HomeMy WebLinkAboutTHE GROVE AT FORT COLLINS - PDP - 16-10B - CORRESPONDENCE - (110)Page 3 of 3
street on the far south side of the site, away from the neighborhoods, the wetlands
and Spring Creek Gardens.
-The Grove will conform to the WCNP and the City Plan principles regarding
Environmental Health, Community and Neighborhood Livability and Transportation
through the encouragement of the use of alternative
transportation. The Grove is located within convenient biking distance
of CSU and well connected to the network of bike paths and bide lanes.
Students tend to be among the heaviest users of our bike infrastructure averaging
up to 15,000 bicyclists entering campus on a school day. The location of the Grove
will add more housing for a population that likely will use bicycles and not add to
the auto traffic and thereby reduce
auto emissions. Campus Crest is further enhancing and encouraging
bicycle use in several ways: 1) It is providing a network of bike lanes on site to
facilitate internal circulation and providing connections to the City bicycle
infrastructure; 2) it is providing bicycle facilities far in excess of City
requirements. For a project of this size, the City requires 25 bicycle parking
spaces. Campus Crest is providing close to 300; 3) it is providing an air station,
space for bicycle repair and secure storage of bicycles in the apartments. The
Grove is also located on Transfort routes and close to the proposed MAX bus route.
It should be noted that these buses can accommodate bicycles.
-The Grove is addressing the Environmental Health policies of City Plan as
follows: 1) through street layout, a compact development footprint, preservation
and enhancement of wetlands including a buffer zone along the wetlands in excess of
City requirements, addition of native plants for a visual buffer and to enhance
wildlife habitat, 2) dedicating 12 acres of open space as drainage easements for
addressing storm water management needs, 3) demonstrating a new concept in
managing street runoff through the use of rain gardens on Rolland Moore Drive
-Both the WCNP and City Plan recommend that any development in this area be
compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. The Grove achieves this
compatibility in several ways: 1) it provides a generous buffer of a minimum of 300
feet between the Grove buildings and the nearest neighborhood home. In addition
there is a large wetland separating the Grove from the residences to the north, 2)
it is managed housing employing a management strategy which includes trained on -
site managers and a code of conduct which is stronger than the CSU Student Conduct
Code. It requires parents to sign the lease along with their student dependent, 3)
it incorporates landscape elements including detached sidewalks, tree -lined
streets, and maintained green spaces, 4) the configuration of buildings provides a
courtyard around outside activity areas to reduce offsite noise.
Campus Crest has met and often exceeded the City Requirements for such
a project as expressed in the Land Use Code. Campus Crest is proposing
to incorporate innovations such as LEED certification, designing the buildings for
future accommodation of solar energy use, innovative methods for addressing
stormwater management, and establishing ongoing linkages with CSU in management of
the Grove. As a former member of the P and Z board I've sat in your place and had
to make decisions as difficult as you face tonight. Consider that the applicant
has met or exceeded all City requirements, successfully achieved compatibility
with the surrounding land uses, is meeting the visions of the WCNP and City Plan
and this project will serve the greater good of Fort Collins.
Vote in favor of the Grove.
8/8/2011
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We recommend you approve The Grove CDP and PDP as meeting the City goals and vision
as articulated in the West Central Neighborhoods Plan and City Plan and which will
serve the greater good of Fort Collins.
The Grove meets the City's goals as articulated in these plans and other elements
of the Land Use Code in the following ways:
-It conforms to the City vision as expressed in the zoning of this site and the
surrounding area. The zoning of the area encourages a mixed use mosaic. This is
manifested in the uses already built: commercial services, schools, employment
centers, low density housing, medium density housing, and senior housing and care
facilities. The Grove meets WCNP recommendations of creating development
opportunities for higher density housing on properties close to CSU, and
maintaining a wide range of housing opportunities and accommodate innovative
housing solutions.
The need for such housing is evident in the low apartment vacancy rates and rising
rents. This suggests that there is an inadequate supply of such housing. The
zoning not only allows but requires that the site have a use as proposed by Campus
Crest. This is to make best use of the site for its proximity to CSU (the major
activity enter and economic engine of our city -it accommodates over 27,000 students
and provides employment for over 6,000 people. CSU has growth plans to increase
its size in the future and will rely on the community to house its students as it
does not plan to accommodate this growth with on -campus housing.
-The Grove will make the most efficient use of City infrastructure -roads, bike
paths, utilities, a requirement in the
Community and Neighborhood Livability principles of City Plan. The
site is centrally located within the City's infill area. It meets logical criteria
for orderly development where infrastructure exists to serve it.
- The West Central Neighborhoods Plan acknowledges the large role CSU plays in any
consideration of the "blueprint for the preferred future of the West Central
Neighborhoods". It envisions using the available land in the neighborhood more
effectively to accommodate the demands of CSU and the City, increasing the
inventory of affordable rental housing near campus for students, employees and
others. WCNP specifically recommends use of CSURF property for student housing.
The Grove is providing this type of housing for students and freeing single family
housing for other segments of the Fort Collins population that are also in need of
affordable housing. The Grove provides a solution to problems associated with
short term tenancy, differing lifestyles and overcrowded living conditions
identified by WCNP. The Grove site is CSU land managed through CSURF to among
other goals serve the needs of the university. Through a long term lease to Campus
Crest, CSU retains the future possibility of using that site for other university
purposes.
-The proposed plan will complete a long planned street connection to improve
traffic flow in the area and articulated in the WCNP and the Transportation
principles of City Plan. Center Drive has been completed within memory of most of
us in this room as an implementation action item in the WCNP. It provides a
connection greatly needed in this area
of intense traffic due in large part to CSU. Augmenting the usefulness
of Center Drive will be the completion of Rolland Moore Drive to connect Shields
and Center Drive. The completion of Rolland Moore Drive will be
done by this project. However it will improve on the existing vision
expressed in the Street Master Plan through the route chosen by Campus Crest. The
routing proposed by Campus Crest will conform to the Environmental Heath and
Community and Neighborhood Livability principles of City Plan by locating the
8/8/2011
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Steve Olt
From: Steve Olt
Sent: Friday, August 05, 2011 12:18 PM
To: 'Janelle P. Kechter'
Subject: Lloyd Walker presentation
Attachments: Lloyd Walker,061611.ppt
Janelle,
Attached is the powerpoint presentation shown by Lloyd Walker at the June 16th hearing. Also, below is his
verbal presentation as representative for the Neighbors and Students United.
6;ZAa
Steve
Grove Presentation by Lloyd Walker
Members of the Planning and Zoning Board:
I am a member of a group, Neighbors and Students United, formed to
provide support for the development project known as the Grove. Our
group is a coalition of representatives of two neighborhoods (Avery Park and
Rolland Moore West) and a representative of ASCSU (on behalf of CSU
students). All of the members of this group have been addressing the
issue of student housing for a long time. Some of us served on the committee
formed in 1995 that prepared the West Central Neighborhoods Plan (WCNP) which was
adopted by City Council in 1999 as an element of City Plan, the City's
Comprehensive Plan. The WCNP tailors City Plan principles and policies to
neighborhoods west and south of CSU.
Weengaged in the debate, beginning in 2003 on addressing the occupancy ordinance
as one method the City addresses student housing, affordable
housing and preservation of neighborhood character. We represent two
neighborhoods in close proximity to CSU which have first-hand experience
in matters around student housing. We bring the perspective of
students to this discussion through ASCSU which has long recognized the
need for housing to keep up with planned enrolment growth. ASCSU is an
advocate for alternative student housing close to campus.
Members of Neighbors and Students United participated in the review of City Plan
which was adopted by City Council in Feb of this year. One of our members served
on the Housing Committee of UniverCity Connections.
The vision articulated by WCNP is to maintain and enhance the diverse character of
the West Central Neighborhoods (WCN), strengthen the collaboration between the
City, CSU , and WCN, continue to provide housing opportunities, infrastructure and
lifestyle options to meet the needs of the diverse group of neighborhoods, improve
all transportation modes and adapt to meet the needs of the dynamic and ever
changing WCN.
8/8/2011