HomeMy WebLinkAboutBENNETT ROAD BUNGALOWS - PDP - 42-01 - CORRESPONDENCE - CITIZEN COMMUNICATION (19)the official record that goes forward for the Administrative Review process. Will you please let me know
by letter your response to this request.
Sinj
Worth Copies: Cameron Gloss
1501 S. Shields St. John Fischbach
Fort Collins, CO 80521 Marty Tharp
December 1, 2001
Mr. Stephen Olt, City Planner
City of Fort Collins
P.O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580
Dear Steve:
F rlrJ
DEU 0 0 2001
By
This refers to the record of the November 8 neighborhood meeting on the proposed Bennett Road
Bungalow project transmitted with your letter of November 13.
I am mystified why you reflected so little of the considerable discussion regarding the intent of the West
Central Neighborhoods Plan to develop this property as a neighborhood pocket park. I thought I had
presented enough facts to clarify the City's intent to create a park on this parcel of land. Although I noted
that you made no entries on the flip chart during my comments I assumed you would fill that in when you
received the copy of my notes you requested.
There are only two minimal references on this subject in your record -- Question and Answer 24 and
Comment 34, which road,
24. Question: I gut a letter about the Big Horn Village project to the north. Thal project will impact this
area and will use these streets. Is it too late to talk about a park on this site on Bennett
Road?
Answer: The Big Horn Village traffic will generally go to the north and the east The City Parks and
Recreation Board has determined that fwiding for a park on this site is not available and
that the parkland needs for this area are already met.
Aside from this citizen's traffic concerns, I find the answer very misleading. FIM unless I misunderstand
the City's governance, the City Parks and Recreation Board is an advisory body and certainly not in
position to set aside the City policy embodied in the West Central Neighborhoods Plan (Policy D1, Chapter
3, Page 14). Second, our analysis in developing the West Central Neighborhoods Plan clearly showed that
the area is deficient in parklands as measured by the criteria of the City of Fort Collins Parks and
Recreation Master Plan. Since the West Central Neighborhoods Plan was adopted, the deficiency has
actually increased due to the area's growing population In discussions with the Parks and Recreation
Board at the time we were developing the West Central Neighborhoods Plan, the Board expressed the
philosophy that they were only interested in recommending park developments that were supported by
impact fees. Yet, we received no justification for how the impact fees generated by this area were used
since Avery Park, the area's only neighborhood park, was developed in 1960s. Obviously, the many
housing units built in the area since then should have raised substantial capital that must have been used
elsewhere. This warrants further scrutiny with respect to the philosophy of the Parks board and their
recommended allocations. Third, the West Central Neighborhoods Plan gives very specific guidance about
searching for alternative fimding for the designated pocket parks if impact fees were not available
(Implementation Action A, Chapter 4, page 7). To our knowledge, no City department made any attempt to
pursue this implementation action when the Abbey property became available. Why not?
34. Comment: There is a park issue. 1 was a member of the West Central Neighborhood Plan (WCNP)
advisory board There seems to be some confusion about the role of the WCNP and its
legal application to the development of this property. This area is deficient of a park
No response given.
Considering the importance of the pocket park issue with respect to the Bennett Road Bungalow
application, I request that you make this letter and the notes I used at the neighborhood meeting a part of