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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSTALEY ELEMENTARY 2001 - SITE PLAN ADVISORY REVIEW - 7-01A - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT W/ATTACHMENTSCounty Road 36. Funds will be made available as required to meet the construction schedule of the road improvements. Please understand that, based on the traffic study for the school site, the Intergovernmental Agreement does not require PSD to be responsible for any street improvements. We have agreed to share in a percentage of the costs in an effort to show good faith in making this a successful project. Please contact us immediately with any questions or concerns regarding the status of any of the issues listed. Thank you again for your time and expertise in reviewing the project documents. Zf Ed Holder Construction Manager cc: Bill Franzen —PSD Tammie Simpson - PSD Mike Speamak - PSD Corky Bradley — RBB Brian Grubb — City of Fort Collins — Current Planning PSD File H2 UAPDC Shared\New Elementary\Design review issues -City rgmts-Itr draf ldoc 2 of 2 F.�-�►D 4/2��01 ZhI64 si i:.; April 26, 2001 VIA FAX & MAIL City of Fort Collins Current Planning 281 North College Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 Attention: Cameron Gloss Subject: 2002 Elementary School - Prototype PSD Project No. 01-001 Status Summary of review items noted by the City of Fort Collins The Poudre School District would like to thank the City of Fort Collins for your detailed review of the design for the new 2002 Elementary School. The Poudre School District (PSD) has worked along side members of your staff in resolving issues that have been noted. The following items were recently discussed and we would like to confirm the status herein. The City wanted to confirm that the design conformed to the 100 and 500-year flood plain requirements. Our engineer has since illustrated the perimeters of the flood plain on the Civil Drawings and it is clear that no critical structures are within the flood plains. The project has been designed with a 50-foot natural area buffer from the McClelland channel. The PSD will work with the City of Fort Collins to ensure the performance standards required by the Park and Stormwater Departments are met. A mutually agreed upon resolution, if required in the future, will be implemented The PSD will provide and comply with the wetland delineation requirements as requested by the City of Fort Collins. The PSD is designing the tie in to an existing water line for supply of water during construction. We are required to comply with the state and with the local fire department requirements for construction water and for occupancy water requirements and will do so at all times. The PSD is committed to providing safe routes to all schools for our students. Should safe walking routes to the new school not be in place by opening day, PSD will make arrangements to ensure students can access the school safely. The PSD will participate in the cost of the planned County Road 36 improvements on a pro rata basis. We understand that the percentage of PSD's contribution to the cost of these improvements will he based on the school site frontage along U:V'I)C SharedWew Elemen[arykDesign review issues -City rgmts-ltr drafl3.doc 1 of 2 2407 Laporte Avenue • Fort Collins, CO 80521-2297 • (970) 482-7420 �E■/// ME NMI _. Iwo ar ei oe ■� ma �a za oa f � �I uo', ■- ■ -� LIB __.. _r_ .. � :___ __ ■ ■ s — __. Jtltl/tll/■I/ ■tltl/tll/tll/ Ultl/tll/■I/ /ii u u o -ii u u u na v u o /Itl/tll/tll/ ultl/■I/tll/ ultl/■I/■I/ mmi/tll/-ttltl/mI/tll/ u o u ii o o u .a .. .a 'so .. .. u o .. a o u =o tra tr. a. �-u. o. 1111 NO NO Mill NO SO SO MEN / - .... .. ..P1.11mm low SEE .. .. minnismium - II so ma 70 ®_ 9a au om '� ®a oav ®� �:.. /■I/tll/ ttltl/tIl/■1/ ��Itl/tll/�1/ ttltl/tIl/tll/-> u o o■ ii o u u -; o o -a-s a as a o u H. n. a .. a ao a na /tll/■I/ MEItl/■I/tll/ ttltl/tll/tll/ ttltl/■I/tll/ /■I/tll/ .. o .. .r • on o No me as an .a a ii so OR .. a.. a .. u ea oa M.M. o na na 0 PROJECT LOCATION MAP 4 KECHTER ROAD I= Walkirig / Slow Signals) to be provided by PSD m required. t MLI _7 FVTJA.F LINK TO N6C7Vao2"G0 74414. — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — IPOCC-inaxI N \ \ \, / 1z Y FiT44E WHY- LE6E?C mom= KKrenrWt No Text 2002 Elementary School, Site Plan Advisory Review, #7-01A May 3, 2001 P & Z Meeting Page 4 district and the City for access to the future City Park, which is west and adjacent to the site. The plan provides a pedestrian connection between the school site and the future City Park. 6. Water Supply The site does not currently have a water supply. The School District is expecting that a . water line can be brought from the north through Willowbrook Subdivision by this August to serve the temporary fire protection needs. The second water line to serve long-term needs would come from the west along Kechter Road. The water line in Kechter Road is to be constructed concurrently with the other road improvements that may start beginning in 2002. It is hoped that the Kechter Road water line will be operational by the time the school opens. The scheduling and construction of the necessary improvements can work; however, final plans are not approved and the funding is not yet in place. Staff is concerned that there is very little room in the schedule for error and there are no guarantees that the proposed solutions will work or will be approved and constructed in time. 7. Findings of Fact/Conclusion: A. The request is a Site Plan Advisory Review for recommendation to the Poudre School District Board of Education. The request is not a Project Development Plan, Planned Unit Development, or Subdivision. B. The location of the school complies with the City Structure Plan and good neighborhood design principles. C. The timing of off -site improvements is an item of concern and the School District should be prepared to construct all the necessary automobile, bike and pedestrian improvements according to the purpose and intent of the IGA, regardless of the progress and build -out of adjacent developments. In the absence of actual construction of the necessary improvements, the District should be prepared to escrow funds for the improvements and provide interim transportation for students who would not otherwise need such a service if the bike and pedestrian improvements existed. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Planning and Zoning Board advise the Poudre School District Board of Education that the location, character and extent of the proposed 2002 Elementary School, File #7-01A is appropriate and conforms to the elements relative to the adopted master plan (City Plan) of the City. Staff also recommends that the Planning and Zoning Board advise the Poudre District Board of Education to proceed with construction of the school only after all transportation and utility improvements are constructed; or the final design approvals, funding, and legal authority to construct such improvements are in order. 2002 Elementary School, Site Plan Advisory Review, #7-01A May 3, 2001 P & Z Meeting Page 3 3. Location/Land Use: The site is located within the Fossil Creek Planning Area. The physical location of the site is appropriate in that the facility will serve the southeast portion of the city, and is surrounded by future residential neighborhoods. Many of the children that the school serves will eventually be able to walk to school without crossing an arterial or major arterial. Upon annexation, the site will be zoned LMN. Schools are allowed in the LMN zone district subject to Planning and Zoning Board review. 4. Character/Site Design: The site design is generally in keeping with the intent of City Plan and the Land Use Code. Much of the parking is located behind the building, shielded from view of the public street. The site is well landscaped; however does not technically meet city standards for street trees and building landscaping. Staff recognizes that landscaping around the perimeter of a school building is more difficult than landscaping around the perimeter of an office building. School buildings receive significantly more foot traffic than commercial buildings. Street trees are to be planted concurrent with the improvements for Kechter Road. 5. Transportation: The site gets access from Kechter Road which is designated as a Minor Arterial on the City's Master Street Plan. Kechter Road is currently a 2-lane paved rural road with no shoulders. The School District has stated that Kechter Road improvements will be designed this summer and constructed before the school opens in the year 2002; however, this schedule, design, and the funding for such improvements is dependent upon other developments, mainly Willowbrook to the north and Fossil Creek to the west. The schedule appears reasonable except that there are no guarantees that all of the parties will cooperate and move forward as currently planned. The funding is not in place and agreements have not been signed. Staffs major concern is that the school will be partially or completely constructed and Kechter Road will remain unimproved. If this scenario plays out, the only safe means of access to the school site will be by bus and automobile. Students walking and riding bikes would be forced to walk/ride within the existing traffic lanes of Kechter Road since there are no shoulders or sidewalks. The IGA requires the School District to make pedestrian connections to adjacent properties, not to exceed 500 feet. The nearest pedestrian connection is more than 3000 feet away therefore, there could be a significant missing link in the pedestrian and bike system. - On -site pedestrian and bike circulation is adequate. The new building has pedestrian access around most of the perimeter and has links to the future Kechter Road sidewalk to the northwest and northeast. Staff has recommended that the plan reflect a future connection to the residential neighborhoods to the south and east (shown on the revised plan). The access drive and west parking lot will be shared by the school 2002 Elementary School, Site Plan Advisory Review, #7-01A May 3, 2001 P & Z Meeting Page 2 COMMENTS: 1. Background: The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: Existing Land Use Existing Zoning North Undeveloped/Agriculture LMN Low Density Mixed Use Neighborhood South Undeveloped/Agriculture FA1 (Larimer County) East Undeveloped/Agriculture FA1 ( Larimer County) West Undeveloped/Future City Park FA1 (Larimer County) The site is included within the Staley annexation which is scheduled for the second reading of the annexation ordinance on May 1, 2001. A sketch plan for the entire Staley property was submitted for review in the fall of 2000. Plans for the balance of the property, which surrounds the school site on the east and south, have not progressed past the Sketch Plan phase. 2. Right to Advisory Review: Colorado Revised Statutes provide two specific references that allow the City to review the planning and location of school sites. A. Section 22-32-124, C.R.S., as amended, addresses the right of the School District to construct schools within a municipality and the location or manner of construction of such schools. The statutes specifically limit the municipalities' participation in the process to a limited right of review and appeal to the Board of Education. B. Section 31-23-209, C.R.S. provides that no public building shall be constructed or authorized in a city until the "location, character and extent thereof' has been submitted for approval by the Planning and Zoning Board. In the case of disapproval, the Planning and Zoning Board shall communicate its findings to the School District. The Planning and Zoning Board may be overruled by the School Board by a vote of not less than two-thirds of its membership. Under Section 31-23-209, C.R.S., the Planning and Zoning Board should make a finding as to the location, character, and extent of the public building relative to the adopted Master Plan (City Plan) of the City. Such findings help ensure that the proposed project conforms to the adopted plan of the City of Fort Collins. ITEM NO. 5 NJ MEETING DATE 5 3 01 z„ STAFF Brian Grubb Citv of Fort Collins PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD STAFF REPORT PROJECT: 2002 Elementary School, Site Plan Advisory Review, #7-01A APPLICANT: Poudre School District c/o RB+B Architects 315 East Mountain Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80524 OWNER: Poudre School District 2407 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80521 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a plan to construct a new 63,092 square foot elementary school on a 14-acre site located south and adjacent to Kechter Road between County Road 7 and County Road 9. RECOMMENDATION: Approval EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City's right to advise the Board of Education on matters relating to the 2002 Elementary school is found in Colorado Revised Statutes. These statutes allow the City to comment on issues relating to compliance with the comprehensive plan (City Plan) and the location, character and extent of the project. Public schools are a permitted use in the LMN (Low Density Mixed Use Neighborhood) zone district. The site plan is generally in compliance with city standards. Staffs recommendation is based upon the assumption that street and utility improvements will be constructed in a timely manner, consistent with the purpose and intent of the Intergovernmental Agreement, and consistent with the actual needs of the facility and the neighborhood it serves. Please see the attached letter from Ed Holder, Project Manager for the Poudre Valley School District dated April 26, 2001. COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 281 N. College Ave. P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 (970) 221-6750 PLANNING DEPARTMENT