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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNORTHEAST CORNER OF EAST PROSPECT ROAD & I-25 - REZONING - 16-07 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORTI r. IliNDEVELOPED LAR.IMER COL-tNTY. TALI x g�s4g�c e 6XISTINCI Z.ONINCI: I NDI.4STR.IAL--- PR.OPOS6D Z COMM 6R1 PARCEL 11 30.4 AC, 6XISTINCI Z,ONINCt: C0MM6R-C,LA( . EOPT COLLINS MOTOR SPORTS LAPRIMER 101 TzEZON I N<�-j EXHf(g(T ET. COLLINS, COLORADO A L.IGI L,kST 2007 rf r 0 r ��RCa✓ l_ I 1 I �' 19.4 sic i z LbTPA 6XISTINCI.ZIONINCI: -�� Io(R'E .4N 6STAT6 a ; S PROPOS ED I-f I Cj I-t SCf-TOOL SITE .ZONED 'L,CE' -• Ccn'tN I;Lf�R ar. TOTAL AREA 135.37 AC EXISTING ROW 3.46 AC 0 PROPOSED CDOT ROW 5.52 AC PROPOSED ROW 13.08 AC EXISTING GWET EASEMENT 1.92 AC E PROPOSED DRAINAGE 4.15 AC EXISTING DITCH 2.55 AC EXISTING CANAL 1.09 AC RESIDENTIAL 19.41 AC WET/DRY UTILITY EASEMENTS 5.30 AC **SITE DETENTION 13.00 AC **OPEN SPACE/TRAILS 11.00 AC NET DEVELOPABLE AREA 54.89 AC I� i 0 150 300 NORTH 1" = 300' **ENGINEERING ESTIMATE - SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON FINAL SITE PLAN Xip] P3 747 OMI ulaw.eao P J1)a]S p]Ot 1 F 31]a]S0616 NORRIS DESIGN -w q . Plrmmp I UnOwpo Archim a r, W Q z 0 Y U M N OA1, FW- �e .Q Q 50 W O Z z O*� E PROSPECT RD 9/14/2007 ° ir W ° 0 Z W c� Z O h C LL W N ° W PALAMINO LN x U z DENROSE CT y gRENTON OR C WITHERS DR z J ° 2 Q ° ? SyFr W LU a oc� ESPIRIT DR a W a Vol QUEST DR GPR��PGE Staff Proposed Zoning: E - Employment BRUMBY LN Staff Proposed Zoning: C' .' Commercial C A 4 ; � O KITCHELL WAY I #16-07 N E Corner of N 1-25 & Prospect Road Rezoning,--_j City Limits Staff Proposed Zoning 1 inch equals 600 feet 7/11 /2007 C #16-07 N E Corner of 1-25 & Prospect Road Rezoning Existing Zoning UE Proposed PR-1 Site N 1 inch equals 600 feet SITE Proposed PR-1 Site #16-07 N E Corner of N 1-25 & Prospect Road Rezoning 7/11/2007 1 inch equals 600 feet NE Comer Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 20 4. The proposed rezoning would not result in significantly adverse impacts on the natural environment. 5. The proposed rezoning would result in a logical and orderly pattern of development. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the amendments to the 1-25 Subarea Plan and the City Plan Structure Plan map and the rezoning of 86 acres of I, Industrial to 66 acres of C, Commercial and 20 acres of E, Employment. Staff also recommends that an additional 19 acre parcel, owned by the applicant, be rezoned from UE, Urban Estate to E, Employment to create a 39 acre E zoned buffer between the C, Commercial zoned area (a total of 96 acres) and residential areas to the north and east. ATTACHMENTS: Current Zoning Map_NE Comer of 1-25 & Prospect Avenue Proposed Zoning Map_NE Corner of 1-25 & Prospect Avenue NE Comer Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 19 limited to, water, air, noise, stormwater management, wildlife, vegetation, wetlands and natural functioning of the environment; Staffs perspective is that development in the C, Commercial District and the E, Employment District would have no significantly adverse impacts on the natural environment. Any development application will be subject to the City's development standards relative to natural habitat, energy conservation, stormwater and landscape design. Part of the reason for enlarging the C, Commercial zoning in the NE quadrant was to devote land to the proper management of the Boxelder Creek floodplain. (c) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in a logical and orderly development pattern. The Prospect Road/1-25 interchange is a key interchange to the economic development goals of the community. It is logical that such an important interchange maximize the ability to have land available for the development of a mix of commercial and employment types of uses. The City's development standards will require adequate public utilities and infrastructure to be in place to assure an orderly development pattern. FINDINGS OF FACT/CONCLUSIONS: After reviewing the NE corner of East Prospect Road and 1-25 rezoning and amendments to the 1-25 Subarea Plan and the City Plan Structure Plan Map - #16-07, staff makes the following findings of fact and conclusions as explained above: 1. The request for amendments to the 1-25 Subarea Plan and the City Plan Structure Plan map fundamentally change the City's plans for the NE quadrant of the Prospect Road/1-25 interchange to allow for the development of a regional/community scale shopping center, but otherwise would be consistent with the City Plan's overall vision, goals, principles, and policies. 2. The rezoning request is consistent with City Plan, the City's Comprehensive Plan, based on the Structure Plan map amendment and amendments to the 1-25 Subarea Plan. 3. The proposed C, Commercial District and E, Employment District are appropriate for the parcels and will help provide tax revenues necessary to cover local funding required to improve the Prospect Road/1-25 interchange as well as other infrastructure improvements.. NE Corner Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 18 Interstate interchanges are the type of desirable sites for such regional serving retail uses. Land use plans by other jurisdictions, particularly the Town of Timnath, are changing the character of areas east of 1-25 from the rural, low density residential, areas shown on the City's plans, to more intense urban uses. In June 2007, the Timnath Town Board approved an amendment to Timnath's Land Use Plan which extended Timnath's Growth Management Area (GMA) boundary north of Timnath to County Road 52 (the northern boundary of the A-B brewery). The Timnath Land Use Plan also intensified the residential densities and land uses in the area to include commercial and employment uses. This is a significant change of conditions that affects areas within the Fort Collins GMA boundary. 1-25 is no longer a line from which land uses begin to decrease in intensity from employment and commercial uses adjacent to the highway, to urban residential, to urban estate residential, to rural uses. The land uses in areas east of 1-25 are beginning to mirror the urban types of land uses west of 1-25. Even the 100 acres of UE zoned property owned by the Poudre School District slated for use as athletic fields and school bus storage are not low intensity, rural types of land uses. In addition to the above, Section 2.9.4[H][3] provides factors that may be considered along with the mandatory requirements for quasi-judicial rezonings. Staff has prepared a response to each of the additional factors, demonstrating how the optional criteria could also be met: (a) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment is compatible with existing and proposed uses surrounding the subject land, and is the appropriate zone district for the land; The C, Commercial District and the E, Employment District are the appropriate zones for the property. The E, Employment District will provide for a land use transition from the C, Commercial District areas to the surrounding residential properties to the north and east. The E, Employment District is more restrictive than the previous I, Industrial District for the property to the north. Areas to the south and west are designated for a mix of commercial and employment uses. Also, the regulations contained in the Land Use Code are intended to have employment districts along the 1-25 corridor designed in a manner to maintain openness through the use of: setback requirements, maximum building frontage allowances, restricting building heights, and proper management of floodplains. (b) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in significantly adverse impacts on the natural environment, including, but not NE Corner Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 17 Fort Collins will be a leader in developing an economy which continues to "develop" within its GMA. The NE quadrant of the Prospect Road/1-25 interchange is within the City's GMA boundary. The plan amendments and rezonings will help strengthen the interchange for an expanded role in the City's economic development strategies. Policy GM-4.2 states: Capital Improvement Policy. The City will continue to operate under the following Capital Improvement Policies: e. The City will use a variety of different funding sources to fund capital projects with an emphasis on the "Pay-as-you-go" philosophy. One of the applicant's stated justifications for the plan amendments and rezoning is to provide a land use basis for the ability to generate sufficient tax revenues from the development of parcels around the Prospect Road/1-25 interchanges to cover the costs of necessary infrastructure improvements, including the major expense of reconstructing the Prospect Road/1-25 interchange. This would be consistent with the pay-as-you-go philosophy. (b) warranted by changed conditions within the neighborhood surrounding and including the subject property. There are several changed conditions that help justify the plan amendments and rezoning request. When the 1-25 Subarea Plan was adopted in 2003, it was assumed that the necessary improvements to the Prospect Road/1-25 interchange would be funded by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and/or the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) since it was part of the federal/state highway system. It was not anticipated that the responsibility for improving the interchange would fall on local governments and/or adjacent property owners using public/private partnerships. The plan amendments and rezoning request will help address this changed condition whereby local revenues will need to be created in order to finance interchange improvements. The competition for retail sales tax dollars is also significantly different now in 2007 than it was in 2003. In order for the City to remain competitive in the Northern Colorado market, undeveloped retail commercial sites in desirable locations need to be provided. The City is lacking in areas to attract regional/community scale retail establishments. NE Corner Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 16 How the plan amendments and rezoning request addresses the requirements in the City's Land Use Code are summarized below: (a) consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan; As indicated earlier, staff decided to review the land uses around the Prospect Road/1- 25 interchange as a result of the rezoning requests from the City, for the SW quadrant, and the private property owner, for the NE quadrant, to determine what would be the best land use pattern for the area around the interchange for the City as a whole, independent of the specific rezoning requests. The amendments to the plans are related to the rezoning requests but are independent actions. If the amendments to the plans are approved, the rezoning requests are simply implementation actions to the plan amendments. Staff is recommending the plans be amended to allow additional commercial and employment land uses to develop in the NE quadrant of the Prospect Road/1-25 interchange. It is becoming more apparent that 1-25 is not a logical urban edge to the community. The importance of the 1-25 corridor to the economic development of Northern Colorado can be viewed all along the corridor. The towns of Timnath, Windsor, and Wellington are changing the character of areas east of 1-25 from the rural, low density residential areas envisioned in both the initial City Plan of 1997, and the 2004 update, to urban types of uses. In staffs opinion, the City's plans need to be changed to address the new regional context of what is happening beyond the City's Growth Management Area (GMA) boundary. In City Plan, one of the stated community goals is: Fort Collins will maintain its role as a regional economic center. The downtown, the Foothills Mall, and South College Avenue are typically the areas cited as the most important retail shopping locations to help achieve this goal. Staff believes that interstate interchanges need to be elevated to share a similar importance. Principle ECON-2 states: Economic Sustainability: The City will strive to develop an economy which will be self-sustaining within the limits of its GMA. Policy ECON-2.2 states: NE Corner Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 15 Page 26 Page 26 The map amendments will graphically depict the Fort Collins 1-25 Fort Collins 1-25 proposed zoning Subarea Plan — Zoning Subarea Plan — Zoning changes to show 96 total Plan Plan acres of the C, Commercial District and Existing map. The map will be 39 acres of the E, amended to delete 86 Employment District. acres of I, Industrial zoning and 19 acres of Urban Estate zoning to show about 66 additional acres of C, Commercial zoning and 20 acres of E, Employment zoning the NE quadrant of the Prospect/1-25 interchange adjacent to the highway. Below is a summary of the recommended change to the City Plan Structure Plan map. Existing Map Amendment Justification for the Change Existing map. The map will be The map amendments amended to delete 86 will graphically depict the acres of Industrial District map's consistency to the land and 19 acres of amendments being made Urban Estate land to in the 1-25 Subarea Plan. show about 96 acres of Commercial Corridor land and 39 acres of Employment District land located in the NE quadrant of the Prospect/1-25 interchange adjacent to the highway. Analysis Based on Rezoning Review Criteria NE Corner Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 14 Page 26 Fort Collins 1-25 Subarea Plan — Land Use Plan Existing map. Page 26 Fort Collins 1-25 Subarea Plan — Land Use Plan The map will be amended to delete 86 acres of Industrial designated land and 19 acres of Urban Estate land in the NE quadrant and to show about 66 acres of additional Commercial land and 20 acres of Employment land in the NE quadrant of the Prospect/1-25 interchange. Also, the Activity Centers boundary around the Commercial Corridor designated land in the NE quadrant will be expanded to cover all 96 acres of commercial designated land.. acres, additional land necessary to be designated for commercial development above the simple addition of 25 acres from the SW quadrant. A total of 79 acres of commercial zoning is requested and should be sufficiently large enough for a regional/community sh000ino center. Page 26 Fort Collins 1-25 Subarea Plan — Land Use Plan The map amendments will graphically depict the wording changes being made in the 1-25 Subarea Plan. NE Comer Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 13 21 5.2 Land Use Plan Objectives Designation of Activity Centers. This plan designates activity centers along 1-25 at the Prospect Road and Mulberry Street interchanges. These centers are intended to evolve into concentrated areas of mixed -use development with high visibility, increased levels of activity, and more integrated appearances. In addition, the northeast quadrant of the I- 25/Mulberry interchange is planned as a potential location for a regional/community shopping center. 5.2 Land Use Plan Objectives Designation of Activity Centers. This plan designates activity centers along 1-25 at the Prospect Road and Mulberry Street interchanges. These centers are intended to evolve into concentrated areas of mixed -use development with high visibility, increased levels of activity, and more integrated appearances. in addition, the neFtheas and also the potential location for a regional/community shopping centers. property. The need for additional undeveloped commercial land in the City is critical for the community to provide alternative locations for retail development in Northern Colorado. Interstate interchanges are a logical location for regionally serving retail development. With the rezoning of 25 acres of commercial zoning to employment zoning in the SW quadrant of the Prospect Road/1-25 interchange and the relative lack of commercial zoning in the community as a whole, it is important to maintain a significant amount of commercial zoning at the Prospect/1-25 interchange. Basically, transferring 25 acres of Commercial zoning from the SW quadrant to the 30 acres of Commercial zoning in the NE quadrant is a start. However, due to development constraints in the NE quadrant, such as land needed to accommodate the Boxelder floodway, etc., which requires about 20 NE Corner Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 12 Again, in summary, the specific plan amendments for this request involve changing 86 acres of industrial to 66 acres of commercial and 20 acres of employment and changing 19 acres of urban estate to employment in the NE quadrant of the Prospect interchange. To support the requested rezoning, staff believes amendments to existing plans will be necessary. Listed below are the statements, policies, and maps which need to be amended within the 1-25 Subarea Plan. Existing Statements, Policies, Page vi Executive Summary: Two activity centers are identified for the subarea, one at the 1-25/Mulberry Street interchange and the other at the I- 25/Prospect Road interchange. The northeast quadrant of the 1-25/Mulberry Street interchange is also planned for the potential location of a regional/community shopping center. Amendments Deletion Additions Two activity centers are identified fsf in the subarea for the potential location of regional/community shopping centers, one at the 1-25/Mulberry Street interchange and the other at the 1-25/Prospect Road interchange. T-14e neFthea6t quadFant of the I_25W Jherni StFee4 +ntershange is also planned for the potential leGatien of a sbeppiRg seateF.. Justification for the Change The undeveloped land in the NE quadrant of the I- 25 and Mulberry Street interchange initially planned for the potential location of a regional/community shopping center is approximately 50 acres in size. Adding 66 acres of commercial zoned land to the existing 30 acres at the NE quadrant of the Prospect Road and 1-25 interchange would make a 96 acre parcel large enough for a regional or community shopping center. However, all 96 acres are not developable due to 20 acres of site constraints, including the Boxelder Creek floodplain. _ Therefore, the total developable size of the commercial area would be 76 acres, or about the size of the Foothills Mall NE Comer Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 11 The Structure Plan map, a component of City Plan, the City's Comprehensive Plan, sets forth a basic pattern of development, showing how Fort Collins should grow and evolve over the next 20 years. The 1-25 Subarea Plan is an element of City Plan and provides greater detail and policies for the 1-25 corridor. The maps in these existing plans currently designate 30 acres as commercial, 86 acres as industrial, and 19 acres as urban estate (not including the 100 acres owned by the Poudre School District) in the NE quadrant of the Prospect Road/1-25 interchange. To recommend approval of the rezoning proposal, staff and the Planning and Zoning Board have to find that: 1) the existing Structure Plan is in need of change; and 2) the proposed changes would promote the public welfare and be consistent with the vision, goals, principles, and policies of City Plan. The applicable criteria are contained in Appendix C of City Plan. Review Criteria for Structure Plan Minor Amendments: Appendix C of City Plan outlines mandatory requirements for public notice, review process and evaluation criteria for minor amendments to City Plan, including Structure Plan map amendments. The Plan text states: "A plan amendment will be approved if the City Council makes specific findings that: The existing City Plan and/or related element thereof is in need of the proposed amendment, and The proposed plan amendment will promote the public welfare and will be consistent with the vision, goals, principles and policies of City Plan and the elements thereof." The fundamental policy issue to be addressed in this rezoning request: should City plans be amended and zoning changed to allow for the development of a regional/community scale shopping center in the NE quadrant of the Prospect Road/1-25 interchange? A regional/community shopping center in the NE quadrant will help contribute tax revenues necessary to fund Prospect Road/1-25 interchange improvements and related infrastructure. Given the cost to development from all four quadrants around the interchange will need to contribute funding to improve the interchange. NE Corner Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 10 o With Town of Timnath, Don Bachman, Cache la Poudre Irrigation Company, Poudre Valley School District and a local developer, developed cross section profile of future Prospect ROW which is in use today. GREELEY WATER EXTENSION & TRANSMISSION PROJECT (GWET) Background: Greeley's GWET project is a 60" diameter waterline delivering water from their pre-treatment plant NW of Fort Collins to Greeley. In its nominal configuration, the bottom of the pipeline is to be placed on top of approximately 2 feet of gravel and covered with at least 60" of soil making the total depth of their pipeline excavation and backfill approximately 12 feet. The sheer size of this project makes it important to anticipate related issues in advance of the project's construction. The 2007 segment of this project included a crossing of Prospect Road at McLaughlin Lane, a crossing of 1-25 at a location north of Prospect and completion to a point in the vicinity of the Fort Collins Airpark. The 1-25 crossing is particularly complicated since three irrigation company canal crossings, the Boxelder Creek crossing, a Boxelder Sanitation District sewer line crossing as well as various other utility crossings are located in close proximity to one another. • The White's facilitated several public/private meetings with representatives from Greeley, Timnath, Boxelder Alliance, City Transportation/Engineering and Stormwater Departments, the Poudre Valley School District, Boxelder Sanitation District, CDOT, a group of affected landowners, and others to discuss details of the project. • Arranged to have GWET representatives attend several Boxelder Alliance TAC meetings to coordinate the particularly tight and complex 1-25 crossing as well as other mutual issues. • Facilitated meetings with the Timnath Engineer and Timnath GMA developers to discuss project alignment to minimize impacts to properties in vicinity of Timnath. • Worked closely with Poudre Valley School District personnel regarding crossing of the GWET project across the District's and White's properties. • The 2007 segment of the GWET pipeline is nearing completion. 4. Amendments to the Structure Plan map and the 1-25 Subarea Plan: NE Comer Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 9 NORTH 1-25 EIS • Attended North 1-25 EIS Technical Advisory Committee meetings (usually was the only member of the public in attendance). • Participated in all local (Group 7) meetings. • Organized group of landowners in the neighborhood of 1-25/Prospect and advised them of interchange issues. • Met regularly with City Transportation staff as well as CDOT and Felsburg Holt Ullevig., consultants on the North 1-25 EIS project. • With City Transportation staff and other property owners, influenced the proposed alignment and details of the Prospect/1-25 interchange to the advantage of City. • Facilitated meetings between North 1-25 EIS and Boxelder Creek Stormwater Alliance to resolve mutual issues. • Researched and resolved historic preservation issue with North 1-25 EIS team. PROSPECT ROAD IMPROVEMENTS • Organized group of local property owners concerning issues pertaining to future Prospect Road improvements. • Coordinated regularly with City Transportation and Engineering staff. • Facilitated series of public/private meetings with the City, Timnath Engineer, and local property owners to address future improvements to Prospect before they became problems. These issues included: o Boxelder Creek crossing of Prospect west of 1-25, o Greeley Water Extension & Transmission Project (GWET) crossing of Prospect, o Boxelder Sanitation District sewer crossing of Prospect at McLaughlin Lane, o Relocation of Timnath Inlet canal to allow future widening of Prospect, o Prospect / County Road 5 intersection issues, o Boxelder Creek stormwater overflow canal crossing of Prospect (the Grand Canal). NE Comer Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 8 BOXELDER CREEK REGIONAL STORMWATER ALLIANCE • Served from the inception of the Boxelder Alliance until present as the representative for a group of private property owners. • Was one of 5 groups (Landowners, City, Wellington, Larimer County, Colorado Water Conservation Board) who EQUALLY funded the stormwater masterplan. • Served as 1 of 5 voting members on the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) which provided overall direction to the Alliance's efforts. The TAC: o Prepared the Scope of Work for the engineering consultant, o Selected the engineering consultant,, o Provided ongoing direction to/coordination with the selected consultant o Reviewed/commented on work products, o Held monthly public meetings to discuss progress, o Participated in weekly/biweekly meetings to complete tasks for the Alliance, o Reviewed/commented on final Regional Master Plan, o Participated in Alliance presentations to Alliance members and town councils. • Served as 1 of 5 voting members on the Financial Advisory Committee (FAC). o FAC was formed to ensure financial feasibility to the engineering options. o Independently funded legal consultant to the FAC. o The FAC: ■ Completed funding analyses of the Master Plan alternatives, ■ Researched project financing options, ■ Completed damages & consequences assessments, ■ Developed Funding/Implementation Strategy for final Master Plan, ■ Coordinated with TAC in developing a recommended alternative. • Prepared list of property owners in vicinity of 1-25/Prospect (400 names) for public notices. • Advised local property owners group of Alliance financing issues. • Coordinated with Alliance members including: Larimer County, Town of Wellington, the City, Town of Timnath, Town of Windsor, North Poudre Irrigation Company, Boxelder Sanitation Distirict, New Cache la Poudre Irrigation Company, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Department of Transportation and others. NE Comer Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 7 o Prospect Road west of interchange to Summit View is $1,000,000 to 1,300,000 (similar exclusions). o The total, thus, ranges from $30,700,000 to $31,600,000, at a minimum. • Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) and the City have little funds to aid in the construction of this interchange and related street improvements. • A new interchange is needed to meet the Adequate Public Facilities (APF) requirement for the new CSU R&D center in the SW quadrant as well as for the property owner's anticipated project or other developments on the interchange corners. A new interchange will serve as a "Gateway to CSU", as envisioned by the University. If the City wishes to have this interchange constructed anytime in the near future, it will likely need to be funded by a public/private financing vehicle. • The 1-25 Subarea Plan and the current Overall Development Plan (ODP) on the property were developed prior to the current interchange cost projections and proposed land use changes on the City -owned property becoming available. Clearly such magnitude of interchange constructions costs and such land use changes could not have been anticipated. • Gene Andrist, a financial planner involved with the financing of many interchanges and other major projects throughout the state, has developed a number of funding scenarios for public/private financing of the interchange. Increased levels of retail space at the interchange corners appears to be the key to provide increased revenue sources to the City to pay for interchange and related improvements. • A recent Economic Planning Systems (EPS) study commissioned by the City to evaluate future retail capacity in the vicinity of Fort Collins, determined that over the next few years an increase of approximately 1.5 million feet of retail space is anticipated. The City is in a very competitive market with the Towns of Timnath, Windsor and Wellington for this retail space. If the City wishes to capture any of this increased retail space (and its related sales tax) the City needs to move quickly and aggressively. The property owners (the Whites) have been very involved is a series of planning related studies/projects for the interchange, the surrounding area, and along the 1-25 corridor. Listed below is a summary of their involvement: NE Corner Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 6 Additional Considerations for Quasi -Judicial Rezonings. In determining whether to recommend approval of any such proposed amendment, the Planning and Zoning Board and City Council may consider the following additional factors: (a) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment is compatible with existing and proposed uses surrounding the subject land, and is the appropriate zone district for the land; (b) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in significantly adverse impacts on the natural environment, including, but not limited to, water, air, noise, stormwater management, wildlife, vegetation, wetlands and natural functioning of the environment; (c) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in a logical and orderly development pattern. APPLICANTS REQUEST AND JUSTIFICATION: The following has been submitted by the applicant as a justification for the rezoning requests: • The Prospect / 1-25 interchange was constructed in 1966. Since its construction, traffic volumes have increased significantly and the interchange structure has deteriorated. • A recent North 1-25 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) team analysis of the interchange indicates that portions of the interchange are CURRENTLY experiencing a failing Level of Service (LOS) quality F (failure). • Furthermore, the EIS team projects increases of roughly 4 times the current traffic volume for the interchange in the next 20 years. • North 1-25 EIS projections call for a 200 foot widening of interstate Right -of -Way (ROW) to accommodate an additional lane of traffic in each direction and improvements to the on/off ramps and safety lanes. As a result, any reconstruction of the Prospect interchange must accommodate a wider footprint. The current interchange ROW will not accommodate this widening. • Cost estimates/projections for the interchange and Prospect Road improvements are substantial: o The projection for the interchange itself is $25,000,000.00 (excluding ROW acquisition costs). o Boxelder Creek crossing of Prospect Road. west of interchange is $3,000,000. o Prospect Road east of the interchange to County Road 5 is $1,700,000 to $2,300,000 (excluding design, entitlements, utilities, structures, relocation of Timnath inlet canal, and CR5/Prospect intersection). NE Comer Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 5 Prospect interchange was designated as a mix use activity center with commercial, industrial, and residential uses. • Employment and industrial districts adjacent to 1-25 are to be designed in a manner as to maintain a perception of openness through the corridor. • Secondary uses (retail and highway -oriented commercial uses) typically permitted in employment/industrial districts will be required to be set back at least % mile from 1-25 to avoid a commercial strip appearance along I- 25. • Detached single-family residential development is prohibited within % mile of 1-25. • Low density, mixed use neighborhoods are to be concentrated within mile of Mulberry Street. • The balance of areas planned for residential development are to be urban estate developments. • The City's Resource Recovery Farm is to be preserved as open space. • The subarea is planned to eventually be served with multi -modal transportation options. A supplemental street system will facilitate movement within the subarea, thus, diminishing the need to utilize 1-25 for short trips. • Most undeveloped land within the subarea is expected to annex prior to development. 3. Land Use Code: The regulations covering rezonings in the City of Fort Collins are contained in Division 2.9 of the Land Use Code. Section 2.9.4 (H) (2) indicates the following: Mandatory Requirements for Quasi -Judicial Rezonings. Any amendment to the Zoning Map involving the zoning or rezoning of six hundred forty (640) acres of land or less (a quasi-judicial rezoning) shall be recommended for approval by the Planning and Zoning Board or approved by the City Council only if the proposed amendment is: (a) consistent with the City Comprehensive Plan; and/or (b) warranted by changed conditions within the neighborhood surrounding and including the subject property. Section 2.9.4 (H) (3) of the Land Use Code indicates the following: NE Comer Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 4 quadrants immediately adjacent to the Prospect Road/1-25 interchange; Employment District designations for other areas in the NE, SW, and SE quadrants; Low Density Mixed -Use Residential designation in the NW quadrant; and Rural/Open Lands and Stream Corridors designation for other areas in all four quadrants. The Structure Plan map also identified the need for additional planning in the 1-25 corridor and designated the area as the " I-25 Special Study Corridor." In addition, City Plan's chapter on Principles and Policies contained the following: PRINCIPLE LU-4: More specific subarea planning efforts will follow the adoption of these City Plan principles and Policies which tailor City Plan's citywide perspective to individual neighborhoods, districts, corridors, and edges. Policy LU-4.5 Priority Subareas. The following areas have been identified as priority for future subarea planning: • 1-25 Corridor Concurrent with the development of the 1-25 Subarea Plan, was a multi -jurisdictional cooperative planning effort to develop the Northern Colorado Regional Communities P 25 Corridor Plan. The planning boundaries of the two efforts overlapped. The regional plan studied the 1-25 corridor from County Road 52 on the north to an area south of the Town of Berthod, while the subarea plan studied the area from County Road 52 to County Road 32 (Carpenter Road). The most significant difference between the two plans is that the subarea plan dealt with land uses in more detail than the regional plan. The regional plan was based on existing land use plans of the participating jurisdictions. The regional plan focused on developing a set of design standards, a transportation element, and open lands/natural areas policies. The Northern Colorado Regional Communities 1-25 Corridor Plan was adopted by the City in November 2001. In 2003, the City adopted the 1-25 Subarea Plan as an element of City Plan. The key points, conclusions, and policies of the 1-25 Subarea Plan are summarized as follows: • The 1-25 Subarea Plan mainly deals with the area located east of 1-25 from around the Prospect Road interchange on the south to County Road 52 on the north, and County Road 5 on the east. • No change in the City's GMA boundary was proposed. • Two activity centers were identified, one at the Mulberry Street interchange and the other at the Prospect Road interchange. The NE quadrant of the Mulberry interchange was planned for the potential location of a regional/community shopping center. The NE quadrant of the NE Corner Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 3 Again, in summary, the specific plan amendments for this request involve changing 86 acres of industrial to 66 acres of commercial and 20 acres of employment and changing 19 acres of urban estate to employment in the NE quadrant of the Prospect interchange. BACKGROUND: 1. The Site: The adjoining existing zoning and land uses are as follows: N: C, Commercial and LMN, Low Density Mixed Use Neighborhood, undeveloped E: County FA-1, Farming, Kitchell Estates, large lot residential subdivision, and UE, Urban Estate, undeveloped 100 acre parcel owned by the Poudre School District S: C, Commercial, and County Commercial, partially developed retail and office uses W: C, Commercial and E, Employment, mainly undeveloped The property was annexed into the City of Fort Collins as part of the 235 acre Galatia Annexation in 1990 and zoned HB, Highway Business, IP, Planned Industrial, and RLP, Low Density Planned Residential Districts. All of the zoning districts had a Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning condition attached which required development proposals to be reviewed against the criteria of the Land Development Guidance System (LDGS) which was the City's PUD ordinance at the time. In 1997, the 235 acres of the Galatia Annexation were rezoned as part of the City Plan comprehensive community rezoning. The 30 acres of HB, Highway Business was rezoned C, Commercial; the 86 acres of IP, Planned Industrial was rezoned I, Industrial; and the 119 acres of RLP, Low Density Planned Residential was rezoned UE, Urban Estate. The HB, IP, and RLP Districts were eliminated from the Land Use Code in 1997. No parcels were rezoned as a result of adoption of the 1-25 Subarea Plan in 2003. Approximately 100 acres of the 119 acres zoned UE is currently owned by the Poudre School District. The property is undeveloped, but will likely be used for athletic fields and school bus storage. 2. City Plan and the 1-25 Subarea Plan In 1997, the City adopted City Plan as City's the new Comprehensive Plan. The Structure Plan map showed Commercial Corridor land use designations in all four NE Corner Prospect & 1-25, Rezoning and Structure Plan/1-25 Subarea Plan Amendments September 20, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 2 from UE, Urban Estate to E, Employment to create a 39 acre E zoned buffer between the C, Commercial zoned area (96 acres) and residential areas to the north and east. The review of land uses and zoning around the Prospect Road/1-25 interchanged is based on: 1. City Council direction indicating the Council's general preference for a higher level of "commercial" use for portions of the former Resource Recovery Farm property located in the SW quadrant of the Prospect Road/1-25 interchange. 2. Simultaneously, the City received a rezoning request from the owners of property in the NE quadrant of the Prospect Road/1-25 interchange requesting a change in zoning of 86 acres of I, Industrial to 66 acres of C, Commercial, and 20 acres of E, Employment. . Staff decided to review the land uses around the interchange as a result of the rezoning requests from the City and the private property owner to determine what would be the best land use pattern for the area around the interchange for the City as a whole, independent of the specific rezoning requests. The amendments to the plans are related to the rezoning requests but are independent actions. If the amendments to the plans are approved, the rezoning requests are simply implementation actions to the plan amendments. The fundamental policy issue to be addressed in this rezoning request: should City plans be amended and zoning changed to allow for the development of a regional/community scale shopping center in the NE quadrant of the Prospect Road/1-25 interchange? A regional/community shopping center in the NE quadrant will help contribute tax revenues necessary to fund Prospect Road/1-25 interchange improvements and related infrastructure. Given the cost to development from all four quadrants around the interchange will need to contribute funding to improve the interchange. The rezoning needs to be viewed independently from the City's Adequate Public Facilities (APF) requirements: All development plans for parcels impacting the Prospect interchange must include a Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA). The TIA will determine whether traffic generated by the development will result in reduced level of service (LOS) at the interchange and the physical improvements that will need to be constructed to mitigate the impacts. In order to begin construction, all development must either build the improvement or have funding appropriated that will cover improvement costs. ITEM NO. 6 MEETING DATE 9/20/07 STAFF Ken Waido (amw.-M.) Citv of Fort Collins PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD STAFF REPORT PROJECT: NE Corner of East Prospect Road and 1-25 Rezoning and Amendments to the 1-25 Subarea Plan and the City Plan Structure Plan Map - #16-07 APPLICANT: Land Acquisition and Management, LLC 7200 S. Alton Way Suite B 150 Centennial, CO 800012 OWNERS: Same PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request to amend the 1-25 Subarea Plan and the City Plan Structure Plan map, and rezone 86 acres located at the northeast corner of East Prospect Road and Interstate 25. The current Structure Plan designation for the 86 acre area is Industrial District. The current 1-25 Subarea Plan designation for the area is also Industrial District. The applicant proposes a Structure Plan amendment and amendments to the I- 25 Subarea Plan to change the area into additional Commercial Corridor and Employment District designations with corresponding rezonings to the C, Commercial District and the E, Employment District. RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the amendments to the 1-25 Subarea Plan and the City Plan Structure Plan map and the rezoning of 86 acres of I, Industrial to 66 acres of C, Commercial and 20 E, Employment, as requested by the applicant. Staff also recommends that an additional 19 acre parcel, owned by the applicant, be rezoned from UE, Urban Estate to E, Employment to create a 39 acre E zoned buffer between the C, Commercial zoned area (a total of 96 acres) and residential areas to the north and east. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Staff is recommending changes to the 1-25 Subarea Plan and the City Plan, Structure Plan map and the rezoning of 86 acres into 66 additional acres C, Commercial District (for a total of 96 acres of C, Commercial zoning) and 20 acres E, Employment District. Staff also recommends that an additional 19 COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 281 N. College Ave. P.O. Box580 Fort Collins, CO80522-0580 (970)221-6750 PLANNING DEPARTMENT