HomeMy WebLinkAboutTHE GROVE AT FORT COLLINS - PDP - 16-10B - MINUTES/NOTES - CORRESPONDENCE-NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING (3)Q: What is the appeal process?
A: Please contact Steve Olt, City Planner.
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Q: Can you tell us what you anticipate for revenue for each bedroom?
A: The rent has not been set for this development. They will be in line and competitive with
similar housing developments in the community — around $500.00 per student.
Q: What are the pet policies at this development?
A: Campus Crest allows pets with the requirement of an additional deposit and a weight
limit. Our site design does include pet waste receptacles.
Q: I would like to request that the developer, Campus Crest, have their upper management
available at hearing.
Q: How will we mitigate informal trails from happening? i.e. natural "cutting" from parking lot
to neighborhood. This plan needs to consider a greater barrier from project to
neighborhood.
Q: Rolland Moore neighborhood is threatened by this development. I feel that students
living in houses in my neighborhood are a threat to property values. Please keep in mind
that we need student housing in this city to protect residential property values.
Q: When will the affected property owners know what the units will look like from the
outside?
A: Residential elevations are being reviewed by Steve Olt, City Planner. Please contact him
for an opportunity to look at the submitted elevations.
Q: How likely is it that the students carry the trash to the centrally located receptacle?
A: In other Campus Crest locations, there has been no issues regarding trash.
Q: In my opinion, it seems a lot of concerns can be addressed by a decrease in density.
Q: Does each unit have their own washer and dryer?
A: Yes, each unit has their own washer and dryer.
Q: Please understand how difficult it is to have an area around the wetlands area destroyed.
It looks like a little dense town, run by students, minimal control. I think it is very scary. I
want to not hear again that "you are not perfect'.
Q: What is the security situation and does Fort Collins police service this area?
A: The development will be served by the City police.
Q: What is the maximum height of building?
A: The maximum height of building is 40 feet.
Q: What is the maximum height of the light post in the parking lots?
A: The maximum height of the light post is 30 feet tall in the parking lot.
Q: Second story of bedroom, projecting down. Exterior lighting shown on 4`h story in some
renderings.
A: The taller they are, then the fewer necessary.
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Q: What about bike path improvements?
A: The bike lanes we have on Centre Avenue are 6' in width. It is legal to ride your bike on
the west side of the sidewalk. Additionally, the City has a program through D.K. Kemp
regarding bike safety.
Q: CSURF should be concerned about the quality of life of the students. Campus Crests'
other developments have had unfavorable reviews posted on the internet. Why is this?
The manager lives on campus. The managers are college students and I believe that is
appropriate for student housing. If this is an extension of the CSU campus, isn't this
development hurting CSU's overall reputation?
A: We have found that usually, the most disgruntled individuals take the time to post
complaints on the internet. We request that you please look at internet posts in that
context. Additionally, I believe is it not 5% of residents, it is 5% of the people who chose
to comment. Moreover, not everyone in a student housing complex will be happy. In a
positive note, I believe we are doing much better now in terms of customer satisfaction.
Q: Are the community assistants students?
A: Yes, the community assistants are students. However, the managers are not
undergraduate students. The managers could possibly be graduate level, professional
students.
Q: Is there a training program for community assistants?
A: Yes we have a corporate training program for our community assistants.
Q: What is the relationship between CSU and CSURF?
A: This project is owned by CSURF and CSU had no impact on this development
Q: I would like to make a point that there is no student housing zone designation, per say.
Q: Who owns the property to the southwest and what will happen here?
A: CSURF owns the property and the plans are unknown.
Q: CSU lists this area as an "Area of Advanced Technology"? I believe that is a
misrepresentation with this development.
Q: I believe 500 bedrooms was presented to the affected property owners at the last
neighborhood meeting? Tonight you presented an increase in bedrooms to 600. This is
12 dwelling units over what was last presented and I find it unacceptable.
Q: Is this the only property you are leasing?
A: Campus Crest is leasing the land on another housing complex at the University of
Alabama.
Q: Will the units pay property tax?
A: Yes, the units will pay property tax.
Q: If this project "fails" - i.e. there are lot of vacancies who will pick up the tab?
A: Campus crest has all the funding necessary available upfront.
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Q: What are the stipulations of your lease? Down the road, If this community became
financially infeasible, what would happen?
A: We have an incentive to maintain this project. We use the profits to maintain the
structures.
Q: What is proposed on the area to the west owned by CSURF?
A: It is zoned E, Employment. We do not know what will in the space in the future.
Q: Why would you design the parking lot like that? I am concerned with the area flooding.
A: To begin with, we want the park cars centrally located. In terms of flood mitigation,
Experimental low impact design that will be built into Rolland Moore. Additionally, the
proposed development will have no impact to the mapped FEMA floodplain.
Q: Could you tell me more about the property to the north and water treatment?
A: We have employed settling trenches upstream and bioswales for on site water quality
treatment. This project is less intense than previous studies assumed.
Q: I am an opponent of the proposed 4-bedroom apartments in The Grove development and
the City possibly allowing a variance to accommodate them. There is a City ordinance
limiting occupancy to 3 unrelated people. I do not see any reason to allow new
construction that is in violation of City code that was passed by our City Council after
much community input and Council deliberation. Further, I assume this would set a
precedent for future developers.
As far as calculating density the number of units, not the number of bedrooms, are the
factor. By including 4-bedroom units the density calculation (it appears) is lower than if
the same number of "beds" were in smaller apartments that met City occupancy
requirements (because the density calculation is based on "units"). If the 48 beds
contained in the proposed 12 4-bedroom units were instead distributed among 24 2-
bedroom units, the density would increase from 16.7 units/acre to 17.6 units/acre.
believe inclusion of 4-bedroom units (1) should not be approved as a variance because
it does not meet City occupancy rules; and, (2) skews the density calculation of the
development to appear lower than it actually is.
Q: According to my internet research, only 8 % of students at University of Northern
Colorado would recommend the development by this company in their area.
Q: Please address the following issues: traffic, landscape plan. height of structures.
A: This development has three (3) story buildings under 40'. In terms of landscaping, we
have 40' large canopy trees — not evergreens- on Rolland Moore. In the parking lots we
also put large canopy shade trees. We designed the site with additional cottonwood trees
for a visual buffer. On the south side of the development there are canopy trees, native
grasses and shrubs. In terms of traffic, there was a traffic study conducted. We looked at
both ends of Prospect Street at Raintree Drive and Shields Street. All streets and
intersections meet the City's requirements.
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Q: Is the pool year round?
A: The pool is not heated and is not year round.
Q: Why does Rolland Moore Drive dead end?
A: The City did not approve of Rolland Moore Drive being a private drive.
Q: I am concerned about building in wetlands and creating new, artificial wetlands.
A: There is a 100' buffer between the project and the wetlands, except in one area. The
City required an Ecological Characterization Study (ECS) for this wetland area. The ECS
noted that the wetlands were less diverse and less critical in the encroached area.
Q: Have studies been done on the habitat in the area and what are the impacts, ecologically
speaking, after the project is built?
A: Please see the Fort Collins Land Use Code Section 3.4.1 regarding Ecological
Characterization Studies and performance standards for development in wetlands. The
City has safeguards in place. Please contact Erica Saunders, Environmental Planner, for
additional information.
Q: Who owns the land?
A: CSURF owns the land.
Q: What are the code variances requested by this project?
A: 1) We are requesting a variance for the requirement of 7 acres internally.
2) Street connection for every 660' — we are requesting a modification as to not go thru
the wetlands.
Q: Could you please tell me about the occupancy limits code and how this ordinance will
relate to this development. Additionally, does any current new construction have
exemptions to this ordinance?
A: Ginny Sawyer would like to confirm the answer to that question regarding new
construction and the occupancy limit ordinance.
Q: I am concerned with underground drainage and infill. Primarily, there is a concern
regarding the existing abutting building to wetlands. Additionally, property owners to the
north's view will be decreased.
A: This area is traditionally wet and an irrigation ditch has always existed. There is a lot of
cutting and filling in the area. The property is currently used for drainage for a lot of city
properties.
Q: Property to the northwest's stormwater drains into the wetlands. Currently, however, the
wetlands are not draining. I believe this is an opportunity to have CSURF to figure out the
drainage. Will the City make CSURF address the drainage issues?
A: The developers are usually responsible for flood mitigation. The City is actively working
with all parties to address these important issues.
Q: I am concerned about the quality of the architecture presented and also amenities that
are promised here. not being delivered.
A: We are a young company that has had issues in the past. We will do everything we can
to make good on our promises. This includes finishing amenities and also providing
quality architecture.
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The Grove
Neighborhood Meeting Notes
July 20, 2010
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Q: Do the community standards and policies make a difference in studies of peer
communities?
A: Yes, the standards Campus Crest puts in place are working. The standards program
started in 2004 and has enjoyed much success.
Q: How extensive were your market studies? Did you take into account that there are other
local, smaller properties with vacancies?
A: Yes, we looked at many properties in Fort Collins and the region as a whole and also
looked at their rents. We found that there is a need in Fort Collins for this type of
development. .
Q: Where does Rolland Moore Drive connect?
A: The name of the connector will probably change at the point where it cul-de-sacs.
Q: I have concerns regarding the density displayed by Campus Crests' project — there is 60
% more density illustrated in this iteration. Could you give me an example of a
development with similar densities in the area?
A: Ram's Village on West Elizabeth Street is an example of a student housing project with a
similar density.
Q: What is the traffic access like to the north and south?
A: Rolland Moore Drive connects with Shields Street and provides access to the
community.
Q: Where is the trash located?
A: There is one trash area, centrally located.
Q: Where is the bike parking how much spaces are allocated to bikes?
A: City requires 1 bike parking per 25 car spaces. This project provides a total of 133 bike
parking spaces. Our community does not allow balconies. We are planning on
accommodating bike parking as needed.
Q: I am concerned with students riding bikes getting hit that must cross Centre Avenue to
Rolland Moore Drive.
Q: If you are constructing a community to support a student body that is striving to be truly
"green" and "sustainable" — why not LEED certification?
A: LEED certification is not something Campus Crest does right now but it interested in
perusing in the future.
Q: Where are the court yards for the six (6) buildings on the west side?
A: Those particular buildings are a brownstone style and do not have court yards.
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