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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAPSTONE COTTAGES REZONE - REZ140002 - MINUTES/NOTES - CORRESPONDENCE-NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING (5)Did You Receive stone Cottages Neighborhood Meeting - Dec. 10, 2014 Written Notification of this CurrentCa Address? Meeting? Name: Email Address: Zip: Yes No Yes No f y G ; ; ; ; i ; ; ; I i ; I ; ; ' i i ; S I 3 ; Capstone Cottages Neighborhood Meeting - Dec. l0 201 p g g g 4 Did You Receive Written Notification of this Meeting? Current Address? Name: Email Address: j Zip: Yes No Yes No LGl LiSil� r� O on, S`OD ;sin cood�dr. 0Om �oo� Sot Fxc*-rp(1655 SI asz� WO L5 r` hnV l cb Q%I l -tz flir,_N 141 4LZ 4/S PS. i tS'OS ' r i ' Vict- LV�- s la �k 6 i M /- � t ' ✓ ;/ �50. St�c� :'`.✓ ZO u F l-AvtC-C, %h Lisa_5 i i t Did You Receive Capstone Cottages Neighborhood Meeting - Dec. l0 201 p g g g 4 Written Notification of this Current Address? Meeting? Name: Email Address: j Zip: Yes No Yes j No L I a Lee n) ' �o ��► L-� T ; 104r �cCO.-i V I+ I� 4-. i car I �7 -eti^ ►f'� c r� e o� P ;ll, Ac✓t � o e •�S �(�L�t De.tiiv D� ` i ,�-,5 � k1i es m^ H c"v"(,' i I i l\ K�ertnoun0�� sdsGl�or Is,or, wLa i io!s Z %� x 3�) t'+ ��'� 9oldM+'eclG7te� s� YNc�t�, i 6 � �l �dt� rv^� ! �'+•i ,T , x c,,1u*.�c�eti�,;�')<, d\,Shu�)00 Pff 1 % C Vyn 1-ccPVO 20 &o LAQO i ' , U T--A' COMPI-) ct M4-Q 010 Response (City): I'm guessing about 100 feet. Comment (City): We want to make sure we are accurately capturing your level of interest in the potential neighborhood connection. The options include: We can do absolutely nothing; we can do a sidewalk connection, or a one-way or two-way vehicle connection. We have heard about the difficulties getting in and out of Andersonville. The original thought was that based on traffic volumes, safety, that signal is really problematic and in lieu of that or until we get Lemay realigned, the idea was to provide the ability to get out on Lemay without a left — is that a benefit to your neighborhood? What we've heard so far tonight is that the connection isn't a good idea or isn't wanted. Can we get another show of hands on some of the potential options? Informal vote: No connection: Majority of votes Southbound (one-way) only: Several votes Two-way connection: No votes Pedestrian connection: No votes Comment (Citizen): If we take it, we know the other option won't happen. Comment (Citizen): I feel like we need to process this first — we need more time. I feel like there are a lot of people impacted who aren't here tonight. I don't think the decision should just be made by just a handful in attendance tonight. I feel like we're desperate for an outlet, and I feel like this could provide it, but it only seems like a great idea because if we don't do this, it's only going to continue to get worse. I know a lot of people said they don't want this, but I feel like we need to ask more people. I don't feel like that decision should be made tonight. A lot of people in the neighborhood are older, don't speak English, or just aren't up to speed yet. Comment (Applicant): I don't think 5 people should be making the decision either. I think the next opportunity will be at the public hearing which will be in a couple months. Come to that meeting and let the decision maker know then after you've had a chance to speak with your neighbors. We think the connection makes sense, but if the neighborhood doesn't want it, we won't build it. Next steps (City): ■ The summary will be sent to everyone who signed in at the meeting tonight, and forwarded to the decision maker. ■ We have been reviewing the first PDP submittal since last May. When a new submittal is made, the development review will continue. ■ The rezoning is a separate item and is going to P&Z tomorrow night (12/11/14) and to Council on January 6`n ■ For future meetings and hearings, there will be additional mailed notices. Capstone Cottages — Plan Amendment/Rezoning &PDP (3rd Neighborhood Meeting Summary) Page 9 December 10, 2014 We also have land bank properties that had development impediments at one point that were not valuable to the market and we hold on to them to develop them for affordable housing at a future date. We wouldn't be able to come to this lot without ownership or control to say we need affordable housing. There are definitely issues throughout the community, including gentrification. Social Sustainability and the City have recently hired consultants to look at housing affordability policies and we're looking at ways we can incentivize the right products in our community. Response (Citizen): We need to find someone from the market to provide affordable housing and get people to support that. How do we make that happen and partner to make that happen? Response (City): That's what we're looking at, and we have a strong partner with the Fort Collins Housing Authority. The amount of layers and financing to make these projects work make it a very hard thing to do. Comment (City): If what people want is a connection, a one-way option could be considered. It's up to you all as to if a connection is made, and what it looks like (vehicular, one way, pedestrian only, etc.) Response (Citizen): The only hope or relief that we have to get out of Andersonville is the connection until Lemay is realigned and built? So if we say no to the connection, what we're really saying is we want it to stay the same way it is right now. Question (Citizen): So you're saying the students will all go out and go south? The breweries are to the north — don't tell me they aren't going to go to the breweries. Response (Applicant): There are breweries to the west and to the east. New Belgium is the main brewery that is located to the north. Comment (Citizen): I appreciate the discussion on affordable housing, but I don't think that's what this meeting is about. I think the biggest issue is the infrastructure, and is that in place to handle this development? I drive up and down Lemay and Lincoln. You can't get out on Lemay from Buckingham or Andersonville. It's too much traffic. If a train comes along, how much longer is Fort Collins going to develop without dealing with the trains, and the trains affect the traffic. Everyone knows Lemay needs to be widened, but it's not going to happen. At what point does the City actually have the funds to do the infrastructure. This is too big of a project and the infrastructure is just not there. Comment (Citizen): BNSF just built more lines at.the switching yard, and the trains are long with the Vestas windblades. You wait just as long on North College as you do anywhere else. Response (City): There are lots of people sharing your frustration. I can't tell you how frustrating the railroads re for the City as well. It's something we deal with on a daily basis. What we're also seeing is that it happens on Prospect west of Timberline. We have trains that stop there for 30 or 45 minutes. It is all over Fort Collins. How we deal with that is a huge challenge, and it's larger than what we could require a typical development to solve. We have no control over the train schedules and no ability to regulate that. Comment (Citizen): It's not that you require them to fix the issue, but not to exacerbate it. Comment (Citizen): In my observation, the City is anti -automobile, and that the City is just being too cheap to put in a light until the realigned Lemay is built. This is something that needs to be done, and I see the stoplights sitting in the back at the traffic department on Linden —why can't they use those? Response (City): It's not about money. We've put in traffic signals where they are appropriate to put in. It's about safety. People think it's a cure-all to put in traffic signals, and sometimes they cause more traffic and cause more severe types of accidents. I know it's counter -intuitive. Comment (Citizen): When a kid gets squashed on Buckingham, it will be traffic safety, and you'll put up a light. Question (Citizen): How long is the potential connector road between Duff and 10`h street? Capstone Cottages — Plan Amendment/Rezoning &PDP (3" Neighborhood Meeting Summary) Page 8 December 10, 2014 you to help with these issues. We have areas upstream of you that are affecting you, not necessarily this project. We have a dedicated funding source for our master plan projects that we collect from fees that citizens pay that will go towards projects like NECCO. If there is an existing problem in the City, then the City will be responsible for taking care of it. The requirements for this project are that they cannot make an existing condition worse. As far as the fill, they filled the Bull Run when it was developed, and we had from overflow from the Poudre River because the bank was low, and that's being resolved with the natural area next to Woodward. Question (Citizen): We have Woodward Governor, and where will people that want to support Woodward build because there's no Industrial land left because it is rezoned? Response (City): The applicants have their justification for why they think it makes sense. We have our staff report that is going to the Planning & Zoning Board tomorrow night with staff's justification and rationale for the rezone. The P&Z will forward a recommendation to Council, who makes the ultimate decision. Staff has looked at the overall inventory of Industrial land in the Growth Management Area, that in losing 12 acres of Industrial land, we still have land for industrial development for the long-term. Comment (Citizen): I disagree from the connection from 10`h street to Duff Drive because I don't want college kids coming into the neighborhood because that's where I play. Comment (Citizen): I share concerns with other folks about compatibility, especially with the potential gentrifying of the neighborhoods. We're talking about dropping in a very upscale development several miles away from campus, surrounded by low to moderate income historic neighborhoods. The shuttle idea is great, but students that can afford 500 dollars per bedroom can afford a parking pass at campus and will be driving back and forth multiple times per day. I think there are other areas where this could be going. Comment (Citizen): If the City wants something to go through, they are going to make it go through, so I am going to put this out there. 1 do know that you guys can't get out of the neighborhood, and I wanted to find a way to get something out of this development for the neighborhood, and if that meant being able to cut through their development out to Lincoln when you can't get out of the neighborhood — that is what I was. looking at. Question (Citizen): What if it's one way (the neighborhood connection)? The neighborhood can get out but the development renters can't get into Andersonville. Response (City): This project is predominantly zoned M-M-N and the applicants are proposing to expand that onto 12.7 acres of Industrial land. The degree that City has on the type of development that comes forward; we have established with the Land Use Code, including City-wide standards and zone -specific standards. We can control those aspects to make sure projects comply with our regulations, the rest is market driven. For this MMN area, there are a number of development types that could come forward that is driven by the market. Response (City -Social Sustainability): I heard that you would like to see affordable housing. As a City, we don't build affordable housing, we partner with others to build it. We rely on our partners to locate in appropriate places. City Plan asks for affordable housing to be spread throughout the entire City. Our partners would have to have a complete a market study that shows this is where it is required in the community. Capstone Cottages — Plan Amendment/Rezoning &PDP (3`d Neighborhood Meeting Summary) Page 7 December 10, 2014 Question (Citizen): If this does go in, that's probably going to be 2000 cars in and out throughout the day. CSU is off to the west, and Woodward is going in at the intersection. What are you going to do with the Lincoln Bridge and route hundreds more cars into Downtown? You have potentially 1000 cars heading west and another 1000 coming back east. Response (Applicant): Some traffic will go west on Lincoln, but some will also go south on Lemay. Comment (Citizen): I'm assuming half the traffic goes south and the other half goes west. Question (Citizen): Will the busses be re-routed? Response (City): There are 2 existing Transfort routes that will remain. Response (Applicant): We are working with Transfort to add additional stops as a part of the development as well. There will continue to be transit service. Comment (Citizen): The quickest way to CSU is going up Buckingham Street, and that's why I'm worried about the connection. You can go straight past New Belgium to Linden. That means Buckingham is going to get a massive amount of extra traffic. If the train is backing traffic up, people will try to find alternate routes like Buckingham. Response (City): We want to understand as well how many additional cars are we talking about, and where are they going, and where will we see pinch points and what do we do about it? If this is approved, how do we deal with it, and what do we require the applicant do that is proportional to the development. The Woodward had to look at how their access functions along Lincoln. They have to rebuild portions of Magnolia. That is the kind of requirements that we put on Woodward for their traffic impacts. For this particular development, if it's approved, one thing we talked about was the collector (International Blvd extension) to de- emphasize Lincoln to the east. The roundabout gives us a lot of options for turning movements. The Lincoln Bridge is a part of the Lincoln Corridor Plan and we know what it will look likely in the future when funding is identified. We understand the corridor has concerns and how that works in the future. Comment (Citizen): Basically the solution is don't drive on Lincoln after this is built because it's going to back up from the light. It doesn't benefit us. Response (City): We looked at a signal at the intersection, but it would cause backups, versus the roundabout that works generally without a queues. Comment (Citizen/Consultant): Can you talk more about the shuttle from the development to campus. Response (Applicant): There will be a shuttle providing travel to CSU approximately every 30 minutes. A lot of the students may take the shuttle to avoid the parking at CSU. Question (Citizen): What's the rent? Response (Applicant): Per bedroom, upper 500s to 600. Question (Citizen): How high do you have to move the earth for flood protection? Response (Applicant): This area is outside the 100-year high risk floodplain, so it does not have to be raised for flood protection. There will be some earth moving for other grading or storm detention. Comment (Citizen): During the flood event we had water running down the streets; I know we're in the flood plain. Response (City): Apartment housing in the 500 year floodplain is not considered a critical facility. The water from this development is all being collected in detention ponds in holding systems so there is no water that is draining to the north. The general direction of drainage is to the southeast. We know Andersonville has issues; we have the Northeast Corridor Plan, called NECCO, identified in our master plan to build storage upstream of Capstone Cottages — Plan Amendment/Rezoning &PDP (3`d Neighborhood Meeting Summary) Page 6 December 10, 2014 Comment (Citizen): I live in the neighborhood, and what is going to happen is that some people will go down 10`h street and through the neighborhood. , Question (Citizen): What will happen to the black -tailed prairie dogs occupying the land? Response (City): The shorter answer is that if it is determined there is valued wildlife habitat, the project and applicants will be required to do an ecological characterization study. Response (Applicant): The ECS was already completed and they would be removed, but I'm not sure with what method. Question (Citizen): What happened to the prairie dogs over there by Jax? (Aspen Heights development). Response (City): I don't have specifics for that project. Question (Citizen): The letter describes this as student -oriented housing. Do you have to be a student at CSU to live there? The traffic surveyor seems to be basing their assumptions that everyone will be a student. Response (Applicant): Anybody can lease a bedroom in the development. The fact that we market to students, lease by the bed, and have 5-bedroom units, we find that 99% of those in similar communities are students. Question (Citizen): When the traffic study was done, did you account for a train going through at busy times such as rush hour? Response (Applicant): We didn't do it with a train as that is a difficult scenario to replicate. Comment (Citizen): I used to have an office on Lemay, south of the railroad tracks. I used to have patients that would call me because they were 20 to 30 minutes late from the train switching yard. I've seen Lemay back up for over a mile both ways, and this is 800 more cars. I don't think the infrastructure is there to support the development. The concept that at some point in the future the City will have funds to build the realigned Lemay seems like a formula for a total breakdown and traffic has nowhere to go. I'm not against development or students but I am against building things before the infrastructure is ready for it. Question (Citizen): You said this year there is going to be a light, but you don't know where it's going to be? Response (City): In 2015, we have money budgeted to.put in a pedestrian crossing with a signal, between Buckingham and the north end of your neighborhood. There is talk of a park at the Streets Facility and that is a connection to the potential park. We don't have the pedestrian facilities on the east side figured out yet, so we don't know the exact placement of the pedestrian light pinned down tonight. Question (Citizen): It won't be for cars, only pedestrians? Response (City): Yes Comment (Citizen): So we're stuck in our neighborhoods then if we're in a car. Comment (Citizen): You want us to swallow that pill (the connection to the neighborhood) so we can get the light? Response (City): No, the pedestrian light is a City project we're doing regardless of this development. Question (Citizen): Have you considered other sites in town? Response (Applicant): What we like about the site, in order to create a neighborhood and sense of place we need an appropriate scale, requiring a larger tract of land, but also because it has the access onto Lincoln Avenue, it has good traffic flow and proximity to Downtown. Comment (Citizen): Generally, student -housing has gone west out on Elizabeth. It's totally off the wall to bring all the students up this direction with the Industrial areas and affordable residential housing and the way old town is migrating towards this area. I don't understand why you're going this direction. Capstone Cottages — Plan Amendment/Rezoning &PDP (3 d Neighborhood Meeting Summary) Page 5 December 10, 2014 Comment (City): That arrow represents potentially three options. We've heard there is a need for additional pedestrian connections, particularly along Lemay down to Lincoln where there are gaps. Until we get funding for implementing those Lincoln projects there is an opportunity to get an interim sidewalk connection, until such time as the Lemay bypass is built. As an additional option, it could also provide for a vehicular connection. If there isn't support for those connections, there would be a gap there until the realigned Lemay is built. Comment (Citizen): If we had a light, we could use the sidewalks across the street on the west side, but we need to be able to cross the street first. Response (City): Another item in the budget for this year is a light to cross Lemay from the neighborhood. It won't be at Buckingham, it will be a little north of Buckingham. Comment (Citizen): My biggest fear is that they will spill out in our neighborhood. It looks nice, but it doesn't help where we live at all; if we could get a turn signal that would help a lot. When we go downtown we like to walk, but we can't even cross the street there is so much traffic. Question (Citizen): Is this the same Capstone that built The Summit? Response (Applicant): There are a number of Capstone companies. There are four separate companies, individually managed, that are affiliated. They split apart about 2 or 3 years ago. The company developing this is focused on cottage -style development. Capstone Development Partners did the Summit. They are typically focused on public -private partnerships. Comment (Citizen): With all the controversy on the other project, I hope the City would deal with this Capstone project differently. Comment (Citizen): I see a cottage as more of a very small house; I see nothing here that is like a cottage. If you visualize cottages, it gives you a much different image. I was in Albuquerque touring a similar Capstone Cottages -style development. The tour guide mentioned generally Capstone does not continue to own projects like this, they sell them off. How does the community know that at some point down the road, that kind of maintenance will continue if you sell the project? Does the planning & zoning board know you are likely to sell this in the future? Response (Applicant): It depends on the project. In some cases we've sold cottage developments to other companies or investors. The management model for student housing is fairly similar across the board. We'd have managers, leasing managers, maintenance etc. With a development like this, some we hold onto for a long period of time, and some we sell off. Comment (Citizen): This doesn't look like a sustainable development. This idea of future Lemay has been going on for a long time, and we have a train that isn't being diverted either. We're one of the last City's in the nation that has a train going through town and it controls how everything flows. If this develops, you're going to have this train honking all the time non-stop. We deal with it, but I feel the infrastructure is not there. You're going to have a nightmare. We've got to find who will pay for future Lemay. Comment (Citizen): I support the project and I am a former property owner near the University of Denver. I know what happens when you have 3 students, you really have 6 cars, because students have boyfriends and girlfriends. My only question is for parking, are you planning on having sufficient visitor parking? Otherwise, I'm not concerned with International roundabout. Capstone Cottages — Plan AmendmenURezoning &PDP (3 d Neighborhood Meeting Summary) Page 4 December 10, 2014 Comment (Citizen): We have three growing communities and development to the north of this area. There is a lot of new traffic coming. If you slip around the back way you have to go all the way around. You're going to be adding more traffic. Question (Citizen): How much parking are you going to provide? What is the ratio? Response (Applicant): 766 parking spaces. There are .9 parking spaces per bedroom, almost one per bedroom. Question (Citizen): Are there going to be any traffic lights at Buckingham/Lemay? We can't get out of there already. Response (City): We're always looking at the overall traffic impacts, what we have now, and what the development will contribute to the existing traffic and what will be required of them and traffic conditions of this area/city. Primarily, the students are anticipated to travel south or west, so we're not in a position to require them to make improvements to the north. This doesn't mean we don't recognize the traffic problems and conditions to the north. One thing we talked about was what does the connection to the north and Buckingham Street look like? And how does that move with the timeline for the realigned Lemay. We're trying to figure out what these intersections look like in the future. This development will not be required to put a signal at the intersection of Lemay and Buckingham. In the 2015-2016 budgets, Council approved a million dollars to begin working on the design and acquiring right- of-way for the realigned Lemay. This is a high priority for the City to see how we can make that happen. There is no timeline when it will actually be built as it's a very expensive project. If a realigned Lemay is built, the likely spot for a signalized intersection is at Duff Drive. We know the issues trying to get out of your neighborhood on Lemay — we've heard from you folks from the issues. The idea with trying to get the connection between the proposed development and the existing neighborhood is for your benefit. It's supposed to be a way to help you out. Comment (Citizen): Take away the access on Lemay so there's no traffic. going on Lemay at all. That means there's no traffic going on Lemay at all and there's only access from Lincoln Avenue and International. Question/Comment (Citizen): The amount of students that are actually being housed in this development is 858, is that correct? We've been begging for a light to get these folks out of the neighborhood, it's a nightmare, because they can't get out of the neighborhood. Why is it so hard to get a light? That's a lot more traffic, and I thought we were told if we had more traffic we would get a light. If this is student housing, I think it is a slap in the face for those looking for affordable housing in the community. I think that is what should go in there. Response (City): What generates the need for the traffic light is not necessarily the traffic on Lemay; it's the traffic on the cross -street. The proposed connection shown is there to help the neighborhood, if the neighborhood doesn't want it, we can take it out. Comment (Citizen): A lot of the kids play in the streets, and that is another concern with adding traffic to the neighborhood on 10`h street. It's too dangerous. Question (City): Can we get a show of hands as to who wants the arrow shown removed (referring to the neighborhood connection)? Majority do not want the connection. Capstone Cottages — Plan Amendment/Rezoning &PDP (3rd Neighborhood Meeting Summary) Page 3 December 10, 2014 o The site of only the MMN district was not large enough to accommodate atypical multifamily development, and requesting the rezone for 12.7 additional acres. o Tomorrow's hearing will cover the rezoning aspect, and not the specific characteristics of the project itself. ■ The project is located at the northeast corner of Lincoln and Lemay Avenues. A student housing project with 195 dwelling units. ■ There will be access from Lemay Avenue and Lincoln, and an access point off International Boulevard, and one access from Duff Drive. ■ A roundabout will be built at the intersection of International and Lincoln. Webster will extend to International, and Duff Drive will extend to the planned realigned Lemay Avenue. ■ There is a future realignment of Lemay that would veer to the east from the existing alignment and go over the railroad tracks in the future, with no definitive date planned for construction. ■ The project is proposing to add a connection from Duff Drive to the existing Buckingham Street, providing an informal connection for pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles. If traffic is backed up on Lemay, there is the opportunity to use another entrance/exit out of the Andersonville neighborhood. ■ There are 866 parking spaces (.9 for every bedroom). • 5 different building types including 3-bedroom cottages, 5-bedroom cottages, and 5-bedroom cottage duplexes along the outer perimeter of the project that are each 2 stories. They are designed to look like single-family homes. The bedrooms would be rented individually to students. Interior to the project, there are 3-story townhomes, each with 4 bedrooms and walk-up flats that occur in the parking lot. They are 1-story constructed over parking. ■ There is a centrally -located clubhouse with a swimming pool, open space, and other amenities. ■ All of the housing will have front doors facing onto public streets or walkway spines, so it is neighborhood -oriented. Questions. Comments & Responses: Question (Citizen): Are you increasing the flow of traffic out of this area? You're bringing a lot of people here. I still see the same troubled Lemay Avenue to the north that is blocked by trains all the time. I don't see how that is going to do anything for the traffic flow on Lincoln. There are already too many people for the roads we have, and I don't see that you're going to enhance our quality of life. I'm not impressed at all. Response (Applicant): Most of the traffic goes to the south. We are preparing a traffic impact study for the proposal, and that includes collecting data for all the streets in the area and the intersections and streets impacted. It's a given that this project will add traffic to the neighborhood. The primary direction of travel from this development is towards Colorado State University, to the southwest; south on Lemay or west on Lincoln. Capstone Cottages — Plan Amendment/Rezoning &PDP (3`d Neighborhood Meeting Summary) Page 2 December 10, 2014 Fort Collins Community Development & Neighborhood Services Planning 281 North College Avenue P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580 970.221.6376 970.224.6111- fax NEIGHBORHOOD INFORMATION MEETING SUMMARY PROJECTS: DATE: LOCATION: PROJECT PLANNER: NUMBER OF ATTENDEES: Capstone Cottages - Plan Amendment/Rezoning and PDP December 10, 2014 (3'd Neighborhood Meeting) City of Fort Collins, Streets Facility Training Room Pete Wray E% Proiect Planner Presentation Summary: ■ Two projects submitted: one is a plan amendment and rezoning, and the second is the project development plan that describes the details of the specific project (units, layout, parking, etc.) Both are currently under review. ■ The information from the neighborhood meetings will be forwarded to the decision maker for the projects, whether a hearing officer or the Planning & Zoning Board. ■ The plan amendment and rezoning item is going to the Planning & Zoning Board tomorrow evening (Dec 11, 2014), for their recommendation to City Council. Applicant Presentation Summary: ■ Applicant team is Ripley Design, representing Capstone Collegiate Communities. Additional members present from Northern Engineering and Delich Associates and Ray Martinez as a consultant to the neighborhood. ■ There will be a public hearing tomorrow evening at the Planning & Zoning Board for a rezoning hearing for a portion of the project site. ■ Approximately 12.7 acres of land need to be rezoned from Industrial to Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood District. o Amend the East Mulberry Corridor Plan Map; amend the City Structure Plan Map, Rezoning.