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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987-172-11/17/1987-LAND USE PLAN LARIMER COUNTY RESOLUTION 87-172 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS SETTING FORTH FINDINGS, COMMENTS AND CONCERNS ON THE PROPOSED LARIMER COUNTY LAND USE PLAN WHEREAS, the Fort Collins City Council has had the opportunity to review the goals, objectives, policies, and map of the proposed Larimer County Land Use Plan; and WHEREAS, the citizens of Fort Collins comprise approximately 45% of the population of Larimer County and are directly affected by Larimer County land use policies and philosophy; and WHEREAS, the effective provision of public facilities and services, the planned pattern of development expansion, and planning for areas adjacent to the City of Fort Collins is of concern to the citizens of the City; and WHEREAS, since 1980, the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County have cooperated in land use planning matters through the INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT FOR THE FORT COLLINS URBAN GROWTH AREA; and WHEREAS, several goals and policy statements in the proposed County Land Use Plan cause concern over the integrity and continuation of a viable UGA Agreement; and WHEREAS, urban densities and concentrations of land uses requiring urban levels of service should be permitted only in urban growth areas surrounding the municipalities of the county; and WHEREAS, the Council would like to see the UGA principles strengthened through the goals and policies of the proposed County Land Use Plan; and WHEREAS, on Tuesday November 10, 1987, the Council conducted a work session to discuss the elements of the proposed Larimer County Land Use Plan. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that in the spirit of continued cooperation in land use planning with Larimer County within the Fort Collins urban area, the Council forward the attached set of comments and concerns on the proposed Larimer County Land Use Plan to the Larimer County Planning Commission. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution and attached set of comments and concerns be sent to the Larimer County Board of Commissioners. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins held this 17th day of November, A 19 ATTEST: Lii\t\tyy CCllgerk STATEMENT ON THE PROPOSED LARIMER COUNTY LAND USE PLAN The City of Fort Collins has had the opportunity to review the proposed Larimer County Land Use Plan. In reviewing the Plan's overall goals, the City finds that it can support many basic goals and objectives of the Plan. The most important goals to the City are those dealing with the cost effective provision of public facilities and services, the planned pattern of development expansion , and planning for areas adjacent to municipalities. The City believes that the current UGA Agreements are the appropriate implementation devices to address these goals. While the City can support the overall goals of the Plan, it is some of the policies of the Plan that we are having difficulties understanding. In the our opinion, the policies are unclear. It is difficult to understand what the clear intent of the Plan is in terms of it's land use philosophy. Perhaps there is not a difference of philosophy between the City and County about land use policies, but the vagueness of the policies leads the City to voice several concerns. As viewed by the City, the plan should set the stage for actions which will prevent urban sprawl and the costly duplication of services; or additional pressure on the County government to become an urban service provider. The City feels urban development should be concentrated within the areas of municipal expansion where the cities of the county can adequately and economically provide the full range of urban services. We are willing to work with the County to help clarify the areas of concern. The City is interested in the Plan because the constituencies of the County and City governments overlap, City taxpayers pay County taxes and are, thus, directly affected by County land use philosophy and policies. The citizens of the City represent more than 45% of the total County population,and when combined with Loveland, the two cities represent 65% of the county's population. The vast majority of the county's residents thus live in an urban, and not a rural , environment. Since 1980, the County and the two cities have operated successful urban growth management programs through the adopted Intergovernmental Urban Growth Area Agreements. The City would like to see the effectiveness of the UGAs strengthened by the goals and policies of the proposed Plan. The cities should be responsible for providing for urban growth management and urban services while the County should focus on rural development and the provision of rural services. This is based on the sound economic logic of economies of scale and avoids duplication of planning efforts and service provisions between the two governments. The City interprets the Plan as setting forth policies which could allow the establishment of new areas of urban development outside of municipal expansion areas and the reliance on special districts to provide services to future residents. The City believes the UGA Agreements have been an excellent tool in managing urban development. They have reduced sprawl and the environmental and fiscal impacts of unfettered development. The City would not like to see the effectiveness of the UGA concept reduced by establishing a plan which would allow the consideration of new urban development areas. In addition to the above general statements the City has the following specific comments: 1 . Fort Collins/Loveland Corridor. The preservation of a separation between the cities of Fort Collins and Loveland has been a goal of the Comprehensive Plans of the County and the respective cities for some time. While the Plan describes the intent and allowable density of the area (low density residential ) , the City thinks additional work is needed for the corridor area, including the proposed employment center at its eastern edge, and suggests a joint planning effort similar to the effort devoted to the foothills area last year. This work would need to define specific land uses, open space, or development design policies providing guidance as to how the corridor is to be achieved. The City feels the Plan should incorporate more specific development design policies for the area which are equitable for all parties, both public and private, concerned with development of the area. 2. Rural Non-Farm Area North of the Fort Collins Municipal Expansion Area. The designation of the Rural Non-Farm area north of the City's Municipal Expansion Area may not be consistent with the basic premise that areas needed for municipal expansion should be protected from development which would to deter future urbanization. This particular area has a close proximity to the City's Central Business District that could make it attractive to urban development in the future. The City thinks additional planning work is necessary to investigate its urban potential and would like to work with the County to establish mutually beneficial public policy guidance for the area. The draft Larimer County Land Use Plan is vague in many details. It could be said that our concerns come from not what it says, but what it doesn't say. Therefore, we believe it is important to clarify language in the Land Use Plan on page 37, to ensure that the plan continues to maintain the major precepts of the UGA Agreements. Simply stated the cities are the urban service providers, the county the rural service provider. The following changes are proposed to clarify the interface of the UGA Agreement and the County's land use policies. LAND USE PLAN The basic premises of the Plan and land use map can be described succinctly: - Urban development will occur only in the cities, or in the municipal expansion areas adjacent of the cities where urban-level services can be provided by the city governments, thereby, reducing the demand for urban services from the County government. Areas needed for municipal expansion will be protected from development which would deter future urbanization and the economical provision of urban services. - The County will follow the traditional separation of governmental roles -- cities providing urban services and counties providing rural services -- in order to avoid duplication of effort. The County government will encourage cooperation among governmental entities and service providing agencies involved in urban growth management. - The County will work with other governmental entities and service providing agencies to promote and encourage job creation and desirable economic growth within the cities of the county or in their adjacent municipal expansion areas. Major employment centers may require locations at key sites along major transportation corridors within municipal expansion areas. - Demand will continue for non-urban residential development. Low-density residential uses should locate in areas not needed for urban expansion, where existing services are adequate, and where residential uses will not conflict with existing or potential agricultural uses. - Agriculture and other rural development will locate in areas not needed for urban expansion, where they can be protected from the encroachment of incompatible urban uses. - Foothills and mountain development will in-fill areas where existing services, appropriate to the use are located, or will locate in new planned communities where adequate service capability can be economically developed. - All future development must be planned to be harmonious with the natural environment. The intent of the Land Use Plan and map is to establish a rational basis for decision-making which will be useful to the many public and private parties responsible for building the future over the next 25 years. The City appreciates the opportunity to present the County with our thoughts and reactions to the proposed Plan. The City looks forward to working with the County in the resolution of these issues and the adoption of this Plan.