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Home My WebLink AboutDIXON CREEK SUBSTATION - SPAR - SPA120005 - REPORTS - CORRESPONDENCE-HEARINGATTACHMENT 2B Lindsav Ex From: Peggy Lindstrom [plind@lamar.colostate.edu] Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2012 3:20 PM To: Lindsay Ex Subject: PRPA Dixon Creek substation Attention Lindsay Ex Dear Lindsay, Thank you for talking with me this morning. I would appreciate your conveying my concerns to the PRPA board relative to the construction of a wall surrounding the Dixon Creek substation located at the end of Drake Road. You may remember that I had a couple of general questions only indirectly connected to this specific development. 1. What has led to the dramatic increase in size of both the power stations? Where is that power coming from? 2. Where is that power going? And here is my brief note to the board: PRPA Board Members: As residents of Quail Hollow, my husband and I enjoy our proximity to Pine Ridge and the natural beauty that so enhances the city. The large Dixon Creek power station has a visual impact on that area --even more so since the recent construction of the power line. I understand such a large power station requires a protective barrier and a wall of concrete is probably necessary. My concern is how the impact of that wall will be softened by effective landscaping. I urge the board to consider using large trees appropriate to the area. Evergreens such as pine or spruce will soften the bleakness of a concrete wall year-round. I would not consider shrubs to be sufficient given the length and height of the wall. I understand the wall will entirely surround the station. While I would hope the impact on all four sides is taken into consideration, the west side has less visual impact and could blend into the surrounding open space with lower natural barriers. I encourage the board to let this development enhance the area rather than create a bleak concrete monolith. Thank you for your consideration. Margaret W. Lindstrom 2948 Garrett Drive Fort Collins, CO 970-484-9891 1 ATTACHMENT 2B The wall looks OK. I like the mix of colors on the real thing. The lack of a lower dark band makes the wall for other sides look a lot more institutional. I'd prefer a mix of color on all walls. I also feel landscaping is crucial. I assume the completed proposal will include landscaping plans? I hope to be able to attend the next hearing but we will be away for much of January. Please feel free to share my comments with the PRPA. And have a happy holiday. Peggy Lindstrom On Dec 10, 2012, at t :58 PM, Lindsay Ex <lex o fceov.com> wrote: Good afternoon everyone, As you may have noticed, Platte River Power Authority has erected a scaled -down sample of the wall they are proposing to construct at the Dixon substation. As you've expressed an interest in the project, I'm sending on a note from PRPA staff regarding the wall, see below: Note from PRPA: Taking into account, engineering and aesthetic considerations as well as input from the public and City of Fort Collins staff, Platte River Power Authority has selected a proposed design for a security wall at the Dixon Creek Substation. A photo of the proposal for the east side of the wall is attached. The model wall in the photo is located on the northeast corner of the substation property. Keep in mind this is a scaled down model. The actual wall panels will be 11 to 12 feet tall. The north, south and west wall panels will all be 12'. They will not alternate between 11' and 12' as on the east wall. There will, however, be some natural articulation as the north and south wall follow the natural contour of the ground. Also, as the north and south walls progress west from the east wall, the dark block at the bottom of the panels will be phased out gradually in the first five panels. The dark rows nearer the top and the top cap will remain dark block (See the attached illustration). The columns will be the same color as the wall panels (tan blend) with a dark cap. The substation's gate will be painted to match the dark block. At this time, PRPA has indicated they will resubmit a revised plan set quite soon and they are tentatively hoping to go to hearing before the Planning and Zoning Board in January. Thanks for your feedback to date on this project, and let us know if you have any comments on the proposed design. Cheers, Lindsay Lindsay Ex, LEED G.A. Environmental Planner CDNS I City of Fort Collins lex@fcaov.com 970.224.6143 ATTACHMENT 28 Lindsay Ex From: Peggy Lindstrom <plind@lamar.colostate.edu> Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 10:34 AM To: Lindsay Ex Subject: Re: PRPA wall update Many colors would indeed be intrusive but I think the use of a couple of colors more closely mimics a natural landscape. I'll look forward to seeing landscaping plans. Peggy On Dec 11, 2012, at 10:16 AM, Lindsay Ex <lex ,fcgov.com> wrote: Good morning Peggy, Thanks for your feedback —I will add it to the record and share it with PRPA (cc'd here). Regarding the landscaping plan, you are right — that is crucial. I am awaiting a landscape plan resubmittal and a review of the landscape plan to ensure alignment with what we've heard from the community (landscaping along the east being critical, as well as the southeast and northeast corners) and what we've heard from PRPA regarding their own limitations (they cannot place significant landscaping material in the area that is traversed by the transmission lines). In other words, yes, there is still more work to do on the landscaping plan and I will plan on sharing that with you when it is received. Regarding the wall, thanks for your feedback on that as well. The feedback to better blend in with the native grassland of the Natural Area by not having so many different colors was expressed at both the neighborhood meeting and by Natural Areas staff. I know PRPA is trying to balance a lot of folks' preferences on the wall, and many have expressed that such an ornate wall would detract from the native landscape that the Natural Areas currently expresses. Let me know how you feel about that perspective —there is a lot to balance! Thanks again for keeping in touch with your thoughts on the project — and again, I'll share the complete package with everyone before it goes to hearing. Have a happy holiday as welll Cheers, Lindsay From: Peggy Lindstrom[mailto:plind@lamar.colostate.edul Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 9:13 AM To: Lindsay Ex Cc: Lindstrom David Subject: Re: PRPA wall update Thanks, Lindsay, for keeping us informed on this project. ATTACHMENT 2A to resolve the comments/concerns that o.- addressed both in your written feedback and at uie neighborhood meeting, Thanks, Lindsay Lindsay Ea. LEED G.A. Environmental Planner CDNS I City of Fort Collins lex@fcgov.com 970.224.6143 ( ( ATTACHMENT 2A Thanks again for sending on the photos —1 will send these to the design team with . RPA. I'll let you know when the project is scheduled to go before P&Z. Cheers, Lindsay From: Eric Sutherland lmailtO:sutherixAwahOO.com1 Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2012 10:28 PM To: Lindsay Ex Cc: marvsh000er(a),comcast.net; olind(a2lamar.colostate.edu; Bruce Hendee Subject: Re: Platte River Site Plan Advisory Review - Neighborhood meeting notes and presentation Lindsay, Thank you for sending these materials following the neighborhood meeting for the substation redevelopment. I notice on your email list, there appear to be two addresses of people not associated with PRPA or the city of Fort Collins. Were there other people at the neighborhood meeting? Have there been any developments in the development review process since the meeting? Do you know when the item is scheduled to go before P&Z7 I wanted to share some pictures I took up in Spokane, Wash on the day that the neighborhood meeting took place. The building featured in the pictures has a sub -station built within its walls. You can sort of see a different era there ... a time when our pubic works inspired creativity and investment. Alternatively, the PRPA plans remind me a little of pictures of Soviet Era military installations. But I know so very little about architecture. Spokane, by the way, has an impressive river district, just in case anyone is doing any comparative studies. It also provides numerous examples of the sort of landscape architecture we ought to try hard to avoid Eric Sutherland (970) 224 4509 -- On Wed, 9/5/12, Lindsay Ex 4ex@fcgov.com> wrote: From: Lindsay Ex <lex@fcgov.com> Subject: Platte River Site Plan Advisory Review - Neighborhood meeting notes and presentation To: "'maryshopper@comcast.net"' <maryshopper@comcast.net>, "Eric Sutherland (sutherix@yahoo.com)" <sutherix@yaboo.com>, "Peggy Lindstrom (plind@lamar.colostate.edu)" <plind@lamar.colostate.edu>, "Bruce Hendee" <BHendee@fegov.com> Cc: "Rowley, Scott (RowleyS@prpa.org)" <RowleyS@prpa.org>, "Dahl, Mike (DahlM@prpa.org)" <DahIM@prpa.org>, "Daylan Figgs" <dfiggs@fcgov.com>, `littlej@prpra.org` <littlej@prpra.org> Date: Wednesday, September 5, 2012, 3:00 PM Good afternoon everyone, As you have expressed an interest in the Site Plan Advisory Review for the proposed concrete walls at the Dixon and Timberline Platte River Substations, I am sending on the neighborhood meeting notes from 8/29 meeting as well as the presentation that Platte River gave that night. Please let me know if you have any additional comments on the project; staff is currently working with Platte River Power Authority ATTACHMENT 2A middle of town come forward witi..,ndue recommendations from city staff. So, please, if city staff has had anything to say about this development proposal, share it with the public. As far as the email addresses are concerned, part of this process ought to be connecting interested parties. The planning department ought not be the final arbiter or gatekeeper of communications. People certainly ought to be able to opt out of public processes, but the responsibility of the planning department to facilitate communication shouldn't be compromised by creating obstacles. Persons of interest ought to be able to self - identify long before a pubic hearing is held. (One more thing that the city has gotten completely wrong at times.) Eric Sutherland (970) 224 4509 --- On Tue, 9/25/12, Lindsay Ex <leafcgov.com> wrote: From: Lindsay Ex <lex «fcgov.com> Subject: RE: Platte River Site Plan Advisory Review - Neighborhood meeting notes and presentation To: "'Eric Sutherland"' <sutherixtawahoo.com> Cc: "marvsh000eriw.comcast.net" <marvshonoerialcomcast.net>, "plind(a-)lamar.colostate.edu" <plind a lamar.colostate.edu>, "Bruce Hendee" <BHendeeiwfcuov.com> Date: Tuesday, September 25, 2012, 10:50 AM Hi Eric, Thanks for these photos! Based on a staff review of the proposed drawings, the proposed hearing for the project is no longer scheduled during October, and we are waiting to reschedule the hearing based on PRPA's ability to meet City staff s comments on the project. The other folks on this list have either provided comments or attended the neighborhood meeting. Though, in full disclosure, I should have Bec'd everyone but myself and not exposed their emails out - sorry about that folks! r Thanks, Lindsay ATTACHMENT 2A P.S. Even though you suggest you are still learning, your digital photography skills far exceed mine@ From: Eric Sutherland [mailto:sutherix@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2012 1:01 PM To: Lindsay Ex Cc: Bruce Hendee; Gerry Horak Subject: RE: Platte River Site Plan Advisory Review - Neighborhood meeting notes and presentation Lindsay, So, City staff had some comments??? Could you send those along? I don't recall seeing those in the materials sent along earlier. I will be talking about this project during public comment at the 9/27 PRPA Board meeting. Showing those photographs too. They turned out pretty well. I'm finally getting the hang of digital photograhy. Unfortunately, I am already now within the 3 day window for a CORA request for the staff comments and could be legally denied them prior to the meeting. I am assuming that since they represent communications between one governmental entity and another, they are subject to CORA and not exempt as work product. It would be nice if I did not have to incur the expense and inconvenience of a CORA request. That might seem a little paranoid, but we all should remember that the Dixon sub -station is the terminus of a power line that runs through a natural area. Recent events surrounding the rebuilding of that power line betrayed a frightening lack of competence and honesty on the part of the people we have tasked with managing our critical, multi -multi -million dollar electrical utility system, and not for the first time. Fort Collins is a community that spends 1% of major capital projects on Art in Public Places. When you look around town, you don't see any overhead power lines because they have all been buried at the cost to the ratepayers of millions of dollars. Alternatively, there are zoning districts in Fort Collins that would not allow any rectilinear structure of this scale to be constructed. Yet, we have seen an example in recent years of development proposal that would have built all -electric crap that robs sub -stations of valuable power right in the ATTACHMENT 2A Lindsay Ex From: Eric Sutherland <sutherix@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2012 3:12 PM To: Lindsay Ex Cc: Bruce Hendee; Gerry Horak; Laurie Kadrich Subject: RE: Platte River Site Plan Advisory Review - Neighborhood meeting notes and presentation The point here is that the Platte River Power Authority board of directors is, by design, supposed to have a small, itty-bitty role in determining what happens as well. I know the point gets lost sometimes. At times I have felt that Fort Collins citizens might exercise greater influence over the policies and outcomes of investor owned utilities in the state of Colorado than their own public power provider. We elect state legislators from Fort Collins who vote on bills that impact places like, say, Grand Junction, but what happens here isn't always transparent to anyone. Thank you very much for the information. Also, as just one citizen, I would say that it would be an excellent use of the Fort Collins taxpayer dollar to have environmental planners in attendance at PRPA board meetings and not just to ask for money). The same is true for sustainability officers. Besides the fact that they are just fascinating insights into an extremely important governmental agency, there is a connection with nearly every other facet of pubic life in every meeting. Eric Sutherland (970) 224 4509 --- On Tue, 9/25/12, Lindsay Ex <!ex@fcgov.com> wrote: From: Lindsay Ex <lex@fcgov.com> Subject: RE: Platte River Site Plan Advisory Review - Neighborhood meeting notes and presentation To: "'Eric Sutherland"' <sutherix@yahoo.com> Cc: "Bruce Hendee" <BHendee@fcgov.com>, "Gerry Horak" <ghorak@fcgov.com>, "Laurie Kadrich" <lkadrich@fcgov.com> Date: Tuesday, September 25, 2012, 1:20 PM Hi Eric, I've attached the comments for your information. We met with the applicants from PRPA the week after the neighborhood meeting, as we typically do 3 weeks after the submittal (see the Development Review Guide for more process information Lerie • At this point, we are awaiting a resubmittal from PRPA on the staff comments. Please recall that as this project is a Site Plan Advisory Review, our comments are limited to location, character and extent on the project. If you would like me to send you additional staff comments after a resubmittal, I would be happy to do that. ATTACHMENT 2A proposing to construct at the Dixon substation. As you've expressed an interest in the project, I'm sending on a note from PRPA staff regarding the wall, see below: Note from PRPA- Taking into account, engineering and aesthetic considerations as well as input from the public and City of Fort Collins staff, Platte River Power Authority has selected a proposed design for a security wall at the Dixon Creek Substation. A photo of the proposal for the east side of the wall is attached. The model wall in the photo is located on the northeast comer of the substation property. Keep in mind this is a scaled down model. The actual wall panels will be 11 to 12 feet tall. The north, south and west wall panels will all be 12'. They will not alternate between I I' and 12' as on the east wall. There will, however, be some natural articulation as the north and south wall follow the natural contour of the ground. Also, as the north and south walls progress west from the east wall, the dark block at the bottom of the panels will be phased out gradually in the first five panels. The dark rows nearer the top and the top cap will remain dark block (See the attached illustration). The columns will be the same color as the wall panels (tan blend) with a dark cap. The substation's gate will be painted to match the dark block. At this time, PRPA has indicated they will resubmit a revised plan set quite soon and they are tentatively hoping to go to hearing before the Planning and Zoning Board in January. Thanks for your feedback to date on this project, and let us know if you have any comments on the proposed design. Cheers, Lindsay Lindsay Ex, LEED C.A. Environmental Planner ATTACHMENT 2A Lindsay Ex From: Eric Sutherland <sutherix@yahoo.com> Sent: Monday, December 10, 2012 4:15 PM To: Lindsay Ex Cc: Scott (RowleyS@prpa.org)Rowley; Iittlej@prpa.org; Sherry Albertson -Clark; frisbiej@prpa.org; Gerry Horak; Karen Weitkunat; John Stokes Subject: Re: PRPA wall update Attachments: RMI_redev_Agreement (2).pdf At the September PRPA Board of Directors meeting, COO Jason Frisbie made the comment that a chain link fence was a sufficient barrier where sub -station boundaries are not contiguous with roads and vehicles. Why would the plans call for masonry walls on all 4 sides of the substation? Wouldn't there be a cost savings if all of the West wall and most of the North and South walls were chain link? I would much rather see the expense of this project put into improvements along Overland Trail and additions to make the Natural Area better. Other than the fact that Fort Collins City Government seems to have left the rails lately, I can't understand why this plan is advancing. People park cars with for sale signs in the windows on the paved strip in front of the sub. What will be done with this area? This is a'gateway' area for Fort Collins. We have spent an extraordinary amount of money surrounding the city with open space. We continue to put I % of capital projects toward Art in Public Places. This is one of the nicest and most visited areas of them all. It would be far preferable to take whatever cost savings might be available by foregoing a masonry wall where no one can either see or smash a Chevy into it and make a few improvements to the Pineridge Natural Area. Whatever we might get for that diversion of funds would be far better than the ratepayers gave away to the Innosphere last year ( $20,000). Eric Sutherland (970) 224 4509 PS the attached file is proof positive that Fort Collins City Manager Darin Atteberry was shuttling millions of dollars into the Innosphere behind everyone's back. -- On Mon, 12/10112, Lindsay Ex <i'a jc¢ov.com> wrote: From: Lindsay Ex <lex@fcrtov.com> Subject: PRPA wall update To: "Lindsay Ex" <lexaLfcgov.com> Cc: "Rowley, Scott (RowleySQ'wrya.oru)" <RowleySC r%)a.org>, "Sherry Albertson -Clark" <SAlbertson-Clark(@fM v.com> Date: Monday, December 10, 2012, 12:58 PM Good afternoon everyone, "littlei[a=a.orrt" <littleiJgpMa.oM>, As you may have noticed, Platte River Power Authority has erected a scaled -down sample of the wall they are