HomeMy WebLinkAboutCARRIAGE HOUSE APARTMENTS - PDP - PDP120035 - REPORTS - CORRESPONDENCE-HEARING (44)College of Veterinary Medicine
Colorado State University
1619 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523
between two curves on Springfield, making site lines for emerging traffic difficult and hazardous. The
entryway should be moved to the center, between buildings 2 and 3. This would send headlights out
across the open space and limit traffic near the homes to a dead end in the parking area.
Similarly, the conceptual plan shows very little landscape buffer between the facility and the
neighbors to the west and south. The proposed parking should be moved closer to the buildings in
order to provide a wider green space between the parking and the neighbors back yards. In addition
the plans should provide for an enhanced light and sound barrier.
The position of the trash receptacle is unacceptable. It should be placed within the confines of the
complex, close to the residents of the facility, not close to the neighbors. Specific issues: smell, noise
from deposits, and noise_ from a trash truck on the back/bedroom side of the adjacent homes. Put it
between buildings 3 and 4 or 4 and 5.
Finally, the parking is inadequate. While the TOD "has no specific parking requirements", that does
not mean that no parking is necessary in the TOD. The TOD is a plan for future developmental
processes and is dependent on future public transportation plans. Right now, necessary services like
grocery stores are more than a mile away from the development site with only limited bus routes for
public transportation. It is unrealistic to believe that any less than 80% of the tenants will have cars on
site. The result of inadequate parking will be permanently parked -in streets. This is already a
problem on Springfield during the day, and the outcome for Bennett School will be to displace parking
for parents dropping off and picking up children every day. Right now the whole street fills with cars
two times a day to accommodate the arrival and departure of the grade -school children. When they
arrive in the morning and find the street parked in, parents will be forced to double-park to get their
kids in to school, creating an absolutely unacceptable hazard to the children.
1. Limit height to two stories to be compatible with all of the adjacent properties to the north, south,
east, and west.
2. Provide 24-hour, in-house management.
3. Move the driveway to the center of the property.
4. Provide Additional landscape buffer, sound barrier, and fence to the south and west.
5. Move the trash away from the neighbors.
6. Provide sufficient on -site parking to at least meet the current code provisions applicable to similar
developments outside of the TOD.
Joel Rovnak, Ph.D.
Secretary/Treasurer
Rocky Mountain Virology Association, Inc.
Assistant Professor
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology
3
Below is the lettter I am sending. It highlights the main points that we are stressing. They are listed
at the end.
Please keep me apprised of the Pasture development process. I will be happy to help in any way I
can.
Thanks,
Joel
Dear Ms. Levingston,
I have spoken to several individuals about meeting with Mr. Bailey without City Staff being present,
and we are in agreement that it would be unlikely that such a meeting would lead to any productive
discussions. We met with Mr. Bailey last year and last week and he has offered no details at either
meeting.
c
The most important point for our neighborhood is a maximum height of two stories. The NCB code
calls for transitions from single-family homes, and the conceptual plan places 3-story buildings right
next door to one story and two story single-family homes. It is not just the height that is incompatible,
it is the number of people; a successful transition does not place 150 people next door to a retired
couple or a family of three. There are no three-story buildings nearby. There are no high -density
complexes nearby. The nearest are the westernmost dorms on campus, which cannot be seen from
the site. All the neighbors on Shields and Springfield and Bennett, north and south and east and
west, are one and two story homes and businesses.
When we met with Mr. Bailey last year, he assured us that the building would be professionally
managed. At last week's meeting I was surprised to learn that he intends to have no on -site
management. A 24-hour on -site management plan is by no means unheard of in student rental
complexes in Fort Collins. To do otherwise is -to invite noise and disturbance complaints and to
obligate the neighbors to be the complainants for all incidents at the facility. This will generate an
adversarial relationship between the residents of the buildings and the neighbors. Many neighbors
fear such a position, especially our elderly neighbors. I actually believed that Mr. Bailey would
provide professional management and argued against changes in the Land Use Code, brought by
City Staff to Council, to require such plans. Now I see that the code does need to be changed to
require management plans for such developments, and; -certainly Mr. Bailey should provide such a
plan.
In the conceptual plan, the main entryway will the put headlights of every entering vehicle into the
backyards and rear windows of the first two houses on Bennett Road, especially when they turn
upward coming through the curb cut and gutter. Further, it puts all of the traffic for the facility, moving
cars and traffic noise, immediately adjacent to three neighbor's homes. The entryway also lies
Courtneylevingston
prom: colleen hoffman <cohoff@comcast.net>
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2012 2:17 PM
To: 'Rovnak,Joel'; 'Per Hogestad'
Cc: 'Ann Hunt; Sarah Burnett; Courtney Levingston
Subject: RE: Springfield project
Hi Joel,
I am including Courtney Livingston, Sarah Burnett, and Ann Hunt (co -president of the Wallenberg
HOA) on this email. I agree with all your points and wish to have Courtney include my email in the.
project communications. I recently listed and -sold the home at 1208 Westward Dr. This home abuts
a condo project to the north. It maybe worth viewing this condo development as possible examples
of how to buffer, screen and protect single family, one story homes — not that it is perfect. One item
of note is the end of the building directly behind (to the north of) 1208 Westward was scaled down to
a one story unit to appear similar to the established neighborhood. Also, the condo development
moved their 6ft wood panel fence 2 feet inside their property (to the north) giving the single story
homes the appearance of bigger back yards, thus creating more buffer. There are already examples
of fairly good ways to buffer established homes ... we just need to look for them.
Sincerely,
Colleen Hoffman
The Home Broker
970-484-8723
From: Rovnak,Joel[mailto:Joel.Rovnak@colostate.eduj
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2012 10:28 AM
To: Per Hogestad; colleen hoffman
Subject: Springfield project
Hi Per and Colleen,
Just wanted to thank you for attending the neighborhood meeting and ask one more favor. to write to
Courtney Levingston describing your concerns about the project, especially about compatibility and
most especially three stories. Courtney will forward these on to Mr. B., who will be submitting a real
plan sometime in the future. All of the communications will be included in the record for the P&Z
hearing as well.
i