HomeMy WebLinkAboutFIRST COMMUNITY BANK PLAZA - PDP - 49-05 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 2 - SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATIONA pedestrian bridge is being proposed to allow pedestrians to cross the canal for
more direct access to adjacent land uses and also to encourage their enjoyment of the
canal and the birds that we hope will continue to be attracted to the area.
(i) Fencing associated with the project shall be designed to be compatible with the
ecological character and wildlife use of the natural habitat or feature.
No fencing is being proposed.
insect diversity as identified in the NAPP; remnant native prairie habitat; mixed
foothill shrubland; foothill ponderosa pine forest; plains cottonwood riparian
woodlands; and any wetland greater than one -quarter ('/4) acre in size.
As the natural area characterization study indicates, there are no raptor habitat
features, nests or roost sites in this area. The one species of special interest currently
utilizing the area is the aforementioned red fox. It has been suggested by the Division
of Wildlife the use of the area by the fox should not be encouraged because of danger
to fox and human beings given the high pedestrian and traffic volumes in the area.
While it is not the intention to encourage continued use by the fox, accommodations
have been made to preserve the existing den location and to encourage and enhance
the continued use of the area by songbirds. Where possible, native shrubs will be
placed in the buffer zone along the canal, however, we are somewhat limited because
we need to allow for truck access in order to maintain the ditch. Where we can, on
the reminder of the project site, we have tried to plant native species and utilize trees,
shrubs and ground covers in unique ways to provide structurally diverse habitat for
songbirds.
(e) The project shall.be designed so that the character of the proposed development
in terms of use, density, traffic generation, quality of runoff water, noise, lighting
and similar potential development impacts shall minimize the degradation of the
ecological character or wildlife use of the affected natural habitats or features.
It is our intent to create wet ponds in two storm water detention areas to provide
wetland habitat previously non-existent on the site. Not only does this approach
utilize best management practice to insure clean storm water runoff but it provides
valuable wildlife habitat as well.
(f) The project shall be designed to integrate with and otherwise preserve existing
site topography, including but not limited to such characteristics as steepness of
slopes, existing drainage features, rock outcroppings, river and stream terraces,
valley walls, ridgelines and scenic topographic features.
No retaining walls are used along the canal. The site has been graded so that the
existing ditch bank can be preserved along with a 15-20 foot wide buffer.
(g) The project shall be designed to enhance the natural ecological characteristics of
the site. If existing landscaping within the buffer zone is determined by the
decision maker to be incompatible with the purposes of the buffer zone, then the
applicant shall undertake restoration and mitigation measures such as regrading
and/or the replanting of native vegetation.
The buffer zone adjacent to the ditch bank will be re -seeded with native grasses and
shrubs to replace the non-native and weedy species that currently exist.
(h) The project may be designed to provide appropriate human access to natural
habitats and features and their associated buffer zones in order to serve
recreation purposes, provided that such access is compatible with the ecological
character or wildlife use of the natural habitat or feature.
The proposed parking lot encroaches into the LUC's suggested 50-foot buffer zone
around the existing den and along the canal. Given that both the City and the
Division of Wildlife agree that this site is not the best place to encourage habitation
by the fox, the applicant is requesting that the encroachment be allowed. However,
since the direction provide by both in City Plan and the Fort Collins Land Use Code
shows that the community values natural habitats such as fox dens and wildlife
movement corridors it is our intent to preserve the current location of the fox den
through limiting disturbance during construction, providing additional screen and
qualitatively replace these disturbances by enhancing the continued use of the site by
songbirds. The following outlines how we intend to do this:
(a) The project shall be designed to preserve or enhance the ecological character or
function and wildlife use of the natural habitat or feature and to minimize or
adequately mitigate the foreseeable impacts of development.
The project is designed to provide an average buffer distance along the canal of
approximately 20 feet. This zone will be stripped and re -vegetated with native grass
and shrub species while maintaining reasonable access for maintenance of the canal.
(b) The project, including, by way of example and not by way of limitation, its
fencing, pedestrian/bicycle paths and roadways, shall be designed to preserve or
enhance the existence of wildlife movement corridors between natural features,
both within and adjacent to the site.
Given the project's urban nature and the desirability to create an opportunityfor
pedestrians to cross the canal via a pedestrian bridge. These bridges are typical of
bridges already located along the canal and have been found not to limit the use of
the canal as a movement corridor for small animal species such as the fox mentioned
in the introduction. However, native shrubs will be located along the canal where
possible to provide more structural diversity and food sources for songbirds that
utilize the area along the canal.
(c) The project shall be designed to preserve significant existing trees and other
significant existing vegetation on the site.
The ditch company has removed existing trees along the canal in recent months. In
addition there are six Colorado Blue Spruce trees on the site that are impacted by the
project. Two of the trees will be relocated on the site and four will be mitigated. See
landscape plan.
(d) The project shall be designed to protect from adverse impact species utilizing
special habitat features such as key raptor habitat features, including nest sites,
night roosts and key feeding areas as identified by the Colorado Division of
Wildlife or in the Fort Collins Natural Areas Policy Plan (NAPP); key,
production areas, wintering areas and migratory feeding areas for waterfowl;
key use areas for wading birds and shorebirds; key use areas for migrant
songbirds; key nesting areas for grassland birds; fox and coyote dens; mule deer
winter concentration areas as identified by the Colorado Division of Wildlife or
NAPP; prairie dog colonies over fifty (50) acres in size as included on the
Natural Habitats and Features Inventory Map; key areas for rare, migrant or
resident butterflies as identified in the NAPP; areas of high terrestrial or aquatic
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Lantlseape Arehltecture Urban Design Planning
December 22, 2005
Response to Buffer Zone Performance Standards
The following is intended to address the City's Buffer Zone Performance Standards
found in Section 3.4.1 Natural Habitats and Features, (E) Establishment of Buffer Zones.
The standards are provided in bold for easy reference.
(l) Buffer Zone Performance Standards. The decision maker shall determine the
buffer zones for each natural habitat or feature contained in the project site. The
buffer zones may be multiple and noncontiguous. The general buffer zone
distance is established according to the buffer zone table below, but the decision
maker shall reduce or enlarge any portion of the general buffer zone distance, if
necessary in order to ensure that the performance standards set forth below are
achieved.
The applicant recognizes that the project site has some unique environmental
qualities. Mike Phelan, a wildlife biologist, with Cedar Creek Associates has been
retained to prepare a natural areas characterization study. This paper is in response to
the information and recommendations contained in that study. The study states that
the project site is vegetated entirely by non-native grasses and weedy species. The
only habitat feature of value to wildlife is the Larimer County Canal No. 2, which
runs along the west and south edge of the project site. Urban adapted waterfowl such
as Mallards and Canadian geese use the ditch when it has water. Mice, voles and
pocket gophers are the only species likely to establish resident populations. In
addition a variety of songbirds occasionally use the area. Last, but not least, a red fox
does use the property. The existing fox den is shown on the site plan. Foxes have
successfully reared young in the den in the past. The den is currently not in use
because it is not breeding season for the fox.
The natural areas issues important for this project site are:
1) An existing fox den (LUC recommends 50-foot buffer)
2) The canal's use as a wildlife movement corridor for the fox (LUC recommends
50-foot buffer)
3) Habitat for songbirds and water fowl that occasionally use the area.
Both the City's Natural Resource Department and the Colorado Division of Wildlife
recognize that this is a highly urbanized site with human activity and high traffic
volumes in the immediate area even without the addition of the proposed JFK Plaza
office project. The Division of Wildlife recommends that the fox den be filled this
fall in order to discourage the fox from using it in next spring's breeding season. The
DOW believes the best solution is to encourage the fox to move to a more appropriate
location to rear it's young away from the dangers and disturbances associated with an
urban site such as this one.
Phone 970.224.5828 Fax 970.224.1662
401 West Mountain Ave. Suite 201
Fort Collins, CO 80521-2604
vfripley.com