HomeMy WebLinkAboutBRIDGEWATER FARMS ANNEXATION & ZONING, UGMA AMENDMENT, STRUCTURE PLAN AMENDMENT - 5-03 - CORRESPONDENCE - OTHER JURISDICTIONS (5)individual components to remain viable.
irrigation water delivery, access to fields
constraints by a higher density of neighbors.
These are all issues of transportation to markets,
and pastures, availability of farm services and
If this project does go forward as described by the applicant Larimer County Parks and Open
Lands would like to put forth several recommendations:
1. The development include buffers between residential areas and adjacent agricultural
operations.
2. The future residents be informed of the state and county Right to Farm provisions.
3. The City of Fort Collins review any additional annexation requests in this area in the light of
aspirations by departments within the City of Fort Collins for preservation of agricultural
lands, open space and community separators.
Cc:
Jill Bennett
Larimer County Advance Planning
PA
Parks, Open Lands, and Fairgrounds Department
COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE
MEMO
DATE: February 26, 2003
TO: Cameron Gloss
City of Fort Collins Planning Department
Current Planning
1800 South County Road 31
Loveland, CO 80537
(970) 679-4570
(970) 679-4574 -Fax
RE: Bridgewater Farms Annexation: Annexation and Zoning, Structure Plan Amendment, and
Urban Growth Area Boundary Extension
FROM: Charles M. Gindler Phone: 970/679-4569
Larimer County Parks & Open Lands Fax: 970/679-4574
1800 South County Road 31 E-Mail: gindlecm@co.larimer.co.us
Loveland, CO 80537
Latimer County Parks and Open Lands has reviewed this application and has several comments
regarding this level of residential density in this particular area.
Bridgewater Farms and the surrounding property falls within an area designated as Important
Agricultural Lands in the Larimer County Open Lands Master Plan (2001). Because
Bridgewater Farms and adjacent properties are comprised of prime soils for agricultural
production these areas have been highlighted for preservation and protection for agricultural use.
Bridgewater Farms and the properties to the north and east have Class I, Class H (predominate),
and Class III soils, which are highly productive and make up a small percentage of the soils
composition of Larimer County. Additionally, these scarce but productive soils are disappearing
rapidly to development. Larimer County Parks and Open Lands and the City of Fort Collins
Natural Areas Program have been working cooperatively in the area between Fort Collins and
Wellington to protect these soils, preserve agriculture and to develop an open space separator
between the two communities.
Expansion of the Urban Growth Area Boundary into this area, and subsequent annexation and
development, would have a number of detrimental effects on Larimer County agriculture.
Conflicts between residential and agricultural use might cause additional hardships on nearby
farms already struggling to exist. Extending annexation and higher densities into this prime
agricultural area would drive up land values, making it more difficult for farms to continue in
agriculture and more difficult for land preservation efforts to afford to help keep those farms in
agriculture. Reducing the size of a contiguous agriculture area makes it more difficult for the