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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAVENIR MUSEUM EXPANSION - SITE PLAN ADVISORY REVIEW - SPA130003 - REPORTS - CORRESPONDENCE-NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGResponse: In the long term, it may be possible. As you know, C.S.U. has adopted an enrollment goal of 35,000 students. While there is no timeframe associated with achieving this goal,.there will continue to be an assessment of how the campus -wide physical plant will best be able to accommodate this anticipated rise in enrollment. The U.C.A. is expected to expand again in the near future but not onto the track and field. You may have read in the paper about a significant collection that has been donated to C.S.U. by two art collectors in California. A condition of this donation is that a facility be constructed to archive and display this significant collection. Toward that end, a fund raising effort has begun. This new addition would be immediately east of the old high school and north of the expansion that we are discussing here tonight. There would be no impact on the dog park or the track and field. Construction of this new addition would be several years out. As to any new building on the existing track and field, yes, this is a possibility at some point in the future. The extent of encroaching into this open space is not known. C.S.U. is very much aware of preserving the character of the track and field and the importance to the neighborhood. 13.As long term residents, preserving this character is of utmost importance. For some of us, in today's market, we could never move and hope to have the same character and neighborhood quality that we enjoy now. 14.1 support the museum expansion. It looks like a nice addition that will blend in to the neighborhood. 15.1 also support the museum. I was not aware that U.C.A. has its own museum in the main building in addition to the Avenir Museum. Having two museums in the neighborhood is interesting. 4 49 about 50% rentals. We are losing owner -occupants. There is more trash and litter along the streets, especially paper containers from Taco Bell. I attribute this decline to C.S.U. and the influx of students associated with the U.C.A. Response: We are sorry to hear that. We think we have preserved the historic character of the former high school and have continuously allowed a portion of the track and field to be used by the neighbors as a dog park. The Facilities Department is committed to providing a high level of maintenance to the U.C.A. and we think the expansion of the Avenir Museum accomplishes that. 6. We appreciate the dog park. It creates a positive ambiance for the neighborhood and allows for a mixing of permanent residents and students. This is good social interaction. And, by the way, I enjoy listening to the practice sessions of the C.S.U. marching band. 7. 1 have lived in the neighborhood a very long time. I am also a graduate of both Fort Collins High School and C.S.U. as was my Dad. I love the open space provided by the track and field. I hope that the parking pressure does not cause C.S.U. to ever consider converting the track and field to a parking garage. This open space is too valuable to become a parking facility. 8. Do you have any plans to replace the loss of 22 spaces? Response: No, these spaces will not be replaced. As noted previously, this lot is consistently under-utilized and we think the loss of this parking and potential impact on the neighborhood will be negligible. 9. Do you anticipate any evening events? Response: Yes, there will be one night per month where we will have classes and we estimate that there will be a gallery opening about four times per year. 10. So what about parking for these activities? We already have a parking problem during the day and now we will be impacted on certain evenings as well? Response: All of our lots are open to the public after 4:00, sticker not required, as users of the dog park are aware. We can encourage evening users to use the available parking lots for our classes in our invitations for the openings. 11. That would be very helpful. Our experience is that parking is problem mostly during the day, not at night. We certainly don't want to have an evening problem as well. 12. Will there ever be future buildings on the track and field? 3 48 Response: The loss of 22 parking spaces is from the faculty and staff lot, not the student lot. Our parking surveys indicate that this lot is under-utilized. We don't think the loss of these spaces will have an impact on the neighborhood parking situation. 2. In general and perhaps not directly related to the museum expansion, there is an overall issue of how the University Center for the Arts relates to the surrounding neighborhood. Our most immediate concern is the number of on -street parking spaces that are taken up by students. This issue will have to be addressed at some point. Response: We are aware of this issue. From a quantity perspective, we think there is ample parking in both the student lot and the faculty/staff lot for the U.C.A. 3. The parking problem may not be related to the number of spaces that are offered. The problem maybe that students do not want to pay the C.S.U: annual parking fee to park in the student lots. They can avoid this fee and park on the streets. How much is the fee this year? Response: This may very well be the case. The fee for this academic year is $280.00. Please be aware that C.S.U. Parking Services is required to fully self- supporting based on fee revenues. 4. We need to work cooperatively with C.S.U. so we can all be good neighbors. Otherwise, there will continue to be strained relations between C.S.U. and the neighborhood. Response: We agree and appreciate hearing from the neighbors. We are aware that the City of Fort Collins Parking Services is beginning a neighborhood parking permit program for neighborhoods that may be impacted by student parking. These concerns have been raised by other neighborhoods as well. Please contact Randy Hensley, Parking Manager, City of Fort Collins, 416-2058, for further information. Response from City Planner: The neighborhood parking permit program is in its infancy. Neighborhoods will be evaluated on a case by case basis. There may be other solutions besides a residential parking permit. For example, Parking Services has the ability to post signs limiting on -street parking in certain areas to a maximum of two hours during the day. If there are encroachments along driveways, curbs can be painted red. In some cases, parallel parking can be converted to diagonal parking. To the best of my knowledge, the residential parking permit program will include a fee to residents to cover the cost of the program so it will not be a free permit. Randy's contact information is phone — 416-2058 and e-mail — rhensley cD-fcgov.com. 5. 1 am a 28-year resident in the neighborhood. The expansion of the museum by 10,750 feet is not a major issue for me. Having said that, however, I must say that on a broader level, C.S.U. has proven to be a negligent neighbor since taking over the old high school. I have noticed that our neighborhood is now 2 47 Neighborhood Meeting Summary Project: Expansion of the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising at the University Center for the Arts Complex, Colorado State University — 216 East Lake Street Date: September 18, 2013 Applicant: Colorado State University, College of Health and Human Sciences c/o Fred Haberecht and Cass Beitler, C.S.U. Facilities Department Planner: Ted Shepard, Chief Planner, C.D.N.S. The meeting began with a description of the proposed project. As proposed, the project consists of expanding the existing Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising by 10,750 square feet to the east side of the Annex of the old Fort Collins High School building that faces Lake Street. The majority of the proposed new building is located on top of the existing faculty and staff parking I resulting in a loss of 22 parking spaces. The expansion will be one-story and feature a prominent entry facing Lake Street. The brick will match the brick on the existing main building. The existing driveway off Lake Street would be shifted 120 feet to the east. There would be a reduction in size of the dog park by approximately 25%. The purpose for the expansion is primarily to accommodate the existing art collection with new archival space, galleries as well as new classroom space. The overall buildings at University Center of the Arts total 196,000 square feet. The proposed expansion is 10,750 square feet — 5% of the total. This expansion would be processed as a Site Plan Advisory Review per Colorado State Statutes. This process calls for a neighborhood information meeting and a future public hearing with the Planning and Zoning Board. Questions, Concerns, Comments (Unless otherwise noted, all responses are from the applicant.) We live across the street from the track and field and we are concerned about parking around the neighborhood. It seems like every year it gets worse. There are times, mostly during the day, when we cannot park in front of our house and _ have to park blocks away. This is very inconvenient. So when we see that the expansion will replace existing parking, we get very concerned. 46