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Home My WebLink AboutT-MOBILE (CEDARWOOD PLAZA) WTF - FDP - 38-06A/C - CORRESPONDENCE - LANDSCAPE PLANAnne Aspen - RE: Cedarwood T-MobiIII e W' iss Tower attachment Page 1 From: "Wendy Clark" <wendy@allpropertyservices.com> To: "Anne Aspen" <AAspen@fcgov.com> Date: 1/23/2008 8:21:58 AM Subject: RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile Wireless Tower attachment Anne: I do NOT see more than 2 circles representing small trees behind our 71kat w,4p K+leuD't —"-x property in the drawing that you attached and sent to me. I believe I know '40 • , how to view a drawing, but let me know if I have misread it. Wendy —Original Message — From: Anne Aspen [mailto:AAspen@fcgov.com] Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 5:02 PM To: wendy@allpropertyservices.com; billvaneron@comcast.net; Jeff Valloric Cc: ccstryker2@aol.com; Sara Hansen Subject: RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile Wireless Tower attachment I hit send too quickly --here is the attachment I mentioned in my earlier email. Anne Anne Aspen City Planner Planning & Zoning Department Development Review Center City of Fort Collins, CO aaspen@fcgov.com (970)221-6206 Having trouble getting email to me? Go to hftp://fcgov.com/antispam/index.php?action--form • Anne Y�spen - RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile %A' 'ess Tower Page 3 Principal Headwaters Marketing 970-221-0751 http://www.hw2o.com ----Original Message --- From: Anne Aspen fmailto:AAspen(o)fcgov.coml Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 1:51 PM To: wendy(cDallpropertyservices.com; billvaneron(ilcomcast. net; Jeff Valloric Subject: Cedarwood T-Mobile Wireless Tower Hi, Bill, Jeff and Wendy, As you will recall, this project received conditional approval from the City's Administrative Hearing Officer. That condition reads as follows: "The Applicant shall provide on -site coniferous trees at least 10 feet in height to screen the adjacent properties from the visual impact of the tower. These trees must be irrigated and maintained by the applicant according to standard landscape requirements in Section 3.2.1 of the Land Use Code. Details of the tree plantings will.be agreed upon during the Final Plan stage of the review process after a visual impact study has been made by the Applicant and submitted for review. The study will show where trees are needed to block the view, how tall the trees need to be to block the view and what species will be most suitable. The study will incorporate feedback and ideas from the affected neighbors." I've attached the revised submittal that I received yesterday from Chris Stryker for the Cedarwood Wireless tower. I'd appreciate hearing back from you with whether the attached plans meet with your approval based on the conversations you had with Chris on site last week. He is showing 14 Austrian pines each 10 feet tall at planting. Thanks. Sincerely, Anne Aspen Anne Aspen City Planner Planning & Zoning Department Development Review Center City of Fort Collins, CO aaspen(cilfcgov.com (970)221-6206 Having trouble getting email to me? Go to http://fcqov.com/antispam/index.php?action--form No.virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.5/1228 - Release Date: 1/16/2008 9:01 AM • A spen -RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile N' iss Tower Page 2 City Planner Planning & Zoning Department Development Review Center City of Fort Collins, CO aaspen(a.fcgov.com (970)221-6206 Having trouble getting email to me? Go to http://fcgov.com/antispam/index.php?action=form >>> "bill van eron" <billvaneron(cDcomcast. net> 1/16/2008 3:31 PM >>> Hi Anne, Happy New Year. Thanks for doing your part and following through. Yes, we met with Chris and initially he had small 6 ft high trees in mind. The wording says "at least 10 feet in height' and I see these trees barely squeaking in at 10 feet. I know they sell oversized trees in several nurseries east of 1-25 and Fort Collins Nursery so that putting in some at least 10 feet tall and some about 15 feet would be my recommendation to accurately capture the spirit of the agreement a bit more generously and to stagger the tree size so they do not look too unnatural. The Austrian Pine appears to be a hardy tree. We discussed putting a cluster of trees over by the deepest part of the lot where Jeffs property faces but that looks to have disappeared. You can ask Jeff (his call) but it seemed to be far more appealing than a single line of trees as shown (at least just in that area). I support Wendy's frustration that city counsel and P&Z processes are too much driven by economic gain and legality than being true neighborhood stewards. Neighborhoods are in character, more of what defines Fort Collins though commerce certainly has to have its place too. I do not fault you personally for this Anne as in our talks you have been very open and receptive. I realize you hear it all and any city job has to have a certain level of diplomacy. You also know my comments are more based on the legal minefield and controlled environment as experienced in fighting (alone as a neighborhood) against two 4 story 60 foot buildings abutting a 15 foot ranch whereas code says it "shall not be a drastic scale adjustment'. Any objective person can see from the picture of the building against the ranch that it is a drastic and abrupt change but council and P&Z chose to overlook what should have been required evidence. Anyway, we all have work to do and no need to beat a dead horse though I know the latter issue will haunt Council. Let me know if Chris can comply with my request to stagger some taller trees in there. Also Anne where do I go again to get a site plan of my house on Garfield? Thanks much, Bill Van Eron Anne spen - RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile W' '3ss Tower Page 1 From: Jeff Valloric To: Anne Aspen Date: 1 /23/2008 8:27:12 AM Subject: RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile Wireless Tower Good Morning Anne! They say haste makes waste ... I was in a hurry when looking at this issue and your decision to vary species is well founded. I'm glad you spoke to Dana. The mix of trees will be good for visual screening and the ponderosa pines will leave some of the area near the ground more open and less inviting for vandals to hide behind. The plan you've attached leaves a space between the fence on the west ,an easement, and then a planting of trees. A good spot for graffiti artists to hide from the King Soopers eyeball cameras. I planted 4 foot Austrian pines at my shop when I rehabed it and those are about 30 foot tall in 8 years. This is an OK fix. Given that the tower is an allowed item, your efforts to help mitigate it's impact are appreciated! You have been attentive and responsive! Thanks! Jeff Jeff Valloric Manager of Facilities/Maintenance Fort Collins Housing Authority 970-416-2093 970-567-6303 Cell 970-416-2094 Fax >>> Anne Aspen 01/22/08 4:55 PM >>> Bill and Jeff, Thank you for reviewing the proposed mitigation landscape plan for the cell tower. I appreciate your comments and have a few responses. First, Bill, regarding variation for the trees, yes, you are correct that some nurseries carry larger trees than 10 feet. I checked with our Environmental Planner, Dana Leavitt, who is also a Landscape Architect, about whether this would be a good idea for this site. He is concerned that at this site, trees larger than 10 feet may not transplant well. His recommendation is to limit the height to 10 feet, but since we are up to 14 trees total now, that we might vary the species to avoid a monoculture. Different trees will grow at different rates and have different structures to provide better visual variety. He recommends that we intersperse Ponderosas with the Austrian pines. What do you think about this solution? Also, in creating the drawing attached for Wendy, I referred to a 1997 plan that was approved at the time that King Soopers did an addition. I made a rather startling discovery -that several trees were approved with that plan but never planted. We have the ability to require those trees now, even after 10 years have elapsed. Some of the trees approved at that time are located in the same places as the ones T-Mobile will plant but some of them are further north. I instructed the Zoning Department to send a zoning violation letter to the property owner requiring compliance with the approved plan. They will also be contacting me to coordinate their efforts with T-Mobile's plantings. I've attached a scanned image of the portion of that approved plan that they will need to comply with. Please let me know if you have any comments about that plan as well since I will be meeting with them in the near future. I know that this has been a long painful process for all parties involved, but I am hopeful that at least strategically placed landscaping will enhance these properties and screen the view. Sincerely, Anne Aspen Anne Aspen Anne Aspen -RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile V ' less Tower Page 6 Anne Aspen City Planner Planning & Zoning Department Development Review Center City of Fort Collins, CO aaspen(&fcgov.com (970)221-6206 Having trouble getting email to me? Go to http://fcqov.com/antispam/index.php?action--form No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.5/1228 - Release Date: 1/16/2008 9:01 AM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.5/1228 Release Date: 1/16/2008 9:01 AM No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.9/1237 - Release Date: 1/22/2008 11:04 AM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.9/1237 - Release Date: 1/22/2008 11:04 AM CC: ccstryker2@aol.com; patferrier@coloradoan.com; sarahansen@coloradoan.com Anne Aspen - RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile V' 'ess Tower Page 5 Thanks much, Bill Van Eron Principal Headwaters Marketing 970-221-0751 hftp://www.hw2o.com ---Original Message -- From: Anne Aspen rmailto:AAspen (a)fcgov.coml Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 1:51 PM To: wendy(a)allpropertyservices.com; billvaneron(cilcomcast.net; Jeff Valloric Subject: Cedarwood T-Mobile Wireless Tower Hi, Bill, Jeff and Wendy, As you will recall, this project received conditional approval from the Citys Administrative Hearing Officer. That condition reads as follows: 'The Applicant shall provide on -site coniferous trees at least 10 feet in height to screen the adjacent properties from the visual impact of the tower. These trees must be irrigated and maintained by the applicant according to standard landscape requirements in Section 3.2.1 of the Land Use Code. Details of the tree plantings will be agreed upon during the Final Plan stage of the review process after a visual impact study has been made by the Applicant and submitted for review. The study will show where trees are needed to block the view, how tall the trees need to be to block the view and what species will be most suitable. The study will incorporate feedback and ideas from the affected neighbors." I've attached the revised submittal that I received yesterday from Chris Stryker for the Cedarwood Wireless tower. I'd appreciate hearing back from you with whether the attached plans meet with your approval based on the conversations you had with Chris on site last week. He is showing 14 Austrian pines each 10 feet tall at planting. Thanks. Sincerely, Anne Aspen Anne Aspen - RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile N'" 'qss Tower Page 4 Thanks for doing your part and following through. Yes, we met with Chris and initially he had small 6 ft high trees in mind. The wording says "at least 10 feet in height" and I see these trees barely squeaking in at 10 feet. I know they sell oversized trees in several nurseries east of 1-25 and Fort Collins Nursery so that putting in some at least 10 feet tall and some about 15 feet would be my recommendation to accurately capture the spirit of the agreement a bit more generously and to stagger the tree size so they do not look too unnatural. The Austrian Pine appears to be a hardy tree. We discussed putting a cluster of trees over by the deepest part of the lot where Jeffs property faces but that looks to have disappeared. You can ask Jeff (his call) but it seemed to be far more appealing than a single line of trees as shown (at least just in that area). I support Wendy's frustration that city counsel and P&Z processes are too much driven by economic gain and legality than being true neighborhood stewards. Neighborhoods are in character, more of what defines Fort Collins though commerce certainly has to have its place too. I do not fault you personally for this Anne as in our talks you have been very open and receptive. I realize you hear it all and any city job has to have a certain level of diplomacy. You also know my comments are more based on the legal minefield and controlled environment as experienced in fighting (alone as a neighborhood) against two 4 story 60 foot buildings abutting a 15 foot ranch whereas code says it "shall not be a drastic scale adjustment". Any objective person can see from the picture of the building against the ranch that it is a drastic and abrupt change but council and P&Z chose to overlook what should have been required evidence. Anyway, we all have work to do and no need to beat a dead horse though I know the latter issue will haunt Council. Let me know if Chris can comply with my request to stagger some taller trees in there. Also Anne where do I go again to get a site plan of my house on Garfield? Anne Aspen -RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile W less Tower Page 3 Subject: RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile Wireless Tower Bill and Jeff, Thank you for reviewing the proposed mitigation landscape plan for the cell tower. 1 appreciate your comments and have a few responses. First, Bill, regarding variation for the trees, yes, you are correct that some nurseries carry larger trees than 10 feet. I checked with our Environmental Planner, Dana Leavitt, who is also a Landscape Architect, about whether this would be a good idea for this site. He is concerned that at this site, trees larger than 10 feet may not transplant well. His recommendation is to limit the height to 10 feet, but since we are up to 14 trees total now, that we might vary the species to avoid a monoculture. Different trees will grow at different rates and have different structures to provide better visual variety. He recommends that we intersperse Ponderosas with the Austrian pines. What do you think about this solution? Also, in creating the drawing attached for Wendy, I referred to a 1997 plan that was approved at the time that King Soopers did an addition. I made a rather startling discoverythat several trees were approved with that plan but never planted. We have the ability to require those trees now, even after 10 years have elapsed. Some of the trees approved at that time are located in the same places as the ones T-Mobile will plant but some of them are further north. I instructed the Zoning Department to send a zoning violation letter to the property owner requiring compliance with the approved plan. They will also be contacting me to coordinate their efforts with T-Mobile's plantings. I*ve attached a scanned image of the portion of that approved plan that they will need to comply with. Please let me know if you have any comments about that plan as well since I will be meeting with them in the near future. I know that this has been a long painful process for all parties involved, but I am hopeful that at least strategically placed landscaping will enhance these properties and screen the view. Sincerely, Anne Aspen Anne Aspen City Planner Planning & Zoning Department Development Review Center City of Fort Collins, CO aasaenCa.fcgov.com (970)221-6206 Having trouble getting email to me? Go to hftD://fcaov.com/antiSDam/index.Dhr)?action--form >>> "bill van eron" <billvaneron(cDcomcast.net> 1/16/2008 3:31 PM >>> Hi Anne, Happy New Year. Anne Aspen - RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile %P" 'ess Tower Page 2 City of Fort Collins, CO aaspen@fcgov.com (970)221-6206 Having trouble getting email to me? Go to http://fcgov.com/antispam/index.php?action=form >>> "bill van eron" <billvaneron@comcast. net> 1/22/2008 7:06 PM >>> Yes I like your strategy. Yes different species grow at different rates so the tree line will look less artificial in time. 10 foot high trees are OK if your landscape guy feels strongly against adding at least two or so that are larger. Funny I have bought far larger trees at Fort Collins Nursery and never had a problem. Some trees they sell (deciduous) are roughly 16 feet tall or more. Most of the indigenous trees are pretty hardy. I only saw two trees in the plan you sent that look to be off my property. I did not see any carry on down toward Wendy's lot but maybe I was reading it incorrectly or maybe she declined to have any trees. I appreciate you understanding the stressful part of this. Thanks for listening. You can tell I was burnt out by PVH situation and a general feeling that people entrusted by others still have lots of pressure to respond to economic drivers which can easily overshadow property owners concerns. That said I hope nothing I ever said was inappropriate and I do appreciate your efforts. Best, Bill Bill Van Eron Principal Headwaters Marketing 970-221-0751 http://www.hw2o.com Bill Van Eron Principal Headwaters Marketing 970-221-0751 http://www.hw2o.com —Original Message ---- From: Anne Aspen fmailto:AAspenCcilfcgov.coml Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 4:55 PM To: wends(o)allpropertvservices.com; bill van eron; Jeff Valloric Cc: ccstrvker2(a)aol.com ., I -Anne Aspen - RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile ess Tower Page 1 From: Anne Aspen To: bill van eron; Jeff Valloric; wendy@allpropertyservices.com Date: 1 /23/2008 10:56:59 AM Subject: RE: Cedarwood T-Mobile Wireless Tower Hi Bill, Thanks for your response. Based on your comments and Jeffs, we will mix ponderosas and austrian pines behind your property for variety. As to the height of the trees, you are correct that deciduous trees over ten feet can be easily found at local nurseries. The story is different for coniferous trees. According to Dana, our staff Environmental Planner and landscape architect, because of the size of the root ball for larger conifers and the way they branch out wide and low, it would be a much bigger logistical challenge to find larger trees at a front range nursery and to successfully get a larger tree out of the ground with the large mechanical transplanting spades that are used. Varying the species and using trees that grow quickly and vigorously will likely be the most effective way to provide for a varied and healthy visual screen. Anecdotally, Jeff mentioned in his email that he planted some 4-foot austrian pines at his shop 8 years ago and they are about 30 feet tall now. Also, just for clarification for you and Wendy, I am attaching the two plans I referred to in my last email plus a very rough sketch I did of the two plans superimposed. The first is the proposed landscaping plan for T-Mobile (see page Z1, which will be updated to show a mix of ponderosas and austrian pines soon, per our emails yesterday). Next is the landscape plan approved for the King Sooper's addition in 1997, which the Zoning Department has sent a zoning violation letter to earlier this week. My sketch, third, shows the two, roughly, on one plan. There is some overlap and redundancy between the plans, so I will meet with the property owner of the shopping center and Chris Stryker to coordinate a single coordinated plan, but the net effect will be that the 14 ten -foot tall trees required of the T-Mobile plan plus additional trees (upsized to ten -feet tall) required of the King Sooper's 1997 addition, many of which are further north behind Jeffs property nearer to Elizabeth, will be planted. I will see to it personally. Hope this clears up any confusion. Sincerely, Anne Aspen Anne and Cameron: How odd that you would discover, so late in time, that King Soopers or whomever - did NOT carry through with the City's instructions to plant a certain number of buffering trees/plants, over ten years ago. This only solidifies my feelings towards your department and how a huge LACK of concern for neighbors and neighborhoods you have. When left alone, big businesses do NOT do what they are suppose to do and it was your department's job to make sure your instructions were carried out. Again, "Shame on You"! Do you really think Chris and T-Mobile will do any better? I seriously doubt that they will. Wendy Clark Anne Aspen City Planner Planning & Zoning Department Development Review Center