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HomeMy WebLinkAboutREFERRED MINOR AMENDMENT TO THE RIGDEN FARM NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER - 56-98C - REPORTS - CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONFRO�RNABAS TEAM LLC FAX NO. : 970-224-0575 Feb. 01 2001 01:01PM P1 Rigden Farm, LLC 1027 W I lorsctuoth Road, SUItC 00 Fort Collins, (:(:) 80526 Phone: (970)225-9 i05 lax: (970)225-9709 MEMO Date: 12/4/00 To: All Purchasers of Lots/Rigden Farm -Fort Collins From: Fred L. C:roci, President �/ Wolverine Management Group Inc., Manager =44 � Re: Rigden Farm Community Center Revisions The ownership of Rigden Farm in the name of the homeowner associations plans to make a minor modification to the community center development plan. The house is now planned to be occupied full time as a residence for the homeowner association manager's family. Initially it was planned that the house would be used as the homeowner management office during business hours only. Originally the home was to have a small coffee shop in the house with a large patio east of the home. A community mail center was also planned somewhere near the barn. Modifications planned to be made include moving the coffee shop out to the barn and remodeling the barn to be used as a coffee shop, basketball court and association public meeting facility for 4-H, scout, and other neighborhood meetings. A large outdoor patio seating area overlooking the children's playground will be installed on the east side of the barn. Te avoid congestion around the community center, especially with children in the area, the central mail facility is being changed by installing multiple mail boxes in the neighborhoods. The house and garage will become a residence for the manager and his wife who will both become managers and social directors for events to be held within the Rigden Farm Community and the community barn to help build a strong sense of community. At least six major social events are planned for each year. To acknowledge your approval of these modifications please sign the attached letter where appropriate and return the original in the envelope provided. If you have any questions call me at 970-225-9305. Thanks for your help. Fy 9 (5 1 T 0 M'# opuloloo 'su!lloo ljo=l uucJ uap8Pd w.ry j uop2ia 3v asnOH uOsuyOf I i ml51 I€ oils a }v W N LL J aw 0 W u Q 0d) Z w CL a° J IZ a v o 11 Cad At, laryasol dH 'Wtl L£ 05 60 10/9l/£0 ' L1noRo1 '6Mp luawpuawo' Joulw 33u£t4OZ^\bm P\dOd\A£6OZ\ONVI\S3113 103fMA:3 No Text KING YGLE PC.RKMG ,tails, .. ■ OJNKHOUSE - - ■ GARDEN RAIL FEND ■ TAILS 5N ■ %, m a■ 00 z ■ ■ ■ ■ _ L. �1•*1f10•_ PLA` Cf of EYA161T A Page 7 Neighborhood Community Center Review March 22, 2001 home. My faith in the Rigden Farm project is demonstrated by my commitment to my project. I regret that this dispute must come before the Planning and Zoning Board, but I consider the proposed changes as a downgrading of the Rigden Farm project that adversely effects the LaGrange project. The Rigden Farm partners have been un-willing to reconsider their position which leaves me no choice but to contest the proposal. I support the original approved plan. I request that the Neighborhood Community Center be developed as originally approved. I request that the proposed minor amendment be denied on the grounds that it constitutes an adverse change of character of the Rigden Farm development. Very truly yours, Carl J. Glaser GLASER ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS Page 6 Neighborhood Community Center Review March 22, 2001 memo to all purchasers of lots in Rigden Farm (Exhibit E), Fred Croci solicited support for the proposed changes. Plans detailing the changes were never provided, and consequently I contend that any support that has been garnered has been based on partial information. What are the benefits to be gained by the proposed caretaker/social director? According to the memo, the caretaker would be "full-time" rather than just during business hours. The social director would be responsible for at least six major social events each year - which I have since been informed include Easter egg hunts and Fourth of July parades. I fail to see what benefits could be possibly gained by having a caretaker on -site 24/7. He certainly would not work more than forty hours per week, and how much is going to get accomplished after business hours? The social events are a nice thought for community development and I support their implementation ... I'm just not willing to sacrifice homeowner access to the Johnson house to achieve the events when there are better alternatives. The on -site caretaker/social director forces the homeowners into a cumbersome precedence that will be difficult to change. ALTERNATIVES The Rigden HOA will have numerous options for implementing community activities not the least of which is volunteering and organizing events on a grass -roots, special - interest basis. The retired people may enjoy watching the Easter egg hunt - and could certainly help to organize it - but they may be more interested in a bridge club that met every Thursday afternoon at the Johnson house. These things will happen automatically if the facilities are there. Other options include: a. Hire a caretaker who lives off -site but is on -site eight hours per day and is available by cell phone for emergencies. b. Hire a professional writer to publish a bi-monthly newsletter. Joe Lewendawski quoted $500 /newsletter which would include calling various people for articles, editing the articles, publishing a calendar, publishing pictures of the last events, and have a "sound -off column" for gripes about barking dogs, etc. C. Hire a professional event coordinator. Connie Montgomery of The Mantooth Company is such a person who would organize the events, orchestrate volunteers, and even solicit donations from corporate sponsors to make the event cost-free. Her fees are $30 to $50 per hour depending on the amount of time required; the more time, the cheaper her rate. Connie can get the events set up the first year and then do a simple "kick-start" thereafter, once the format is in place. The Rigden HOA should have the flexibility to decide how events are organized and who will organize them. The above suggestions keep the organizer at an "arms -length transaction" so if there is any disappointment with the results, the HOA can simply select someone else the next time without evicting the previous social chairman from their Page 5 Neighborhood Community Center Review March 22. 2001 prominent location on the round -a -bout at the culmination of a bicycle/pedestrian path that weaves through the project. The Johnson house is - and probably shall remain - the most distinctive structure in the residential area of Rigden Farm. It enjoys a location of prominence. Now it is proposed that this focal point is going to be a private residence that is inaccessible to the homeowners. This does not make sense and it should be denied. 6. There is no compelling reason to necessitate the change. Rigden Farm LLC managing partner Fred Croci informed me at a 10/23/00 breakfast meeting that the building department requirements for conversion of the Johnson house to a coffee shop would be cost prohibitive. My notes indicate Fred was concerned about the expense of ADA compliance and that the building department would require the stairs to the second floor be re -built because they had irregular riser heights. Fred proposed an alternative of having a full-time caretaker reside in the house with his wife who would act as social director. It was Fred's conclusion that since the house was not going through a "change -of -use", the extensive remodeling costs could be saved. Fred explained that the coffee shop would be moved to the barn along with the basketball. I questioned if he was proposing an addition for the coffee shop. He said, 'No, there was enough room.' I said I would reserve judgement until I saw the plan. In a 11/14/00 telephone conversation with Mike Gebo of the Fort Collins Building Department and a 1 /24/01 follow-up call to confirm my notes from the first call, I determined the following: a. Mike was not called out to the Rigden site until after the Johnson house, barn, and out -buildings had been moved. He remembers it being hot, and thinks it was in June, 2000. b. The Uniform Building Code requires that any building that is moved is required to be brought into compliance with the code regardless of change of use. The Uniform Conservation Building Code could apply to some degree with leniency in this matter. C. Mike would consider the stairs as they exist, however if they are unsafe, they would have to be up -graded whether the house stays a house or is used as a coffee shop with a small office upstairs. d. Upgrades for use as a coffee shop would be flexible provided that floor loading was adequate, there was handicapped accessibility (which would be provided via the approved deck design), and there was access to a bathroom. e. For the house to remain a house, it would need to comply with the same electrical, plumbing, roof structure, and energy codes as would be required for the coffee shop. The above information was conveyed to various Rigden Farm partners. In a 12/4/00 Page 4 Neighborhood Community Center Review March 22, 2001 the interior space of the NCC is only 60% of its approved size. Adding additional uses without adding additional area is unacceptable. The approved PDP shows a 1,300 square foot deck (plus handicapped ramps) and a 2,200 square foot patio for a total of 3,500 square feet. The proposed amendment indicates a 600 square foot deck (with no indication for handicapped accessibility) that is now separated from the patio which has been reduced to 900 square feet for a total of 1,500 square feet resulting in a 57% reduction, or 43% of their approved size. 4. The concept is poorly conceived and will ultimately compromise the integrity of the Johnson house. I have posed this question to the Rigden LLC in a 11 /28/00 letter: "Have you considered what means of transitions would take place should the "social director" become incapacitated or - as could easily happen when many people are involved - not be the social director of choice of the homeowners?" They eventually gave a verbal response that the house will be the property of the Rigden HOA and the HOA members would have the right to evict the caretaker/social director. It could be a difficult situation to evict the surviving spouse should one of the selected couple be killed in a car accident, yet that's the situation that could arise! This begets another question which remains unanswered: "The Rigden LLC may have located the perfect caretaker/social director couple to locate in the house for now, but let's say they eventually want to retire, what is the likelihood that the HOA will find another couple with the same unique attributes and are willing to move to a house where they have no security and they are "a vote away" from being evicted." Consequently, I foresee the eventuality that the house will either become an albatross as a rental unit owned by the Rigden HOA with no public benefit, or it will become the financial burden of the HOA to convert into the community space it was originally approved to be. 5. The proposed change is a mis-use of the historic Johnson house which is an architectural focal point. City Plan Policy CAD-2.1 Civic Buildings and Grounds states that "...community buildings, government offices, recreation centers... should be placed in central locations as highly visible focal points." Paragraph 4.4.(A) of the Fort Collins Land Use Code (LUC) states that "a neighborhood center provides a focal point, and attractive walking and biking paths invite residents to enjoy the center as well as the small neighborhood parks." So the Rigden developers have moved this architecturally significant, historic house to a Page 3 Neighborhood Community Center Review March 22, 2001 The barn is not very big. At 34 feet by 44 feet, it is only 1,496 square feet. As a means of comparison, a junior high basketball court is 42 feet x 74 feet so the barn is not even big enough for a half -court. According to the 1997 Uniform Building Code, the barn would be able to accommodate 100 people - not counting space deleted for washrooms. So less than one in ten home -owners could be represented at a home -owner's association meeting in its intended open configuration. The barn is not large enough to accommodate additional uses that are dissimilar to that of an open activity room. The proposed minor amendment would essentially divide the barn in half with the basketball area on one side and the coffee shop and washrooms on the other. A dribbling basketball is not conducive to a quiet conversation over a cup of coffee, and the compromised space will make the basketball area ineffectual. Consequently the ambiance that would have been achieved by the coffee shop in the house will be lost and the open area of the barn will be lost. The Johnson house in the proposed amendment would now be the residence of the caretaker/social director. Most of the main floor would be private area; only a small management office on the back end would be accessible to the homeowners. Handicapped accessibility ramps have been deleted and the size of the deck has been significantly reduced. The LaGrange project was planned on the premise that the NCC would be developed as depicted in the approved PDP. Because of the close proximity to the Rigden neighborhood center the LaGrange project was designed without a private community center to encourage residents to utilize the NCC. This is supported by City Plan Principle LMN-2.2 Neighborhood Center: "At a minimum, each neighborhood will include a Neighborhood Center that serves as a year-round gathering place accessible to all residents... The inclusion of rooms or indoor space for meetings and neighborhood functions is encouraged, as is a square, plaza, pavilion, or other outdoor space accessible to all residents." I contend that if the proposed amendment is approved, the meeting area shall be non- functional because a) it is too small, and b) it has incompatible uses which cancel each other out. It's the equivalent of having no neighborhood center at all. 3. The proposed change adds uses to the neighborhood community center (NCC) without adding any additional square footage, and in fact - the exterior area has been decreased. As previously discussed, the barn is approximately 1,496 square feet. The footprint of the Johnson house is approximately 1,155 square feet (excluding the front porch) for a total of 2,651 square feet. Assuming a management office of 100 square feet, the proposed use of the caretaker/social director residence will consume 40% of the Neighborhood Community Center. However, the caretaker/social director is a private use and therefore Page 2 Neighborhood Community Center Review March 22, 2001 without adding any additional square footage, and in fact - the exterior area has been decreased. 4. The concept is poorly conceived and will ultimately compromise the integrity of the Johnson house. 5. The proposed change is a mis-use of the historic Johnson house which is an architectural focal point. 6. There is no compelling reason to necessitate the change. The following is a in-depth discussion on the above objections: 1. The proposed change will result in a change of character of the development. Paragraph 2.2.10 (A)(2)(d) of the Fort Collins Land Use Code (LUC) states that "Minor amendments shall only consist of ... any change to any approved development plan or any site specific development plan...provided that: the minor amendment does not result in a change in the character of the development." The approved use of the Johnson house is a gathering place which has been depicted with decks, patios, umbrellas, lights, and banners. The proposed change shall make the house a private residence with a secondary use of a small office on the back end accessed via a small deck with no provisions for handicapped accessibility. Separation between public and private areas shall need to be addressed to comply with planning department concerns and the character of the house shall be decidedly 'non-public'. There can be little argument that the proposed change - in fact - changes the character and therefore should be denied. 2. The proposed change would adversely affect the quality of life of the Rigden Farm development and the quality of life of the LaGrange Condominiums. The approved PDP lists the uses of the Johnson house as: convenience store, P.O. boxes, and coffee shop. I believe it was also intended to have management office space, which is appropriate joint use to manage the coffee shop and convenience store. The postal boxes are now going to be dispersed throughout the project which has safety benefits. The interior would make a delightful coffee shop and small meeting area where residents could gather for passive activities. The raised floor would be handicapped accessible from the ramps incorporated in the exterior deck. There would be additional gathering space on the patio. There would be a reason for residents to congregate here. The approved PDP lists the uses for the barn as: a meeting area (presumably for larger gatherings), basketball, dance hall, and day care. These are activities that not only require more space, they also create more noise and generate more activity. These are uses that would be in conflict with the passive uses listed for the house. GIASE11 iXSS:;(;I/X 11 March 22, 2001 ARCHITECTURE PLANNING INTERIORS L io JCrmKouIV FORT COLLINS, CO Af159d 9d19 Ph. 970.493.3020 Fax 970.493.3033 Net.GAAPI@ool.com Troy Jones City of Fort Collins, Current Planning 281 North College Avenue Fort Collins, Colorado 80524 Re: Neighborhood Community Center at Rigden Farm Review of the Proposed Minor Amendment Dear Troy: I submit this letter in opposition to the proposed "Minor Amendment III - Caretaker Housing" which - if approved - would modify the intended uses of the historic Johnson house and accompanying barn in the designated neighborhood community center of the Rigden Farm development. I am an affected property owner: I am the sole owner of the LaGrange LLC which owns Tract F, the 9.5 acres which has been approved for a development of 97 condominium units located diagonally opposite the neighborhood center (at the northwest quadrant of Rigden Parkway and Custer Drive; see Exhibit A). When I purchased the property on April 13, 2000, the Johnson House had been designated on the Rigden Farm First Filing PDP (drawing PDP-6, revised date: 10/1/99) for the following uses: convenience store, P.O. boxes, and coffee shop. It was shown with approximately 2,200 square feet of patio and a 1,300 square foot deck that incorporated ramps for handicapped accessibility. The barn was listed as a meeting area, basketball, dance hall, and day care. (Exhibit B) Furthermore, architectural renderings which the Rigden LLC utilized to market the property and probably used in their submittals to the City of Fort Collins depict the farmhouse as a gathering place with decks and umbrellas. (Exhibit C) The intent of the minor amendment is that the Johnson house would become the residence for an on -site caretaker/social director and - without adding any additional area - the barn would now also incorporate the coffee shop along with a basketball court, and neighborhood meetings. The revised plans propose a 600 square foot deck with no indication for handicapped accessibility at the house and the barn is indicated to have a 900 square foot patio for a total outdoor area that is less than half of what was originally proposed. (Exhibit D) A summary of my objections are as follows: 1. The proposed change will result in a change of character of the development. 2. The proposed change would adversely affect the quality of life of the Rigden Farm development and the quality of life of the LaGrange Condominiums. 3. The proposed change adds uses to the neighborhood community center (NCC)