Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAIRPARK VILLAGE - ANNEXATION & ZONING - 16-05 - DECISION - MINUTES/NOTESPlanning and Zoning Board Minutes May 19, 2005 Page 23 The motion was approved 4-1 with Member Lingle voting in the negative. Other Business None. The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m. These meeting minutes were approved December 8, 2005 by the Planning and Zoning Board. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes May 19, 2005 Page 22 justification for that with all the LMN we have put into this corridor. She sees a problem beyond the heliport and at this point in time, she questions what they could clarify to help with a continuance. Member Lingle has a concern that might be helped by a continuance. We have the benefit of this understanding now of heliports because the two gentlemen chose to come here tonight and talk to the Board about it. How many other possible uses are out there that the owners did not come tonight? There could be other potential hazardous material issues with residential development that could be significantly less of an impact on continued industrial development and we don't know what those are. It would seem to him that it would give staff and the applicant the chance to come back and convince the Board one way or the other that those concerns are not relevant or can be mitigated before the Board makes a decision without all the information they need. Member Carpenter thought the Board did have an obligation to look at the health, safety and welfare of the community. She questions whether or not she is comfortable putting a lot of residential right where we have helicopter operations going on. She did not know if that is safe and it is information that she would like to have before she can make a decision. She would also like to know what else is out there that they did not know about. Member Stockover in his opinion what else is out there is not mobile versus the helicopter. That is the distinction that we have something that readily moves and everything else is virtually stationary with the exception of traffic. He agreed that the Board does not have all the facts regarding the helicopters as in size and trips per day to make a decision. Member Craig moved to recommend annexation of Airpark Village. Member Schmidt seconded the motion. The motion was approved 5-0. Member Schmidt recommended to City Council that the original East Mulberry Corridor Plan not be amended and that the zoning of this parcel would be industrial. Member Craig seconded the motion. Member Lingle stated that he was not comfortable supporting the motion tonight just because he feels that the applicant deserves the opportunity to convince the Board that E, Employment is workable in this scenario. He thought they were able to do that with staff to the point that staff brought a recommendation to the Board for that. That is the reason he felt a continuance would be beneficial. He would not support the motion. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes May 19, 2005 Page 21 activities and these heliports part of the discussions that were held with Advanced Planning in terms of their support of E, Employment? Planner Wray responded that he was part of those discussions and staff is aware of the heliport operations when staff was making the decision to support the extension of the employment. We have other heavy industrial uses in addition to the heliport operators that are within this basic larger industrial park. We are fully aware of the difference between these uses as they come,together. When staff heard about the airport option, we were contacted by a lot of the fix wing operators and also the heliport owners over that time and we tried to help, assist and coordinate any transition or transfer of those existing businesses to the Fort Collins Loveland Airport. It was not a give that every business would move or relocate with this option. About a year ago, staff made a decision to amend the East Mulberry Corridor Plan further to the west with the change to MMN on the southwestern part of the airport and agreed to provide a notification to future residents in that area as part of a navigation easement notification adjacent to the airport. We have a heliport landing site at Poudre Valley Hospital right next to residential, so a similar situation where you have landings and take offs right in the middle of our city. The details need to be addressed when we get into a more detailed development review. Member Carpenter was also surprised by the heliport problems until they heard from citizens. She is concerned that they did not know about this issue before. How do you mitigate noise from a helicopter that is taking off right over you? She does not think it is a possibility or physically possible to do. She feels blind sighted by this that they have not had a chance to look into it or maybe ask the right questions. She suggested continuing the item until they could get further information. Member Craig wondered what more information they could receive beyond what the Board received tonight. The point being that it is an Industrial Park right now and we encourage Industrial uses and now we are telling them to go to the Fort Collins Loveland Airport and give all their money to Loveland. This bothers her when someone stands up there and talks about the expansion of their heliport are we are talking about good paying jobs when talking about Industrial. Beyond that concern, she is looking at all the secondary uses and the uses you cannot have in Industrial that we will be losing. There are a lot of secondary uses that will be used on residential and that leaves very minimal room and she sees that we are losing business that are good paying jobs. We have taken Industrial, which would allow all the secondary uses, many as a Type I, and said that we are going to turn this into employment which is going to become a lot of residential. This was planned, a market strategy was done and an incredible amount of residential was put in this whole corridor to accommodate jobs so the need for more residential, she cannot even come up with a Planning and Zoning Board Minutes May 19, 2005 Page 20 Mr. Hansen replied that it would depend on the Board's decision tonight as to whether they would have to relocate. They recently expanded their building two years ago in order to accommodate more business. If this does get built up into a residential service, employment zone and there were a lot of conflicts, they would have to look at moving their business. Member Carpenter stated that we already have LMN zoning to the north where they say they are now using to fly. How did he think that was going to affect them, would this really be that much more of an effect than when houses go in there? Mr. Hansen replied that when it is that far out, they can adjust their flight path. PUBLIC INPUT CLOSED Member Lingle asked if the heliports are a zoning question or and Overall Development Plan question. Planner Shepard replied that he thought it would be both. He did not have a precise answer to his question. Member Schmidt asked if we have any standards for buffering that would help this situation. Planner Shepard replied that the recent code change was with residential, but Section 3.5.1 is the general compatibility standard of the code that would come into play here. Mr. Jones responded for the applicant and he stated that they were willing to accommodate as need be. They are willing to try and figure out the best type of arrangement that would have the least amount of conflict. They are planning to have the extension of International Blvd. shown on the plan and come straight through the middle of the property and front their buildings onto it so that would leave the possibility from a design standpoint for the rear property line to have a minimal development intensity because they are pushing the buildings up to the new street. Member Schmidt asked about the Lemay Avenue realignment. Mr. Jones reviewed on a map how that alignment would be reached. Member Lingle asked about the series of meetings that were held with Advanced Planning and up until this testimony, he thought that when the airport closed, all airport related functions would go away also. Was the continued operation of aircraft related Planning and Zoning Board Minutes May 19, 2005 Page 19 approach and departure from that helipad is dependent upon the land to the north of the helipad being the airport property being free of obstructions in order to provide safe departure and safe approach to their helipad. Being in the business of maintenance, they do a lot of test flying, so there are helicopters coming out of heavy maintenance, overhauls and major component replacements where they will get into a helicopter and take it off from the pad and their departure and approach is over the airport property and they need to make sure that they have a safe departure and approach in the event they do have some kind of failure as to not endanger people on the ground. Therefore, building large buildings and tall trees and the Planning Board needs to consider the fact of the safety of the individuals on the ground in the area that is going to be rezoned as well as the individuals in the aircraft. Mr. Hansen commented that Aviation Technologies is a manufacturer of aircraft parts and he thought that the Board's approach to looking at the number of jobs per acre is a little short sited in the fact that it is going to take two to three jobs to replace the manufacturing jobs if they indeed had to move due to the salaries that you are looking at and the service sector that you are talking about. In a sense you are going to end up with a net gain of zero by the time you have to have two to three times as many people in this area versus industrial and heavy manufacturing where this area could be used for. Member Lingle asked from his point of view, how would I, Industrial zoning protect his interest better than employment. Mr. Hansen replied that the buildings tend to be single story buildings for industrial use and it also gives more flexibility on the zoning as well as reducing the number of conflicts in the future with homeowners and potential residential development in the area. Member Schmidt asked where his property is located. Mr. Hansen replied mid way down the runway. It is where Airway dead ends at a T. Member Schmidt asked if they own enough property at this time to go up and down with their helicopters that they current own. Mr. Hansen replied that their heliport is adjacent to Airway Avenue; they haveacross the street as well as the lot that abuts the airport property. Member Schmidt asked if he thought there was enough property in the existing area to keep expanding his business. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes May 19, 2005 Page 18 Member Lingle asked if flight paths for helicopters were regulated. Mr. Dean replied that flight paths for helicopters very unregulated and it is up to the developers where they put what and he thinks it should be a matter of concern for the city. Member Stockover asked if they regulate minimum flight height over residential. Mr. Dean replied that you have to fly so you do not present a danger to the public. Member Stockover asked if they were regulated by noise. Mr. Dean replied no. Member Stockover asked how they compete with the airplanes that are taking off and landing. Mr. Dean replied that their instructions are to avoid the flow of fixed wing traffic and they communicate with the fixed wing traffic to enter the flight paths when it is appropriate. Member Stockover asked in terms of the current configuration of the airport, they are not restricted to fly anywhere as long as they are not in the path of an. airplane. Mr. Dean replied essentially yes and they could also do that if it was a housing development. Member Carpenter asked what sort of regulations are there as to where you can put a heliport. Mr. Dean replied that it is local and county regulations. Federal is basically only interested in airspace. Industrial zoning is one of several zoning districts that allow them. Michael Hansen, owner of Century Helicopters and Aviation Technology stated they have been at the Fort Collins Airport for 25 years. They now have a facility at 2001 Airway Avenue which is right on the corner of Airway. They own two lots on the south side of Airway and they also own a lot that abuts the airport property. Century Helicopters is in the business of providing helicopter maintenance services to customers in about 15 western states. The customers include the US Department of Energy, the US Department of Homeland Security and local officials. They don't own or operate any helicopters, but they do helicopter maintenance. They are the owners of an FA approved helipad and it has been on their property for a number of years. The Planning and Zoning Board Minutes May 19, 2005 Page 17 currently sits. You would have buildings fronting the boulevard fronting on both sides and the side that backs up to the industrial park those uses would be more sensitive. f The residential units would not be looking out onto the industrial. Member Schmidt thought that we were looking at a different kind of employment situation in mixed use dwellings and she wondered if the intensity of jobs really does not "retch" it down more to being more equal with the industrial level if you are looking at that kind of scenario. Mr. Jones replied that there is an overlap in the two zones, so if you were to do the most intense thing in industrial and the least intense thing in employment it could reverse from the argument he made, but the point he was making was, in general, an office is a fairly common use and they are intending to have a substantial portion of that in their plans and so at least an intensity of jobs per acre scenario, there is more opportunity in employment to have more jobs per acre. The Board is right in the fact that there is no guarantee that in zoning it one way or the other that one will have more jobs than the other. Robert Dean, property owner in the airpark and owner of a helicopter business adjacent to the airport property that is being considered. He stated that there are three heliports along the south side of the airport that are not affected by this transaction. The airspace over the property will still be used for helicopter traffic and it represents a fairly high concentration of helicopter traffic. The main concern with that is the airspace will continue to be used and the development that is built replacing the airport needs to be thought of in the context of how these operations will continue to impact them. The specific concern that he has is he is located at the northwest end of the airport where the residential portion is being considered. Based on the website that the developer has put up, he has some retirement village designation, some multi -story buildings and some spread adjacent to his heliport. The obvious concern there is how all of these people in this retirement village are going to enjoy a helicopter coming into land or take off early in the morning or at night as they conduct their operations. He thought he had not heard anyone raise the issue, but the airport is disappearing, but the airspace is not disappearing. The airspace is not a local matter, but a federal matter. Their operations will continue and the residential portion of this development is nothing more that a conflict with their operations. Twenty five percent is a lot of acres and multi- story is a lot of people. He thought that this is considered in terms of zoning of how that is going to affect them in addition to the people who will be living there. This issue has also come up with the Fort Collins Loveland Airport. The airport is disappearing but the need for airspace is not and he thought that was very important in the consideration of any plan. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes May 19, 2005 Page 16 with the redevelopment of the airport, 147 acres of E, Employment which includes light industrial and more mixed use development. Member Ingle asked if the trade and service jobs could all be accommodated in the Employment District. Director Wray replied that they could and there was quite a variety that is allowed within the employment designation. Troy Jones, MTA Architects gave the applicant presentation. Mr. Jones presented another version of the overlay map showing the framework overlay plan in the southeast corner of the annexation.area designated as employment and showing an extension that would include the northern portion of the annexation as well also zoned employment. Mr. Jones discussed the difference between industrial and employment zoning and the difference in the number of jobs allowed was higher in the employment district. Mr. Jones discussed housing/job balance within the zoning district. Mr. Jones then discussed the sensibility of putting these higher intense uses nearer to downtown rather out on the Interstate. Mr. Jones handed out a matrix and reviewed the two zoning districts and what is and what is not allowed between the two. He also discussed the secondary uses allowed in the employment zone and what those uses were limited to. Member Craig stated that a concern of hers was the neighborhood meetings that the potential applicant had and the different scenarios that were shown continue to show 40% residential and she asked that that be addressed because they were adding residential to something that was to be completely industrial. Mr. Jones replied that a lot of the residential that is being proposed would be in a mixed context so that the ground floor would be a primary use like offices or a long term care facility for example and then either one or two stories of residential above that primary use. The zone does not restrict that type of residential that you can do as long as it is over the top of a primary use. Anything that would be above the 25% secondary uses of purely residential would be in the context of a mixed use residential. He stated that the north end of the project would be where they intend to do any of the purely residential uses. Member Craig asked how they were going to handle keeping from losing the existing industrial services that are there at this time by putting in so urban and mixed uses. Mr. Jones replied that the issue did come up at some of their neighborhood meetings. They were going to locate a boulevard in the center of the property where the runway Planning and Zoning Board Minutes May 19, 2005 Page 15 Interim Director Pete Wray explained that the East Mulberry Corridor Plan Framework Overlay Map was identified in the event that the airport sold and was suitable for redevelopment. On the southeast portion of the airport property, staff identified when the East Mulberry Corridor Plan was developed, an extension of the employment designation extending northwest from Timberline and East Mulberry up into the airport property on approximately 30% of the airpark property with future street connections. The lighter pink color on the remaining airport property extending northwest is I, Industrial. The total property is about 147 acres. The breakdown from the overlay map is approximately 57 acres within the designated employment and the proposal is to extend the employment up to the remaining portion of the property which is about 90 acres that is shown within the Industrial area. Planner Shepard added that the answer to the question at the worksession is more than 1/3 of the boundary of the annexation parcel is shown on the overlay framework as being employment, 57 out of 148 acres. Member Craig asked if staff had looked at the area — her concern is that we are running out of vacant industrial land in that area — and come up with where there is some vacant industrial land to make up for the 90 acres that the Board is considering changing to employment. Director Wray replied that when you look at the overall East Mulberry Corridor Plan area, there were two primary areas that were designated for either existing or future planned industrial. There is a portion just on the west side of 1-25 up and around the Centennial Livestock area and in and around the immediate airport property and the larger industrial airpark area north of Highway 14 on up to the north side of the airpark property. When staff was looking at this proposal, we recognized that there is still sufficient lands for heavy industrial use within the East Mulberry Corridor area and also citywide. In looking at the buildable lands inventory that Advance Planning helped develop this information, we have approximately 964 acres of industrial lands within the Growth Management Area, a little over 15 to 20 year supply. When you combine employment and industrial in the Harmony Corridor we have about 2400 acres, about 700 of that is constrained be it with wetlands or topography or other factors. Buildable vacant lands, we have about 1700 acres of a combination of industrial and employment which includes portions of the Harmony Corridor, and with a build out anywhere from 2018 to about 2024. Staff is also finding with this assessment is there is less of a market for heavy industrial manufacturing and more of a need for trade and service jobs, which would make up a large share of the economic base. When staff looked at this, even though we are potentially losing approximately 90 acres of Industrial, we are gaining, Planning and Zoning Board Minutes May 19, 2005 Page 14 airport. The site is located north of East Lincoln Avenue, south of East Vine Drive and west of Timberline Road. Contiguity with the existing municipal boundary is gained along portions of the west and east property lines. The east property line abuts the Dry Creek Subdivision. The requested zoning is Employment. This request requires an Amendment to the Structure Plan Map and East Mulberry Corridor Plan. Recommendation: Approval of the annexation. Approval of the amendment to the Structure Plan Map and East Mulberry Corridor Plan. Approval of placement into. the Employment zone district. Hearing Testimony, Written Comments and Other Evidence: Member Torgerson excused himself from this item due to a conflict of interest Ted Shepard, Chief Planner gave the staff presentation. He stated that this was also a Structure Plan and Sub Area Plan Amendment. In this case the Sub Area Plan is the East Mulberry Corridor Plan. He stated that this was a request to annex and zone 147.83 acres. This is the Downtown Airpark and includes three separately owned parcels; one is an existing privately owned airport. The site is located north of. East Linclon Avenue and south of East Vine Drive and west of Timberline Road. Contiguity with the existing municipal boundary is gained along portions of the west and east property lines. The east property line abuts Dry Creek subdivision. The requested zoning is employment. This request requires a Plan amendment. Staff recommends approval of the annexation and staff recommends approval of the amendment to the Structure Plan and the East Mulberry Corridor Plan and placement into the Employment zoning district. Mr. Shepard reported that staff did not hold a neighborhood meeting for this item, but neighborhood meetings were held by the applicant last year and the Board has minutes of those meetings. Member Schmidt asked for an overlay map. Mr. Shepard replied that the intent of the map is to overlay the employment zone visa via the Framework Plan. The Framework Plan showed some employment to be allowed on the southeast edge of the annexation area. The Board wanted to see what it would look like if the employment area were to extend to the north and to the west. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes May 19, 2005 Page 13 Member Torgerson thought that it was bad policy to make code changes relative to a single project unless you see an over arching problem throughout the city and he doesn't. If fact, he did not see a problem on the Featheredge project and the drive access that we are talking about has and had the potential to become a public street, which, in his opinion would have much more impact on the abutting neighbors than a small access drive to an Event Center. He does not think it is broke, so he would not be supporting adding that language. Member Carpenter agreed that another look should be taken at this in that we have adequately protected the residents from encroachments. She thought it should be looked at in a more comprehensive manner and she would like something to be in the Fall Land Use Code changes. She would not be supporting this at this time either. Member Schmidt felt she would also like to discuss this in more detail in the fall. Member Lingle thinks that he could support the language that staff has added at this point in response to what their direction was, but would also like to see a more comprehensive discussion in the fall. Member Torgerson recommended to City Council approval of the change in language to (Item 691), Section 3.8.27(f) as drafted by staff. Member Craig seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0 Member Craig moved to recommend to Council to direct staff to open the Performance Standards for small scale Reception in UE and retook at some of the criteria to make sure that we are meeting the purpose which is to protect neighborhoods. Member Carpenter seconded the motion. The motion was approved 5-1 with Member Torgerson voting in the negative. Project: Airpark Village Annexation and Zoning and Structure Plan Amendment, #16-05 Project Description: Request to annex and zone a 147.83 acre parcel. The annexation includes three separately owned parcels, one of which is an existing privately owned Council Liaison: Karen Weitkunat Chairperson: Judy Meyer Vice Chair: Dave Lingle Staff Liaison: Cameron Gloss Phone: (W) 490-2172 Phone: (W) 223-1820 Vice Chair Lingle called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Roll Call: Schmidt, Craig, Torgerson, Carpenter, Stockover and Lingle. Member Meyer was absent. Staff Present: Wray, Eckman, Shepard, Olt, Moore and Deines. Citizen Participation: None. Director of Current Planning Pete Wray reviewed the Consent and Discussion Agendas: Consent Agenda: 1. Minutes of the April 21, 2005 Planning and Zoning Board Hearing. 2. Resolution PZ05-04 — Easement Dedication. 3. Resolution PZ05-05 — Easement Vacation. 4. #56-98AB Rigden Farm, 11th Filing, Spectrum Independent Living — Project Development Plan. 5. #18-05 Kingdom Hall Annexation and Zoning. Discussion Agenda: 6. #13-05 Sunrise Ridge Annexation and Zoning. 7. Recommendation to City Council for the Spring 2005 Biannual Revisions, Clarifications and Additions to the Land Use Code 8. #16-05 Airpark Village Annexation and Zoning. Member Schmidt moved to approve Consent Agenda items 1 through 5. Member Torgerson seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0. Project: Sunrise Ridge Annexation and Zoning, #13-05 Project Description: Request to annex and zone a 10.34 acre parcel. The site is at 5101 S. Strauss Cabin Road located