamentation whether installed on, above or below
the surface of land or water.)
The very important thing is that SPA #150002 aligned with permitted uses for the zone
district in which it is located. In this case, District E has parking lots and parking
garages, as principal uses, under permitted commercial/retail use. (§ 4.27 (B) (2) (c) (5)
). The criteria:
Ownership or operation by public entities - MET
Public structure - MET
Aligns with zoning - MET
Let’s apply the same criteria to the property CSU owns and wants to develop under
SPAR, the former Hughes Stadium site:
Ownership or operation by public entities – Unclear –
At the time the development occurs, this property will be owned by Lennar Homes. The
contract between CSU and Lennar makes this a reasonable assumption. If CSU
achieves its goal of getting its development proposal through the SPAR process, even if
it takes an overriding vote by the Board of Governors to do it, but subsequently sells the
property with “development rights” to a private for-profit developer, that amounts to
gaming the system and obvious abuse of the intent of this LUC provision.
Public building or structure – Does NOT meet this criteria
The development being presented in the Conceptual Review meeting on Thursday,
November 19, 2020 is described as residential housing with zoning UE, LMN and
MMN (mixed use neighborhood, commercial uses included). Approximately 632 DU
(dwelling units) and 34,000 sf commercial. Unlike the Research Boulevard parking lot
in SPA #150002 or the Avenir Museum on Lake Street SPA #130003, there are no
public structures included in the CSU development proposal for the Hughes property.
Aligns with zoning – Does NOT meet this criteria
Unlike the Avenir Museum (SPA#130003), a community facility with a permitted use
in the NCL zone district where it’s located, none of the uses identified in CSU’s
conceptual design review application for the Hughes property are permitted. The
property is located in the T or Transition zone district. The only permitted uses are
clearly described in the code as “such legal use as existed on the date the property was
placed into this zone district.” (§ 4.12 (B) (1) )
There were no residential housing units that existed on the property on the date the
property was placed into this zone district. CSU cannot legally rezone its property using
Site Plan Advisory Review. Zoning and rezoning is a right reserved for the City
Council and the electors of the City of Fort Collins (by citizens’ initiative).
How does CSU’s assertion of its “right” to pursue SPAR undermine Fort Collins’
Home Rule authority to manage Land Use, Development and Zoning?
(1) A project the size and complexity of the one proposed for the Hughes property
would take more than 6 months to go through the City’s development review and
approval processes. None of that would apply under this SPAR. This project is land
development for profit, not for a public use and should not be allowed to proceed under
SPAR.
(2) This project would significantly alter a large and prominently located piece of
our City.
All recent efforts of Fort Collins citizens and City Council will be negated if CSU is
allowed to circumvent codified municipal processes, the reason for which is a public
process that is accountable to citizens and under the direction of elected representatives.
(3) The purpose and effect of Site Plan Advisory Review is described in LUC §
2.1.3. (E) (1) : The Site Plan Advisory Review process requires the submittal and
approval of a site development plan that describes the location, character and extent of
improvements to parcels owned or operated by public entities. Location, character and
extent are the limited number of criteria to be evaluated, not conformity with our Land
Use Code.
(4) The project as presented in the application for conceptual review requires
rezoning from the T district in which it is located. SPAR is not intended for
rezoning. That is a right reserved for the City Council and electors of the City of Fort
Collins. CSU is moving ahead with an approval process that is in major conflict with
the laws of the City of Fort Collins.
(5) Council is stripped of its authority, rendering the Council and citizens of Fort
Collins powerless in a major land use decision if CSU is allowed to proceed.
Council and citizens have sought a resolution with CSU but have been ignored and
rebuffed. CSU is making assertions about its authority that cannot go unchallenged,
lest a dangerous precedent be set.
From:Katy Williams
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes citizen initiative - please consider!
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 3:32:32 PM
I support the citizen initiative to (1) zone Hughes as Public Open Land and (2) pay CSU a fair market value
using any public and/or private funding sources but utilizing in particular the dedicated quarter cent sales
tax -- Open Space Yes! -- for acquiring Hughes as an addition to our City's open space. Please support this
move for open space for our children and our active citizens! Katy Williams
From:Ken Orgoglioso
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughs zoning mandate by your constituents
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 9:48:08 AM
Dear councilmembers,
As a Fort Collins resident and voter, I ask that you honor your constituent's mandate by voting
to permanently zone the Hughes Stadium lands as open space for our community and for
wildlife habitation.
My best regards,
Kenneth Thomas Orgoglioso
3641 Richmond Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80526
From:Kirsten Onigkeit
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Important info to consider
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 10:22:44 PM
Dear City Leaders of Fort Collins,
I am writing to try and convince each and every one of you to keep Hughes a natural open space. I hope that you
read this and take into consideration the land that you and the citizens should fight for and keep natural. It would be
devastating to lose this land to a developer who’s end game is to make as much money for himself as possible.
-Fort Collins has so many new housing developments, there are other places to put developments. Hughes is a one in
a million piece of land that Fort Collins NEEDS to hang on to, and protect as long as they can. Land is something
you can not make more of. It’s value without houses on it is worth more than what any developer can offer.
-Hughes is the gateway to horsetooth, to state parks, imagine what a beautiful place it could be now and in the
future. This city prides itself on making opportunities for people to enjoy the outdoors. Hughes is a place where you
can capitalize on just that, the beauty of the outdoors. It already is a place where families make memories, hiking,
sledding and just being together outside, a place for students to come and step away from their studies and enjoy
nature and frisbee golf, a place for tourists to gape in awe over the beauty of our city, why ruin a beautiful open
space in the foothills of horsetooth with more dense crappy houses or even nice million dollar houses.
-What an amazing opportunity you have to make something truly unique to Fort Collins. The possibilities are
endless, A beautiful park with frisbee golf course, an amphitheater, a place to stroll with loved ones, maybe even a
recreation center with a indoor and/or outdoor pool, or just leave it the way it is.
-Please think of the future of our community and don’t sell the soul of our city to another developer. Nature is
something that our society is lacking and why people come to Fort Collins. Many have poured their hearts and souls
out to try and protect this land because they see the value in keeping it natural. Please I beg you don’t just sell this
off to make money.
-The tax payers have continually voted for tax increases year after year to keep our city well taken care of and make
sure the people working in it and live in get the services and recreation they need. We owe it to the tax payers to
hear them out, they have spoken and are asking you to fight for this land with them.
Thank you for you time!
Kirsten
Sent from my iPhone
From:Lacey Gaechter
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Please adopt open space and wildlife rehab zoning at Hughes
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 4:12:21 PM
Fort Collins City Council,
I am emailing you to express my support for zoning the former Hughes Stadium site for open
space and wildlife rehabilitation.
I hope you will adopt this re-zoning at tomorrow's Council meeting.
Best,
Lacey Gaechter
1640 Remington St, Fort Collins, CO 80525
From:Laura Mason Ferguson
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Keep west Fort Collins open!
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 11:52:18 AM
Dear Fort Collins City Council Members,
I am writing to you all today in an urgent plea to place the decision of the former Hughes
Stadium land on the ballot so the citizens of Fort Collins have an opportunity to have their
voices heard regarding this critical decision.
I am fortunate to live on the west side of town in the Quail Hollow neighborhood. My husband
and I chose this part of town specifically so that my children (ages 2 years and 4 months old)
would grow up close to open spaces, trails, recreation, and the natural environment. We
believe that raising children to appreciate the city's open spaces is crucial in raising the future
generations to be stewards of our earth into the future. We believe that expanding our city's
open spaces is a clear message to our kids and our kids' kids that we value the environment,
their health and wellness, and our greater community.
Our community has always put an emphasis on the emotional, physical, and social wellness of
our people and providing open spaces in and around our town is a huge component of that.
The foresight that the city of Fort Collins has always had to preserve open spaces and limit
growth into the foothills is what makes our city unique, beautiful, and healthy. The
implications of how the Hughes land is utilized by the city is one that will reverberate in our
community forever. The Open Space Tax was created for this very purpose, and your
constituents want the opportunity to use that money for what it is intended for.
Please help us save this piece of beautiful, iconic land. Please think of what we want Fort
Collins to be in 10, 50, 100 years in the future. We owe it to our kids to fight for natural areas
and open spaces.
Thank you for your time,
Laura Ferguson
--
Laura Mason Ferguson
phone (970) 231-7858
lmason33@gmail.com
From:Laura Stuntz
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Stadium open space
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 1:07:21 PM
Dear City Leaders,
I would like to express my support to turn the old Hughes stadium into open space. I live right across
the street from the old stadium and have heard with alarm that up to 700 homes might be built on
the property if CSU sells it to developers.
The old stadium property is a crown jewel in a city that's getting increasingly crowded. I am in favor
of creating more open space in the city, rather that spending more money for open space way out of
town near Red Mountain.
I supported all the open space tax measures, but expected purchases to be in my back yard.
I realize that CSU needs the revenue from the property but they are a public institution and should
be receptive to working with the community they serve.
We should have a say in what happens to the old stadium property.
Please consider putting the matter to a vote in the City Council now to buy the land and keep it open
to all of us.
Thanks,
Laura Stuntz
2931 Rams Ln, Fort Collins, CO 80526
Laura Stuntz
Buyer
In-Situ Inc.
221 East Lincoln Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80524
970.498.1555
970.498.1519 fax
lstuntz@in-situ.com
From:Lauren Hayes
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes zoning
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 8:50:46 PM
Good evening,
I respectfully ask Fort Collins leaders to listen to the mandate of the residents of Fort
Collins and zone the Hughes area as public open lands. This past year, the wildfires
and pandemic have shown us the importance of conserving our land and providing
our community an area to recreate safely now and for future generations!
Thank you.
Lauren Hayes
Fort Collins citizen
Sent from my iPhone
From:Lauren Olsen
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Please Adopt Open Space/Wildlife Rehabilitation Zoning at Hughes Stadium
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 11:33:21 AM
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing in regard to the land that was formerly Hughes Stadium. I am urging you to please
consider utilizing that land as open space as well as a wildlife rehabilitation center for our
community.
Being completely transparent, I have not spoken to a single community member within Fort Collins
that is interested in high-density housing at Hughes Stadium. High-density housing would destroy
the beautiful scenery leading up to Horsetooth. This land means a lot to the people of Fort Collins.
Rather, the land should be zoned as open space with a portion of that land dedicated to a wildlife
rehabilitation center. A wildlife rehabilitation center would help mitigate the negative impact we
have had on local wildlife through ever-expanding urbanization.
Since WildKind closed its doors in 2012, community members of Larimer and surrounding counties
have had limited options when they come across sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife. The nearest
wildlife rehabilitation center is in Longmont, and it is obligated to serve Boulder County. With
urbanization continuing to expand across the state, interactions between humans and wildlife are
occurring now more than ever. Larimer County desperately needs a wildlife rehabilitation center to
help offset increasing instances of human-wildlife conflict in our community.
Wildlife rehabilitation centers do much more than simply care for sick, injured, and orphaned
wildlife. Northern Colorado Wildlife Center educates the public about how to peacefully coexist with
wildlife. By building a facility where Hughes Stadium formerly stood, it would also provide
opportunities for students at Colorado State University to gain hands-on experience in animal care
and husbandry.
Please consider adopting open space/wildlife rehabilitation zoning at Hughes Stadium. From my
experience helping collect over 8,000 signatures to keep Hughes Stadium open space, this is what
the people of Fort Collins want and need. I sincerely hope you take this into consideration.
Thank you for your time.
Best,
Lauren OlsenMaster’s Candidate
Zoo, Aquarium, & Animal Shelter Management
Colorado State University
From:Lindsay Morgan
To:City Leaders
Cc:Lindsay Morgan
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Preserving the Hughes Property as a Natural Area
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 11:59:19 AM
The City of Fort Collins has the ability and needs to buy this last remaining 165 acres of
Hughes Property not only for the sake of the citizens of Fort Collins, but for the multitude of
other environmental reasons. We live here because we are avid outdoor people who are proud
to not just be another city crammed full of houses, buildings, cement and asphalt. It’s been
said that the city has considered funding natural space in other cities close by and that would
be unthinkable when this is such a gorgeous area right here close by, in our town which
desperately needs it..
8,300 citizens signed petitions to encourage this decision. 25% of the voters signed to put it on
the April ballot. The money has already been set aside for open space, recreation related
organizations wildlife migration, animal rescue and human sanity/physical and mental health.
So far, the city has collected 8 million dollars in taxes since 2015 in an Open Space Fund for
this very purchase.
Our present natural areas, trails and parks are experiencing excessive use and are becoming
overcrowded as our city grows. It’s a sign that we need to make room for our citizens to be
able to work out their stress and anxiety with healthy physical activities in beautiful natural
spaces.
This issue and the efforts made so far by PATHS and the citizens of Fort Collins should not be
hidden from view by the City Council, BOG or CSU. In cooperation with impending Climate
Change, birds, native pollinators, Yucca, Prairie Sage, Red Tail Hawks, Killdeer, grasses,
butterflies, mountain cats, deer and migration corridors that are vital to wild animals it’s a
jewel of property that must not be squandered and made available for private consumption and
development.
Please take this last chance to Save Hughes. Once this precious piece of land is sold and
developed with up to 650 private homes, condos, duplexes, apartments and all the buildings
and roads to support it we’ll never get it back for the public use, wildlife use and plant use. We
are a large collective voice speaking for all these things that have no voice. Please listen and
choose to cooperate and join in keeping Fort Collins the special place of earthly values and
support our efforts to "Save Hughes”.
Please add these comments to the Public Record.
Sincerely,
Lindsay Morgan
Lindsette@comcast.net
2101 Essex Court
Fort Collins, CO
80526
From:Lisa P.McDonald
To:Emily Gorgol
Cc:Ross Cunniff; City Leaders; Jacy Marmaduke
Subject:[EXTERNAL] How will you represent your constituents tomorrow?
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 10:23:43 PM
Councilwoman Gorgol,
I am writing in regards to the City Council meeting tomorrow evening in which a vote will
take place to zones Hughes as Public Open Lands.
I am fortunate to reside in Councilman Cunniff’s district as he listens to his constituents and
votes based on what the majority of us want for our community. I cannot understand why you
have not been doing the same for your constituents.
I was one of the volunteers that obtained signatures for the petition. I spoke with residents
from the southeast to the northwest of Fort Collins, and NOT ONE person wanted to see that
land developed.
I’ve heard a pitch about “affordable housing” for the area. The new development on the
corner of Drake and Overland is selling units for over $400K - - for a townhome. This
pretense about affordable housing could destroy the Hughes open space.
I hope you remember your constituents tomorrow evening, and that they put their trust in you
to represent them in good faith. Your vote will have a lasting impact on this community - what
will that impact be?
Sincerely,
Lisa McDonald
From:LuAnn Kainer
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 6:04:58 PM
I support the citizen initiative to (1) zone Hughes as Public Open Land and (2) pay CSU a fair market
value using any public and/or private funding sources but utilizing in particular the dedicated quarter
cent sales tax -- Open Space Yes! -- for acquiring Hughes as an addition to our City's open space.
Our citizens' foresight and dedication to Open Space have allowed us to collect over $8 million each
year for the last 5 years for this restricted purpose. I want our Open Space tax used to preserve
Hughes for its present and future citizens, for wildlife, for climate action, for posterity as one of the
city's iconic places.
Sincerely, LuAnn Kainer
From:Martha Roden
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space Zoning Initiative
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 3:18:00 PM
Dear City Leaders,
I strongly urge you to adopt the Hughes Open Space Zoning Initiative. We
need to expand our Public Open Lands in Fort Collins by acquiring the
Hughes Stadium Property. That way, the property can be used for parks,
recreation and open lands, natural areas, and wildlife rescue and
education. Why not use our Open Space dollars to purchase this land “in
our own backyard”?
I believe that in these days of the pandemic, the opportunity to be in
nature is even more important than ever. Everyone needs affordable
access to nature, and the Old Hughes Stadium land is a perfect location
for such access.
When I think of all the land that has been lost over the past 30 years
of my life in Fort Collins, I feel very sad. Housing tracts have moved
across the open landscape like an advancing army. Mature cottonwoods
have been cut down to widen roads. Open fields have been bull-dozed, and
wildlife have suffered.
I believe the last thing we need is more housing sprawling into the
foothills, harming existing green space, increasing traffic, and
destroying the view of the foothills.
Keeping that land open is of paramount importance to wildlife and humans
alike!
Martha Roden
--
Martha Roden
Contract Technical Writer, Instructional Designer, and Usability Specialist
(970) 225-2572 (landline)
martharoden@gmail.com
“Making the complex simple”
From:Martha Zook
To:City Leaders; Darin Atteberry
Cc:Carrie Daggett; Jacy Marmaduke; marc.sallinger@9news.com; next@9news.com; jesse@coloradosun.com;
moe@coloradosun.com
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Zoning of Hughes property
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 5:54:54 PM
Dear City Council,
On one of the Saturday’s that I volunteered to gather signatures for the petition at the Farmers
Market, a gentleman by the name of Michael Maxwell, a descendant of the “Maxwell” family
stopped by my table to let me know he and his family drove down from Red Feather Lakes to sign
our petition. Even though he knew his signature may not be counted towards the numbers, he
wanted to make sure the City knew his signature was on the petition. He and the rest of the
Maxwell family strongly feel that CSU should do what is right and give the land back to the
community.
We didn’t just get signatures from folx near the area, no, people from all over Fort Collins came to
sign. Even people who recently moved from out of State who indicated Open Space was one of the
reasons they chose Fort Collins over neighboring cities.
Council… You have the Power to shape this city to be the best sought-after city in the state,but you also have the power to ruin and destroy it if you allow this mass-build to happen.
If you have not driven by Overland and Drake St, I urge you to go take a drive and take a look at the
mass clustered build of townhomes that are right next to the Holiday Drive-inn theatre. The homes
are “starting” in the mid $400’s and you tell me that a home by the foothills and closer to the lake,
with the gorgeous scenery in their backyard is going to be cheaper “more affordable and/or
attainable” than those across the street? You mean to tell me that the median salary here can
afford homes with a price tag starting at $400,000.00+? I don’t think so!
The COVID-19 pandemic has given us a renewed sense of appreciation of our open and green
spaces. Hughes is the last of the large undeveloped green spaces. It has always been used for a
variety of recreational and outdoor activities, including running, walking, bird watching, dog walking,
frisbee golf, and winter sledding, to name a few.
During the pandemic, open space has proven to be a physical and mental lifesaver, quite literally;
allowing citizens open space to recreate at, while maintaining social distancing among open air.
CSU is trying to stifle the voice of the City Council and the residents of Fort Collins so that we donot
have a say in land use decisions within their own city limits. In fact, CSU has used the SPAR
process in the past as a loophole to drive their own development agenda and circumvent the will
of Fort Collins residents. This sets a dangerous precedent, and CSU must not be allowed to be a bully
and a bad neighbor yet again. By supporting this ordinance on Tuesday, 11/17/2020 you will be
giving a voice back to the residents of Fort and Collins and claiming your own voice as our
representatives in land use decisions about this, and potentially other properties in the future, that
will change the character of the town forever and for future generations.
We gathered more than 8,000 signatures of the required 3,280 that were needed to get the petition
on the ballot.
As our representative decision makers, I ask that you show your support for citizen engagement, as
we have clearly asked the Council repeatedly on multiple occasions to save Hughes as Open Space
and vote in line with the overwhelming sentiment of your constituents and adopt this citizen’s
initiative.
Sincerely,
Todd & Martha Zook
From:Mary Chambers
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Stadium Property Buy it!
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 7:09:32 AM
City Council:
Please make the following comments part of record for the Hughes Stadium
Property November 17, 2020 agenda item.
Adopt the Hughes Ballot Initiative Outright! Citizens are very supportive of this initiative.
Over 8000 signed the petition for this ballot initiative. CSU’s effort to use SPAR is misguided.
It was designed for public buildings not property they are selling to another entity for private
residential house. Don’t let them do it.
Fort Collins should buy the Hughes Stadium Property even if it costs more
than other lands that are miles away. The Hughes Stadium property, where CSU is
proposing 650 new units of housing is open space within the city that would be
more accessible to citizens and really needed as Fort Collins grows and gets more
crowded.
I supported all the open space tax measures, but expected purchases to be in my
backyard, not someone else’s. In January, the City announced that they were
spending over $1,500,000 on another property near Red Mountain Open Space and
Soapstone Prairie Natural Area. Meanwhile, developers build nothing but high
density housing here. I see no announcements of purchase of open spaces within
the city boundaries to match the demand that developers are creating by packing
people in here like canned sardines.
I have been to Soapstone a few times on weekends and the parking lot was nearly
empty. Meanwhile, open spaces within the city have been crowded—
even on week days. Hughes would provide more open space that will be used by
citizens.
Mark Twain said, “Buy land. They don’t make it anymore.” It is
true here. Once land is developed, we lose open space opportunity. The Hughes
Stadium property is great opportunity. Fort Collins should buy it. Adopt the Hughes
Ballot Initiative outright! As much support as this petition has gained, you’ll have to
do it anyway.
Mary Ann Chambers
2437 Hollingbourne Dr.
Fort Collins CO. 80526
970 690 7954
From:Melanie Clark
To:Delynn Coldiron
Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Citizen-Initiated Petition Relating to the Hughes Stadium Property
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 12:12:43 PM
Attachments:image001.png
Hi Delynn,
Please see the below email regarding Hughes.
Thank you!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Melanie Clark
Executive Administrative Assistant
City Manager’s Office
970-416-4312
COVID19 Resources
For all residents: https://www.fcgov.com/eps/coronavirus
For businesses: https://www.fcgov.com/business/
Want to help: https://www.fcgov.com/volunteer/
From: Mary Grant <msgrant026@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, November 16, 2020 10:40 AM
To: Julie Pignataro <jpignataro@fcgov.com>; Ross Cunniff <rcunniff@fcgov.com>; Sarah Kane
<SKane@fcgov.com>; Ken Summers <ksummers@fcgov.com>; Kristin Stephens
<kstephens@fcgov.com>; Wade Troxell <WTroxell@fcgov.com>; Emily Gorgol
<egorgol@fcgov.com>; Susan Gutowsky <susan.gutowsky@gmail.com>; Darin Atteberry
<DATTEBERRY@fcgov.com>
Cc: Marc Sallinger <marc.sallinger@9news.com>; Jacy Marmaduke
<jmarmaduke@coloradoan.com>; Matt Bloom <matt.bloom@kunc.org>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Citizen-Initiated Petition Relating to the Hughes Stadium Property
November 16, 2020
To: Members of the Fort Collins City Council & Darin Atteberry
CC: Jacy Marmaduke, Matt Bloom, Marc Sallinger
From: Mary Grant (80521)
Fort Collins City Council Members,
I am asking that you vote to adopt the Citizen-Initiated Petition Relating to the Hughes Stadium
Property (Hughes) that has been ratified by the City and will now be an issue in on the April 2021
ballot.
The disposition of the Hughes Stadium property has been difficult, frustrating and filled with
skepticism on the part of the community. When this process started, I tried to keep an open mind;
however, the more I research and the more I learn, I no longer believe that the city has been acting
in good faith to serve the community.
§ I find it extremely odd that this particular property was annexed with no criteria what-so-ever. Are
all properties annexed without requirement for the owner to abide by City decisions? The City
obligated the community; including financial obligations, with no recourse. Was this intentional
or incompetence?
§ The community has been extremely vocal regarding Hughes and the City, disregarding all
feedback, has stuck to their original recommendation of RF and LMN which would meet the
wishes of CSU which Mr. Gloss helped to develop as an advisor to CSU and Project manager for
the City. Is this a conflict of interest?
§ I find it interesting that Mr. Atteberry stated in at least two City Council Meetings that he was
having ongoing conversations with Mr. Frank; however, CORA requests show no record of those
conversations. What position was Mr. Atteberry taking during those conversations. He was
quick to wish Mr. Frank well and offer the support of the City once the offer was rejected (this
was done in writing).
§ I am extremely disappointed that the recent negotiation with CSU for the City to purchase the
property was a deliberate low-ball offer. Over a year ago, I submitted a redacted copy of the
agreement between CSU and Lennar to the City Council (so obviously, the City had access to the
information). That document, even with the redactions, showed the value of the agreement was
more than $10,000,000. Why was the offer from the City so low? Or, was it just to pacify the
community and the City can now say “we tried”?
§ They DID NOT TRY! The city owns tons of property. Why not offer to swap land, possibly with a
cash incentive. A swap which would allow CSU and Lennar to build their development and the
City could retain the Hughes property for the entire community.
Unfortunately, there are many more instances where the behaviors of the City and some members
of the City Council could be interpreted as preferential treatment for CSU.
It is time for the City Council to support the wishes of the community and to vote in support of the
Citizen-Initiated Petition Relating to the Hughes Stadium Property. It is time to hold the City
accountable for this transaction and to negotiate in good faith on behalf of the community. It is time
for creativity in developing a solution. The City does have other properties that could be used by the
state for their needs. The city needs to preserve open space within the city boarders rather than
spending millions on property outside the city limits.
Vote in favor of the Citizen-Initiated Petition Relating to the Hughes Stadium Property.
Thank you.
From:Mary Steiner
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Council City Meeting Tuesday November 17, 2020 Huges Open Space Initiative
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 3:36:20 PM
Dear City Council members
I am writing to you and please feel free to use my comments at the council meeting on
Tuesday November 17, 2020. I live in the Quail Hollow subdivision, I have been a resident of
Fort Collins since 1984. When I moved to Fort Collins I loved the open space and the
dedication City Council had to respect open space. Our citizens' foresight and dedication to
Open Space have allowed us to collect over $8 million each year for the last 5 years for this
restricted purpose.
With this being said I respectively entreat you as stewards of the citizens of Fort Collins to
vote in favor of adopting the keep Hughes Open Space ballot initiative outright. This is supported
by the citizens of Fort Collins, these are the same citizens who voted you into your office. As City
Council you work for the citizens not CSU.
I support the citizen initiative to (1) zone Hughes as Public Open Land and (2) pay CSU a fair
market value using any public and/or private funding sources but utilizing in particular the
dedicated quarter cent sales
tax -- Open Space Yes! -- for acquiring Hughes as an addition to our City's open space."
More than 8,300 people signed our petition. That's 25% of the number of those that last voted
in the municipal election. I was one of the citizens who collected signatures. I had the
opportunity to talk with the relatives of the
family that donated that land to CSU, they were distraught and disappointed to see how their
family's wishes were never considered.
I want to give you a sense of why I am so passionate about your passing of the keep Huges
open space initiative
Before I start my workday I get up and either mountain bike or walk my dog
up through the trails which are a part of the Huges space. There are 3 trail systems, Pineridge,
Maxwell and Horsetooth trails that will be impacted. My husband and I raised our 2 boys here
and they came to love the same trails. During the pandemic, open space has proven to be a
physical and mental lifesaver. I ask that you walk these trails and talk to the people who
utilize these trails to get a sense of their love for this open space.
Tony Frank is trying once again to push his agenda, he does not represent the citizens of fort
collins you all do. He has spoken about affordable housing. Look at the development right
next to the drive in, they start at $400,000, is that affordable? Once you vote on the zoning of
development the builder does not have to put affordable housing. With that real estate do you
really think the citizens are foolish enough to think affordable housing will be available. The
traffic will make it impossible for people to get access to the services they need.
KEEP HUGES OPEN SPACE! Look at the outpouring from the citizens over 8300
signatures, that is not counting the people who were in Bellevue,
Laporte and these people are also affected. Respect this land and the citizens' wishes. Keep
this the Jewel that it is!
Respectively
Mary Steiner
2927 Brumbaugh Dr.
Fort Collins
Resident since 1984. Make me stay a proud resident!
From:Mary Steiner
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes agenda item for the November 17th meeting
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 3:51:56 PM
Attn City Leaders:
I am writing to you and please request that my comments be placed in the public record
associated with the Hughes agenda item for the November 17th meeting. I live in the Quail
Hollow subdivision, I have been a resident of Fort Collins since 1984. When I moved to Fort
Collins I loved the open space and the dedication City Council had to respect open space. Our
citizens' foresight and dedication to Open Space have allowed us to collect over $8 million
each year for the last 5 years for this restricted purpose.
With this being said I respectively entreat you as stewards of the citizens of Fort Collins to
vote in favor of adopting the keep Hughes Open Space ballot initiative outright. This is
supported by the citizens of Fort Collins, these are the same citizens who voted you into your
office. As City Council you work for the citizens not CSU.
I support the citizen initiative to (1) zone Hughes as Public Open Land and (2) pay CSU a fair
market value using any public and/or private funding sources but utilizing in particular the
dedicated quarter cent sales
tax -- Open Space Yes! -- for acquiring Hughes as an addition to our City's open space."
More than 8,300 people signed our petition. That's 25% of the number of those that last voted
in the municipal election. I was one of the citizens who collected signatures. I had the
opportunity to talk with the relatives of the
family that donated that land to CSU, they were distraught and disappointed to see how their
family's wishes were never considered. I spoke with numerous people and heard their stories
regarding their family memories and how passionate they are about this land remaining open.
I want to give you a sense of why I am so passionate about your passing of the keep Huges
open space initiative
Before I start my workday I get up and either mountain bike or walk my dog
up through the trails which are a part of the Huges space. There are 3 trail systems, Pineridge,
Maxwell and Horsetooth trails that will be impacted. My husband and I raised our 2 boys here
and they came to love the same trails. During the pandemic, open space has proven to be a
physical and mental lifesaver. I ask that you walk these trails and talk to the people who
utilize these trails to get a sense of their love for this open space.
Tony Frank is trying once again to push his agenda, he does not represent the citizens of fort
collins you all do. He has spoken about affordable housing. Look at the development right
next to the drive in, they start at $400,000, is that affordable? Once you vote on the zoning of
development the builder does not have to put affordable housing. With that real estate do you
really think the citizens are foolish enough to think affordable housing will be available. The
traffic will make it impossible for people to get access to the services they need.
KEEP HUGES OPEN SPACE! Look at the outpouring from the citizens over 8300
signatures, that is not counting the people who were in Bellevue,
Laporte and these people are also affected. Respect this land and the citizens' wishes. Keep
this the Jewel that it is!
Respectively
Mary Steiner2927 Brumbaugh Dr.Fort CollinsResident since 1984. Make me stay a proud
resident!
From:Matt Peters
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Zoning Hughes Open Space
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 9:14:21 PM
Fort Collins City Council Members,
I am writing to express my support for zoning Hughes Stadium's previous land site as open
space for our community. I am of the opinion that our city would benefit from more open
space and less developments, especially those that are high density and put additional strain
on our infrastructure.
Thank you for your time, consideration, and service to our wonderful city.
Regards,
Matt Peters
From:Tvcky Gueswell
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Stadium Zoning
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 1:12:59 PM
Hi my name is Matthew, I just wanted to reach out to you regarding my opinion about the
Hughes Stadium area on the west side of town. I know there is a rehab facility in Longmont,
but data actually shows that birds and mammals aren’t really brought in from the Fort Collins
area. This is because it is quite a drive, so people aren’t really as willing to help certain
wildlife because there isn’t anywhere near them that will help. This is why I believe it should
remain an open space, and a animal rehab shelter should be built on the land (Northern
Colorado Wildlife Center). That way they would be able to expand their abilities and
ultimately help more of our precious wildlife. It’s also the perfect place for it, lots of room for
the animals to breath and heal. The wildlife is very important to me, and many others here in
the city, so I would absolutely love it if I knew that there was somewhere to take animals in
need.
Thank you so much for listening!
-Matthew Gueswell
From:Megan Thorburn
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Friday, November 13, 2020 1:49:27 PM
Dear Fort Collins City Council Members,
I am writing to urge you to adopt the Hughes Stadium property as open space for the
residents of Fort Collins. You have at your disposal millions of dollars collected from
the Open Space Tax. Please use these funds to buy this property and protect it in
perpetuity. This is exactly the reason why we have these funds earmarked for open
space--so that we can acquire these important parcels of land and protect them from
being developed.
Look along the Front Range of Boulder and then compare that to the Fort Range of
Fort Collins. Boulder is a highly educated city with a university just like Fort Collins.
The difference is that the residents of Boulder have made it a priority to preserve and
protect their open space against encroachment and development. Why has Fort
Collins not done the same? Because CSU is acting like a petulant child, a bully, a bad
neighbor. They are trying to intimidate Fort Collins city leaders so they can get their
way. This needs to stop. The residents of this city have spoken. Over 8,000 people
are in support of keeping Hughes Stadium for open space.
On a personal note, I grew up in Fort Collins. I love this city, but it has been going
through growing pains. The Fort Collins of my childhood is gone, but I want to
preserve the Fort Collins of today for my children's future.
Thank you for your support in this important matter.
Megan Thorburn
Fort Collins resident
From:Melody Reed
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] HUGHES OPEN SPACE AGENDA ITEM
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 4:48:11 AM
Please designate this land as open space and preserve the history of this land.
Thank you,
Melody K Reed
898 Sunchase Dr,
Fort Collins, CO 80524
970-227-2480
From:Michael Feldhousen
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 11:34:19 AM
We have been following the various CSU Stadium Land Use proposals over the past year.
It seems that it has been very difficult to create a plan that has widespread public
consensus. Given the important location of the area, it would seem that this consensus is
critical.
It is also clear that the land density issues in this area are very important to a widely based
group of numerous citizens of Fort Collins as well. While available development land is
becoming increasing sparse in the city, there remains enough other options that would
preclude the necessity of any sort of density development in this strategic location. The
public has sponsored a tax revenue based funding for natural areas so that strategic land
purchases are supported by funding. If not here, where would such monies be better
used?
To take these issues into account, we support the citizen initiative to:
Zone Hughes as Public Open Land
Pay CSU a fair market value using any public and/or private funding sources bututilizing in particular the dedicated quarter cent sales tax
Thank you for the opportunity to comment,
Mike & Marilyn Feldhousen
District 3 Citizen Advocates
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
From:Michela Dunbar
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Stadium Open Space
Date:Saturday, November 14, 2020 9:16:04 PM
Dear Councilmembers,
My name is Michela Dunbar. I am a Junior at CSU studying Zoology. I have been in the
field of wildlife rehabilitation for over two years now, and I wanted to express to you all the
extraordinary need for rehabilitation in Northern Colorado, and Fort Collins specifically.
Daily, I see injured or orphaned animals that have no where to go and Fort Collins residents
that have no where to bring them. The community, both people and animals, desperately need
an established rehabilitation center that is accessible and capable of handling Colorado's
diverse number of species.
Northern Colorado Wildlife Center could be that place. Currently, we not only directly
rehabilitate Northern Colorado's reptiles and amphibians, but also provide valuable education
and involvement opportunities to the community. With adequate space, NCWC could provide
much-needed help to birds and mammals as well.
That brings me to the Hughes Stadium Open Space. As you all well know by now, Fort
Collins residents have overwhelmingly expressed support for the non-development of the
space. There are so many reasons, that I'm sure you have heard and will continue to hear via
emails and in this week's upcoming meeting, to keep the space open. A wildlife rehabilitation
center is one of those reasons.
I urge you to consider not just my words, but the words of so many others that have
repeatedly asked you to keep Hughes open. I urge you not to wait until April when the people
will without a doubt repeat in the polls what they have already expressed to you directly. Your
loyalty should not lie with CSU, Tony Frank, or Lennar Homes, but with the everyday people
who live and spend in Fort Collins. The public wants to be able to see and walk the beautiful
landscape and to enjoy the wonders of nature. We don't want, or need, housing. I ask you,
listen to the people you're meant to serve. Listen to the needs of the community and the needs
of Northern Colorado's ecosystems. I ask you to adopt the Hughes Ballot initiative outright
this Tuesday.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Michela Dunbar
From:Mike Sherman
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes “Open Space” Voter Initiative
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 11:55:29 AM
To Fort Collins City Council members and staff liaison,
As a Fort Collins resident and property owner since 1990, I
STRONGLY RECOMMEND every member to vote to accept the Hughes "Open Space"
Voter Initiative and to Zone the Hughes Property as "Open Space."
There are many reasons/arguments to secure this property as Open Space and not continued
housing developments. I will keep this message brief and assume you are well-read on the
reasons for my recommendation.
Thank you,
Michael
Michae W. Sherman
301 S Sherwood St.
Fort Collins, CO 80521
From:Nancy Stout
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Vote yes to adopt the Hughes ordinance
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 10:37:27 AM
I am a new resident to the city of Fort Collins and will soon be eligible to vote in the city. I am writing to ask you to
vote to enact the Citizen- initiated ordinance to zone the Hughes Stadium land as public open land, preserving it as
open space.
Thank you,
Nancy Stout
Wells Fargo Drive
From:Nathan Teich
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Adopt Hughes Ballot Initiative Outright
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 6:31:03 PM
Hello,
Open space is a critical investment for the city Fort Collins. Open space is extremely popular
with Fort Collins residents, provides crucial habitat and habitat connectivity for plants and
animals, and yields significant ecosystem services. For these reasons, and many more, it is
vital for the city council of Fort Collins to adopt the Hughes Ballot Initiative, preserving the
former Hughes stadium area as open space. The opportunity for new open space in Fort
Collins is rapidly dwindling, and while there are worthy conservation areas outside of
city limits, the chance to preserve the Hughes stadium area for recreation and habitat is simply
one the city council can not pass up. The ballot initiative alone should show the council the
popularity of this measure, gaining 8k signatures (25% of the municipal vote in 2019) even in
the midst of a pandemic! As the front range continues to develop, the opportunity to conserve
land for the citizens, both now and in the future, will only get more difficult.There are
opportunities for housing elsewhere, there is not another opportunity like this.
Thank you,
Nate
From:Nathan Teich
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Re: Adopt Hughes Ballot Initiative Outright
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 6:46:19 PM
Hello,
Open space is a critical investment for the city Fort Collins. Open space is extremely popular
with Fort Collins residents, provides crucial habitat and habitat connectivity for plants and
animals, and yields significant ecosystem services. For these reasons, and many more, it is
vital for the city council of Fort Collins to adopt the Hughes Ballot Initiative, preserving the
former Hughes stadium area as open space. The opportunity for new open space in Fort
Collins is rapidly dwindling, and while there are worthy conservation areas outside of
city limits, the chance to preserve the Hughes stadium area for recreation and habitat is simply
one the city council can not pass up. The ballot initiative alone should show the council the
popularity of this measure, gaining 8k signatures (25% of the municipal vote in 2019) even in
the midst of a pandemic! As the front range continues to develop, the opportunity to conserve
land for the citizens, both now and in the future, will only get more difficult.There are
opportunities for housing elsewhere, there is not another opportunity like this.
I would like for my comments to be added to the public record for the Nov 17th Hughes
agenda item.
Thank you,
Nate
On Mon, Nov 16, 2020 at 6:30 PM Nathan Teich <nate.teich@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello,
Open space is a critical investment for the city Fort Collins. Open space is extremely
popular with Fort Collins residents, provides crucial habitat and habitat connectivity for
plants and animals, and yields significant ecosystem services. For these reasons, and many
more, it is vital for the city council of Fort Collins to adopt the Hughes Ballot Initiative,
preserving the former Hughes stadium area as open space. The opportunity for new open
space in Fort Collins is rapidly dwindling, and while there are worthy conservation areas
outside of city limits, the chance to preserve the Hughes stadium area for recreation and
habitat is simply one the city council can not pass up. The ballot initiative alone should show
the council the popularity of this measure, gaining 8k signatures (25% of the municipal vote
in 2019) even in the midst of a pandemic! As the front range continues to develop, the
opportunity to conserve land for the citizens, both now and in the future, will only get more
difficult.There are opportunities for housing elsewhere, there is not another opportunity like
this.
Thank you,
Nate
From:Nick Lieurance
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 8:50:05 AM
Dear City Council:
I'm a Fort Collins resident and a neighbor of the former Hughes Stadium. In fact, I've
lived right on the northern border of the property for 11 years. All that separates my
backyard from Hughes is a chainlink fence. And I watch every day as people use this
land for recreation. They bring their dogs here, jog here, fly kites, watch the stars, and
enjoy the unobstructed view of the foothills.
I was thrilled to learn that PATHs was successful in obtaining enough valid signatures
on their petition to make Hughes an open space. And now I hear that our city council
might take early action to rezone and acquire the property for that purpose, instead of
waiting for voters to decide in April. That's great news.
I ask you to adopt the PATHs initiative into city ordinance now. It's important that we
act immediately. We must move before CSU undermines our efforts to preserve this
treasured land.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Nick Lieurance
3101 Sumac Street
Fort Collins, CO 80526
From:PATHS FoCo
To:City Leaders; City Clerk Office; Delynn Coldiron; Susan Gutowsky; Julie Pignataro; Ken Summers; Kristin
Stephens; Ross Cunniff; Emily Gorgol; Wade Troxell
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Please Vote to ADOPT the Citizen-initiated Zoning Ordinance for Hughes TONIGHT
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 3:00:00 PM
Attachments:PATHS_Letter_to_Council_Hughes_Initiative_2020-11-17.pdf
Please add this email and attached letter to the record for Agenda Item #13 for the Nov 17,
2020 Council meeting.
Letter to City Council
Citizens Initiative to Zone the Hughes Parcel as Public Open Lands
November 17, 2020
Dear City Council Members,
The members and volunteers of Planning Action to Transform Hughes Sustainably (PATHS) are
writing to you today to request that you move to adopt our Citizen-Initiated Ordinance to
zone the Hughes stadium parcel Public Open Lands (P-O-L) at tonight’s City Council meeting.
By now it should be clear to you how deeply Fort Collins’ residents care about protecting and
preserving Hughes for our community, for future generations, and for our local wildlife that
are faced with shrinking habitat in our city. We strongly believe that no other parcel of land in
Fort Collins has as much conservation value as the Hughes parcel. Hughes’ legacy and history
before CSU controlled the land is as native tribal land, and more recently the Maxwell family
property and farmland, and it deserves to be protected for posterity. Furthermore, Hughes is
situated between two of our most popular and most visited Natural Areas in the Fort Collins
Natural Areas system: Pineridge and Maxwell Natural Areas. On any given day, the parking
lots, trail heads, and trails of these two designated Natural Areas are crowded and packed
with recreators. We are loving our natural areas to death. We should be doing all we can to
EXPAND and EXTEND and CONNECT our open spaces. It is extremely rare that a parcel like
Hughes becomes available to do just that, EXTEND, EXPAND, and CONNECT currently-existing
Natural Areas and open space. We cannot think of a better use of our voter-approved open
space sales tax revenue, and our fellow Fort Collins residents have said as much over and over
again. We will lose this once in a lifetime opportunity forever if YOU do not take courageous
action tonight to zone Hughes open space within 30 days by adopting the citizen-initiated
zoning ordinance that will zone Hughes Public Open Lands.
The task of undertaking and organizing a citizens initiative is not easy at any given time, or by
any stretch of the imagination. It’s a full time operation. But one thing is for certain: you
should never doubt the dedication that exists when it comes to protecting this special and
unique parcel. PATHS members and volunteers persevered through a COVID-19 pandemic,
unpredictable weather, and exposure to the ever-present hazardous smoke and ash pouring
from the largest wildfires in Colorado’s history. The keys to our success were the tidal wave of
support we experienced from our fellow Fort Collins residents, so many of whom indisputably
want to see this land conserved, and the indefatigable energy from our amazing and powerful
army of volunteers. Our volunteers worked tirelessly to collect THOUSANDS of signatures from
Fort Collins voters, and voters went out of their way to find us at our locations which were
announced daily on social media and our website.
Despite the elements and challenges we faced, we collected well over 8,300 sufficient
signatures; That’s more than 25% of the total number of voters in the last Fort Collins city
election (32,800), when we only needed 10%! We turned in more than enough signatures to
reach the magic number of 3,280 VALIDATED voter signatures to get the Hughes open space
ballot measure on the April 2021 ballot. No more can Hughes open space advocates be
dismissed as “Paper Tigers” or be made to feel diminutive by being called “just a vocal
minority”. If this citizens’ petition shows you anything, it’s that Fort Collins voters value
open space, they want Hughes to be conserved as such, and they want YOU to step up
NOW and represent them.
There is another more time-sensitive and alarming reason you need to vote YES today to
adopt our Hughes open space ordinance. Almost immediately after our petition was certified
by the City Clerk, we learned that CSU applied for a Conceptual Review hearing which will take
place Thursday morning 11/19/2020, at 10:15 am. CSU intends to abuse the Site Plan Advisory
Review (SPAR) process to sell the property to Lennar Homes, an out of state builder with a
questionable reputation, to build private structures which do not fall under the appropriate
uses of SPAR. CSU leaders are clearly doing this to circumvent the community’s clear wishes
about the future of Hughes, despite announcing how proud they are to be “Good Neighbors”
and patting themselves on the back for their “Citizen Engagement”. Even more dangerous, the
SPAR process entirely usurps and circumvents the authority of the only two entities that are
allowed to zone property in Fort Collins: the City Council AND the citizens of Fort Collins by
citizens initiative. It is unclear why our own City would adopt code into the land use code that
removes the City Council and the citizens of Fort Collins from self-determination and
participation in important land use decisions, but alas, in 2014 major changes were made to
SPAR that have allowed developments like the on-campus stadium and many other unpopular
planning decisions to be rubber stamped, rendering City Council and the Fort Collins electors
powerless in SPAR’s land use decisions. While we feel SPAR is an unnecessary and ill-conceived
section in our land use code, at least we can point to the examples where it’s application by
CSU is appropriate under the code as written.
Here are just a few of the problems with SPAR as CSU intends to apply it for the Hughes
parcel:
SPAR is intended for public entities and improvements to public structures or parcels
that are to be owned and operated by a public entity. CSU has entered into a purchase
agreement with Lennar Homes, a private developer who will profit off the sale of
private homes on this parcel, if CSU gets its development approval via SPAR. This is NOT
an applicable use of the SPAR process.
Proposed developments that are reviewed under SPAR must align with current zoning
of the property in question. Hughes is NOT zoned for any type of development, or for
anything else for that matter. By having their proposal reviewed under SPAR, CSU is
violating one of the fundamental requirements of permitted uses for this property.
SPAR usurps the authority of the City Council, an elected body of representatives, and
transfers the power of final approval/disapproval for land use decisions to an unelected
body, the Planning and Zoning Board (P&Z Board). Furthermore, SPAR intentionally
accelerates the review process and eliminates the right of appeal.
Even if the proposal in question is rejected by the P&Z Board, the governing body of the
public entity (the CSU BOG in this case) can entirely overrule the P&Z Board’s
development review decision by a two-thirds vote. To be clear, this means an external,
unelected, non-municipal body can assume full authority for land use decisions in our
own City, entirely circumventing our Council, P&Z Board, and developmental review
procedures. Council members, this sets such a dangerous precedent, we don’t even
know where to begin.
Whereas most developmental review processes of the size proposed by CSU for the
Hughes parcel generally take on the order of 6 months to complete, SPAR shrinks that
timeline to only 60 days.
The right to an appeal is an essential democratic right afforded to the citizens in all
matters related to land use and other quasi-judicial decisions. However, SPAR strips
away that right from the citizens of Fort Collins and OUR governing body (the City
Council). This is unacceptable.
Fort Collins is a home-rule municipality under which Fort Collins citizens are granted the
right to decide how our local government is organized and how land use is decided and
implemented. Where home-rule municipal law generally increases control of the local
government for land use decisions, SPAR does quite the opposite. Fundamentally, It is
a loophole that turns over full authority to an external entity that, under normal
circumstances, would have to proceed under the local regulations and developmental
review processes, and answer to the local government and citizens of the municipality.
Again, SPAR strips these rights from us. We can’t allow this to happen.
SPAR must be amended so it does not undermine the authority of our City Council and Fort
Collins citizens, sooner rather than later. But, tonight, you can ensure that SPAR does not
render us powerless by adopting our citizens-initiated ordinance to zone Hughes public
open lands. This Ordinance is a lifeline, if you will, and it needs to be adopted before the 60-
day SPAR process for the Hughes parcel commences on this Thursday, November 19th, 2020.
In conclusion, we implore you to vote to adopt the Citizens’ Ordinance to zone Hughes as
public open lands. Let us begin the process of earnest acquisition negotiations with CSU so
that we can begin to heal and move forward from this, at times, tumultuous process. CSU
would go a long way in mending and reversing so much of the contempt and animosity it has
shown toward the people of Fort Collins around Hughes, as well as the Canvas Stadium
development, a wound which is still raw and oozing with bitterness and resentment.
And, one last thing about negotiations. If CSU values that parcel at $14 million dollars ($4
million of that due to CSU leadership’s extremely poor decision to pay for up front demolition
costs), we want you to know that we are willing to pay that $14 million with a combination of
partnerships, certificates of participation, GoCo grants, or even a temporary and small sales
tax referred to voters as a last resort. The voters have said this time and time again. Whatever
it takes. There is no way we can let this opportunity slip away. And PATHS members and
volunteers will continue to fight with every last bit of recourse and strength we can muster to
ensure that we conserve Hughes as public open lands for our community now, for future
generations, and as unobstructed habitat for our local wildlife.
Thank you for listening and representing us, your constituents, in tonight’s deliberations.
Sincerely,
PATHS Members and Volunteers
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Paths Organizing Team
Website: https://HughesOpenSpacePetition.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PATHSFoCo/
Donate: https://HughesOpenSpacePetition.com/donate
Call/Text: (970) 658-0505
1
Heather Walls
From:Sarah Kane
Sent:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 1:18 PM
To:Heather Walls; Delynn Coldiron
Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] Hughes Citizen Initiative
This one got caught in my spam filter but I released it and think you may want it for tonight.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sarah Kane
Supervisor, Administration
Executive Administrative Assistant to Mayor Wade Troxell
City of Fort Collins
970-416-2447 office
“The City of Fort Collins is an organization that supports equity for all, leading with race. We acknowledge the role of
local government in helping create systems of oppression and racism and are committed to dismantling those same
systems in pursuit of racial justice. Learn more.”
COVID-19 RESOURCES
For all residents: https://www.fcgov.com/eps/coronavirus
Connect with resources: https://uwaylc.org/
RECURSOS COVID-19
Para miembros de la comunidad: https://www.fcgov.com/eps/coronavirus
Recursos de United Way: https://uwaylc.org/
From: Patricia Babbitt <chaang61@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, November 16, 2020 2:46 PM
To: City Leaders <CityLeaders@fcgov.com>; Carrie Daggett <CDAGGETT@fcgov.com>; CAO Admin
<caoadmin@fcgov.com>; Delynn Coldiron <DECOLDIRON@fcgov.com>; Kelly DiMartino <KDIMARTINO@fcgov.com>;
Sarah Kane <SKane@fcgov.com>; tony.frank@colostate.edu; csus_board@mail.colostate.edu;
governorpolis@state.co.us; Jacy Marmaduke <jmarmaduke@coloradoan.com>; Matt Bloom <matt.bloom@kunc.org>;
marc.sallinger@9news.com; next@9news.com; tips@coloradosun.com; jesse@coloradosun.com;
moe@coloradosun.com; samxye@rams.colostate.edu
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [WARNING: SUSPECTED SPAM] Hughes Citizen Initiative
City Council Members,
Before I say more, I want to thank Council Member Cunniff for his spot‐on assessment of how the Hughes
property is being handled by Tony Frank and the CSU Board of Governors. He spoke articulately and accurately
on 10/13/20 pointing out that CSU seemed to make no effort at all to negotiate when city leaders offered to
purchase the Hughes property at fair market value. I agree that Tony Frank’s actions were a “slap in the face
to the City Council, the voters, and the taxpayers in Fort Collins”.
I am hoping now, that City Council will listen to the 8,300+ concerned citizens who signed the petition to
keep Hughes as Open Space and zone the property accordingly. In addition to those who signed the petition,
there were countless others who don’t live in within the city limits who said that since CSU is a state property,
which receives a lot of Colorado taxpayer money, they should have some say in this matter.
2
Many Colorado residents as well as non‐residents that I have spoken with over recent months (and years,
actually) have told me that a big reason they come to Fort Collins is to enjoy its open spaces; its restaurants,
stores, and other attractions are a bonus. Last week, one of my former international students from 12 years
ago wrote, “One of the best things I like not in CSU only, but everywhere, is the OPEN SPACE, which usually
helps me to relax and refresh my mind and soul.” Please don’t let Tony Frank fool you; people in Fort Collins
and beyond will benefit much more by keeping this property as Open Space than using it for another
development.
Many people have asked me how CSU can legally sell this property to a private development company when
the land is intended for public use. I have told them that my understanding is that they CAN’T legally do this,
and I have explained why. I won’t go into my explanation now; I believe that all of you, as City Council
members who are paid to understand legal issues that “common people” might not, can see how Tony Frank is
misusing his power and misleading people in Fort Collins and greater Colorado when he threatens to use SPAR
to get his way with the Hughes property.
During the recent Board of Governors meeting, I listened to Frank go on and on about CSU’s fiduciary duties to
citizens of Colorado, the ways in which CSU students and our community could benefit from the proposed
development plans, and how greatly the CSU carbon footprint would be reduced by the development, I
couldn’t help but be reminded of the 1954 classic book called, “How to Lie with Statistics”, by Darrell Huff,
which has been used by educators for years to teach people to watch out for fact manipulators, like Tony
Frank.
I’d like to point out a few RED FLAGS IN FRANK’S ARGUMENT for the Lennar Development:
1) Fiduciary Responsibility to Colorado Citizens Where was CSU’s commitment to fiduciary
responsibility when it decided to build the new stadium??? CSU chose to ignore the outcry of
concerned citizens when it proposed the new stadium, promising that it would be a great revenue
generator and would create no debt for the university. Now, CSU is counting on shady deals with
Lennar to recoup its losses—even though record numbers of Fort Collins citizens have spoken at City
Council meetings in efforts to keep the land zoned as open space, and the city recently proposed to
help CSU out of its self‐created financial mess by offering to buy the land at market value while
preserving it for use by outdoor lovers from the Fort Collins community and beyond.
2) Students and Our Community Will Benefit from the Proposed DevelopmentYes, a select group
of students and community members could benefit from the proposed development. However much
larger groups of students, community members, and residents throughout Colorado and beyond‐‐
with valid concerns about the importance of preserving natural wildlife environments—would
greatly benefit if the land were to remain as open space, as would the wildlife living there. Frank
failed to mention the citizen‐initiated petition which was circulating at the time of the Board of
Governors meeting—probably because he was afraid of the huge number of signatures that were
being gathered. He probably was also afraid to acknowledge the huge numbers of Colorado citizens
who wanted to sign the petition but were unable to because they weren’t registered to vote within
Fort Collins city boundaries.
3) CSU’s Carbon Footprint Will Be Greatly Reduced by Building the Housing & Commercial
Development with Public Transit What??? Building this development will reduce the carbon
footprint, but keeping it as a natural open space won’t? Yep—Frank has mastered the art of lying
with statistics to convince many that “the elimination of an estimated 1.5 million commuting miles annually,
reducing CSU’s carbon footprint by approximately 430 metric tons of carbon dioxide emission per year, about a
3
7% reduction in CSU commuting impact.” (Frank said this about 12 minutes into his sales pitch for option 3,
during the Board of Governor’s meeting). Honestly, as a person who doesn’t drive and who depends on public
transit, bicycle, or walking to get to work, do errands, and just “get around”, I have been very frustrated and
disgusted on CSU Football Game days when bicycles haven’t been allowed on the MAX because space was
prioritized for football fans to go to and from the Rams games—even though many routine MAX users needed
bicycles on the buses those days for non‐game related responsibilities.
Our City Council has the power to vote in favor of and adopt the citizen initiative to keep the Hughes land
zones as Open Space at the 11/17/2020 City Council Meeting.* A vote for Open Space could help a much,
much larger percentage of people—both residents and non‐residents of Fort Collins; both those with
financial & affordable home challenges and those who are thriving‐‐to benefit physically and emotionally
from this property than a development with (maybe?) a few affordable/attainable homes. I ask that, as
elected representatives of the citizens of Fort Collins, all of you vote to keep this precious parcel of land
zoned as Open Space.
*I would like to request that this email be added to the public record for the 11/17/2020 Hughes Open Space
discussion.
Sincerely,
Patricia K. Babbitt, District 6
From:Tony and Tricia Edridge
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes zoning
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 7:28:42 AM
Dear Council members,
I would ask that you take notice of the mandate of the residents of Fort Collins and
zone Hughes Open Space immediately for our community now, and for future
generations.
Thank you,
Patricia Edridge
From:Renee Walkup
To:Julie Pignataro; Ross Cunniff; Susan Gutowsky; Wade Troxell; Ken Summers; Emily Gorgol; Kristin Stephens
Cc:City Clerk Office
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Vote
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 7:01:10 PM
To City Council:
As one of the 8,300+ residents who signed the citizen initiative you are
considering on November 17, I request that City Council zone Hughes as
Public Open Land and purchase this area at a fair market value from Colorado
State University. You may use 1/4-cent sales tax funding available through
“Open Space Yes” as well as other public and private revenue sources to
acquire this property for our City. This parcel of land is too important to our
community to become another housing development.
The citizen initiative shows that residents of Fort Collins do not want the
increased congestion, pollution, and sprawl that development by CSU and
Lennar will bring to the Hughes property and to west Fort Collins. They want
this area preserved as open space for future generations, and they are looking to
City Council to make that a reality by voting to adopt the citizen initiative for
Hughes Open Space. The community has spoken and request that Council do
the right thing by taking action as requested.
I respectfully request that this email message be included in the information
presented to Council for this discussion on Tuesday, November 17, 2020. Or, if
rescheduled, when Council has Hughes on the calendar.
Thank you.
Renee Walkup
3514 Pratolina Court
Fort Collins, CO 80521 District 5
From:Rian Laub
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Saturday, November 14, 2020 7:22:00 PM
My Representatives,
I am very excited about the recent ballot initiative to require the City of Fort Collins to purchase the Hughes Open Space from CSU and rezone it permanently as community-accessible open space. This is an important issue for me as a Fort Collins resident,
environmental activist, and progressive voter. If the issue is able to be suitably resolved without need for a ballot initiative, so much the better, and I hope you would capitalize on such an opportunity. I expect this issue to largely inform my future local voting
behavior and I hope we are aligned in our views on this issue. Thank you for your attention to this matter and I wish you all the best.
Respectfully,
Rian Laub
From:Rich Fisher
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughs (stadium) open space
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 7:38:06 PM
I support this strongly and am willing to devote tax money for it
Rich Fisher
Sent from my iPhone
970-481-7518
From:RICHARD KOMMRUSCH
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes open space
Date:Friday, November 13, 2020 10:36:38 PM
All,
Over the last 20 years, I have hiked many times in the open space near
and to the west of Hughes, I would like it to saved as open space.
Thank you,
Richard Kommrusch
From:Rick Parsons
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Zoning Meeting
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 3:48:22 PM
WE ARE CONTACTING TO ASK YOU LISTEN TO THE MANDATE OF THE RESIDENTS OF FORT
COLLINS, AND ZONE HUGHES OPEN SPACE IMMEDIATELY FOR OUR COMMUNITY NOW, FOR
FUTURE GENERATIONS, AND FOR OUR WILDLIFE NEIGHBORS.
Respectfully,
Rick and Diane Parsons
3620 Coneflower Dr.
Fort Collins, Co 80521
From:Riley O"conner
To:City Leaders; Ross Cunniff; Wade Troxell; Ken Summers; Kristin Stephens; Julie Pignataro; Susan Gutowsky
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Huges Open Space
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 8:54:40 AM
Esteemed Members of the Fort Collins City Council:
Today you have a chance to make history. Today you have a chance to play a substantial role in
sculpting the type of city you and the citizens of Fort Collins will live in for generations to come.
Please do not relegate Fort Collins to be just another overpopulated, poorly planned city like Jakarta
Indonesia where decades of thoughtless planning interventions have led the city to this state where the
infrastructural mishaps highlight the poor quality of life. It should be noted that inadequate green and
open spaces, extreme traffic congestion, and unplanned urban sprawl have together contributed to the
situation in this city. Do not fate Fort Collins to be another Atlanta Georgia, Dhaka Bangladesh with its
dystopian urban environment, or Boston Massachusetts where the geographical features that made
Boston stand out have disappeared from the city scape to increase developed area.
No one wins if the out of state company Lennar is allowed to develop the land. CSU will still mismanage
the money they make from the sale of the land, they will still be in the red, tuition prices will still be
increased by the maximum allowable amount each semester, and they will still rely on tax-payer funded
state funding. With Lennar, no local jobs will be created, there will be no affordable housing, only
“attainable” housing. The last bastion of green in Fort Collins west, the last glimmer of happiness, joy and
sanity will be bulldozed and lost forever under a blanket of cookie cutter houses and congested traffic.
Additional tax revenue? In the long run, open space with its limited upkeep and reduced crime will be
much cheaper for the city to maintain.
Emily Gorgol, you had approached me in Old Town during your campaign for city council. At that time,
you promised to fight for open space within the city. I voted for you based on this conversation. Please
honor your campaign promise today.
Today, be on the right side of history. Respect the wishes of the citizens you have been given the honor
of representing. Vote to keep Huges zoned for open space.
With much gratitude in advance,
Riley
From:Robin Welsh
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Stadium property
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 12:59:34 PM
Greetings,
I live about a mile east of Hughes Stadium. I birdwatch frequently at Pineridge Natural Area,
it is "my patch". Pineridge trails are quite busy, even early in the morning on weekdays! If the
Hughes Stadium property is taken off the table as a place for us to recreate, I am afraid that the
quality of the habitat at Pineridge will be harmed.
The city has the money to purchase the Hughes Stadium property. I want you to use some of
the money in the Open Space Fund to purchase the land. Please don't let this property slip
away from us!
Sincerely,
Robin Welsh
2437 Newport Ct.
80526
From:Sandra Hofer
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] November 17th meeting
Date:Friday, November 13, 2020 2:47:29 PM
Dear Council Members,
Well over 8,000 signatures were collected asking to put the Hughes issue on the Fort
Collins ballot this spring, allowing the voters to choose whether the City should
purchase the land that was Hughes stadium, and zone it for open space. It is clear we
are asking that this gem of the city not be destroyed, but kept as an open space that
all can enjoy. The people of Fort Collins are speaking, please hear them.
You have the ability to adopt and enact Hughes Open Space on November 17th!
Please do this.
Respectfully,
Sandra Hofer
From:Sara Anne Tompkins
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes support
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 9:06:02 AM
Dear Community Leaders:
I support the citizen initiative to (1) zone Hughes as Public Open Land and (2) pay CSU a fair market
value using any public and/or private funding sources but utilizing in particular the dedicated quarter
cent sales tax -- Open Space Yes! -- for acquiring Hughes as an addition to our City's open space.
Thank you for your support and for listening to our community!
Kindly -
Sara Anne Tompkins
2901 Michener Ct.
Fort Collins, CO 80526
1
Heather Walls
From:Sarah Kane
Sent:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 12:22 PM
To:Heather Walls
Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL] City Council Meeting - Nov. 17, 2020 - Agenda item 13 - Hughes Stadium Open
Space - Ballot Initiative - Rossiter feedback
Delynn may have already saved this one, but just wanted to make sure.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sarah Kane
Supervisor, Administration
Executive Administrative Assistant to Mayor Wade Troxell
City of Fort Collins
970-416-2447 office
“The City of Fort Collins is an organization that supports equity for all, leading with race. We acknowledge the role of
local government in helping create systems of oppression and racism and are committed to dismantling those same
systems in pursuit of racial justice. Learn more.”
COVID-19 RESOURCES
For all residents: https://www.fcgov.com/eps/coronavirus
Connect with resources: https://uwaylc.org/
RECURSOS COVID-19
Para miembros de la comunidad: https://www.fcgov.com/eps/coronavirus
Recursos de United Way: https://uwaylc.org/
From: Sarah Rossiter <co.denizen+hughes@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2020 11:58 AM
To: City Leaders <CityLeaders@fcgov.com>
Cc: csus_board@mail.colostate.edu; pathsfoco@gmail.com; tony.frank@colostate.edu; Darin Atteberry
<DATTEBERRY@fcgov.com>; Carrie Daggett <CDAGGETT@fcgov.com>; Delynn Coldiron <DECOLDIRON@fcgov.com>;
Sarah Kane <SKane@fcgov.com>; presofc@colostate.edu; Krista@coloradotrust.org; governorpolis@state.co.us
Subject: [EXTERNAL] City Council Meeting ‐ Nov. 17, 2020 ‐ Agenda item 13 ‐ Hughes Stadium Open Space ‐ Ballot
Initiative ‐ Rossiter feedback
To the City and City Council of Fort Collins
RE: November 17, 2020 Council Meeting - Agenda item 13 - CITIZEN-INITIATED
PETITION RELATING TO THE HUGHES STADIUM PROPERTY
Please make this email in its entirety part of the public record regarding the Hughes Open Space.
Dear City Leaders:
Thank you for all the time and attention you have poured into the process of reviewing proposals for the open
space land that once hosted Hughes Stadium. I greatly value your consideration and deliberations on our
behalf.
2
When I first heard Colorado State University (CSU) had contracted to sell Hughes Stadium land to a Florida
developer of residential and commercial properties, my heart sank, my throat constricted, my shoulders tensed
and my CQ (cynicism quotient) shot up by 100 points. I felt deeply angry, but beneath that was an even deeper
sadness. I share this not to be discouraging; I share it so you can know how viscerally and significantly the
matter of open space and connection to nature affects people here. I’m one among many in this regard.
The beauty, spirit and high-plains character of this place, this land around Fort Collins, calls me: I created the
sculpture below and named it Colorado years before arriving here.
So you can imagine my absolute wonder upon seeing the spectacular geology and landscape from north of
Laporte and Bellvue to Reservoir Ridge, above along Horsetooth Reservoir or below through the Hughes
Stadium open space, and beyond to the Blue Sky Trail and Devil’s Backbone.
That corridor is the heart of this place. The hearts, minds, bodies and spirits of the people who live here need
it.
We need it to inspire us.
We need it to awe us.
We need it to soothe us.
We need it to teach us.
We need it to connect us with nature, each other and our truest selves.
We need it to remind us of what’s important, precious and worth protecting in this world.
Please don’t mistake what’s at stake for a simple (or not so simple) money-making opportunity.
Please take a vital step in preserving the entirety of Hughes open space land—today—by voting to
adopt the ballot initiative to rezone it as Public Open Space within 30 days. The 8,300-signatures
submitted far surpassed the 3,280 minimum required to secure the initiative’s place on the April 2021 ballot: a
clear signal local voters support this action now and will do so then.
3
While I understand the CSU system and Board of Governors have plenary jurisdiction over the Hughes land, I
fundamentally question the use of a Site Plan Advisory Review (SPAR) process in this case. Therefore, I also
ask you to disallow the SPAR process in CSU’s pursuit of residential and mixed-use commercial
development on that land. The project clearly does not meet Land Use Code Section 2.1.3 (E) (2)
applicability criteria: public buildings or structures.
CSU, a state educational institution, invoking SPAR to bypass City and citizen approvals in order to enable a
Florida developer to build a private, for-profit residential and mixed-use commercial development is tantamount
to using eminent domain to build a shopping mall. Not OK. Not ethical. Not collaborative. Not committed to the
full meaning of community and public good. Not respectful of the fact that our tax dollars, my tax dollars as a
resident and small businessperson, will be used to provide infrastructure and support services for this
development, should it proceed. I disagree with unelected officials having the power to financially obligate the
City of Fort Collins and its residents in this way.
While some may suggest we’re on an irreversible path and the University has no choice but to cash in on
Hughes Stadium land to pay the bills during trying times of COVID19, let’s not burn the piano to heat the
house. I believe the collective we of Fort Collins is more resourceful, innovative and sustainability minded than
that. We can find another way.
Please vote to adopt the Hughes Open Space ballot initiative today and disallow SPAR in this case.
Thank you and best regards,
Sarah Rossiter
Fort Collins resident, District 4
_______________________________________________________
CC: Planning Action to Transform Hughes Sustainably (PATHS)
Darin Atteberry - City Manager
Carrie Daggett - City Attorney
DeLynn Coldiron - City Clerk
Kelly DiMartino - Deputy City Manager
Sarah Kane - Executive Administrative Assistant
Amy Hahn - Co-president - Family Nature Summits
Colorado State University - Board of Governors
Colorado State University - Office of the President
Tony Frank - CSU Chancellor
State of Colorado - Office of the Governor
Krista Martinez - Community Partner, Colorado Trust
ADDENDUM
Health
Access to open spaces and nature is fundamentally necessary for human and community health. Witness the
surge in visits to parks, natural areas and open spaces in Fort Collins, Larimer County and across the country
during COVID19.
Our existing natural areas, trails, and parks are being “loved to death,” suffering from excessive use and
overcrowding driven by ongoing development in our area, combined with recreational tourism.
To maintain our outdoors-loving quality of life in Fort Collins and the ecosystem that supports us, I think we
need to stay ahead of development in our open-space expansion and preservation. In the Montava
development alone, we will have 4,000 new homes built north of Fort Collins. While it’s convenient to think the
4
green space included in that development will be sufficient for those who live there, in reality, those residents—
as many as 10,000 people—will also recreate in other open spaces in Fort Collins and throughout Larimer
County.
I see and appreciate that CSU, Lennar and the City of Fort Collins have all designed green, open or natural
spaces into the respective residential/commercial development plans. However, for land in this vital nature
corridor, I think it’s a first principles question. Rather than asking, “Shall we build a development in Way A or
Way B?” and “Where shall we put open space in this development?” it’s instead, “Shall we develop this
particular land at all?”
Social justice
This is about not only health but also social justice. Not everyone has a car to drive to the mountains or the
plains. Having open spaces readily accessible within walking, biking or easy busing distance—for residents
including students—demonstrates our commitment to keeping nature accessible to everyone who lives in Fort
Collins and the surrounding areas.
The idea that we must choose between having affordable housing and having open space in Fort Collins is a
false dichotomy. These are not opposites. And in this case, the suggestion that the CSU-Lennar development
will provide affordable housing is a false carrot.
In his letter to city manager Darin Atteberry, CSU chancellor Tony Frank wrote:
These [affordable housing] problems are especially acute for the approximately 1,600
CSU employees who, while they now make a living wage, are still at or below 80% of the
average mean income for our community — nearly one-third of our workforce.
Building more houses for the local pool at large is a dilute way to address this problem. CSU can also
subsidize living costs for ALL low-paid employees, no matter where they live, by giving them a raise, providing
living-cost stipends, or offering other benefits that offset living expenses.
Restorative justice
How have and will first-wave Native Americans be proactively and actively included in determining this plan,
the future of this land? For a land-grant institution to auction open-space land to a real estate developer at this
time in history… At worst, it’s another colonizing act. At best, it’s a missed opportunity for leadership in
catalytic, restorative action by involving the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute nations in stewardship of their
ancestral lands in the present day. Let’s make restorative justice part of our open-space, land-trust plan.
From:Sarah Rossiter
To:City Leaders
Cc:csus_board@mail.colostate.edu; pathsfoco@gmail.com; tony.frank@colostate.edu; Darin Atteberry; Carrie Daggett; Delynn Coldiron; Sarah Kane; presofc@colostate.edu;
Krista@coloradotrust.org; governorpolis@state.co.us
Subject:[EXTERNAL] City Council Meeting - Nov. 17, 2020 - Agenda item 13 - Hughes Stadium Open Space - Ballot Initiative - Rossiter feedback
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 11:57:58 AM
Attachments:image.png
To the City and City Council of Fort Collins
RE: November 17, 2020 Council Meeting - Agenda item 13 - CITIZEN-INITIATED PETITION RELATING TO
THE HUGHES STADIUM PROPERTY
Please make this email in its entirety part of the public record regarding the Hughes Open Space.
Dear City Leaders:
Thank you for all the time and attention you have poured into the process of reviewing proposals for the open space land that
once hosted Hughes Stadium. I greatly value your consideration and deliberations on our behalf.
When I first heard Colorado State University (CSU) had contracted to sell Hughes Stadium land to a Florida developer of
residential and commercial properties, my heart sank, my throat constricted, my shoulders tensed and my CQ (cynicism quotient)
shot up by 100 points. I felt deeply angry, but beneath that was an even deeper sadness. I share this not to be discouraging; I
share it so you can know how viscerally and significantly the matter of open space and connection to nature affects people here.
I’m one among many in this regard.
The beauty, spirit and high-plains character of this place, this land around Fort Collins, calls me: I created the sculpture below and
named it Colorado years before arriving here.
So you can imagine my absolute wonder upon seeing the spectacular geology and landscape from north of Laporte and Bellvue
to Reservoir Ridge, above along Horsetooth Reservoir or below through the Hughes Stadium open space, and beyond to the Blue
Sky Trail and Devil’s Backbone.
That corridor is the heart of this place. The hearts, minds, bodies and spirits of the people who live here need it.
We need it to inspire us.
We need it to awe us.
We need it to soothe us.
We need it to teach us.
We need it to connect us with nature, each other and our truest selves.
We need it to remind us of what’s important, precious and worth protecting in this world.
Please don’t mistake what’s at stake for a simple (or not so simple) money-making opportunity.
Please take a vital step in preserving the entirety of Hughes open space land—today—by voting to adopt the ballot
initiative to rezone it as Public Open Space within 30 days. The 8,300-signatures submitted far surpassed the 3,280 minimum
required to secure the initiative’s place on the April 2021 ballot: a clear signal local voters support this action now and will do so
then.
While I understand the CSU system and Board of Governors have plenary jurisdiction over the Hughes land, I fundamentally
question the use of a Site Plan Advisory Review (SPAR) process in this case. Therefore, I also ask you to disallow the SPAR
process in CSU’s pursuit of residential and mixed-use commercial development on that land. The project clearly does not
meet Land Use Code Section 2.1.3 (E) (2) applicability criteria: public buildings or structures.
CSU, a state educational institution, invoking SPAR to bypass City and citizen approvals in order to enable a Florida developer to
build a private, for-profit residential and mixed-use commercial development is tantamount to using eminent domain to build a
shopping mall. Not OK. Not ethical. Not collaborative. Not committed to the full meaning of community and public good. Not
respectful of the fact that our tax dollars, my tax dollars as a resident and small businessperson, will be used to provide
infrastructure and support services for this development, should it proceed. I disagree with unelected officials having the power to
financially obligate the City of Fort Collins and its residents in this way.
While some may suggest we’re on an irreversible path and the University has no choice but to cash in on Hughes Stadium land to
pay the bills during trying times of COVID19, let’s not burn the piano to heat the house. I believe the collective we of Fort Collins is
more resourceful, innovative and sustainability minded than that. We can find another way.
Please vote to adopt the Hughes Open Space ballot initiative today and disallow SPAR in this case.
Thank you and best regards,
Sarah Rossiter
Fort Collins resident, District 4
_______________________________________________________
CC: Planning Action to Transform Hughes Sustainably (PATHS)
Darin Atteberry - City Manager
Carrie Daggett - City Attorney
DeLynn Coldiron - City Clerk
Kelly DiMartino - Deputy City Manager
Sarah Kane - Executive Administrative Assistant
Amy Hahn - Co-president - Family Nature Summits
Colorado State University - Board of Governors
Colorado State University - Office of the President
Tony Frank - CSU Chancellor
State of Colorado - Office of the Governor
Krista Martinez - Community Partner, Colorado Trust
ADDENDUM
Health
Access to open spaces and nature is fundamentally necessary for human and community health. Witness the surge in visits to
parks, natural areas and open spaces in Fort Collins, Larimer County and across the country during COVID19.
Our existing natural areas, trails, and parks are being “loved to death,” suffering from excessive use and overcrowding driven by
ongoing development in our area, combined with recreational tourism.
To maintain our outdoors-loving quality of life in Fort Collins and the ecosystem that supports us, I think we need to stay ahead of
development in our open-space expansion and preservation. In the Montava development alone, we will have 4,000 new homes
built north of Fort Collins. While it’s convenient to think the green space included in that development will be sufficient for those
who live there, in reality, those residents—as many as 10,000 people—will also recreate in other open spaces in Fort Collins and
throughout Larimer County.
I see and appreciate that CSU, Lennar and the City of Fort Collins have all designed green, open or natural spaces into the
respective residential/commercial development plans. However, for land in this vital nature corridor, I think it’s a first principles
question. Rather than asking, “Shall we build a development in Way A or Way B?” and “Where shall we put open space in this
development?” it’s instead, “Shall we develop this particular land at all?”
Social justice
This is about not only health but also social justice. Not everyone has a car to drive to the mountains or the plains. Having open
spaces readily accessible within walking, biking or easy busing distance—for residents including students—demonstrates our
commitment to keeping nature accessible to everyone who lives in Fort Collins and the surrounding areas.
The idea that we must choose between having affordable housing and having open space in Fort Collins is a false dichotomy.
These are not opposites. And in this case, the suggestion that the CSU-Lennar development will provide affordable housing is a
false carrot.
In his letter to city manager Darin Atteberry, CSU chancellor Tony Frank wrote:
These [affordable housing] problems are especially acute for the approximately 1,600 CSU employees who,
while they now make a living wage, are still at or below 80% of the average mean income for our community
— nearly one-third of our workforce.
Building more houses for the local pool at large is a dilute way to address this problem. CSU can also subsidize living costs for
ALL low-paid employees, no matter where they live, by giving them a raise, providing living-cost stipends, or offering other
benefits that offset living expenses.
Restorative justice
How have and will first-wave Native Americans be proactively and actively included in determining this plan, the future of this
land? For a land-grant institution to auction open-space land to a real estate developer at this time in history… At worst, it’s
another colonizing act. At best, it’s a missed opportunity for leadership in catalytic, restorative action by involving the Cheyenne,
Arapaho and Ute nations in stewardship of their ancestral lands in the present day. Let’s make restorative justice part of our open-
space, land-trust plan.
From:Sarah Grace Schooley
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 6:12:24 AM
Dear Fort Collins City Council,
I support the citizen initiative to (1) zone Hughes as Public Open Land and (2) pay CSU a fair market value
using any public and/or private funding sources but utilizing in particular the dedicated quarter cent sales
tax -- Open Space Yes! -- for acquiring Hughes as an addition to our City's open space.
Thank you for protecting land that make our community special.
Sarah Schooley
773-704-4408
From:scott musser
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Nov 17th VOTE TO ZONE HUGHES LAND AS OPEN SPACE NOW! PLEASE REPRESENT YOUR
COMMUNITY!
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 7:46:54 PM
Please listen to the community you represent and vote to zone Hughes land as open space now! As you
know that is what the citizens of Fort Collins want and need. You have been elected by the people!!!!!
Thank you,
~~~Scott and family
From:Simon Lee
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Stadium Zoning
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 7:12:57 AM
Please vote to adopt the Hughes Stadium zoning measure on Nov 17th.
A concerned citizen.
Thanks,
Simon Lee,
Bellvue, CO
From:Sue Milcan
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space/Public Lands
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 8:38:04 AM
Hello,
I am writing to you, my representatives, to please vote tonight to zone Hughes as
open space/public lands. This area is the gateway to the Foothills for Ft. Collins and
deserves special consideration. The western access and view are what I believe
make our city unique and beautiful. There are so many reasons to make this zoning
dedication: our wildlife, our recreation, our environmental stewardship, and also the
demonstrated wish of the people through many years now of public meetings and
public comments, culminating in the citizens petition. There are many building sites
for affordable housing within our city, especially development of brownfields along
existing transit corridors. There is no need to develop this precious land. Decades
ago, we had brave council members and city leaders who fought for open space
within our city boundaries and helped create the open space and trail systems we
enjoy today. Tonight is your chance to add to this legacy. Please vote to designate
Hughes open space/public lands for today and future generations.
Thank you,
Sue Milcan
From:Susan Dominica
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] [WARNING: SUSPECTED SPAM] Hughes Open Space
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 1:09:22 PM
Dear City Council:
Please listen to the citizens of Fort Collins regarding the use of the former Hughes Stadium
property. This needs to be kept as open space to preserve the natural beauty of our foothills.
The land must be preserved for the community, wildlife habitat and for future generations.
The citizens were not listened to regarding preserving the former stadium - Hughes Stadium
was in a unique and beautiful setting. Instead, CSU built an enormous stadium in one of the
busiest parts of town. Please listen to the citizens of Fort Collins now regarding the use of this
property. We do not have the infrastructure to handle more traffic on Overland, Drake &
Prospect Roads.
Thank you.
Susan
Susan Dominica
From:Tallon Nightwalker
To:City Leaders
Cc:Kate Boyd
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Wildlife Rehabilitation should be at Hughes Stadium
Date:Sunday, November 15, 2020 4:06:46 PM
City Council,
It has been so great to work with you throughout this zoning decision process, and I am so
happy that we were able to hear from the citizens of Fort Collins through our petition.
This has clearly shown that the citizens of Fort Collins want the Hughes Stadium site to be
zoned for open space and wildlife rehabilitation. With only 5 acres being needed for an
expanded wildlife rehabilitation center, this is very reasonable.
With these 5 acres we could bring bird and mammal rehabilitation back to our Northern
Colorado communities. With this facility will come jobs, volunteerism, and internship
opportunities for all people including youth, elderly, disabled, and students. The Hughes
Stadium site is perfect because it allows us to do all of this while having public transportation
access, being centrally located for people who find animals in need, and in close proximity to
our community partners including Colorado State University, CSU's Vet Hospital, Front
Range Community College, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and many of the Poudre School
District schools.
Having a place our community members can come save thousands of wildlife patients a year,
the same wildlife they see in their backyards every day, is an incredibly unique aspect of a
community, and the Fort Collins residents have clearly stated through the petition that this is
what they want for the Hughes Stadium land.
Please enter my comments in public record.
Thank you!
Tallon Nightwalker
President of Northern Colorado Wildlife Center
Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator
From:Ted Manahan
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space Zoning Initiative
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 3:25:53 PM
Hello City Leaders,
I am writing to encourage you to enact the Hughes Open Space zoning initiative that
will be on the agenda tomorrow. This land is adjacent to existing open spaces, and is
a rare piece of undeveloped flat land adjacent to the foothills. We really don't want
another subdivision spoiling our access to and views of the foothills. Plus the disk golfcourse on the property is a real asset to the community!
Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Ted Manahan
919 Fossil Creek Parkway
Fort Collins, CO 80525
From:Tessa P
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Open Space
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 11:59:37 AM
Hello all,
I am writing to voice support for the citizens initiative that is hoping to turn the land where
Hughes Stadium was into an open space with 5 acres dedicated to a wildlife rehabilitation
center. Northern Colorado has been without a wildlife rehabilitation center for quite a few
years now, and the services that this center would provide would help many different wildlife
species in the area. I know that many residents of Fort Collins appreciate and enjoy our native
wildlife, and being able to help them locally would benefit everyone involved.
Additionally, keeping this land natural as an open space would provide many opportunities for
recreation and allow the area around Horsetooth to remain beautiful and accessible for
everyone.
Thank you for your time,
Tessa Parrish
Tessa Parrish
B.S. in Zoology
Colorado State University
From:Thomas Schipper
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] The petition on the former Hughes property
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 1:19:07 PM
First of excuse me for not addressing each of you separately being an IT worker supporting many
work at home individuals I’ve been very swamped at work lately. Please consider adopting the
citizens’ initiative to conserve Hughes as open space when you review the petition tonight.
I understand Gayla Maxwell Martinez sent a very well written open letter to the board that has
received circulation in other circles. I echo many of the same feeling she expressed in her letter.
Mary Ann Chambers letter published in the Coloradoan also does a good job of expressing how I feel
about this matter.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and taking my views on the importance of keeping at least
the majority the former Hughes site open space.
Thomas Schipper
3025 W. Stuart St., Apt. D
Fort Collins, CO 80526
From:THOMAS L SMITH
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] vot YES to adopt the Hughes ordinance
Date:Tuesday, November 17, 2020 2:54:24 PM
From:Tina Vernon
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] PLEASE SAVE OUR HUGHES OPEN SPACE!
Date:Friday, November 13, 2020 10:26:16 AM
I am writing to let you know that I feel that if we lose our open space where Hughes Stadium
is, it will be very SAD! We love that area, we have walked our dog up there many times, we
love to go sledding there, it is the best place around and we have even played frisbee golf. As
a resident who lives near this area it is especially a concern to me that tons of apartments and
housing could be put in there and that space would be lost forever. It would also cause much
more congestion on this side of town that we don't need. Fort Collins is special and we have
voted to give $ for open spaces, lets use it to save this special area!
Many people in Fort Collins agree with me, probably most. PLEASE HELP US SAVE THIS
AREA FOR THE PUBLIC TO USE AS OPEN SPACE!
Thanks for helping us!
--
Tina Vernon NCTM
Here is a link to some photos of special times in the open space. We have had lots more
great snow fun in area, please help us save it!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/XkB28KBgm8hVd8Xd8
From:Tricia MEDLOCK
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Hughes Site
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 7:42:15 PM
Have you driven by the people bomb being created at the corner of Drake and Overland? If not please do so. Is this
the future of Ft. Collins?
Have you tried to park at Bobcat Ridge, or Devil’s Backbone, or Coyote Ridge? These areas are so busy, but the
city would ignore pleas for more open space?
Have you watched the kids on the sledding hill? Have you seen the cyclists , runners and walkers on the trail
parallel to the property?
Please, Fort Collins needs this land as open space.
Sincerely,
Tricia Medlock
From my iPad
From:Wendy Bonifazi
To:City Leaders
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Voter Request: Please support Hughes Open Space citizen initiative to protect us from fire, bee
failure and mosquitos
Date:Monday, November 16, 2020 6:37:09 PM
I am writing to urge your support of the Hughes Open Space citizen initiative in
order to preserve our safety and a quality of life and health that goes far beyond
recreational use and a visual appeal that attracts businesses to our community and
provides a sense of community identity.
In light of the current dangers of forest fires, I would consider it foolhardy to
build a concentration of homes that would be at direct risk from spot fires, and also
to create a direct path from the mountains to the larger Fort Collins community. As
a former first responder from the Larimer County Medical Reserve Corps and Red
Cross, I have served at multiple forest fire sites and provided one-to-one fire
mitigation education to hundreds of homeowners AFTER their neighborhoods were
burned. I know individuals in Glen Haven and other nearby communities who
recently lost their homes as a result of spot fires, Building homes--specifically low-
income homes that are typically close together and do no not have the resources to
pay for fire mitigation measures--could literally as well as figuratively add fuel to
the fires that are now destroying nearby areas of Colorado.
Further, our ecosystem depends on green space to sustain increasingly fragile bee
populations that are essential to agriculture and the bird populations that are our
primary defense against mosquito-borne diseases. Those reasons alone should be
sufficient to prevent commercial development of this piece of land. It would be
short-sighted to develop this land when there are other open usable spaces that are
not adjacent to the foothills and do not have this significance.
So often when I visit other communities, I consider how short-sighted they
were to develop otherwise appealing natural resources, taking them away from the
enjoyment of the entire community in order to serve a few, and make money for an
even smaller number.
Please do the right thing for our entire community for citizens today and
generations to come. Affordable housing can go elsewhere in our community
without threatening the health and safety of Fort Collins residents. Please leave a
legacy of preservation and safety.
-- District 2 VOTER!
Wendy L. Bonifazi, RN, CLS, APR
1625 Centennial RD
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Letter to City Council
Citizens Initiative to Zone the Hughes Parcel as Public Open Lands
November 17, 2020
Dear City Council Members,
The members and volunteers of Planning Action to Transform Hughes Sustainably (PATHS) are writing to you
today to request that you move to adopt our Citizen-Initiated Ordinance to zone the Hughes stadium parcel
Public Open Lands (P-O-L) at tonight’s City Council meeting.
By now it should be clear to you how deeply Fort Collins’ residents care about protecting and preserving
Hughes for our community, for future generations, and for our local wildlife that are faced with shrinking
habitat in our city. We strongly believe that no other parcel of land in Fort Collins has as much conservation
value as the Hughes parcel. Hughes’ legacy and history before CSU controlled the land is as native tribal land,
and more recently the Maxwell family property and farmland, and it deserves to be protected for posterity.
Furthermore, Hughes is situated between two of our most popular and most visited Natural Areas in the Fort
Collins Natural Areas system: Pineridge and Maxwell Natural Areas. On any given day, the parking lots, trail
heads, and trails of these two designated Natural Areas are crowded and packed with recreators. We are
loving our natural areas to death. We should be doing all we can to EXPAND and EXTEND and CONNECT our
open spaces. It is extremely rare that a parcel like Hughes becomes available to do just that, EXTEND, EXPAND,
and CONNECT currently-existing Natural Areas and open space. We cannot think of a better use of our
voter-approved open space sales tax revenue, and our fellow Fort Collins residents have said as much over and
over again. We will lose this once in a lifetime opportunity forever if YOU do not take courageous action
tonight to zone Hughes open space within 30 days by adopting the citizen-initiated zoning ordinance that will
zone Hughes Public Open Lands.
The task of undertaking and organizing a citizens initiative is not easy at any given time, or by any stretch of
the imagination. It’s a full time operation. But one thing is for certain: you should never doubt the dedication
that exists when it comes to protecting this special and unique parcel. PATHS members and volunteers
persevered through a COVID-19 pandemic, unpredictable weather, and exposure to the ever-present
hazardous smoke and ash pouring from the largest wildfires in Colorado’s history. The keys to our success
were the tidal wave of support we experienced from our fellow Fort Collins residents, so many of whom
indisputably want to see this land conserved, and the indefatigable energy from our amazing and powerful
army of volunteers. Our volunteers worked tirelessly to collect THOUSANDS of signatures from Fort Collins
voters, and voters went out of their way to find us at our locations which were announced daily on social
media and our website.
Despite the elements and challenges we faced, we collected well over 8,300 sufficient signatures; That’s more
than 25% of the total number of voters in the last Fort Collins city election (32,800), when we only needed
10%! We turned in more than enough signatures to reach the magic number of 3,280 VALIDATED voter
signatures to get the Hughes open space ballot measure on the April 2021 ballot. No more can Hughes open
space advocates be dismissed as “Paper Tigers” or be made to feel diminutive by being called “just a vocal
minority”. If this citizens’ petition shows you anything, it’s that Fort Collins voters value open space, they
want Hughes to be conserved as such, and they want YOU to step up NOW and represent them.
There is another more time-sensitive and alarming reason you need to vote YES today to adopt our Hughes
open space ordinance. Almost immediately after our petition was certified by the City Clerk, we learned that
CSU applied for a Conceptual Review hearing which will take place Thursday morning 11/19/2020, at 10:15
am. CSU intends to abuse the Site Plan Advisory Review (SPAR) process to sell the property to Lennar Homes,
an out of state builder with a questionable reputation, to build private structures which do not fall under the
appropriate uses of SPAR. CSU leaders are clearly doing this to circumvent the community’s clear wishes
about the future of Hughes, despite announcing how proud they are to be “Good Neighbors” and patting
themselves on the back for their “Citizen Engagement”. Even more dangerous, the SPAR process entirely
usurps and circumvents the authority of the only two entities that are allowed to zone property in Fort Collins:
the City Council AND the citizens of Fort Collins by citizens initiative. It is unclear why our own City would
adopt code into the land use code that removes the City Council and the citizens of Fort Collins from
self-determination and participation in important land use decisions, but alas, in 2014 major changes were
made to SPAR that have allowed developments like the on-campus stadium and many other unpopular
planning decisions to be rubber stamped, rendering City Council and the Fort Collins electors powerless in
SPAR’s land use decisions. While we feel SPAR is an unnecessary and ill-conceived section in our land use code,
at least we can point to the examples where it’s application by CSU is appropriate under the code as written.
Here are just a few of the problems with SPAR as CSU intends to apply it for the Hughes parcel:
●SPAR is intended for public entities and improvements to public structures or parcels that are to be
owned and operated by a public entity. CSU has entered into a purchase agreement with Lennar
Homes, a private developer who will profit off the sale of private homes on this parcel, if CSU gets its
development approval via SPAR. This is NOT an applicable use of the SPAR process.
●Proposed developments that are reviewed under SPAR must align with current zoning of the property
in question. Hughes is NOT zoned for any type of development, or for anything else for that matter. By
having their proposal reviewed under SPAR, CSU is violating one of the fundamental requirements of
permitted uses for this property.
●SPAR usurps the authority of the City Council, an elected body of representatives, and transfers the
power of final approval/disapproval for land use decisions to an unelected body, the Planning and
Zoning Board (P&Z Board). Furthermore, SPAR intentionally accelerates the review process and
eliminates the right of appeal.
●Even if the proposal in question is rejected by the P&Z Board, the governing body of the public entity
(the CSU BOG in this case) can entirely overrule the P&Z Board’s development review decision by a
two-thirds vote. To be clear, this means an external, unelected, non-municipal body can assume full
authority for land use decisions in our own City, entirely circumventing our Council, P&Z Board, and
developmental review procedures. Council members, this sets such a dangerous precedent, we don’t
even know where to begin.
●Whereas most developmental review processes of the size proposed by CSU for the Hughes parcel
generally take on the order of 6 months to complete, SPAR shrinks that timeline to only 60 days.
●The right to an appeal is an essential democratic right afforded to the citizens in all matters related to
land use and other quasi-judicial decisions. However, SPAR strips away that right from the citizens of
Fort Collins and OUR governing body (the City Council). This is unacceptable.
●Fort Collins is a home-rule municipality under which Fort Collins citizens are granted the right to decide
how our local government is organized and how land use is decided and implemented. Where
home-rule municipal law generally increases control of the local government for land use decisions,
SPAR does quite the opposite. Fundamentally, It is a loophole that turns over full authority to an
external entity that, under normal circumstances, would have to proceed under the local regulations
and developmental review processes, and answer to the local government and citizens of the
municipality. Again, SPAR strips these rights from us. We can’t allow this to happen.
SPAR must be amended so it does not undermine the authority of our City Council and Fort Collins citizens,
sooner rather than later. But, tonight, you can ensure that SPAR does not render us powerless by adopting
our citizens-initiated ordinance to zone Hughes public open lands. This Ordinance is a lifeline, if you will, and
it needs to be adopted before the 60-day SPAR process for the Hughes parcel commences on this Thursday,
November 19th, 2020.
In conclusion, we implore you to vote to adopt the Citizens’ Ordinance to zone Hughes as public open lands.
Let us begin the process of earnest acquisition negotiations with CSU so that we can begin to heal and move
forward from this, at times, tumultuous process. CSU would go a long way in mending and reversing so much
of the contempt and animosity it has shown toward the people of Fort Collins around Hughes, as well as the
Canvas Stadium development, a wound which is still raw and oozing with bitterness and resentment.
And, one last thing about negotiations. If CSU values that parcel at $14 million dollars ($4 million of that due to
CSU leadership’s extremely poor decision to pay for up front demolition costs), we want you to know that we
are willing to pay that $14 million with a combination of partnerships, certificates of participation, GoCo
grants, or even a temporary and small sales tax referred to voters as a last resort. The voters have said this
time and time again. Whatever it takes. There is no way we can let this opportunity slip away. And PATHS
members and volunteers will continue to fight with every last bit of recourse and strength we can muster to
ensure that we conserve Hughes as public open lands for our community now, for future generations, and as
unobstructed habitat for our local wildlife.
Thank you for listening and representing us, your constituents, in tonight’s deliberations.
Sincerely,
PATHS Members and Volunteers
November 16, 2020
Mr. Darin Atteberry, City Manager
City of Fort Collins
300 Laporte Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80521
Re: Hughes Stadium Property Initiative Petition
Darin:
I am writing about the above-referenced petition (the “Petition”), which is being discussed at
tomorrow’s City Council meeting. I understand the City Clerk has determined that the Petition
contains a sufficient number of signatures to place an initiated measure before the registered
electors of the City of Fort Collins at the regular election on April 6, 2021. Also, upon certification
and as required by the City Charter, the City Council must either adopt the proposed ordinance
within thirty (30) days, or submit the proposed measure to the registered electors of the
City. Given the upcoming City Council meeting about the Petition, I am providing you with some
information about CSU’s position on behalf of the citizens of the State of Colorado.
As you know, the Petition includes two primary components. First, the Petition mandates that
“the City shall acquire the Hughes Stadium property … at its fair market value for the purpose of
using it for parks, recreation and open lands, natural areas, and wildlife rescue and education.” In
addition, the Petition provides that “the City shall rezone the Hughes Stadium property as Public
Open Lands (P-O-L) zoning district” pursuant to the City’s Land Use Code. The CSU System
respects the efforts by those citizens who have championed and signed the Petition , and we
understand their desire to turn the Hughes Stadium property into City-owned open
space. However, for the reasons stated in the resolution of the Board of Governors of the
Colorado State University System on October 9, 2020 (the “Resolution”), the Board of Governors
has set forth its public purposes, goals, uses, and plan for the Hughes Stadium property , which
includes satisfying the Board’s fiduciary duty to gen erate a financial return from the property to
support CSU’s operations and its employees, faculty, and students. The Resolution also describes
the Board’s superior authority over its Hughes Stadium property as an entity of the State of
Colorado. Under Colorado law and the City’s Land Use Code, the Board has plenary authority
over its property. Accordingly, if the Petition is adopted by City ordinance or as a ballot measure
and the City Council zones the Hughes Stadium property as Public Open Lands, any such action
would not be controlling on CSU given our state authority, and we would continue with our plans
for the property as set forth in the Resolution.
In addition, I wanted to highlight that the Board’s plans for the Hughes Stadium property, as
stated in the Resolution, align with the City Plan and Structure Map that were adopted in April
2019. In contrast, zoning the Hughes Stadium property as Public Open Lands would be contrary
to that City Plan and Structure Map. Further, it is worth noting that if the Petition were aimed at
a private land holder and sought to derail a planned development by zoning that property as
Public Open Lands and devaluing that property in order to generate leverage for the City to
acquire that parcel at a reduced fair market value, the City would be creating significant litigation
exposure. CSU is moving forward with the City’s Site Plan Advisory Review process in accordance
with the City’s Land Use Code and state law, and whether the Petition succeeds or fails under
either scenario contemplated by the City Charter, our efforts through the SPAR process would
not be impacted.
Please let me know if you have any questions or if you need any additional information .
Sincerely,
Dr. Tony Frank
Chancellor, Colorado State University System
Three requirements for SPAR to apply to a project:
• Ownership or operation by public entities
• Public building or structure
• Aligns with zoning
Why is CSU invoking the use of the SPAR?
To avoid oversight and local control of their development plans.
CSU seeks to expedite approval for their plan by using the SPAR provisions, limiting local review to just 60 days, while
also holding the power to overturn a vote of disapproval by the P&Z Board, while the City Council is left entirely
powerless and out of the process. Chancellor Tony Frank knows he has unanimous consent of the BOG to pursue this
development, so meeting the required 2/3 majority vote to overturn the local planning commission decision is a certainty.
Clearly, this is a maneuver to exclude citizen participation in this process, as well as keep an obvious groundswell of
public outrage from reaching the ballot in April 2021. This is what we would call “voter suppression” in other circles.
When proposed by a private developer such as Lennar, any project the size and complexity of the Hughes property
proposal would take more than 6 months to go through the City’s development review and approval process, and be
closely scrutinized for its alignment with our Land Use Codes. SPAR circumvents this.
If other CSU projects have used the SPAR process, why is it not applicable in this case?
The Land Use Code is unambiguous in stating that a Site Plan Advisory Review’s “purpose and effect” is meant for
“improvements to parcels owned or operated by public entities.” (LUC § 2.1.3. (E) (1)) Furthermore, its applicability
is similarly unambiguous: “A Site Plan Advisory Review shall be applied to any public building or structure.”
(LUC § 2.1.3. (E) (2) )
As an example, the SPAR for CSU’s proposed surface parking lot at 2400 Research Boulevard (SPA #150002) was
approved unanimously by the Planning and Zoning Board. Why? It fit the criteria for Site Plan Advisory Review. The
project created improvements to parcels owned or operated by public entities (Board of Governors of the Colorado State
University System) UandU involved a public building or structure. (LUC §5.1.2 Definitions: Structure shall mean a
combination of materials to form a construction for use, occupancy or ornamentation whether installed on, above or below
the surface of land or water.)
The very important thing is that SPA #150002 aligned with permitted uses for the zone district in which it is located. In
this case, District E has parking lots and parking garages, as principal uses, under permitted commercial/retail use. (§
4.27 (B) (2) (c) (5) ). The criteria:
Ownership or operation by public entities
Public structure
Aligns with zoning
Let’s apply the same criteria to the property CSU owns and wants to develop under SPAR, the former Hughes Stadium
site:
● Ownership or operation by public entities – Unclear –
At the time the development occurs, this property will be owned by Lennar Homes. The contract between CSU
and Lennar makes this a reasonable assumption. If CSU achieves its goal of getting its development proposal
through the SPAR process, even if it takes an overriding vote by the Board of Governors to do it, but
subsequently sells the property with “development rights” to a private for-profit developer, that amounts to
gaming the system and obvious abuse of the intent of this LUC provision.
● Public building or structure – Does NOT meet this criteria
The development being presented in the Conceptual Review meeting on Thursday, November 19, 2020 is
described as residential housing with zoning UE, LMN and MMN (mixed use neighborhood, commercial uses
included). Approximately 632 DU (dwelling units) and 34,000 sf commercial. Unlike the Research Boulevard
parking lot in SPA #150002 or the Avenir Museum on Lake Street SPA #130003, there are no public structures
included in the CSU development proposal for the Hughes property.
● Aligns with zoning – Does NOT meet this criteria
Unlike the Avenir Museum (SPA#130003), a community facility with a permitted use in the NCL zone district
where it’s located, none of the uses identified in CSU’s conceptual design review application for the Hughes
property are permitted. The property is located in the T or Transition zone district. The only permitted uses are
clearly described in the code as “such legal use as existed on the date the property was placed into this zone
district.” (§ 4.12 (B) (1) )
There were no residential housing units that existed on the property on the date the property was placed into this
zone district. CSU cannot legally rezone its property using Site Plan Advisory Review. Zoning and rezoning is a
right reserved for the City Council and the electors of the City of Fort Collins (by citizens’ initiative).
How does CSU’s assertion of its “right” to pursue SPAR undermine Fort Collins’ Home Rule authority to manage
Land Use, Development and Zoning?
(1) A project the size and complexity of the one proposed for the Hughes property would take more than 6 months
to go through the City’s development review and approval processes. None of that would apply under this SPAR.
This project is land development for profit, not for a public use and should not be allowed to proceed under SPAR.
(2) This project would significantly alter a large and prominently located piece of our City.
All recent efforts of Fort Collins citizens and City Council will be negated if CSU is allowed to circumvent codified
municipal processes, the reason for which is a public process that is accountable to citizens and under the direction of
elected representatives.
(3) The purpose and effect of Site Plan Advisory Review is described in LUC § 2.1.3. (E) (1) : The Site Plan
Advisory Review process requires the submittal and approval of a site development plan that describes the location,
character and extent of improvements to parcels owned or operated by public entities. Location, character and extent are
the limited number of criteria to be evaluated, not conformity with our Land Use Code.
(4) The project as presented in the application for conceptual review requires rezoning from the T district in
which it is located. SPAR is not intended for rezoning. That is a right reserved for the City Council and electors of the
City of Fort Collins. CSU is moving ahead with an approval process that is in major conflict with the laws of the City of
Fort Collins.
(5) Council is stripped of its authority, rendering the Council and citizens of Fort Collins powerless in a major land
use decision if CSU is allowed to proceed. Council and citizens have sought a resolution with CSU but have been
ignored and rebuffed. CSU is making assertions about its authority that cannot go unchallenged, lest a dangerous
precedent be set.
Nov. 14, 2020
To City Council Members and the CSU Board of Governors:
I write to you as a 30‐year resident of Fort Collins and a fourth generation Coloradoan to urge you to
honor the overwhelming voices of Fort Collins citizens (as demonstrated by a hugely popular and
successful petition) to save the Hughes stadium land as public land/open space.
As one of many volunteers who collected petition signatures, I found that more than 95% of the people
who spoke to me were overwhelmingly in favor of preserving the land for the public use and
overwhelmingly NOT in favor of developing that site. We were successful in gathering (in person) over
8,000 signatures in a short time while facing not only the challenges of COVID, but also elements like
hazardous air quality. I found that people living outside of the City, but within Larimer County, were
also very supportive of this petition. I often spoke with people visiting from other states who remarked
how lucky we were to live in this area that had so much open space and how they wished they had the
same in their cities. Yes, we are lucky to be in this beautiful geographic area, but it has been the
foresight and continuing support of the residents of Fort Collins and Larimer County (not luck) that has
preserved this land. The City of Fort Collins and the CSU Board of Governors must continue to use this
foresight to be progressive by preserving this gem that is a current wildlife corridor and a place in nature
enjoyed by so many. In our quickly growing city we must not stop saving our land (especially this most
valuable place) as the population and demand for open space increases.
Dr. Tony Frank wrote in a recent Greeley Tribune opinion piece about CSU’s new initiative introduced as
“Your Voice, Your Vote, Your Rights.” In this piece he said, “But then, I think about the beauty of that
First Amendment to the constitution‐the amendment that ensured civil rights marchers of the 1960’s
had a voice under the law that state and local governments want to deny them.” I appeal to the CSU
Board of Governors (a public land grant university) to follow Frank’s words and not deny us our right to
a voice and a vote regarding the fate of this land. It would be a win‐win for both the City of Fort Collins
and CSU if the City purchased the land. The City of Fort Collins currently has more than $8 million from
open space tax set aside to apply to the purchase this property (before partnering with other agencies)
to provide CSU with a fair market deal for the land. At this time, CSU has not only chosen not to have a
serious dialogue with the City Council and the citizens of Fort Collins, but rather to hurriedly plow
(excuse the pun) ahead with a large development citing SPAR to try to circumvent the normal review
process. Examining our Land Use Code and the Colorado Revised Statutes, the SPAR process is not
applicable when the proposal through Lennar is for mixed use commercial development, not a public
building. If Council members decline to adopt the citizens ordinance, they must be prepared to share
with voters how they plan to assert the City’s right to enact zoning for this property and how a private,
for profit development (Lennar) will be reviewed consistent with similar development proposals.
City council members, it is time to decide whether to listen to your constituents and have your legacy be
the preservation of precious land where generations can continue to go to get away from the stresses of
life and enjoy nature, or the development of at least 650 concrete and brick homes on land we will
never get back. As often said, it may not be the easy thing to do, but honoring the voice of its citizens
and community is the right thing for both the council and CSU to do. This means adopting the citizens
initiative to conserve Hughes as Open Space.
Lynn Stutheit
District 1 resident
Please include these comments in the public records associated with the Hughes
agenda for the Nov. 17 City Council meeting.
November 17, 2020
Re: Public comment re: City Council Agenda for November 17, 2020, Item 13. “Items Relating to a
Citizen-Initiated Petition Relating to the Hughes Stadium Property”
Dear City Council:
This public comment pertains to “Items Relating to a Citizen-Initiated Petition Relating to the Hughes Stadium
Property”, agenda Item 13, on the City Council agenda for Tuesday November 17, 2020. Fort Collins residents
and members of the PATHS organization respectfully request that Council members Wade Troxell and
Kristin Stephens recuse themselves from any voting, executive sessions, deliberations, and/or discussions
associated with agenda Item 13, “Items Relating to a Citizen-Initiated Petition Relating to the Hughes
Stadium Property”. Furthermore, we respectfully request that Wade Troxell and Kristin Stephens decline to
participate in any further discussions relating to matters which concern the disposition of this annexed property.
By participating in any voting, executive sessions, deliberations, and/or discussions associated with agenda Item
13, or any other item related to the former Hughes stadium property, Council members Troxell and Stephens will
be acting under an impermissible conflict of interest. Such actions constitute a breach of the public trust, of the
council members' fiduciary duty, and of the constitutional standards governing the conduct of elected officials.
Councilmembers are under a Colorado Constitution mandate that elected officials abstain from the appearance of
impropriety. Under the Constitution, covered individuals must “avoid conduct that is in violation of their public
trust or that creates a justifiable impression among members of the public that such trust is being violated.”
Colo. Const. Art. XXIX, sec 1(c) (emphasis added).
As the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission has observed, “[a]ppearances of impropriety are generally
referred to as ‘perception issues’ or ‘violating the smell test,” and such appearances “can weaken public
confidence in government and create a perception of dishonesty, even among government officials who are in
technical compliance with the law.” Colo. Indep. Ethics Comm’n Advisory Op. 16-05, at 4.
“In order to avoid the appearance of impropriety, local government officials should avoid voting on or debating
questions in a manner that may lead the public to perceive that the local government official is . . . placing his or
her own private business interests in a position of competitive advantage . . . .” Id.
“The holding of public office . . . is a public trust.” Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-18-103(1) Therefore, elected officials
are under a mandate to carry out their duties “for the benefit of the people of the state.” Id. § 24-18-103(1) A
breach of the public trust constitutes a breach of the official’s fiduciary duty. See id.; Gessler v. Smith, 419 P.3d
964, 972 (Colo. 2018)
Any participation in voting, executive sessions, deliberations, and/or discussions on agenda Item 13, “Items
Relating to a Citizen-Initiated Petition Relating to the Hughes Stadium Property” further erodes the public trust in
a process which has lacked transparency and is tainted by the conflict of interest which pervades the past and any
future involvement by councilmembers Troxell and Stephens.
Respectfully submitted,
Fort Collins residents
PATHS members
November 16, 2020
To: Members of the Fort Collins City Council , CSU Board of Govenors, City of Fort Collins
From: Tamra Meurer, 80525
Fort Collins City Council Members,
On November 17th, I am asking that you vote to adopt the Citizen-Initiated Petition Relating to
the Hughes Stadium Property that has been ratified by the City and set to be on the April 2021
ballot. There is no reason to carry this process on longer and wait until April when you have the
ability to implement it now. Over 8000 signatures were attained in the petition presented to
the city! If there was uncertainty before, it is crystal clear now where the community stands on
this issue! Even the Maxwell family, who initially provided the land grant for Hughes, supports
return of the land to the community for open space use!
The issue of Hughes Stadium has been a long and frustrating journey. The absence of
transparency by all involved has probably been the most frustrating. I have tried to keep an
open mind; however, the more I research and the more I learn, I no longer believe that the city
has been acting in good faith to serve the community. Examples:
• The role of City staff to “consult” with CSU and Lennar has been a sham. One only had
to pay attention to how the planning process and testimonies have been presented at
the various meetings to understand that the city has more than consulted CSU on this
process.
• Mentions of numerous meetings between City planners and CSU /Mr. Frank have no
records in CORA requests!
• Conflict of interest hearings at local and state level of council members; not pursued
due to lack of jurisdiction- NOT due to lack of conflict!
• Recently, Mr. Atteberry was quick to offer city support to CSU once Mr. Frank rejected
the City’s low-ball offer. With the level of involvement between Cameron Gloss, Lennar,
Mr. Atteberry and Mr. Frank over the past few years, all knew what the the starting
point for negotiations needed to be, and yet, the offer was nowhere close!
I have listened twice of the recorded proposal Mr. Tony Frank made to the CSU Board of
Govenors. His presentation was eloquently delivered with half-truths and crucial missing
information! It was merely a PR campaign to get the Board to vote in his favor.
• Mr. Frank did NOT inform the Board of the citizen initiative even though it was approved
for circulation on Sept 4 and this meeting occurred on Oct 9.
• Mr. Frank stated that the City requested annexation of the land-- false and
misleading. Frank’s development plan depends on the infrastructure that the City
would provide once it is brought into the City's domain. –subsidized by our community!
• Mr. Frank stated that perhaps the case for development was not made clearly enough in
the first attempt and this second attempt points out the benefits of intensive
development on this site. The truth is that CSU and Lennar were shut down in their first
attempt by the weight of public opposition.
• Mr. Frank plans the use of the SPAR process to move forward (a process CSU has used
in the past as a loophole to drive their own development agenda and circumvent the
will of Fort Collins residents.) This sets a dangerous precedent, and CSU must not be
allowed to be a bully and a bad neighbor yet again ! It is a slap in the face to Fort Collins
community members!
If CSU refuses to engage with and accept a purchase offer at fair market value for this parcel of
land from the Fort Collins community, then the annexation of this property needs to be
rescinded! If CSU wants to do whatever they please, then let them proceed without financial
subsidies from Fort Collins taxpayers. We do not want to engage in taxation without
representation!
The referendum on the table offers CSU the price that Mr. Frank has valued the property to be
worth. CSU needs to negotiate with Fort Collins and as a good neighbor, to maintain good faith
within the community, reach an acceptable arrangement with the City of Fort Collins.
It is time for the City Council to support the wishes of the community and to vote in support of
the Citizen-Initiated Petition Relating to the Hughes Stadium Property . As our representative
decision makers, I ask that you show your support for citizen engagement, as we have clearly
asked the Council repeatedly on multiple occasions to save Hughes as Open Space and vote in
line with the overwhelming sentiment of your constituents and adopt this citizen’s initiative.
Sincerely,
Tamra Meurer - 80525
Mayor Troxell and Councilmembers:
I have written to and spoken before City Council on a number of occasions
asking for rezoning of the Hughes development to reflect the wishes of the vast
majority of Fort Collins residents.
As one of the 8,300+ residents who signed the citizen initiative you are
considering on November 17, I request that City Council zone Hughes as Public
Open Land and purchase this area at a fair market value from Colorado State
University. You may use 1/4-cent sales tax funding available through Open
Space Yes as well as other public and private revenue sources to acquire this
property for our City.
The citizen initiative shows that residents of Fort Collins do not want the
increased congestion, pollution, and sprawl that development by CSU and
Lennar will bring to the Hughes property and to west Fort Collins. They want
this area preserved as open space for future generations, and they are looking to
City Council to make that a reality by voting to adopt the citizen initiative for
Hughes Open Space.
I respectfully request that this email message be included in the information
presented to Council for this discussion on Tuesday, November 17, 2020.
Thank you.
Ted Walkup
3514 Pratolina Court
Fort Collins, CO