HomeMy WebLinkAboutTHE GROVE AT FORT COLLINS - PDP - 16-10B - REPORTS - CORRESPONDENCE-HEARING (17)Student Housing: The Need is Great
If you follow the issue of student housing at CSU you have heard of the proposed multi -unit student
housing complex called The Grove. At a time when the need for student housing is becoming more and
more critical, due to both the tight rental market and the projected growth of enrollment at CSU, The
Grove is a much -needed addition to our community.
A well -organized group of neighbors with homes adjacent to the site where the complex will be built
deserve credit for making the developer and the city take a second look at the original plan. As a result,
the developer, Campus Crest, has submitted a revised plan that sets the bar high for future multi -unit
student housing in Fort Collins.
Among the reasons I support The Grove are:
• The need exists. As stated above, the need for additional alternative student housing in Fort Collins
currently is dire and will only become more so in the not too distant future. The Grove could take the
place of 200 homes being used for student housing in an area that is extending further and further
from campus. Such expansion is not good for the affected neighborhoods nor for the environment in
the form of additional transportation needs.
• The Grove will be green. Campus Crest has been working with CSU's highly respected Institute for
the Built Environment (IBE) to make the Grove an energy efficient and sustainable project. In order
for IBE to agree work with Campus Crest the developer had to commit to making the complex meet
certain criteria. Not only will the complex be green, but also its location is in such close proximity to
the campus that it will be very conducive for resident students to walk or bike to classes.
• Jobs will be created. With the local economy and construction industry being depressed as they are,
construction of such a project will be a shot in the arm in creating jobs. Not only will The Grove
create jobs, but also it has been documented that other developers, both local and out of state, are
interested in pursuing such projects, large and small, in Fort Collins. Student housing is one of the
most promising areas of development in our community. You can be sure that the other developers are
following The Grove through the approval process to see how it plays out.
• It fits Fort Collins' long-term growth plans. Both the recently adopted City Plan and the West Central
Neighborhoods Plan from the late 1990's cite the need for additional student housing, energy efficient
structures and those structures being in close proximity to CSU as priorities. The Grove correlates
very well with those well thought out visions of future growth in Fort Collins.
• CSU has not been able to keep up. Although the university has been upgrading its student housing,
the net gain in beds is not close to keeping up with its growth. The university does not have the
resources necessary to support its projected growth housing wise. Through a combination of private
endeavors such as The Grove and some private/public partnerships real gains will occur in safe,
affordable and sustainable student housing. This is a win -win situation also in that if more multi -unit
student housing units are available it will free up more affordable single family houses for young
families and individuals.
The next step in the approval process is the Planning and Zoning Board hearing this Thursday, June 16, at
City Hall (300 Laporte) starting at 6:00pm. It is open to the public and if you agree about the necessity of
creating additional student housing which meets the needs of our community I urge you to attend and
make your feelings known to the P & Z Board.
Doug Brobst lives in Fort Collins and has been involved in neighborhood and student housing issues for a
number of years.
Doug Brobst
1625Independence Road
Fort Collins, CO 80826
(970)222-4046
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Steve Olt
From: Doug Brobst [brobst@peakpeak.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 12:33 PM
To: Steve Olt
Subject: Please pass on to Planning and Zoning Board
Attachments: Grove Soapbox.doc
Hi Steve,
Could you please pass on this attachment to the members of the Planning and Zoning Board? It is the
expanded text of my "Soapbox" that was printed in Monday's Coloradoan.
Thank you.
Doug Brobst
6/16/2011