HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAPSTONE COTTAGES REZONE - REZ140002 - REPORTS - FIRST READINGORDINANCE NO. 007, 2015
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
AMENDING THE ZONING MAP OF THE
CITY OF FORT COLLINS BY CHANGING THE ZONING
CLASSIFICATION FOR THAT CERTAIN PROPERTY KNOWN
AS THE CAPSTONE COTTAGES REZONING
WHEREAS, Division 1.3 of the Fort Collins Land Use Code (the "Land Use Code")
establishes the Zoning Map and Zone Districts of the City; and
WHEREAS, Division 2.9 of the Land Use Code establishes procedures and criteria for
reviewing the rezoning of land; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the foregoing, the City Council has considered the
rezoning of the property that is the subject of this ordinance, and has determined that said
property should be rezoned as hereafter provided; and
WHEREAS, by Resolution 2015-004 and Resolution 2015-005, the City Council has
heretofore made corresponding amendments to the City's Structure Plan Map and the East
Mulberry Corridor Plan Map; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has further determined that the proposed rezoning is
consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan and/or is warranted by changed conditions within
the neighborhood surrounding and including the subject property; and
WHEREAS, to the extent applicable, the City Council has also analyzed the proposed
rezoning against the considerations as established in Section 2.9.4(H)(3) of the Land Use Code.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT COLLINS:
Section 1. That the Zoning Map adopted by Division 1.3 of the Land Use Code is
hereby amended by changing the zoning classification from Industrial ("I") Zone District, to
Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood ("M-M-N") Zone District and Medium Density
Mixed -Use Neighborhood ("M-M-N") Zone District to Industrial ("I") Zone District, for the
following described properties in the City known as the Capstone Cottages Rezoning:
Property to be Rezoned to the Medium Density Mixed -Use Neiahborhood Zone District:
TRACTS OF LAND BEING A PORTION OF THE WEST HALF OF SECTION 7,
TOWNSHIP 7 NORTH, RANGE 68 WEST OF THE 6TH P.M., CITY OF FORT COLLINS,
COUNTY OF LARIMER, STATE OF COLORADO BEING MORE PARTICULARLY
DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
BEGINNING; THENCE, SOUTH 00° 33' 51" WEST, 57.82 FEET; THENCE, NORTH 60' 52'
44" WEST, 120.95 FEET; THENCE, SOUTH 89' 26' 09" EAST, 106.23 FEET TO THE POINT
OF BEGINNING.
SAID PARCEL CONTAINS 3,071 SQUARE FEET OR 0.070 ACRES MORE OR LESS.
Section 2. That the Sign District Map adopted pursuant to Section 3.8.7(E)of the
Land Use Code be, and the same hereby is, changed and amended by showing that the above -
described property to be rezoned into the Industrial Zone District is not included in the
Residential Neighborhood Sign District and the property to be rezoned into the Medium Density
Mixed -Use Neighborhood Zone District is included in the Residential Neighborhood Sign
District.
Section 3. The City Manager is hereby authorized and directed to amend said Zoning
Map in accordance with this Ordinance.
Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 6th day of
January, A.D. 2015, and to be presented for final passage on the 20th day of January, A.D. 2015.
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
Passed and adopted on final reading on the 20th day of January, A.D. 2015.
ATTEST:
City Clerk
Mayor
-3-
CONSIDERING THE WEST LINE OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 7, T7N,
R68W AS BEARING NORTH 000 33' 51" EAST AND WITH ALL BEARINGS CONTAINED
HEREIN RELATIVE THERETO:
PARCEL 1:
COMMENCING AT THE WEST QUARTER CORNER OF SECTION 7; THENCE ALONG
THE WEST LINE OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 7, NORTH 000 33,5111
EAST, 993.60 FEET; THENCE, SOUTH 89° 26' 09" EAST, 30.00 FEET TO THE EAST
RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE OF LEMAY AVENUE; THENCE, SOUTH 89' 26' 09" EAST, 206.89
FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE NORTH 37' 27' 48" EAST, 230.87 FEET;
THENCE, SOUTH 600 52' 44" EAST, 386.22 FEET; THENCE, NORTH 890 26' 09" WEST,
477.85 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING, CONTAINING 44,112 SQUARE FEET OR
1.013 ACRES MORE OR LESS.
PARCEL 2:
COMMENCING AT THE WEST QUARTER CORNER OF SECTION 7; THENCE ALONG
THE WEST LINE OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 7, NORTH 000 33' 5 1 "
EAST, 993.60 FEET; THENCE SOUTH 890 26' 09" EAST, 820.98 FEET; THENCE, SOUTH
000 33' 51" WEST, 57.82 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE, SOUTH 60' 52'
44" EAST, 589.12 FEET; THENCE, SOUTH 320 39' 26" WEST, 30.06 FEET; THENCE,
SOUTH 600 52' 44" EAST, 100.57 FEET; THENCE, SOUTH 29° 07' 16" WEST, 300.00 FEET;
THENCE, SOUTH 600 52' 44" EAST, 206.10 FEET; THENCE, SOUTH 29' 07' 16" WEST,
560.00 FEET TO THE CENTERLINE OF LINCOLN AVENUE, THENCE ALONG SAID
CENTERLINE THE FOLLOWING 2 COURSES AND DISTANCES: NORTH 60" 52, 44"
WEST, 299.35 FEET; THENCE ALONG A CURVE CONCAVE TO THE SOUTHWEST
HAVING A CENTRAL ANGLE OF 050 20' 02" WITH A RADIUS OF 1156.00 FEET, AN
ARC LENGTH OF 107.62 FEET AND THE CHORD OF WHICH BEARS NORTH 630 32' 35"
WEST, 107.58 FEET; THENCE DEPARTING SAID CENTERLINE, NORTH 000 33' 51"
EAST, 1018.98 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING.
SAID PARCEL CONTAINS 509,229 SQUARE FEET OR 11.690 ACRES MORE OR LESS.
Property to be Rezoned to the Industrial Zone District:
A TRACT OF LAND BEING A PORTION OF THE WEST HALF OF SECTION 7,
TOWNSHIP 7 NORTH, RANGE 68 WEST OF THE 6TH P.M., CITY OF FORT COLLINS,
COUNTY OF LARIMER, STATE OF COLORADO BEING MORE PARTICULARLY
DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
CONSIDERING THE WEST LINE OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 7, T7N,
R68W AS BEARING NORTH 000 33' 51" EAST AND WITH ALL BEARINGS CONTAINED
HEREIN RELATIVE THERETO:
PARCEL 3:
COMMENCING AT THE WEST QUARTER CORNER OF SECTION 7; THENCE ALONG
THE WEST LINE OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 7, NORTH 000 331511,
EAST, 993.60 FEET; THENCE SOUTH 89' 26' 09" EAST, 820.98 FEET TO THE POINT OF
-2-
E Vine Dr
Grade Separated Intersection
Proposed Park _Freeway
Land Use
Bridge Type
- 6-Lane Arterial
Commercial
94 Bike
4-Lane Arterial
Neighborhood Commercial
Street
Neighborhood Park-2-Lane Arterial
Industrial
�■ ■Study Area Boundary
�2-Lane Collector
Low Density Residential
E5
Park & Ride
Medium Density Residential
Commercial Use (See Floodplain Reg's.)
Urban Estate
Major Street Names
Mini Park
Channels
Natural Buffer
Product Corridor (City Regulated)
Existing Trail
Office r Employment
Door Proposed Trails
Park/Cemetery
+ Railroads
East Mulberr
FRAMEM
Adopted:
Amended:
Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 6th
day of January, A.D. 2015.
ATTEST:
City Clerk
Mayor
IrIM
RESOLUTION 2015-005
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
AMENDING THE EAST MULBERRY CORRIDOR PLAN MAP
WHEREAS, the City has received an application to rezone certain property located
northeast of the Lincoln Avenue/Lemay Avenue intersection; and
WHEREAS, the applicant for the Capstone Cottages Rezoning has requested an
amendment to the East Mulberry Corridor Plan Map so as to enable the rezoning of certain
property located northeast of the Lincoln Avenue/Lemay Avenue intersection from the Industrial
("I") Zone District to the Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood ("M-M-N') Zone District
and to rezone certain property from the Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood ("M-M-N")
Zone District to the Industrial ("I") Zone District; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has received a favorable recommendation of the Planning
and Zoning Board with regard the proposed amendment to the East Mulberry Corridor Plan Map
upon the basis that the existing map is in need of the proposed amendment and that the proposed
amendment will promote the public welfare and will be consistent with the vision, goals,
principles and policies of City Plan and the elements thereof; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that the proposed amendment of the East
Mulberry Corridor Plan Map is in the best interests of the citizens of the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT COLLINS, as follows:
Section 1. That the City Council finds that the existing East Mulberry Corridor Plan
Map is in need of the amendment requested by the applicant for the Capstone Cottages
Rezoning.
Section 2. That the City Council finds that the proposed amendment will promote the
public welfare and will be consistent with the vision, goals, principles and policies of City Plan
and the elements thereof.
Section 3. That the East Mulberry Corridor Plan Map is hereby amended so as to
appear as shown on Exhibit "A" attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference.
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Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 6th
day of January, A.D. 2015.
ATTEST:
City Clerk
-1)-
Mayor
RESOLUTION 2015-004
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
AMENDING THE CITY'S STRUCTURE PLAN MAP
WHEREAS, the City has received an application to rezone certain property located
northeast of the Lincoln Avenue/Lemay Avenue intersection; and
WHEREAS, the applicant for the Capstone Cottages Rezoning has requested an
amendment to the City's Structure Plan Map so as to enable the rezoning of certain property
located northeast of the Lincoln Avenue/Lemay Avenue intersection from the Industrial ("I")
Zone District to the Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood ("M-M-N") Zone District and to
rezone certain property from the Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood ("M-M-N") Zone
District to the Industrial ("I") Zone District; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has received a favorable recommendation of the Planning
and Zoning Board with regard the proposed amendment to the City's Structure Plan Map upon
the basis that the existing map is in need of the proposed amendment and that the proposed
amendment will promote the public welfare and will be consistent with the vision, goals,
principles and policies of City Plan and the elements thereof; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that the proposed amendment of the City's
Structure Plan Map is in the best interests of the citizens of the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT COLLINS, as follows:
Section 1. That the City Council finds that the City's existing Structure Plan Map is
in need of the amendment requested by the applicant for the Capstone Cottages Rezoning.
Section 2. That the City Council finds that the proposed amendment will promote the
public welfare and will be consistent with the vision, goals, principles and policies of City Plan
and the elements thereof.
Section 3. That the City Plan Structure Plan Map is hereby amended so as to appear
as shown on Exhibit "A" attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference.
City Council Hearing
January 6, 2015
Capstone Cottages - Plan Amendment/R
23
Capstone Cottages -
Plan Amendment/Rez
Zoning — Proposed Map
22
Capstone Cottages -
Plan Amendment/Re
Zoning — Existing Map
Capstone Cottages - Plan Amendment/Re.
Division 2.9.4 (H)(3) (c) - Logical and Orderl
Development Pattern:
• Consistent with
City Plan for
M-M-N
next
to Low D
Neighborhood,
Commercial
Center,
and
Industrial
• M-M-N allows for a mix of land uses that are compl
to surrounding uses and support transit
• Expanded M-M-N allows for greater ability to establ
transition between higher intensity uses and lower i
uses
• Expanded M-M-N provides more opportunity to co
future public streets
Capstone Cottages - Plan Amendment/Re
Division 2.9.4 (H)(3) (b) - Impacts on Natural
Environment:
• Rezoning will not have an adverse impact on the n
environment
• A few small pockets of wetlands exist
• No significant wildlife habitat
• If any natural areas are determined to be valuable -
be preserved or mitigated per Land Use Code Sect
P
Capstone Cottages - Plan Amendment/
Division 2.9.4 (H)(3) (a) - Compatibility.
• Site located at intersection of two arterial streets
• Adjacent to existing Mulberry/Lemay Crossing Ce
• Surrounded by vacant and existing Industrial lands
• Close proximity to the existing Andersonville/San C
Via Lopez neighborhood
• Combined 28.5-acres of M-M-N land acts as land u
transition
Capstone Cottages -Plan Amendment/Rezj
Division 2.9
(H)
(2)
(b)
- Changed
Condition
• Woodward
Technology
Campus under
constructio
• Mulberry/Lemay Crossing center functions similar
Neighborhood Commercial Center
• Expanded M-M-N designation supporting a Comm
Center can only occur north of Mulberry/Lemay Cr
• Coordination of the Master Street Plan may lead t
arterial street alignment and intersection location
• Consolidation of existing Industrial parcels will allo
better coordination of new street connections
Capstone Cottages - Plan Amendment/R !I
Division 2.9 (H) (2) (a) - Consistent with Ci
The Rezoning will be consistent with the City
Structure Plan and the East Mulberry Corrido
Maps if approved for the following changes:
• The existing 15.8-acre parcel and propos(
amendment for the 12.7-acre parcel to be
• The existing .07-acre parcel to be Industria
Capstone Cottages -Plan Amendment/Rezi
Land Use Code Division 2.9 -Amendment
Zoning Map:
Division 2.9 (H) (2) — Mandatory Requirements for Qua
judicial Zonings or Rezonings:
(a) consistent with the City's Comprehen
and/or
(b) warranted by changed conditions withil
neighborhood surrounding and includi
subject property.
Land U
1 !LA.=M Invento
wilm gq A
Vacant
Land Ir
No Text
No Text
17.
Capstone Cottages - Plan Amendment/Rez
East Mulberry Corridor Plan — Proposed Map
Capstone Cottages - Plan Amendment/Rez
East Mulberry Corridor Plan — Existing Map
The proposed amendment will promote the public we
will be consistent with the vision, .goals, principles an(
of City Plan and the elements thereof.
• The location and proposed increase in size of the
designation is adjacent to the existing Mulberry/Le
Crossing Shopping Center which includes a super
transit facilities, employment and the Poudre River.
• An expanded M-M-N designation will provide incre
opportunity to establish a transition and link betwei
density neighborhoods, commercial, employment
industrial uses.
• The proposed amendment will enable better coordil
planned alignment and connections of public s
area.
The proposed amendment will promote the public v,n
will be consistent with the vision, goals, principles an(
of Citv Plan and the elements thereof.
City Plan — Medium Density Mixed Use Neighborhood
Purpose:
• M-M-N are intended to function together with centr
located commercial center, ...providing gradual tra,
development intensity and use to the surrounding 1
density neighborhoods.
• M-M-N will be unified with surrounding neighbor..
through a connected pattern of street and blocks.
9
Vacant Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhoods M-M
Parcel Size (acres) # of Parcels I Size (all parc
10-20
20+
Total:
Existinq Student Housinq Proiect Sizes:
The Grove — 27.48 acres
Aspen Heights — 31.01 acres
Vacant M-M-N
The existing City Plan and/or any related element the
need of the proposed amendment.
• Plan Amendments are needed in order to re-desig
from Industrial to M-M-N located adjacent to the ex
M-M-N parcel.
• Additional M-M-N designated land through consoli
parcels is necessary to create a site that is large e
accommodate a project that is consistent with City
related to M-M-N development.
• The larger site will provide expanded transitional la
and buffers, neighborhood compatibility, and coordi
public street alignments under single ownership.
Capstone Cottages - Plan Amendment/Pq
City Plan Minor Amendment Criteria:
■ The existing City Plan and/or any related element t
in need of the proposed amendment, and
■ The proposed amendment will promote the public
and will be consistent with the vision, goals, princip
policies of City Plan and the elements
thereof.
Capstone Cottages -
EAI
Plan AmendmenURez
Capstone Cottages - Plan Amendment/R
\
I \
\
Capstone Cottages Site
/
i
_. -
Capstone Cottages - Plan Amendment/R
Project Description:
• Request for Plan Amendment to change land
use designation of 12.7 acres from Industrial
Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhoods
(M-M-N)
- East Mulberry Corridor Plan Map
- City Structure Plan Map
• Request to Rezone 12.7 acres from Industria
M-M-N
• Request to Rezone 0.070 acres from M-M-N
Industrial
2
City Council Hearing
January 6, 2015
Capstone Cottages - Plan Amendment/R
Capstone Cottages PDP
Request for Structure Plan Map Amendment and Re -zoning
May 7, 2014
Page 8 of 8
M-M-N zoning at this key site provides an orderly land use transition both from the east and from the
south. The M-M-N zoning creates a buffer between existing industrial uses and the single family
neighborhoods located to the north (San Cristo/Andersonville and Alta Vista). The proposed re -zoning
will allow the land use transition from industrial to residential to be made at a mid -block location (east of
International Boulevard) which is supported by City Policy LIV 38.3 —Land Use Transitions. A logical and
orderly transition would also be created from south to north. The Wal-Mart commercial center is adjacent
to a relatively high density multi -family project, Buffalo Run Apartments at 16.78 dwelling units per acre.
The area proposed to be rezoned is located between Buffalo Run and single family neighborhoods to the
north (San Cristo/Andersonville and Alta Vista). The proposed project associated with the re -zoning
request, Capstone Cottages, at 7.5 dwelling units to the acre, would provide a transition in residential
density from Buffalo Run to single family areas located to the north.
The rezoning of the future road right-of-way from M-M-N to I is logical and consistent with City practices to
have consistency with the zoning of the adjacent parcels.
Thinking outside of the box for over two decades
401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 ■ Fort Collins, CO 80521 ■ tel. 970.224.5828 ■ fax 970.224.1662 ■
www.ripleydesigninc.com
Capstone Cottages PDP
Request for Structure Plan Map Amendment and Re -zoning
May 7, 2014
Page 7 of 8
community commercial development to the south and the neighborhoods to the northwest. City Plan's
Principle LIV 29 regarding M-M-N neighborhoods establishes that the zone district should be used as a
transition and link between lower density neighborhoods and commercial or employment districts. In this
case the M-M-N zoning does both.
The proposed rezoning will further allow for a mix of housing types in the neighborhood and also allows
for a transition of residential density from the higher density Buffalo Run Apartments to a project with
smaller buildings, single-family and two-family dwellings, closer to lower density neighborhoods located to
the northwest. Compatibility with the lower density neighborhoods to the northwest is achieved by the
placement of smaller -scale, single-family like units on the perimeter of the property and by using
architectural styles and design features that mimic single family neighborhoods.
The proposed rezoning of the road right-of-way from M-M-N to I will result in its zoning being the same as
the zoning of the adjacent parcels and is therefore appropriate.
(b) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in signifcantly
adverse impacts on the natural environment, including but not limited to water, air, noise,
stormwater management, wildlife, vegetation, wetlands and the natural functioning of the
environment:
The proposed rezoning from I to M-M-N would not have adverse impacts on the natural environment. The
sites proposed to be rezoned have a few, small isolated pockets of wetlands and no significant wildlife
habitats. Per the City's Land Use Code any natural areas on the site determined to be valuable would
need to be preserved or mitigated regardless of whether the property is zoned M-M-N or I. Likewise the
rezoning will not result in significant adverse impacts on any other components of the natural environment
including the air, noise, and/or stormwater management; any potential impacts will be addressed in
accordance with the Land Use Code which applies to both zoning districts.
In addition, approval of the rezoning and development of the project as proposed would include the
planting of over 800 new trees and other plant material on the now vacant site that would provide habitat
for insects and song birds as well as other urban adaptive species making the site more ecologically
diverse than it is today. Finally, storm water management would meet the City's Low Impact
Development (LID) standards and improve the quality of storm water run-off.
The rezoning of the road right-of-way from M-M-N to I will not result in any adverse impacts to the natural
environment.
(c•) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in a logical and
orderly development pattern.
The rezoning from I to M-M-N would allow the development of a medium density residential project at an
appropriate location. City policies promote the development of medium density residential communities
where the residents will have easy access to employment opportunities, shopping and recreational
opportunities. The site that is proposed to be re -zoned from I to M-M-N is located near employment
opportunities. Woodward is developing their office/manufacturing campus at the southwest corner of the
intersection of Lincoln and Lemay Avenues. The Mulberry and Lemay Crossings commercial center
located less than a quarter of a mile to the south provides needed goods and services as well as
employment opportunities. The site is located approximately one half mile from Buckingham Park and
less than a mile from the Poudre River bike trail, which provides access to other parks and natural areas.
Thinking outside of the box for over two decades
401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 ■ Fort Collins, CO 80521 ■ tel. 970.224.5828 ■ fax 970.224.1662 ■
www.ripleydesigninc.com
Capstone Cottages PDP
Request for Structure Plan Map Amendment and Re -zoning
May 7, 2014
Page 6 of 8
• Woodward is building anew campus on the 101-acre Links-n-Greens site at the southwest corner
of the Lincoln and Lemay intersection. The City specifically added light industrial and heavy
industrial uses to the zoning for the site to accommodate Woodward's new office/manufacturing
campus that is anticipated to retain and/or create between 1400 and 1700 primary jobs. The loss
of 12.7 acres of I -zoned property is more than offset by the increase in industrial uses and jobs
realized by the Woodward project.
• The Master Street Plan alignment of streets in the area will require several acres of the subject
property to be dedicated as right-of-way, leaving only very small and odd shaped parcels of (-
zoned land which would be very difficult to develop as industrial uses generating employment.
Street alignments proposed on the Master Street Plan reduce the amount of existing M-M-N
property. Lemay Avenue is proposed to swing to the east to go around the east side of the San
Cristo/Andersonville neighborhood when the future Vine/Lemay overpass is constructed. Lincoln
Avenue as shown on the Master Street Plan swings to the north connecting to the future
International Boulevard. The design of the Lincoln Avenue/International Boulevard intersection
has not been determined; however, if the ultimate design includes a swing to the north (as
indicated in the MSP) or a round -about, either solution would further reduce the M-M-N site. On
the north side of the property, the future Duff Drive aligning with Buckingham Street to the west
will also affect the M-M-N site, cutting off a corner of the M-M-N site and adding a tract of land
south of Duff Drive that is zoned I.
• A portion of the original 18.32-acre M-M-N site (2 acres) has already been developed as the Bank
of Colorado.
• The net acreage currently available in the M-M-N zone for development of a medium density
residential project has been reduced to less than 14 acres by the future street alignments and
adjacent development.
• Proposed pedestrian/streetscape improvements along Lincoln Avenue between the Lincoln
Avenue/Lemay Avenue intersection and Riverside Avenue support a residential project at this
location by providing convenient and safe access to Downtown utilizing alternative modes of
travel.
• The Mulberry and Lemay Crossings shopping center to the south provides a variety of goods and
services including groceries. The commercial center functions like a neighborhood center,
making medium density residential a land use transition that is well supported by City policies.
• The Applicant has only recently been able to assemble adjacent properties in order to create an
adequate size parcel for a student housing project that would be supported by City Plan and the
City's Land Use Code.
• The assemblage of the various parcels and integration of the MSP streets will now allow for a
mid -block land use change per City Plan Policy LIV 38.3.
The 0.070 acres of land to be rezoned from the Medium Density Mixed Use Neighborhood District (M-M-
N) to the Industrial District (1) is the result of the alignment of Duff Drive (shown on the MSP) that cuts off
a triangle of land that would be more appropriately zoned I -Industrial to be consistent with I -Industrial
zoned parcels adjacent to the street right-of-way.
(3) Additional Considerations for Quasi -Judicial Zonings or Rezonings. In determining whether
to recommend approval of any such proposed amendment, the Planning and Zoning Board and
City Council may consider the following additional factors:
(a) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment is compatible with existing and
proposed uses surrounding the subject land and is the appropriate zone district for the land;
The proposed rezoning from I to M-M-N will enlarge the existing M-M-N zoned site so that it can be
successfully developed and provide a transitional land use between existing industrial development and
single-family neighborhoods located to the northwest. At the same time, it provides a transition from the
Thinking outside of the box for over two decades
401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 ■ Fort Collins, CO 80521 ■ tel. 970.224.5828 ■ fax 970.224.1662 ■
www.ripleydesigninc.com
Capstone Cottages PDP
Request for Structure Plan Map Amendment and Re -zoning
May 7, 2014
Page 5 of 8
Capstone Cottages
Request for Re -zoning
In conjunction with the Applicant's request for an Amendment to the City's Structure Plan Map, the
applicant is also requesting a rezoning of 12.7 acres from Industrial -I to Medium Density Mixed -Use
Neighborhood District (M-M-N) and rezoning of 0.070 acres of future road right-of-way from the Medium
Density Mixed Use Neighborhood District (M-M-N) to the Industrial District (1).
Criteria
The City's Land Use Code outlines the process and the criteria that the decision -makers shall use in
approving or denying re -zoning requests. Criteria are listed below in italic with a narrative following.
(2) Mandatory Requirements for Quasi-judicial Zonings or Rezonings. Any amendment to the
Zoning Map involving the zoning or rezoning of six hundred,forty (640) acres of land or less (a
quasi-judicial rezoning) shall be recommended.for approval by the Planning and Zoning Board
or approved by the City Council only if the proposed amendment is:
(a) consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan: and/or
The proposed rezoning of 12.7 acres will create a larger M-M-N zoned site (22.9 net acres) that will be
able to accommodate the development of a student housing project that is financially feasible, and
consistent with City Plan policies regarding medium density residential development, transitional land use
and neighborhood compatibility. The proposed cottage -style student -oriented housing project, for
example, is consistent with and supported by many City Plan Principles and Policies (see Planning
Objectives - Attachment A).
The rezoning of the small piece of road right-of-way to I, consistent with the zoning of the adjacent
property, is consistent with City policies regarding logical and orderly development and its practices
regarding the zoning of rights -of -way.
(b) warranted by changed conditions within the neighborhood surrounding and including the
subject property.
In addition to being consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan, the proposed re -zoning is also
warranted by changed conditions within the neighborhood surrounding and including the subject property
The following changes have occurred in the surrounding neighborhood that support the proposed change
from I to M-M-N.
• The airport is no longer in operation. Concerns raised by City staff in the 2003 consideration of a
rezoning to M-M-N included concerns about locating residential areas too close to the airport.
With the closure of the airport, this concern is no longer an issue.
Thinking outside of the box for over two decades.
401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 ■ Fort Collins, CO 80521 ■ tel. 970.224.5828 ■ fax 970.224.1662 ■
www.ripleydesigninc.com
Capstone Cottages PDP
Request for Structure Plan Map Amendment and Re -zoning
May 7, 2014
Page 4 of 8
• The proposed amendment will promote the public welfare and will be consistent with the
vision, goals, principles and policies ofCity Plan and the elements thereof.
The proposed Structure Plan Map amendment will allow a rezoning to the M-M-N zone and development
of the applicant's proposed multi -family project that is consistent with and supported by City Plan
Principles and Policies. The net acreage of the existing M-M-N site is less than 14 acres, while
approximately 20-25 acres is required to develop a project that is consistent with City Policies related to
student housing, transitional land use and neighborhood compatibility. (See Planning Objectives -
Attachment A). Allowing an increase in the size of the existing M-M-N property northeast of the
intersection of Lincoln and Lemay Avenues will provide a needed land use transition between existing
industrial development and existing single-family neighborhoods to the northwest.
The 12.7 acres proposed to be rezoned is intersected by International Boulevard, Duff Street and
Webster Street resulting in four small separate and odd shaped parcels that would be difficult to develop.
Any potential loss of employment opportunities associated with the existing industrial zoned land is more
than off -set by Woodward moving its campus to the property located southwest of the Lincoln and Lemay
intersection. It is anticipated that Woodward will build 600,000 square feet of office and manufacturing
space in four phases retaining and/or creating between 1400 and 1700 primary jobs on the 101-acre
Links-n-Greens site.
Thinking outside of the box for over two decades.
401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 ■ Fort Collins, CO 80521 ■ tel. 970.224.5828 ■ fax 970.224.1662 ■
www.ripleydesigninc.com
Capstone Cottages PDP
Request for Structure Plan Map Amendment and Re -zoning
May 7, 2014
Page 3 of 8
Request for:
Minor Amendment of the City's Structure Plan Map
The process and criteria that is used by City Council to evaluate a Structure Plan Map Amendment is as
follows:
Amendment requests based on proposed development projects that involve re -zonings may also
be processed concurrently with re -zoning applications. Amendments initiated by City Council,
City staff, boards and commissions, and annexations and initial zoning, may be processed at any
time. Requests shall be submitted to the City's Advance Planning Department at least 60 days
prior to the hearing date for the Planning and Zoning Board. The 60-day submittal requirement
is necessary in order to permit adequate public notice to be given and to allow adequate time to
complete the background work for considering a plan amendment. A plan amendment will be
approved if the City Council makes specifrc.Tndings that:
• The existing City Plan andlor any related element thereof is in need of the proposed
amendment,
In 2002 when the Structure Plan was amended to allow the property on the corner to be zoned MMN, it
was recognized that the area around the Lincoln/Lemay Intersection was undergoing change and
becoming more urbanized. The Mulberry and Lemay Crossings shopping center was in operation and a
new multi -family development (Buffalo Run Apartments) was developed adjacent to it on the north side.
The Structure Plan Amendment and associated re -zoning was done to create a land use transition
between existing industrial development and new urban development anticipated to the west.
The revitalization of the area has continued with Woodward moving its campus to the 101-acre Links-n-
Greens site south west of the intersection, new businesses locating along Lincoln Avenue and the
proposed Lincoln Avenue streetscape improvements.
The logic of creating a transitional land use remains the same as it was in 2002; however, the reality is
that the existing M-M-N site of less than 14 net acres is too small to accommodate the development of a
student -oriented housing project that successfully achieves the objectives of City Plan.
The Applicant's PDP application for Capstone Cottages, submitted concurrently, proposes cottage -style
student -oriented housing. This means small-scale, single-family and attached single-family units that are
rented to 3-5 unrelated people. In addition to the cottages, the project will also feature three-story, 4-
bedroom townhome units located to the interior of the site. The project will be marketed to students but
may also include tenants who are not attending college. The housing project will provide needed rental
units for the growing student population in Fort Collins within a managed setting with recreational
opportunities on -site. The low -profile design of the project allows it to easily blend with nearby single
family housing and is a good design fit for the neighborhood.
The Structure Plan Map needs to be amended in order to re -designate approximately 12.7 acres of land
located adjacent to the existing M-M-N parcel. The resulting larger M-M-N site will be able to
accommodate the proposed student housing project and create an appropriate mid -block land use
transition between industrial development and single-family neighborhoods. A larger site is necessary in
order to create a project that is sensitive to neighborhood compatibility by providing small scale buildings,
lower building heights, on -site management, on -site recreation, open space, water quality treatment and
detention areas.
Thinking outside of the box for over two decades
401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 ■ Fort Collins, CO 80521 ■ tel. 970.224.5828 ■ fax 970.224.1662 ■
www.ripleydesigninc.com
Capstone Cottages PDP
Request for Structure Plan Map Amendment and Re -zoning
May'7, 2014
Page 2 of 8
The City Structure Plan and the East Mulberry Corridor Plan were subsequently amended to designate
the property northeast of the intersection of Lincoln and Lemay Avenues as Medium Density Mixed Use
and Medium Density Residential, respectively.
Thinking outside of the box for over two decades
401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 ■ Fort Collins, CO 80521 ■ tel. 970.224.5828 ■ fax 970.224.1662 ■
www.ripleydesigninc.com
ATTACHMENT 4
land planning ■ landscape architecture ■ urban design ■ entitlement
December 1. 2014
Capstone Cottages
Requests for Structure Plan Map Amendment and Rezoning
The Applicant, Capstone Collegiate Communities, requests that the City Structure Plan Map be amended
to change the designation of approximately 12.7 acres of land northwest of the Lincoln Avenue/Lemay
Avenue intersection from Industrial to Medium Density Mixed Use Neighborhood. The proposed
amendment is limited to a single element of City Plan and therefore constitutes a Minor Amendment. The
request is based on the Applicant's proposal to develop a multi -family residential project; the PDP for the
proposed multi -family project is submitted concurrently.
The Applicant's proposal also involves a request to rezone 12.7 acres of land from the Industrial District
(1) to the Medium Density Mixed Use Neighborhood District (M-M-N) and 0.070 acres of land from the
Medium Density Mixed Use Neighborhood District (M-M-N) to the Industrial District (1), both to be
processed concurrently with the City Structure Plan Map amendment.
Reason for Requests
The Applicant would like to develop a student -oriented housing development northeast of the intersection
of Lincoln and Lemay Avenues. Approximately 18.32 acres of land at the corner is currently zoned M-M-
N. The developable size of the original 18.32-acre site intended for multi -family development has been
significantly reduced because of changed conditions
Additional M-M-N zoned land is necessary to create a site zoned M-M-N that is large enough to
accommodate a project that is both financially feasible and one that is consistent with City policies related
to student -oriented housing development, transitional land use and neighborhood compatibility.
Background
In 2003 the City staff proposed to re -zone three parcels at the northeast corner of Lincoln and Lemay
from I to the Employment District (E) to bring the City's Structure Plan map and Zoning Map into
conformance with the East Mulberry Corridor Plan that was adopted in 2002. The East Mulberry Corridor
Plan designated the area for Employment uses in order to create a transition between the existing (-
zoned land north and east of the parcels and new development to the west.
The owner of approximately 15.79 acres included in the staffs request and at the northeast corner thereof
requested that its property be zoned M-M-N rather than Employment (E). City staff indicated that both the
M-M-N and the E zones would create an appropriate land use transition, but that E had been chosen over
M-M-N because of the area's proximity to the airport. Ultimately the Planning and Zoning Board agreed
with the property owner and voted to rezone the property at the corner from I to M-M-N, commenting that
the site was appropriate for M-M-N because of its accessibility and proximity to the Wal-Mart
development, which effectively acts as a neighborhood center. The City Council thereafter approved the
rezoning to M-M-N. The airport has since discontinued operations.
Thinking outside of the box for over two decades
401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 ■ Fort Collins, CO 80521 ■ tel. 970.224.5828 ■ fax 970.224.1662 ■
www.ripleydesigninc.com
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. 1 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 C
■ For future meetings and hearings, there will be additional mailed notices.
Capstone Cottages — Plan Amendment/Rezoning &PDP (3 a 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 loth street?
Capstone Cottages — Plan AmendmentfRezoning &PDP (3d 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 staffs 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 101h 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 1 am
going to put this out there. I 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 1 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 (3rd 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
101h 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 Amendment/Rezoning &PUP (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 101h 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 (3rd Neighborhood Meeting)
City of Fort Collins, Streets Facility Training Room
Pete Wray
0
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.
Comment (Citizen): It seems the neighborhoods you don't really want the signal itself, you just want the signal
to get in and out of your neighborhood, and it seems you would choose the access rather than the signal. I
would say take the one-way and get the backdoor in that is going to get you more bang for your buck. I would
take the focus off the light and get the back -door option if you can get the one-way.
Question (Citizen): Didn't you mention that the funding of Lemay is incumbent on the BFO process? Which
means they have to extend the sales tax?
Response (City): We're not sure of the ultimate funding. Right now they're looking at the design. There are also
those interested in this being its own separate project to go before the voters, and take it out of Building on
Basics.
Comment (Citizen): I think if it did go to the voters it would be passed overwhelmingly.
Question/Comment (Citizen): Why pay for something you should have in the first place? Extend BOB and
include this in it. If you're looking at individual taxes, it's a waste of our money and has no sense and something
neighborhoods may vote it down because it's not near them. Don't segment it out. They tried that with the
Mason Street Corridor and it got knocked down twice. That is the wrong path.
Capstone Cottages PDP - 20° Neighborhood Meeting Summary Page 12
July 28, 2014
Response (Citizen): You already did a road once like this on West Harmony going west to Taft Hill, where you
had a straight road and the new Harmony cut off. That was done when I was on the (Planning and Zoning)
board. This is really no different.
Response (City): We did close off the access to old Harmony in that circumstance.
Comment (Citizen): You could do this on an interim basis until realigned Lemay is fully built.
Response (City): The Y-concept cutting across the traffic coming southbound, operationally it isn't something we
would allow. We would have to look at all the options. We're hearing there is a preference if there is a roadway
connection that is more direct rather than meandering around the new development.
Comment (Citizen): I feel that good engineering, good collaboration of everybody, we can make this work. I
don't want to just hear "no," I want to hear how we can all work together to make this work.
Response (City): Our interest is to find a way to say yes, within an appropriate set of standards and guidelines
and everything that comes with it.
Question (Citizen): If you did that "Y" like you asked, is your concern about traffic coming back south, could they
access Lemay again?
Response (City): That's part of it.
Comment (Citizen): We have something similar in my neighborhood, with protected left turns onto Timberline
near the Timberline/Harmony intersection.
Response (City): It can depend on traffic volumes. We can take a look at it.
Comment (Citizen): Could you make it a one-way? I've seen it on Lemay with the do not block signs and
painting, it gets completely filled. If there is a train, it is terrible. If there is a way to get around this issue, even if
it was only one-way, it would be a huge help.
Response (City): There is an access proposed right there and we're going to look at that. With the Y's, we tend
to see the speeds remain very high. If you have a high speed they become like interstate exits.
Response (Citizen): The Y-intersection on North College seems to work.
Response (City): That Y was redesigned to be more perpendicular a number of years ago. It wasn't working
operationally and from a safety standpoint.
Question (Citizen): If Duff went all the way to Buckingham, and because of the increased traffic from this
proposed development, could we get a light?
Response (City): Its a question that comes up frequently. We're not sitting on this, we do have the intersection
on our radar and we know eventually that it may be signalized in the future. Currently, the volumes are low_
Question (Citizen): Did I hear you say 16,000 vehicles on Lemay?
Response (City): It's in that ballpark. When we look at traffic signals we have to balance a number of things, part
of it is definitely how long do you have to wait to get out, part of it is safety, and part is signal progression. In
parts of the city our cycle lengths can be 2 minutes. If you put a signal like that in at a minor road, you are going
to sit there because most of the green will be on Lemay. We have thousands of intersections but only about 118
signalized intersections and we have 100s where signals are being requested. When you put in a signal, you
often see crashes go up, and we are very mindful of this because there can be impacts. One of the complicating
factors is if you put a signal in here now, and Lemay is realigned in a few years, it could be a waste of money.
Question (Citizen): When will realigned Lemay eventually be built?
Response (City): No crystal ball on that right now. We're watching this, and please don't think we're saying no
for the sake of it, we're trying to balance these variables.
Capstone Cottages PDP — 2nd Neighborhood Meeting Summary Page 11
July 28, 2014
Response (City): The Buckingham neighborhood used to be in the flood plain, but there was a levy built at the
Oxbow site, that diverted the Poudre River floodplain away from Buckingham_ This comer, it's not in the Poudre
River Floodplain, or in the Dry Creek floodplain.
Question (Citizen): Why is it just a small area that's in the flood zone that doesn't make sense?
Response (Citizen): Call Glen Schlueter at the City, he can help answer these questions for you.
Response (City): Flood plains change and evolve, as do our standards. The Dry Creek floodplain has been
reduced significant by a lot of projects done way north of Fort Collins. Still a few more projects left to be done
through culverts and rechannelizations that will continue to narrow the floodplain down.
Comment (Citizen): Last fall with all the flooding, they flooded the fields north of where my mother lives, and
her basement flooded because of the underground water.
Question (Citizen): Can Glen come to the next meeting and talk about this? He's worked in the Dry Creek part
and he would be a great source of information.
Comment (Citizen): On the south side of Mulberry, they put in those homes by the ponds and now the houses
are getting cracked basements. In Dry Creek, they are replacing driveways and replacing them and the
floodplains goes across Mulberry over to Dry Creek in the field by the airport. It's still there it looks like.
Response (City): I know there have been issues with driveways and expansive soils.
Comment (Citizen): Timbervine is planned for that same area.
Question (Citizen): When will the next meeting be?
Response (Applicant): The earliest would be 5 or 6 weeks from now for another neighborhood meeting, but we
can't commit to an exact timeframe. We would like people to provide feedback on the connections to the
neighborhood, if you talk with your neighbors after tonight's meeting and they have feedback, please let us
know.
Question (Citizen): Is that Lemay portion a viable option to have included with this, to connect to Duff even
through it's not the final design? Could that still be built?
Response (City): When the two streets come together in a configuration of a "Y" it is problematic with
operations and safety.
Comment (Citizen): It should get built from Lemay to the intersection on Duff Drive. If it was temporary I would
say yes, that would help, and then couple it with it going into the neighborhood, to help move the local traffic
off of Lemay. I think that would be a strong gesture on the City and developer that they are committed to the
project and the neighborhood.
Question (City): Are you saying you want people to be exiting off the realigned Lemay to go into the
neighborhood?
Response (Citizen): With proper signage, yes.
Comment (Citizen): I would encourage the "Y" be built, and have people use the realigned Lemay to enter their
neighborhood, and have other traffic continue to use the existing Lemay,
Response (City): From a traffic engineering perspective, that works for those going northbound making a right
turn. It's really problematic for traffic control, because the rest of the traffic that is going straight is in essence
making a left turn. From an operational standpoint you almost never see intersections that have a "Y" such as
this. Our standards require intersections to come in within 10 degrees of 90 degrees. If there is a way to look at
how we make it work, it would be at 90 degrees.
Capstone Cottages PDP — 2°d Neighborhood Meeting Summary Page 10
July 28, 2014
Response (Applicant): We did a traffic study with the 841 number. We're saying they are going to have cars, and
so we're providing a vehicle for every vehicle. There will be transit opportunities with the shuttle service, mass
transit, and we expect some students to ride their bikes. There will be improvements of Lincoln with bike lanes;
there will be some students who ride their bikes, but we weren't allowed to factor that into the traffic study. We
recognize the students will have cars.
Comment (Citizen): I don't like roundabouts as my personal opinion. If it works for you, if that's what you want
to put it there...
Comment (Citizen): On Lincoln, in the past they had brought up they didn't want trucks or semis going through
there. With a roundabout, and you get a lot of semis, it's going to get kind of crazy.
Response (City): The roundabout will be designed to accommodate trucks. In this design, because it's on an
arterial it is required to handle not only regular trailers, but also the extra -long semis. This roundabout would
look similar to the one at Vine Drive and South Taft Hill. There is also a truck apron in the center where back
wheels can go for large trucks and trailers.
Comment (Citizen): Right now its a nightmare with all the semis that go along there.
Question (Citizen): Can it handle a triple?
Response (City): Yes, because of the way the tracking works with the extra hinges, they can track more easily.
Question (Citizen): It can handle a 53'?
Response (City): Yes
Question (Citizen): You're taking the worst case scenario to design and build those roundabouts?
Response (City): Yes, that is what it's designed for. When you look at the old traditional intersections, and you
get a semi making a turn, they have a problem making the left and especially making the right. In the
roundabout you don't have to do that anymore.
Comment (Citizen): The roundabouts may take more time to get through.
Question (Citizen): Flood insurance — is this area in a flood zone?
Response (Applicant): No, this particular site is not in the flood zone.
Comment (Citizen): I have to have flood insurance, and I live just down the road from here (along Lemay north
of Vine).
Response (City): in this area, in various spots, there are flood zones as a combination of either the Poudre or Dry
Creek.
Question (Citizen): How far down does the floodplain go?
Response (City): We don't have a map depicting this tonight; at the next meeting we can bring floodplain maps.
(Note: staff met with the resident after the meeting and looked at floodplain maps online.)
Comment (Citizen): When In -Situ came in we learned we were taken out of the floodplain.
Response (City): The Poudre River floodplain goes through a portion of the Woodward site.
Question (Citizen): So they have to have flood insurance too?
Response (City): They dedicated more land to provide more spread of the floodplain, and increased the grade of
the area adjacent to Lincoln & Lemay.
Capstone Cottages PDP — 2od Neighborhood Meeting Summary Page 9
July 28, 2014
Response (Applicant): We appreciate that feedback. This has been a longstanding challenge and its been
difficult to achieve additional affordable housing in this community. There are some incentives and the City is
going to explore other options to hopefully ensure we see more outcomes along these lines.
Response (Citizen): This is the first time we're being introduced to student housing on this end of town. I feel
like student housing shouldn't have a place on this side of town when we have so many families that need
affordable housing.
Response (City): Student housing and its chosen location has continued to evolve over the past 10 years.
Recently, we've seen more student housing projects going further and further away from the main campus. In
this area, there is also Aspen Heights up by Conifer and North College, under construction. Like Aspen Heights I
believe there would be a shuttle service for this project as well.
Response (Applicant): There is also a City policy that student housing should be distributed throughout the
community, not just concentrated next to campus.
Response (Citizen): In part, that's how the 3-unrelated policy got passed.
Comment (Citizen): The cost of land has gone up. I see around campus private buyers having to compete with
the University for properties. CSU has bought so much property and they are already marching south, and
eventually they will march east, so these folks have to go where they need to be. I agree this is an inappropriate
area for this type of project. We know the impact of The Summit with Capstone on College. Its a royal mess.
They're now trying to recover with the parking garage. There is a better job here planning than the other one.
We're not being NIMBY here; there are genuine, legitimate concerns for the project in this area. 1 agree we want
to spread student housing around the community, but this is too intense and too much and you're going to
break the backs of some of those living in the area. There is going to be diversity impact, income impact,
compatibility is going to be a problem because it doesn't fit. We want to let you know what we feel and are
seeing; we're nervous about the changes; we all should be nervous given the increases in property values and
rents. CSU has a habit of saying we don't solve the housing problem. They have not kept up with demand with
the dorms, they have not increased the number of net students who live there because its not their problem,
and they call it a City problem. So now we're all trying to solve CSU's problem, but its hurting the neighborhood.
We have to avoid hurting people.
Comment (Citizen): I also had concerns about compatibility. With a birds -eye view, you could see the
perspective this affluent neighborhood is to the low-income neighborhood it surrounds. Given its upscale
student -housing, there's a good possibility that most students will have their own vehicles. Does the traffic study
look at this? Behavior -wise, students will have their own cars. We're talking 2_S miles to the center of campus
from here — I see the advantage of having students all over town, and the city is doing innovating things with
TOD and pollution, but I think its too far from campus. Its going to serve as a means to further gentrify the
neighborhoods that are already struggling.
Response (City): In this area, most students are going to have their own vehicles. In terms of the traffic study,
we didn't allow them to consider the shuttle service or assume a reduction in traffic counts when looking at
their impact to the neighborhoods.
Comment (Applicant): There will be approximately 180 units. In the first plan there were 182 and now we have
less than that, we're down about 80 beds because of the changes to International and the units that were on the
east side. With those units gone the project is infeasible, so we have to find some way to recoup those units, or
the project can't move forward. That's what the developer is working on now to see how many units they need
and where they will go, that's why we will come back for another meeting.
Question (Citizen): How many total beds?
Response (Applicant): About 800 bedrooms.
Comment (Citizen): 842 was the number brought up at the February meeting.
Capstone Cottages PDP — 2°d Neighborhood Meeting Summary Page 8
July 28, 2014
open. It provides adequate access for the apartments to the south and from a safety perspective, roundabouts
have fewer associated accidents. Given all the uncertainty for the area, we thought this would be a good option.
Response (Applicant): When you looked at a full signalized intersection, the cost of that and the roundabout
was approximately the same.
Response (Citizen): I'm a numbers person, I like to know that.
Response (Applicant): Get with me after the meeting and we can look the numbers up.
Question (Citizen): What are your accident rates for a roundabout?
Response (City): Generally, when you compare a single lane roundabout and a signalized intersection, the
regular intersection has 32 ways a cars can hit one another, and a roundabout has 8, and that is reflected in the
overall safety statistics. In a regular intersection you can hit head on and broadside, which are the most serious
types of crashes. In roundabouts crashes that occur are typically sideswipes, or low -speed rear -ends which tend
to not be as severe. The number of accidents and fatalities is reduced dramatically. Roundabouts are simply a
tool we use; they may not be appropriate everywhere. We think it is a good option in this location.
Comment/Question (Citizen): I think it is a great project. Are you going to put a fence up? Being commercial
next door to you we don't always have the greatest looking lots. The detention pond works for that as a buffer.
Response (Applicant): Yes, the detention area will serve as a buffer, will be landscaped as well. We actually have
the property a little on the east side of International and further up, that would be landscaped and might be
detention as well. No plans at present to put a fence up as there is no reason to. It's putting the front door to
the street and hiding parking behind the units.
Comment (Citizen): I think the traffic circle will also help the situation and flow a lot better, so people won't
have a need to use the local streets including Duff Drive and Webster Street. .
Comment (Citizen): These people have been here forever and they are getting squeezed out. I live at Collins Aire
Park, and you have Timbervine going in next door, are they going to wipe that out too? Why can't there be
spaces for trailers to go in there. This seems like it should be on the west side of campus. It doesn't seem right.
Response (Applicant): I keep hearing the need for affordable housing and there is the need for it, but it's sort of
like comparing apples and oranges. The City is not building this project, it is being built by a private developer
looking to make a profit; its not like the City controls the land and can decide what is going to be built. This
developer isn't going to build affordable housing, and as far as I know the City isn't negotiating for control of the
property; City staff can't change that right now. It might be nice to have a presentation at the next
neighborhood meeting concerning affordable housing options the City is exploring overall.
Comment (Citizen): I think it would also be wise to explain the difference between the different types of
affordable housing and whats more in demand. There's also a city code coming up to consider that every
development project in the future would incorporate affordable housing or money in lieu.
Response (Citizen): That doesn't help us now, and while a beautiful project, I feel it doesn't fit with the
neighborhood. I'm seeing 5 mobile home parks are already gone. Our neighborhood, we definitely feel like
we're being pushed out, because we have people moving in with money. This feels like its one more layer to
gentrify the neighborhood and I'm concerned about that. We have and should have a place in Fort Collins.
Response (City): This is zoned MMN, and similar to what you're seeing with the existing parking, there are many
options to satisfy the requirements of that zone, it could be additional high density apartments, this student
housing proposal is another option. The City doesn't decide the ultimate development proposal.
Comment (Citizen): I know you don't have any control over this. We have people that work in restaurants or
entry level jobs. Is the attitude that they don't even want those people here? We need housing, it just doesn't
work. I wanted to say this so the issue is known.
Capstone Cottages PDP — 2°d Neighborhood Meeting Summary Page 7
July 28, 2014
Comment (Citizen): I don't know how much support the City has backing this development, but from what I
have painfully heard with the Lincoln Corridor Plan, the City was hell-bent on getting that built, so it didn't
matter what people from the neighborhood said. My concerns are: it's only for students; we need affordable
housing for the working class people and I continue to have to fight on that note, and we need affordable
housing for people that are working minimum wage jobs. If you look across the street to the apartment
complex, it doesn't fit. The cottages are lovely, it's a beautiful development that is solely geared for students,
but I feel like it doesn't fit with the neighborhood and will continue to gentrify the neighborhood. Those are
serious concerns I have. If the City is hell-bent on getting this development through, then we need to make sure
we get something for the neighborhood. That traffic on Lemay is going to make everyone pull their head out and
it feels like our concerns fall on deaf ears. College Avenue has lights so close together, I don't understand why
we can't have a light here on Lemay.
There needs to be some things for the neighborhood, they are long -overdue. I feel angry because I don't ever
see anything that comes forward for the working -poor. I don't see the housing for the low-income, for the
Hispanic community, for those working minimum -wage jobs; where is their housing? That needs to be
addressed. I need to know how much the City is backing this development to happen, and if it's a done deal
please tell me so I can save time and energy. You find some way to relieve the traffic on Lemay and I'll be quiet.
Response (City): With any development project, it's never a done deal; the City doesn't advocate or push for the
project. It's in the review process and things continue to evolve to make sure the project meets our standards.
Ultimately the decision -maker decides if the project is meeting the standards. We are facilitating the
development review process. This is a large, complicated project, and a lot of issues associated with the project
and one of the purposes of the meeting tonight, for instance, are to hear from everyone about the connection
to the neighborhood. If you can't get out on Lemay, does the connection provide an alternative option, is that a
viable option or not?
Comment (Citizen): The notification process is evolving and hit a train wreck today; some of us didn't get
notified of this meeting. All of the sign -in sheets in March, I didn't get notified even though I signed in. If Betty
had not called me, I wouldn't have come because I wouldn't have known about it. How many people got missed
from the last notification? This is a very big concern, is it purposeful exclusion? Please fix the process.
Question (Citizen): What's changed from March to now in the plans? How many units?
Response (Applicant): We can't tell you how many units right now, the plans shown tonight are to illustrate the
roundabout and the potential connection, but the number of units shown on this drawing is significantly less
than what was shown in March. We can't do the project without more units - when we figure out where these
units will go we will be back here to have another neighborhood meeting. We know it's going to be about 18o
units; it will be under the 12du/acre minimum required in MMN district. The intensity is there because of the
number of bedrooms, but we will be requesting a modification for less density than is required.
Question (Citizen): What is the cost difference between a street and roundabout?
Response (City): Depends on the design of the street and roundabout. Without a roundabout, the Master Street
Plan would have required a sweeping curve; it's the geometrics of it, the design, where it would be built. The
proposal now is for a roundabout and the reason for this and why staff is okay with the option is because
originally the T-Intersection wasn't going to function well as a stop -controlled intersection with the traffic
volumes anticipated. A signal was proposed but that is difficult due to proximity with the Lincoln/Lemay
intersection. We want to eventually minimize the volumes we have on Lincoln, because we don't want all those
cars coming out on Timberline as that is a safety concern for us. Putting in a roundabout keeps our options
Capstone Cottages PDP — 2°d Neighborhood Meeting Summary Page b
July 28, 2014
We've identified some neighborhood projects as part of the Lincoln Corridor Plan and there was an interim
sidewalk planned down to Lincoln where there are existing gaps from the bank to the north and a small gap
between Walmart and the apartments. We think this project can achieve one of the projects identified through
Lincoln Corridor process by providing a sidewalk down the side of the realigned Lemay alignment.
Comment (Citizen): At a recent council meeting about the Lincoln Corridor, it was mentioned that no
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money was going to be used for roads/streets and that the City
didn't have money to go out an add the streets and sidewalks. Why can't CDBG money be used to build better
sidewalks and connections? Why make the developer pay for it when we have money to pay for it in conjunction
along with the developer money. I think this CDBG block money should be explored. You need to have
something substantial that could be enjoyed by all, and the money is there if you use community block money.
Question (Citizen): Is there a sidewalk next to the bank?
Response (City): Yes. One project we identified for Lincoln was to continue the sidewalks, but there are timing
considerations. If the realigned Lemay is funded, it will dead-end and the old portion of Lemay is rebuilt to a
local street, and the funding for that will include sidewalks.
Question (Citizen): I'm assuming the project is going to pay the street oversizing fee for that intersection
anyway? How much further away from the gap are they to achieve what you want to do? How much more is
needed?
Response (City): This project is responsible for their local street improvement portions adjacent to their project.
They would provide their local street portion of curb and gutter and sidewalk adjacent to their project.
Question (Citizen): So would they be contributing to the realigned Lemay?
Response (City): The developer is required to build their local portion. If the development on an arterial, the
developer is reimbursed for the difference in cost between the larger street over the cost of a neighborhood
street (This is called "street oversizing".). In this proposal, they're proposing the trees and sidewalk in the
ultimate location, but not the curb and gutter. If they were looking to build it today, it would be interesting to
see how the new Lemay would intersect with the existing Lemay — it may make more sense for that portion of
new Lemay to be built at a later date with the realignment. If that's something the neighborhood wants to see
we can look at how it could be engineered -- how would you have the new portion built and operating but still
tie into the existing north -south Lemay?
Response (City): There is a standard for separation of the intersections. Engineering would be concerned about
two intersections so close together. The developer has to escrow the money right now regardless. It sounds like
some of the comments are learning towards the idea of a connection into the neighborhood may be beneficial,
however?
Response (Citizen): I would scrap it. If you put the road in, if that is part of it, you're going to make the people
meander to do it. People would come in through Lincoln and International — you could be creating artificial
traffic congestion with the meandering route. This thing has been on the books for 10 years, and if it could be
built, build it and make it easier for everybody and the residents could go into and out of, you'd have a better
flow of traffic, contrary to the traffic study which I think is skewed. You'd have more harmonious solution and
better compatibility standards.
Comment (Citizen): Traffic is a huge concern; it is going to break this neighborhood. If we can't get this to work,
redesign the project. It comes down to Adequate Public Facilities. You have a project here that is going to hurt
this neighborhood based on my knowledge and experience with the City.
Capstone Cottages PDP — 2°d Neighborhood Meeting Summary Page 5
July 28, 2014
Comment (Citizen): One idea I had is that if you look at the realigned Lemay, its going to be an overpass; its
going to be like having a freeway outside the backyards and be problematic for all of Andersonville —the incline
would have to start where Andersonville neighborhood starts. With Lemay being realigned it may help, but what
if were to be a 2-lane instead of a 4-lane, and with the money being saved, the property to the east of the
neighborhood could be purchased for open space to be consistent with Nature in the City and instead of having
a freeway with an overpass you'd have a little buffer and then a 2-lane arterial. We need to build with 2-lane
arterials in mind; fossil fuels are a finite resource.
I realize the existing Lemay is impossible for the neighborhood. I think something could happen faster if it
becomes 2-lane. There has been some discussion with the utility commission that it could be an at -grade
crossing. The study conducted by City staff about whether to pursue an underpass or overpass is almost
available for the public to view.
Comment (Citizen): When the design is funded, the ideas you're talking about are going to need to be discussed
in detail. Right now it's just a fat line on a map.
Comment (Citizen): That line may destroy the neighborhood.
Response (City): Those comments you're providing are great, there are many variables that have to be taken
into account for the future realignment of Lemay or other options — these are exactly the type of questions that
need to be asked and looked into when the design begins for the project.
Comment (Citizen): 1 was on the Planning & Zoning Board when this idea was brought up in 2002 to 2004. This
has been on the books for 10 years. The intent was to build something to get the traffic away from the
neighborhood. The idea was for the progression from 2 to 4 lanes. You have traffic coming down from the north
and vice versa.
The original Vine and Lemay were originally grade -separated; there were tunnels underneath the tracks. It was
this way and it worked until the City came in and closed the tunnel and now we have a problem. If you proposed
something different than what we have on the books for New Vine and Lemay, we mayjust be shifting the
problem east with the added pollution and waiting from signals or train traffic if the crossing is still at -grade.
It would be beneficial for the applicant to build the new section of realigned Lemay to Duff Drive, providing a
good intersection for the neighborhood to use to enter and exit from.
Response (Applicant): The plans are proposing a connection to the existing Lemay. Eventually when realigned
Lemay is built, the connection would be closer than it is now.
Response (Citizen): You're not helping because the portion of realigned Lemay going up to Duff is not yet built.
if they aren't connected you make them go down to Duff and International to Lincoln. You need both
connections to make your traffic work. I would advocate getting that piece built with the project development
and it will demonstrate our philosophy that development pays its own way.
Question (Citizen): We have fought for a traffic light at Buckingham and Lemay and keep getting shut down —
that we can't have it unless we have more traffic, and here with this development we're going to have more
traffic. Can we get this light now, or are we still getting shut down? I would like to see Duff go all the way to
Buckingham.
Response (City): We have had a lot of discussion about the existing intersection of Buckingham and Lemay.
There are challenges with considering an interim signal including the fact that the intersection does not
currently meet signal warrants. Ultimately its planned for the new intersection to the east when Lemay gets
realigned. We don't know when the connection to Duff Drive will go over to the curved alignment. This drawing
is showing a potential local connection to Buckingham and I& Street as an option for the existing residents of
the neighborhoods to have the choice for access to and from the south. We're continuing to review the project
as it involves, if there is support or not support for the street connection or a pedestrian connection and we're
looking for feedback for this tonight.
Capstone Cottages PDP — 2°d Neighborhood Meeting Summary Page 4
July 28, 2014
do, they find they don't have many people that want to live there with other students. It's not to say a student
may not graduate and continue to live at the project another semester, but it's unlikely a family would move in.
Comment (Citizen): The traffic is all structured towards students, but the traffic study could be flawed with false
assumptions because there is the potential for non -students living there. There needs to be a reality -check
about what could happen and for the traffic study to be updated accordingly.
Response (Applicant): We're trying to produce a traffic study about what we expect to happen —we could add
more information if this wasn't a student project in the future.
Comment (Citizen): If you're looking to bring traffic into the neighborhood, I don't see Lemay being a more
straight shot. The project should pay its share, have development pay its own way and pay and build realigned
Lemay to the Duff Drive intersection, and allow people to get into the neighborhood.
Question (Citizen): When is the realigned Lemay supposed to happen?
Response (Applicant): That is more a question for the City; we don't have any control over that.
Response (City): Our capital projects department could best answer this, but we can tell you it is on the books
and what we want to do, and what we think needs to happen for this area to begin development to the
northeast. We're working through the next cycle of budgeting right now, and there is an offer within the
budgeting process to begin the design of realigned Lemay. We should know more this fall whether the design
was funded or not.
Question (Citizen): Lemay turns into Lindenmeier, how is that going to work?
Response (City): Existing Lemay goes straight, and the proposal is that in the future it would be routed around
the east side of Andersonville, have an overpass over the railroad tracks and Vine Drive, and then resume back
to the existing alignment that Lemay takes now north of Vine Drive.
Question (Citizen): I don't know how far it goes and where it turns into Lindenmeier, but there's always been a
problem there with mail.
Response (City): You mean with the addressing? If there is a challenge with that we can check with those who
help with addressing to see if they know of any issues or problems.
Question (Citizen): Are they still working on the new road in there that goes through Lindenmeier?
Response (City): There are two roads they are looking at; one is "New Vine." Existing Vine is really constrained
and the proposal is that "New Vine," which would be located north of the current Vine would help carry a lot of
the existing east -west traffic that uses Vine drive right now and move it away from the railroad tracks. We also
have a challenge with Lincoln in this area where it comes out at Timberline — it's a problematic intersection with
safety issues. The Master Street Plan shows that International would be extended and connects from Timberline
around the airpark to Lincoln. This extension of International has been one of the challenges for the applicant
and development team to make this work.
Comment (Citizen): They're building so much above us to the north.
Comment (Citizen): The plan for this area is that Lemay would be rebuilt with the overpass and New Vine would
come through in the north.
Comment: I understood it to be that Lemay would be partially close off.
Response (Citizen): They are going to realign it.
Response (City): The portion of existing Lemay front of the neighborhoods would remain, but only for use of
local neighborhood traffic as a residential local street.
Capstone Cottages PDP — 2od Neighborhood Meeting Summary Page 3
July 28, 2014
proposed that show the former T-intersection as a roundabout, as it has been determined a roundabout is the
best solution for this intersection given its proximity to the Lincoln and Lemay intersection. The other changes
are that the land east of International is now reserved for above -ground detention to hold the stormwater for
the entire project and that Duff Drive will now continue west to a cul-de-sac at the future intersection with the
realigned Lemay.
With the proposed extension of Duff, it is now so close to the neighborhood, there is an opportunity to provide
a vehicular or pedestrian connection, or both. On those days when traffic is backed up on Lemay and you can't
get out, this would provide a back -door. it would be an informal, interim street until the future Lemay was built.
In order to do that, the developer would have to purchase the land, but if the neighborhood is interested in this,
they is willing to negotiate for the land -the applicant is looking for feedback tonight if this is a good idea or bad
idea. The applicant is also looking for input on the roundabout as the project moves forward.
Since the previous plan, the units on the east side of International are now gone because of the detention and
roundabout. The applicant has concluded they are going to have to incorporate some of those units back into
the rest of the project for it to remain feasible. There are many variables with the number and location of units,
and this could still shift. Once project details are formalized further, the applicant will come back and have
another neighborhood meeting to show revised plans.
The units being proposed as a part of the project include single-family cottages around the project perimeter.
These units would have 5 bedrooms. There are also plans for duplexes, with two units adjoined. Each unit
reflects a 2-story, single-family scale building. In the center, around the clubhouse there is a 3-story townhome
project. This is interior to the project. Overall, there will be approximately 180 units with the intent that it blends
into a single family neighborhood.
There are multiple unit types, and within the same type of units such as the single family units, they also vary in
architecture. The look is very similar to a single family neighborhood in terms of architecture, size, scale, and
orientation to the sidewalk. There will be many amenities provided at the clubhouse in the center.
Early on, as part of the traffic study, it was determined about 40% of the traffic would head to the west, about
45% would go south to downtown and the university, another 5% that would go south but take 12"' street, and
another 5% east out Lincoln Avenue and only 5% of the traffic would go north by Andersonville.
Questions, Comments & Responses:
Question (Citizen): How did you come up with the trip generation figures?
Response (Applicant): The project is student housing, so most will be headed to the university, and the major
accesses will be Lincoln or Lemay, so most trips will be headed in that direction. A few trips headed north,
potentially to King 5oopers. There could possibly be trips heading east to the 1-25 corridor.
Comment (Citizen): Do you know that going east on Vine is not going to get you to 1-25 because there are no
exchange ramps. When Matt Delich was at the last meeting, he said the 5% could be as high as 20%going north,
as I asked him that question and he was going to do more research on this.
Response (Applicant): For data sheets we came up with the numbers with the City from their direction on how
to scope the project. The project was scoped with a student housing focus.
Comment (Applicant): John Atkin, who was here for the last meeting, said that by law they cannot restrict this
to only students, but it is designed for and marketed towards students. In all the student oriented projects they
Capstone Cottages PDP — 2°d Neighborhood Meeting Summary Page 2
July 28, 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-.tax
NEIGHBORHOOD INFORMATION MEETING SUMMARY
PROJECT:
DATE:
LOCATION:
PROJECT PLANNER:
Project Planner Presentation Summary:
Capstone Cottages PDP
July 24, 2014 (2nd Neighborhood Meeting)
City of Fort Collins, Streets Facility Training Room
Pete Wray
The Capstone Cottages Project Development Plan (PDP) is in the process of staff review. This neighborhood
meeting represents the second neighborhood meeting for the project this year, after the first meeting held in
February. The purpose of the meeting is for nearby residents and neighbors to ask questions, and provide
additional feedback and input about the project as it continues to evolve. The applicant is here tonight to share
information and the changes that have occurred since the last neighborhood meeting.
The discussions tonight are being recorded, not verbatim but reflecting a summary of the notes taken. This
summary will be shared with citizens who attended the meeting, and the decision maker for the project, the
Planning and Zoning Board.
Applicant Presentation Summary:
Capstone Collegiate Communities is the developer of the project. The applicant, represented by Linda Ripley
with Ripley Design as consultants, provided a general overview of the project and changes since the and 1"
neighborhood meeting and initial submittal.
The project site is located north of Lincoln Avenue and east of Lemay Avenue. The project proposes student
housing that will include approximately 180 dwelling units. The consultants have done a lot of student housing
projects and some of the questions and concerns they often hear are: the density is too high, the building is too
large or out of scale, the buildings are too tall, there's not enough parking, and increased traffic. The
presentation focuses on how this project responds to these concerns.
The site has two different zone districts. To the west is Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood District
(MMN), requiring a minimum of 12 units per acre. The other portion of the site is zoned Industrial (1). As part of
the project, a rezone request of the Industrial zone to Medium Density Mixed -Use is proposed.
Several changes have occurred since the first plans were shown in early spring. In the spring, the proposal was
for underground detention, the extension of Duff Drive would stop at mid -block only to allow access into the
development, and a normal T-intersection was proposed at International and Lincoln. New changes have been
Comment (Citizen): A lot of this has to do with the power railroads have, starting with the Railroad Act
of 1847. There have been previous discussions to move the tracks and routes east of the Front Range,
but all the communities north of Denver would have to agree and help pay for the move.
Comment (Citizen): I would like to hear from the City. What we're talking about in Fort Collins, is a
reasonable expectation of safety for its citizens. 1 don't want to see anyone hurt from a spill or
derailment. Things could be wiped out in an instant. We need to have a conversation to help them
(railroads) before more efficient. We need some leadership in transportation.
Response (City): Conversations have been ongoing, but we have to win the political fight first, and then
pay money to help the railroads move. This is a very large discussion.
Question (Citizen): This area is a floodplain, and we've had to address drainage and other issues
ourselves, has any study been done to make sure this won't negatively affect surrounding
neighborhoods?
Response (Applicant): There is a comprehensive drainage study and report that is required for the
project. The Lincoln channel has had some drainage difficulties. The City has exhaustive stormwater
requirements that will have to be satisfied as it progresses through development review.
Response (City): We typically require onsite detention and LID to be incorporated into projects.
Comment (Citizen): If you compare this project to the District at CSU or The Summit, I like what they
have done compared to previous student housing projects. Parking is a big thing —you are taking into
account you need to provide more parking compared to some of the problems we've seen at other
student housing developments. I recommend working with the neighbors and their residents, you
definitely have some folks with concerns.
Response (Applicant): We will have five full-time employees, and one of those individuals typically lives
on -site. We also try to work with local police departments to try and have more of a presence on site,
sometimes even having a police officer live in the development and ask them to patrol at night. Then if
there are complaints there is someone already on site.
Response (City): We will need to follow-up with the police about patrollinglan on -site officer and
update that in these neighborhood meeting notes.
Response (Applicant): Some jurisdictions don't like that arrangement, in that case we would still have a
courtesy manager to serve as the first point of contact if someone were to occur in the evening.
Question (Citizen): Is there any environmental or sustainable design elements? I don't see south -facing
windows, or solar panels on the clubhouse. These are things that are going to make you look good in
this community. If it's just a place to make money off people Irving in your houses, if you really show the
Fort Collins community that something is progressive and provides value to them and the community
they can support this.
Response (Applicant): Our target market cares about sustainability. There are lots of practices we put
into the cottages to make sure they're sustainable, such as the way they are constructed, the insulation
used, the appliances are efficient. We want to make sure they're energy efficient, even from just an
operating standpoint.
Comment (Citizen): I'd like to see something more. If you look at something perhaps like carports with
solar panels.
Comment (City): Another trend we're seeing is room and space for community gardening efforts.
Question (Citizen): Are you leasing per unit or per bedroom?
Response (Applicant): Per bedroom.
Question (Citizen): How does the future Lemay Avenue connect into old Lemay?
Question (Citizen): How far are they moving Vine ("New Vine")?
Response (Applicant): New Vine will be about 1,000 feet to the north of existing Vine Drive.
Response (City): The realignment of Vine starts east of Timberline and goes past Lemay and then will
connect over to College. There will be a new alignment, a jog, of Lemay Avenue. The current roadway is
straight, and with the realignment it will curve and begin to rise in elevation for an overpass over the
train tracks. The existing section of Lemay will be downgraded to a local street. The existing portions of
Vine will become local and collector designations.
Comment (Citizen): The existing connections will change, but there are no concrete details of designs
yet.
Comment (Citizen): The Andersonville community was under the impression that with the overpass, the
old Lemay would dead-end at the tracks. We would like that to happen so that trains are not actually
crossing a street and so there is no need to use their horns.
Response (City): The purpose is ultimately mobility. There has been nothing officially determined or set
at this point. Final determinations still need to be made.
Comment (Citizen): The honking is really loud and definitely a concern for the neighborhood.
Question (Citizen): When is the City going to deal with the train? They're allowed to carry stuff through
town that isn't allowed on roads. The noise is related to the fact they're still coming through. They don't
even have a stop in town except for Budweiser. Why don't we use our strength as a community to effect
change and ensure our safety?
Response (Applicant): There will be a full -service gym in the clubhouse, including tanning, sauna, study
rooms, computer rooms for the residents to use. Hopefully this will keep that type of traffic down as the
amenities are already located on site.
Question (Citizen): How does student housing affect property values for nearby neighborhoods?
Response (Applicant): I do not know the effect of property values. I would encourage you to ask real
estate professionals. My own experience is that something brad new and new development in an area
can raise property values.
Comment (Citizen): I am a real estate agent and it can go several ways — values can go down if the
property isn't properly maintained. I'm going to guess it will be neutral for now, because we don't have
a strong community experience with this kind of development. One worry could be gentrification for the
nearby areas. If Lemay is built, you will have some buffering, and as long as traffic quality and quantity is
maintained it could help.
Comment (Citizen/Consultant): The cottages are a night and day difference versus one or two large
multifamily buildings that you typically see. The company has a reputation for maintaining their
developments.
Comment (Citizen): There is another project similar to this called Aspen Heights. I have listings over
there; Aspen Heights is the nearest comparable example to this project. They will follow a similar
pattern. Looks at Aspen Heights if you want to see something similar. It's about 650 bedrooms plus or
minus, and this is 841, so this is about 25% larger.
Comment (Citizen): The community missed an opportunity with Aspen Heights for multi -modal
transportation opportunities. Right now is the time to enhance these transportation opportunities for
this part of town. I encourage the community to get involved early and create pathways to help alleviate
and motivate people to stay out of their cars.
Question (Citizen): Are there other communities you have building around the country?
Response (Applicant): We have developed about 14 cottage -style communities throughout the country.
Question (Citizen): What have you learned? What mistakes did you find and what adjustments did you
make as you built these communities? Where are these communities?
Response (Applicant): Our website has a full list of all our communities, but they are everywhere from
New Hampshire to Florida to Texas.
Response (Applicant): The unique thing about cottages is the sense of pride in ownership that students
take versus the typical flat -style apartment complex. If a bush dies in front of their cottage, we hear
about it immediately and they call us to come fix it. This helps the development stay looking nice. We
also enforce things, such as fines for trash left out; because we also have an interest in keeping it look
nice.
Response (Applicant): The site plans have improved over time. Our first community we didn't have
things like parallel parking, and now we make sure we have enough parking along the roads. We also
create the sense of community and connectedness by creating the grid through the development to
connect with the rest of the community. You're creating the neighborhood and a sense of place.
Question (Citizen): How are your utilities handled?
Response (Applicant): Typically we sub -meter for water. Utilities usually are paid by the resident.
Sometimes we provide it as a package, but with a cap or limit on the amount.
Question (Citizen): What is your onsite management like?
Response (Applicant): The traffic study is underway.
Comment (Citizen): That doesn't help the people who came down tonight with all these questions if the
traffic study isn't completed.
Response (City): The neighborhood meeting is a required step prior to formal submittal, which includes
the traffic study. The meeting is held early in the process to hear neighborhood concerns and solutions
and give the developer opportunity to make changes.
Question (Citizen): If the traffic study is already underway, share it with the public.
Response (City): Once the project is submitted, the public can look at the traffic study; there will also
likely be another neighborhood meeting.
Response (Clty): Matt is out gathering data and background statistics right now, and we will sit down
and scope the project for the information we need; we still need to do that.
Question (Citizen): When you reviewed the traffic study for Woodward Governor, what was the service
level for Vine and Lincoln and Vine and Lemay?
Response (Applicant): Vine and Lemay is operating at level of service D.
Response (City): Lincoln and Lemay is a B condition, overall.
Comment (Citizen):1 represent some applicants on Vine and Lemay. He told me it will remain a local
street, and that's in the master street plan. They are planning on pulling traffic away from the existing
Vine with the New Vine buildout. They are going to go hand -in -hand with one another (overpasses over
the railroad tracks).
Question (Citizen): What is the frequency of the shuttle going to be?
Response (Applicant): Typically 20 to 30 minute headways, but still working on final details.
Question (Citizen): How late will it run?
Response (Applicant): Typically it runs from 7am to 5pm or lam to 7pm, and sometimes there are night
shuttles to downtown.
Comment (Citizen): The best model to look at is Rambiewood near Poudre High School. They started I
believe in 1971 and it's the most successful one. You will want to look at their model and really focus on
it. The neighbors are right that you are going to have spillover traffic into this neighborhood. There is
some opposition because neighbors are worried about gentrification of the neighborhood, and the
traffic. I had to wait at the same intersection for two light cycles to get here; it took me 20 minutes to
get here and I don't live that far away. This development compounds all the traffic, especially with
Woodward coming in. Vine and Lemay need to get done, but we don't know when those improvements
are going to come in. I recommend you include the neighborhoods as much as possible, the earlier
speaker asking for this to be opened up to the neighborhoods is correct.
Question (Citizen): It seems like traffic is on the minds of many here. Is Capstone planning to have a
direct transportation pathway from the project straight to CSU?
Response (Applicant): Yes, there will be a private shuttle that goes from the development to CSU.
Question (Citizen): Are you improving Lincoln Avenue, like they are planning?
Response (Applicant): Any improvements that will be needed will come after the traffic study is
completed.
Response (Applicant): Lincoln will not look like it does right now.
Comment (Citizen): With traffic going through the industrial area, I know students normally wouldn't go
through there on the way to CSU, but consider Miramont gym and their heavy use of that facility.
Question (Citizen): You talk about traffic on Lemay and Lincoln, but what about on Duff, International
and Webster?
Response (Applicant): International and Duff will be extended into the site. We can't connect it over to
Lemay now because of the planned swing of Lemay. The City may require an escrow for the extension.
This is an interim solution. The rest of Duff Drive will likely be funded by this development. We will be
required to pay our local street frontage.
Question (Citizen): What will be the impacts to the businesses?
Response (Applicant): What will happen is the western portion of the Industrial park currently has to go
east or south to eventually head west. With the new connections, a portion will have the opportunity to
use these new road extensions and that is included in the traffic study. We estimate how much traffic
will do that, such as for those segments of International.
Question (Citizen): I am a business owner in the business park. Webster and Duff drive, they will be
connected to this development?
Response (Applicant): Yes.
Comment (Citizen): The businesses in the area just collected a quarter million ourselves to fix the
streets, and we have concerns over the increase in traffic. We have people showing up and we don't
know who they are or what they're trying to access, this was a frequent occurrence after the Bull Run
Apartments were constructed. People are going to go through our area; it's the path of least resistance.
This is concern for many business owners in the area. We paid for these streets, and now the traffic is
going to tear them up.
Response (Applicant): The expectation is that Duff and Webster will likely help the business park more
than hurt, because the people working in the western potions will not have to take Link to get to
Lincoln. The residents of this development, the students, will find it time-consuming to go east, to
eventually go west. Its going to be easy to go down the extended International and take a right turn to
go to campus.
Comment (Citizen): I was late for the first part of the meeting because I was sitting in traffic. its bad
right now, what is it going to be like when we put another 800 people and cars out there?
Response (Applicant): The traffic study takes into account current conditions_
Question (Citizen): Are you going to put a light in there at International?
Response (Applicant): No
Comment (Citizen): They will use our access because we have the stoplight.
Comment (Citizen): Duff is a failed intersection. That traffic light gets wiped out at least once a year
from the trucks trying to make the turn. The trucks will see an easy way out through the apartments;
you may have a lot of truck traffic coming through.
Question (Citizen): What is the future of east/west Vine, and how will that shape the future?
Response (Applicant): The future plan is that Vine will be downgraded after the overpasses and New
Vine are built. Lemay will also be altered, although final details are not yet set. Connectivity from
anything east of Lemay and Timberline is hard to say due to the ground characteristics, such as
wetlands.
Question (Citizen): What do you think will come first? Lemay or Vine improvements?
Response (City): They are tied hand -in -hand, each affects the other.
Question (Citizen): Why would you not complete the traffic study prior to the neighborhood meeting?
When ifs presented at the public hearing, people have no time to assimilate that information on the
spot.
Question (Citizen): You have to be able to rent to anyone, but you're marketing towards students. In
your traffic study, do you factor in or account for non -student users and residents? Does this change the
traffic study and will it reflect this? Will this be marketed equally to students and non -students?
Response (Applicant): The project is really designed and marketed towards students, especially as we
rent on a per bedroom basis. People get keys to individual bedrooms, which include a bathroom, and
then a fab to the unit itself. Typically, our marketing strategies are towards students. By charging on a
per bedroom basis, it appeals to students. There will also be a shuttle service to campus. These
characteristics and marketing — we predominately see from our other developments that these are for
students.
Question (Citizen): This is open to non -students, but you're staying it's primarily student by design.
Response (Applicant): Anyone can rent here; it is not precluded, but given the type of housing we're
providing, it's primarily students that would rent here.
Comment (Chdzen): I think what they mean is that by law, the project cannot exclude non -students,
even if it is designed and marketed towards students themselves.
Comment (Citizen): By function, it's excluding non -students anyway.
Response (Applicant): Given that nearly 99% of the residents will be students, the distribution we're
working with in the traffic study is appropriate. If those demographics changed, you're right we would
need to look at the traffic study.
Question (Citizen): Is the project going to be paying for the future Lemay rerouting?
Response (Applicant): This is not contributing towards that more than any other project that pays
towards street oversizing fees.
Response (Applicant): Each of the developments pay into the City's funds for roadway work and
expansion. Provision for adequate public facilities does not take away from this; it's more a policy of
adequacy than adding funds to anything.
Question (Citizen): So this will not be helping pay and promote the Lemay reroute/overpass?
Response (Applicant): In the aspect that the fees collected from building permits helps, but how that is
divvied up is not specific.
Question (Citizen): Will the traffic study glean some of these details?
Response (Applicant): Yes
Comment (Citizen): I have the same concern with traffic. If this project comes before the bypass over
the train tracks, this is going to be a nightmare. We already have traffic accidents on a weekly basis and
backups on a daily basis. This is a huge concern. Traffic needs to be alleviated.
Question (Citizen): Will the pool be available to those outside the development?
Response (Applicant): Usually it's limited to residents and their guests.
Comment (Citizen): We're trapped in Andersonville right now, and we have huge concerns with
additional traffic coming in, especially with the recent Woodward project. I don't know how we're going
to get out of our neighborhood. I really want to bring that to the attention of everyone here.
Comment (Citizen): I feel like the traffic situation has been largely ignored. I remember coming to a
meeting when I first moved to the area 7 years ago, and traffic was brought up as a serious issue, and
here we are at this time, still continuing to develop, the issue is still being brought up, and I'm not seeing
that it is going to be addressed.
streets or greenspace. It is very much like an old town neighborhood, you do not see parking/garages
from the edges.
There are a total of 941 bedrooms proposed and there is 1 parking space for each bedroom, with an
additional 21 spaces beyond this. It is well parked. Parking is screened from public view.
The project contains amenities such as a clubhouse, swimming pool, and volleyball court. Walking
spaces and paths are spread throughout for connections. A City sidewalk will be located around the
project to connect to the rest of the community. It is easy for the residents to get to the stores and
multifamily housing located south across Lincoln Avenue.
The cottages are designed to look like a single-family house. They offer a pedestrian scale, and will not
dwarf the nearby neighborhoods. It will look like a single-family development in addition to the many
amenities offered on -site. The buildings are not more massive than a single family home or
neighborhood. There is plenty of parking for this project; students will not need to park in adjacent
neighborhoods.
This project should not create additional traffic through neighborhoods. Current estimates are that 40%
of the traffic generated will head west on Lincoln, 45% south on Lemay, 5%on 12`" street, 5% east on
Lincoln and the remaining 5% north on Lemay.
Comments, Questions & Responses
Question (Citizen): With the 5-bedroom house, how does that correlate with the Fort Collins "you plus
two" rule?
Response (Applicant): The product is offered as a different lifestyle opportunity, with friends living
together. Here they can do that in a controlled environment with management staff on -site. This has
been popular and successful in other communities.
Response (Applicant): These have to be developed as single-family and duplex units first; after they are
constructed the developer will have to apply for an extra occupancy rental license. They have to meet
the requirements such as parking spaces and square footage.
Response (City): The rental license is done through Zoning with the City.
Question (Citizen): Will you be charging for parking?
Response (Applicant): Parking is typically included in the rent.
Question (Citizen): What is the rent for parking?
Response (Applicant): Rents are on a per -bed or bedroom basis, parking is included with this.
Question (Citizen): Will the parking always be with the property? Down the road will you start charging
for parking spaces?
Response (Applicant): The parking will stay with the property, and be used for each bedroom rented.
Comment (Citizen): I have seen in districts around CSU that parking is being pushed further and further
out into the neighborhoods.
Question (Citizen): Do you plan to add covered parking?
Response (Applicant): We do not have plans right now, but we're always looking at the market.
Comment (Citizen): I'd like for the parking to always stay with the facility, so it won't be of additional
concern to the nearby neighborhoods.
ATTACHMENT 3
City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Meeting
DATE: February 25, 2014
PROJECT: Capstone Cottages
PROJECT PLANNER: Courtney Levingston
The meeting began at 5:30 with the project planner giving a brief overview of the City's development
review process, including information that this project has not yet been formally submitted, and there
may be an additional neighborhood meeting held.
Question (Citizen): Will this project be processed as a Type 1 or Type 27
Response (City): The decision maker for this project will be the Planning & Zoning Board (Type 2). Prior
to the Public Hearing, another neighborhood notice will be sent out.
Applicant Presentation / Proiect Summary
This is a student -oriented housing, meaning the project is designed for and marketed towards students,
however by law, the project is not restricted to students only.
The project site is located east of Lemay Avenue and north of Lincoln Avenue, surrounding the existing
bank. The project site is slightly larger than 23 acres. A total of 182 dwelling units are proposed.
Ripley Design Inc. has represented many multifamily residential projects over the years, and we typically
hear concerns in five areas: the density is too high, the buildings are out of scale, the buildings are too
tall, there is not enough parking, and that the project increases traffic. We plan to show how this project
addresses these common concerns.
The site currently sits on two zoning districts; Medium Density Mixed -Use Zoning on the western portion
of the site and Industrial to the east. Our intention is to rezone the Industrial portion to Medium Density
Mixed -Use.
The Medium Density Mixed -Use Zone District requires a minimum density of 12 dwelling units per acre.
The project we're showing tonight is proposing 9 dwelling units per acre. This is below the City's
requirement, requiring a modification of standard. We feel the reduced number of dwelling units is
appropriate at this location.
The site plan shows lots of small buildings, rather than several larger structures. This particular
developer builds what they call cottages, some single-family, some are duplexes such as two cottages
building together, and some are townhomes. Many of the units have different architectural looks. The
smaller scale units surrounding the project, and the 3-story townhomes are oriented and located
towards the interior of the project site. All of the buildings have individual front doors and face onto
Planning & Zoning Board
December 11, 2014
Page 5
approval of the amendment to the City Structure Plan Map to change the land use designation of
approximately 12.7 acres of land northeast of the Lincoln Avenue/Lemay Avenue intersection
from Industrial to Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood. Member Heinz seconded the
motion. Vote: 4:0.
Member Hart made a motion that, based upon the findings of facts and conclusions in the Staff
Report on page 8 and 9 A-C, the Planning and Zoning Board recommend to the City Council
approval of the amendment to the East Mulberry Corridor Plan Map to change the land use
designation of approximately 12.7 acres of land northeast of the Lincoln Avenue/Lemay Avenue
intersection from Industrial to Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood. Member Heinz
seconded the motion. Vote: 4:0.
Member Hart made a motion that, based upon the findings of facts and conclusions in the Staff
Report on pages 8 and 9 D-I, the Planning and Zoning Board recommend to the City Council
approval of the amendment to the Zoning Map to change the land use classification of
approximately 12.7 acres of land northeast of the Lincoln Avenue/Lemay Avenue intersection
from Industrial to Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood and also include a change to the
land use classification of approximately 0.07 acres of land from Medium Density Mixed -Use
Neighborhood to Industrial and in accordance with the City's Comprehensive Plan and the
Capstone Cottages Rezoning REZ #140002. Member Heinz seconded the motion. Vote: 4:0.
Other Business
None noted.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:10pm.
Laurie Kadrich, CDNS Director Jennifer Carpenter. Chair
Planning & Zoning Board
December 11, 2014
Page 4
want to improve the Lincoln Corridor, to connect the international boulevard, and ensuring connectivity to
Lemay to the north to reduce congestion. The City will be putting in a pedestrian signal to assist citizens
in crossing Lemay, which will be included in project development plan. Vice Chair Kirkpatrick asked
about paying for infrastructure improvements. Senior Planner Wray responded that the City plans for
future development by ensuring adequate public infrastructure is in place concurrent with new
development, and funding will come from private development of their fair share and capital project
funds. Director Kadrich added that there may be existing conditions that were present and needed
infrastructure changes or upgrades prior to any new development coming in. Developers would pay their
proportionate share of those costs, but they would not be required to pay for existing conditions.
Member Schneider asked if there is any possibility that the airport would ever be revitalized. Senior
Planner Wray responded that the property has gone into foreclosure and is now is owned by a bank and
has been rezoned to Employment; however, the airport itself is no longer in existence.
Member Hart asked if traffic is already at capacity. Ms. Wilkinson stated that Traffic Operations is
watching traffic levels at this intersection and are requiring the Applicant to analyze to meet the required
level of service standards. It is currently running at Level E, which is near to capacity, especially with the
inclusion of a train or crash.
Senior Planner Wray also stated that the Right of Way for the southern realignment has been dedicated.
Mr. Delich also added that, during peak hours at the intersection of Vine and Lemay, the difference
between the current and future zoning is less than 5 vehicles per hour. Senior Planner Wray added that
there are a little less than 900 available acres for vacant Industrial use around the City and approximately
250 redevelopment industrial acres within the East Mulberry Corridor area. While we are losing
approximately 12 acres of industrial land, there is sufficient inventory of industrial land to accommodate
future needs.
Board Deliberation
Member Hart stated that he is convinced that this development will not increase the impact of traffic and
may actually improve the existing traffic conditions. He stated that the next stage of development will
address the traffic issues, and he feels that the students will utilize the free transport system.
Member Schneider asked whether 9m street/Lemay going to dead-end at the railroad tracks. Senior
Planner Wray stated that, in reference to the Master Street Plan, there are some opportunities coming up
that will answer that question. There was some discussion as to the future placement of Lemay and
Vine. Member Heinz stated that she doesn't see an issue with adding the additional 12 acres to this
zoning. Member Schneider asked whether there had been any communication with Woodward
regarding this project. Senior Planner Wray responded that he has not heard any specific comments
from them on this topic. Member Schneider stated that he has reservations of the zoning impacts of
traffic on the neighborhood but will support it. Vice Chair Kirkpatrick will also support the rezoning with
respect to the Master Street Plan and connectivity. She encouraged citizens to continue their
involvement with the project development plan. Overall, she believes this rezoning is in compliance with
the Comprehensive Plan. Member Hart hopes that any plan takes into consideration the impact on
infrastructure.
Eckman counselled on how the motions should be made in order to ensure clear intent.
Member Hart made a motion that, based upon the findings of facts and conclusions in the Staff
Report on pages 8 and 9 A-C, the Planning and Zoning Board recommend to the City Council
Planning & Zoning Board
December 11, 2014
Page 3
meeting from the previous evening (12/10/14) has also been included in tonight's packet, which was the
third meeting for both of these projects.
Linda Ripley, with Ripley Design, Inc., is representing Capstone Collegiate Communities, the Applicant
for the rezoning. She continued with a more in-depth presentation, including a PowerPoint presentation.
She detailed the nearby amenities and detailed the reasons behind the rezoning, including the plan to
revitalize the area. She stated that this rezoning fits well into the City's Master Street Plan. She
discussed the advantages of these changes and how the site is appropriate for industrial development,
including the criteria for project approval: consistency with comprehensive plan and is warranted by
change conditions (airport no longer in operation, Woodward Governor's new campus, bank
development, and pedestrian and bike improvements). She stated that the applicant was only recently
able to assemble these adjacent parcels. They are also pursuing a project development plan, but this
plan will not be included in tonight's discussion.
Deputy City Attorney Eckman clarified the objectives for tonight: he suggested that several motions be
made, specifically focusing on changing any City plans first.
Public Input
John Lee, 500 9th Street, stated this is plan has a direct impact on his neighborhood. He doesn't feel that
he can expand his own business, based on the proposed plan. Because this project is student housing,
the number of cars, along with the trains, will become very difficult to navigate. He doesn't feel that the
current infrastructure will support these changes.
Lisa Lee, 500 9th Street, is opposed to this project because the location can't support more cars. She
says that the area is already unsafe, and adding 800 more cars would be unsafe and unsupportable.
Justin Wagner, 601 10th Street, stated that he feels that the infrastructure should be built first. He cited
the number of car wrecks and train issues as examples of the congestion. He believes that students
won't want to live this far to the east of CSU, and he thinks having student shuttles may not help this
situation and they will continue driving their own cars.
Jerry Gavaldon, 1252 Solstice Lane, has family who grew up in this area. He made some general
comments regarding the appropriate zoning for this area, given the issues brought up by citizens and the
constraints dictated by the Land Use Code.
Staff/Applicant Response to Citizen Concerns
Ms. Ripley stated that she did not have a rebuttal to the citizen comments. Senior Planner Wray noted
that the citizen concerns were mostly related to traffic and street plan. Martina Wilkinson, Traffic
Operations, stated that, in terms of the rezoning proposed, residents would experience an approximate
increase in daily trips of about 20%.
Board Questions and Staff Response
Member Hart asked if the traffic generation is based upon standard numbers of trips for these zoning
types. Matt Delich, Traffic Engineer for Delich Associates, stated that the light industrial land use
standard was used (a City of Fort Collins city source). Vice Chair Kirkpatrick asked about the plans to
build -out that area and what infrastructure improvements are planned. Ms. Wilkinson stated that they
Planning & Zoning Board
December 11, 2014
Page 2
Public Input:
None.
Member Hart made a motion that the Planning and Zoning Board approve the December 11, 2014,
Consent agenda as presented, which includes the minutes from the November 13, 2014, Planning
and Zoning Board hearing. Member Heinz seconded. Vote: 6:0.
Discussion Agenda:
2. Capstone Cottages Plan Amendment and Rezone, REZ #140002
Project: Capstone Cottages Plan Amendment and Rezone, REZ #140002
Project Description: This is a request that the East Mulberry Corridor Plan and City Structure Plan
Maps be amended to change the land use designation of approximately 12.7 acres of land northeast of the
Lincoln Avenue/Lemay Avenue intersection from Industrial to Medium Density Mixed -Use
Neighborhood. The Applicant's proposal also involves a request to rezone 12.7 acres of land from the
Industrial District (I) to the Medium Density Mixed Use Neighborhood District (M-M-N) and 0.070 acres
of land from the M-M-N to the Industrial District. The requests are based on the Applicant's proposal to
develop a single-family residential project; the Project Development Plan for the proposed single-family
project is submitted concurrently.
Recommendation: Approval
Hearing Testimony, Written Comments and Other Evidence
Staff and Applicant Presentations
Member Hansen recused himself at 6:04pm due to a conflict of interest with this project.
Senior Planner Wray made a brief presentation of this project, including each of the items requiring a
separate vote:
Part I: a request for a plan amendment to change the land use designation of 12.7 acres from Industrial
to Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood for the East Mulberry Corridor Plan;
Part II: this same change for the City Structure Plan Map; and
Part III: a request to rezone approximately 12.7 acres from Industrial to Medium Density Mixed -Use
Neighborhood and to rezone 7/100 of an acre from Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood to
Industrial.
He also informed the Board that the Project Development Plan (PDP) has been submitted concurrently
with this project and is currently under review. A summary of the discussion from a neighborhood
ATTACHMENT
Chair Carpenter called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
Roll Call: Kirkpatrick, Hansen, Hart, and Schneider
Absent: Carpenter, Hobbs
Staff Present: Kadrich, Eckman, Burnett, Wilkinson, Wray, Mounce, and Cosmas
Agenda Review
Chair Carpenter provided background on the board's role and what the audience could expect as to the
order of business. She described the following processes:
• While the City staff provides comprehensive information about each project under consideration,
citizen input is valued and appreciated.
• The Board is here to listen to citizen comments. Each citizen may address the Board once for
each item.
• Decisions on development projects are based on judgment of compliance or non-compliance with
city Land Use Code.
• Should a citizen wish to address the Board on items other than what is on the agenda, time will
be allowed for that as well.
• This is a legal hearing, and the Chair will moderate for the usual civility and fairness to ensure
that everyone who wishes to speak can be heard.
Director Kadrich reviewed the items on both the Consent and Discussion agendas and also explained
the consent/discussion procedure to the audience.
Public Input on Items Not on the Agenda:
None.
Consent Agenda:
1. Minutes from November 13, 2014, P&Z Hearing
ATTACHMENT 1
-Zo Project Development Boundary
_Proposed Plan Amendment &
Rezoning Areas
Capstone
Cottages
1 inch = 500 feet
Agenda Item 11
so it didn't matter what people from the neighborhood said. My concerns are: it's only for students; we
need affordable housing for the working class people and I continue to have to fight on that note, and
we need affordable housing for people that are working minimum wage jobs. If you look across the
street to the apartment complex, it doesn't fit. The cottages are lovely, it's a beautiful development that
is solely geared for students, but I feel like it doesn't fit with the neighborhood and will continue to
gentrify the neighborhood. Those are serious concerns I have.
• Comment (Citizen): The cost of land has gone up. I see around campus private buyers having to
compete with the University for properties. CSU has bought so much property and they are already
marching south, and eventually they will march east, so these folks have to go where they need to be.
I agree this is an inappropriate area for this type of project. We know the impact of The Summit with
Capstone on College. It's a royal mess. They're now trying to recover with the parking garage. There
is a better job here planning than the other one. We're not being NIMBY here; there are genuine,
legitimate concerns for the project in this area.
■ Comment (Citizen): I also had concerns about compatibility. With a birds -eye view, you could see the
perspective this affluent neighborhood is to the low-income neighborhood it surrounds.
• Question (Citizen): How does student housing affect property values for nearby neighborhoods?
• Response (Applicant): I do not know the effect of property values. I would encourage you to ask real
estate professionals. My own experience is that something brad new and new development in an area
can raise property values.
FINANCIAL I ECONOMIC IMPACTS
Staff finds no direct financial or economic impacts resulting from the requested plan amendment and rezoning.
The plan amendment and rezoning would further implement the East Mulberry Corridor Plan and City Plan,
which both reflect community consideration of economic issues as part of balanced comprehensive planning.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
The physical environment will not be directly impacted by the requested plan amendment and rezoning. The
Rezoning will enable ensuing submittal of development applications, and development plans are required to
comply with Land Use Code standards for development, including Environmental and Natural Area Protection
standards to address potential environmental impacts.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
While a neighborhood meeting is not required for this plan amendment and rezoning per Land Use Code
Section 2.9.4 (B), the Director determined a neighborhood meeting is warranted. Three neighborhood
meetings have been held to date for this item and Project Development Plan. While most of the comments
received by staff focused on traffic impacts, comments relating to land use and zoning are highlighted above.
A summary of each neighborhood meeting is included (Attachment 3).
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity Map(PDF)
2. Planning and Zoning Board minutes, December 11, 2014 (draft) (PDF)
3. Neighborhood meeting summary, February 25, 2014 (PDF)
4. Justifications - Rezoning and Plan Amendments (PDF)
5. Powerpoint presentation (PDF)
Item # 11 Page 8
Agenda Item 11
Crossing Commercial Center. The combined 28.5 acres of M-M-N continues to be compatible with adjacent
uses. The proposed zoning also allows for an effective transition between the more intense land uses
associated with the arterial streets and the existing low density residential neighborhood to the north.
Section 2.9.4(H)(3)(b) - Impacts on Natural Environment:
The rezoning will not have an adverse impact on the natural environment. The sites proposed to be rezoned
have a few, small isolated pockets of wetlands and no significant wildlife habitats. Any new development that
includes natural areas determined to be valuable would need to be preserved or mitigated regardless of
whether of the property is zoned M-M-N or Industrial per Section 3.4.1.
Section 2.9.4(H)(3)(c) - Logical and Orderly Development Pattern:
It is entirely consistent with City Plan to have an M-M-N District next to an R-L District, General Commercial
District and Industrial District. M-M-N zoning allows for a mix of land uses that are complementary to
surrounding uses and supports transit. The rezoning to a slightly larger M-M-N area allows for improved
coordination of planned public streets and ability to establish a transition between higher intensity uses and
lower intensity uses.
Rezoning the parcels to from Industrial to M-M-N, including M-M-N to Industrial provides a logical and orderly
development pattern.
4. Neighborhood Information Meeting
Three neighborhood meetings were held on February 25, July 24, and December 10, 2014. A majority of
comments received by staff focused on traffic impacts. Comments relating to the proposed land use and
zoning amendments are summarized below (See Attachment 3).
■ Comment: 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.
• 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.
■ 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 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.
• 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. 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.
■ Comment (Citizen): I don't know how much support the City has backing this development, but from
what I have painfully heard with the Lincoln Corridor Plan, the City was hell-bent on getting that built,
Item # 11 Page 7
Agenda Item 11
Vine/Lemay overpass is constructed. Lincoln Avenue as shown on the Master Street Plan
swings to the north connecting to the future International Boulevard. The design of the
Lincoln Avenue/international Boulevard intersection has not been determined; however, if
the ultimate design includes a swing to the north (as indicated in the MSP) or a round-
about, either solution would further reduce the M-M-N site. On the north side of the
property, the future Duff Drive aligning with Buckingham Street to the west will also affect
the M-M-N site, cutting off a corner of the M-M-N site and adding a tract of land south of
Duff Drive that is zoned 1.
• A portion of the original 18.32-acre M-M-N site (2 acres) has already been developed as
the Bank of Colorado.
■ The net acreage currently available in the M-M-N zone for development of a multi -family
project has been reduced to less than 14 acres by the future street alignments and
adjacent development.
■ Proposed pedestrian/streetscape improvements along Lincoln Avenue between the
Lincoln Avenue/Lemay Avenue intersection and Riverside Avenue support a residential
project at this location by providing convenient and safe access to Downtown utilizing
alternative modes of travel.
• The Mulberry and Lemay Crossings shopping center to the south provides a variety of
goods and services including groceries. The commercial center functions like a
neighborhood center, making medium density residential a land use transition that is well
supported by City policies.
• The Applicant has only recently been able to assemble adjacent properties in order to
create an adequate size parcel for multi -family development of the type that would be
supported by City Plan and the City's Land Use Code.
■ The assemblage of the various parcels and integration of the MSP streets will now allow
for a mid -block land use change per City Plan Policy LIV 38.3.
• The 0.070 acres of land to be rezoned from the Medium Density Mixed Use Neighborhood
District (M-M-N) to the Industrial District (1) is the result of the alignment of Duff Drive
(shown on the MSP) that cuts off a triangle of land that would be more appropriately zoned
I -Industrial to be consistent with I -Industrial zoned parcels adjacent to the street right-of-
way.
In review of the proposed rezoning, staff acknowledges conditions have changed in the area surrounding this
property and on -site. The Woodward Technology Campus is under construction to the west, adding a
significant employment base for the community. The demand for new housing in this area is high. Colorado
State University continues plans to expand student enrollment, resulting in a need for new student housing, on
and off campus. Consolidation of parcels under single ownership will provide additional opportunity to better
coordinate an expanded M-M-N development with adjacent land uses, consistent with City Plan. The Master
Street Plan identifies a curved Minor Arterial Street alignment connecting International Boulevard to East
Lincoln Avenue. An alternative intersection design is being considered which may include a roundabout
configuration. An opportunity also exists to better coordinate alignment and connections of other public streets
in the area.
Section 2.9.4(H)(3)(a) - Compatibility:
The parcel is at the intersection of two arterial streets including Lemay Avenue and Lincoln Avenue. To the
west is the existing Bank of Colorado and Industrial uses including Fort Collins Brewery. To the north are
vacant Industrial lands and the existing Andersonville/San Cristo and Via Lopez neighborhood. To the east
are existing Industrial businesses, and to the south are the Buffalo Run Apartments and Mulberry/Lemay
Item # 11 Page 6
Agenda Item 11
The Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood District is intended to be a setting for
concentrated housing within easy walking distance of transit and a commercial district.
Secondarily, a neighborhood may also contain other moderate -intensity complementary and
supporting land uses that serve the neighborhood. These neighborhoods will form a transition
and a link between surrounding neighborhoods and the commercial core with a unifying
pattern of streets and blocks. Buildings, streets, bike and walking paths, open spaces and
parks will be configured to create an inviting and convenient living environment.
This District is intended to function together with surrounding low density neighborhoods
(typically the L-M-N zone district) and a central commercial core (typically an N-C or C-C zone
district). The intent is for the component zone districts to form an integral, town -like pattern of
development, and not merely a series of individual development projects in separate zone
districts.
The City Structure Plan Map also indicates the approximate .07-acre parcel to be "Industrial." According to the
Land Use Code:
The Industrial District is intended to provide a location for a variety of work processes and
work places such as manufacturing, warehousing and distributing, indoor and outdoor storage,
and a wide range of commercial and industrial operations. The Industrial District also
accommodates complementary and supporting uses such as convenience shopping, child
care centers and housing. While these Districts will be linked to the City's transportation
system for multiple modes of travel, some may emphasize efficient commercial trucking and
rail traffic as needed. Industrial and manufacturing processes used in this District may, by
necessity, be characteristically incompatible with residential uses.
The proposed rezoning is supported by and consistent with the City Structure Plan Map and the East Mulberry
Corridor Plan Map, both elements of City Plan.
Section 2.9.4(H)(2)(b) - Changed Conditions:
As part of the Applicant's justification the following findings were identified:
In addition to being consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan, the proposed re -zoning is
also warranted by changed conditions within the neighborhood surrounding and including the
subject property. The following changes have occurred in the surrounding neighborhood that
supports the proposed change from I to M-M-N:
■ The airport is no longer in operation. Concerns raised by City staff in the 2003
consideration of a rezoning to M-M-N included concerns about locating residential areas
too close to the airport. With the closure of the airport, this concern is no longer an issue.
Woodward is building a new campus on the 101-acre Links-n-Greens site at the southwest
corner of the Lincoln and Lemay intersection. The City specifically added light industrial
and heavy industrial uses to the zoning for the site to accommodate Woodward's new
office/manufacturing campus that is anticipated to retain and/or create between 1400 and
1700 primary jobs. The loss of 12.7 acres of I -zoned property is more than offset by the
increase in industrial uses and jobs realized by the Woodward project.
The Master Street Plan alignment of streets in the area will require several acres of the
subject property to be dedicated as right-of-way, leaving only very small and odd shaped
parcels of I -zoned land which would be very difficult to develop as industrial uses
generating employment. Street alignments proposed on the Master Street Plan reduce the
amount of existing M-M-N property. Lemay Avenue is proposed to swing to the east to go
around the east side of the San Cristo/Andersonville neighborhood when the future
Item # 11 Page 5
Agenda Item 11
public welfare and is consistent with the vision, principles and policies of City Plan and elements thereof. The
location and proposed increase in size of the M-M-N designation is adjacent the existing Mulberry/Lemay
Crossing Shopping Center which includes a supermarket, transit facilities, employment and the Poudre River.
An expanded M-M-N designation will provide increased opportunity to establish a transition and link between
lower density neighborhoods and commercial, employment and industrial Districts. As mentioned above, the
proposed amendment will enable better coordination of planned alignment and connections of public streets in
the area.
Staff has also assessed how this proposed plan amendment and re -zoning will affect the available inventory of
vacant buildable Industrial lands within the Growth Management Area. A recent update of vacant and
redevelopment industrial land inventories identify:
Vacant Industrial Land - 865 acres
Industrial Redevelopment Areas (Airpark) - 254 Acres
Total Vacant & Redevelopment Industrial Areas - 1,119 acres
As part of the last City Plan update and 2010 Nelson Study, the following findings were reported:
• Projected industrial employment will remain stable through 2040 and could decrease slightly
thereafter.
• Fort Collins contains 12.8 million square feet of existing industrial space on 2,949 acres of land at an
average industrial land use floor are ratio of .08. Industrial floor area ratios (FAR) in mature suburban
markets typically average a 0.15 FAR.
• "We find that if the FAR for Fort Collins in 2060 were to be more in line with mature suburban areas,
such as FARs of 0.15 for industrial and 0.25 for retail and officefinstitutional, Fort Collins may not need
to expand its current supply of nonresidential land by much. "
■ "During the period 2010 to 2060, nearly all of Fort Collins' nonresidential built stock will be replaced. " &
"In a growing area, redevelopment usually results in much higher land -intensity than that which it
replaced."
• "Fort Collins has sufficient land to meet its nonresidential and much of its residential land use needs
over the next half century. "
The proposed net loss of approximately 12.7 acres of Industrial land is insignificant when viewed relative to the
overall inventory of potential future Industrial land use. In addition, the proposed loss of approximately 13 acres
on the Capstone site of industrial land is off -set by the recent addition of the use "Campus Employment" for the
Woodward Technology Campus project under construction to the west. A large part of the Woodward
operations will include light industrial manufacturing activity.
3. Land Use Code Division 2.9 - Amendment to the Zoning Map
Section 2.9.4 (H) (2) - Mandatory Requirements for Quasi-iudicial Zonings or Rezonings:
Any amendment to the Zoning Map involving the zoning or rezoning of six hundred forty (640) acres of
land or less (a quasi-judicial rezoning) shall be recommended for approval by the Planning and Zoning
Board or approved by the City Council only if the proposed amendment is:
(a) Consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan; and/or
(b) Warranted by changed conditions within the neighborhood surrounding and including the
subject property.
Section 2.9.4(H)(2)(a) - Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan:
The City Structure Plan Map indicates the approximate 15.8-acre existing parcel and proposed amendment for
the approximate 12.7-acre parcel to be "Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood." According to the Land
Use Code:
Item # 71 Page 4
Agenda Item 11
A plan amendment will be approved if the City Council makes specific findings that. -
The existing City Plan and/or any related element thereof is in need of the proposed
amendment, and
• The proposed amendment will promote the public welfare and will be consistent with the
vision, goals, principles and policies of City Plan and the elements thereof.
As part of the justification by the Applicant:
"The Applicant would like to develop a student -oriented housing development northeast of the
intersection of Lincoln and Lemay Avenues. Approximately 18.32 acres of land at the corner is
currently zoned M-M-N. The developable size of the original 18.32-acre site intended for multi-
family development has been significantly reduced because of changed conditions."
'Additional M-M-N zoned land is necessary to create a site zoned M-M-N that is large enough
to accommodate a project that is both financially feasible and one that is consistent with City
policies related to multi -family development, transitional land use and neighborhood
compatibility. "
Staff has assessed the proposed plan amendments and supports the change relating to the first City Plan
criterion, that there is a need for the amendments. The Plan Amendments are needed in order to re -designate
approximately 12.7 acres of land from Industrial to Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood (M-M-N)
abutting the existing M-M-N parcel. Additional M-M-N designated land through consolidation of parcels is
necessary to create a site that is large enough to accommodate a project that is consistent with City policies
related to multi -family development. The larger site will provide expanded transitional land use and buffers,
neighborhood compatibility, and coordination of public street alignments.
The existing Industrial parcels proposed to be changed are awkward in shape as a result of the original metes
and bounds property boundary configuration while in Larimer County. The Master Street Plan shows three
public streets bisecting these existing Industrial parcels, including extensions of International Boulevard, Duff
Street and Webster Street. A larger consolidated property will enable the improved alignment and connections
of public streets in the area, under single ownership.
As part of the justification by the Applicant:
"The proposed Structure Plan Map amendment will allow a rezoning to the M-M-N zone and
development of the applicant's proposed multi -family project that is consistent with and
supported by City Plan Principles and Policies. The net acreage of the existing M-M-N site is
less than 14 acres, while approximately 20-25 acres is required to develop a project that is
consistent with City Policies related to multi -family development, transitional land use and
neighborhood compatibility. Allowing an increase in the size of the existing M-M-N property
northeast of the intersection of Lincoln and Lemay Avenues will provide a needed land use
transition between existing industrial development and existing single-family neighborhoods to
the northwest."
"The 12.7 acres proposed to be rezoned is intersected by International Boulevard, Duff Street
and Webster Street resulting in four small separate and odd shaped parcels that would be
difficult to develop. Any potential loss of employment opportunities associated with the existing
industrial zoned land is more than off -set by Woodward developing a new campus to the
property located southwest of the Lincoln and Lemay intersection. It is anticipated that
Woodward will build 600,000 square feet of office and manufacturing space in four phases
retaining and/or creating between 1400 and 1700 primaryjobs on the 101-acre former Links-n-
Greens site. "
Staff has assessed the proposed plan amendments and concludes that the change continues to promote the
Item # 11 Page 3
Agenda Item 11
West I Industrial I Existing industrial businesses
Zoning History (in reverse chronological order)
2003
The City initiated a re -zone for three parcels consisting of approximately 24 acres at the northeast corner of
Lincoln and Lemay from Industrial (1) to the Employment District (E) to bring the City Structure Plan map and
Zoning map into conformance with the East Mulberry Corridor Plan that was adopted in 2002. The owner of
approximately 15.79 acres included in the staffs request, and at the northeast corner thereof, requested that
its property be rezoned M-M-N rather than Employment (E). The Planning and Zoning Board supported the
request to rezone the property at the corner from I to M-M-N, commenting that the site was appropriate for M-
M-N because of its accessibility and proximity to the Wal-Mart development, which effectively acts as a
neighborhood center. The City Council approved the rezoning to M-M-N.
March 1997
The City implemented the newly adopted Comprehensive Plan called City Plan. This implementation involved
re -zoning the entire City into new zone districts with certain exceptions for developed properties that were not
anticipated to re -develop. The primary exception was existing neighborhoods which retained their underlying
pre -City Plan zone of R-L, Low Density Residential.
1994
The larger parcel consisting of 17.1 acres was annexed and zoned Industrial as part of the East Lincoln Third
Annexation.
1986
The two smaller parcels (East) were annexed and zoned Industrial as part of the Fort Collins Business Center
First Annexation.
2. Plan Amendments - City Plan and Related Elements
City Plan Minor Amendment Process
City Plan and adopted subarea plans are the policy documents that shall be used to guide
decision -making in Fort Collins and its Growth Management Area. Revisions to City Plan and
elements thereof shall be conducted according to two distinct procedures: Comprehensive
Updates and Minor Amendments. Comprehensive updates to City Plan will take place every
five (5) years, ideally in a concurrent process with the Transportation Master Plan like the Plan
Fort Collins effort.
A separate process shall be used to make Minor Amendments to City Plan and other adopted
elements. Minor Amendments may include revisions to one or a few sections of the plan as a
result of adoption of subarea plans or a specific issue, policy, or directive from City Council.
Minor amendments may include changes to the City Structure Plan Map as well as corrections
to text or map errors. Amendment requests based on proposed development projects that
involve re -zonings may also be processed concurrently with re -zoning applications. Requests
shall be submitted to the City's Planning Department at least 60 days prior to the hearing date
for the Planning and Zoning Board. The 60-day submittal requirement is necessary in order to
permit adequate public notice to be given and to allow adequate time to complete the
background work for considering a plan amendment.
Item # 11 Page 2
Agenda Item 11
STAFF
Pete Wray, Senior City Planner
SUBJECT
Items Relating to the Capstone Cottages Plan Amendment to the City Structure Plan and East Mulberry
Corridor Plan Maps, and Rezoning.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A. Resolution 2015-004 Amending the City's Structure Plan Map
B. Resolution 2015-005 Amending the East Mulberry Corridor Plan Map
C. First Reading of Ordinance No. 007, 2015, Amending the Zoning Map of the City by Changing the Zoning
Classification for that Certain Property Known as the Capstone Cottages Rezoning.
The purpose of this item is to amend the City Structure Plan Map and the East Mulberry Corridor Plan Map, to
change the land use designation of approximately 12.7 acres of land northeast of the Lincoln Avenue/Lemay
Avenue intersection from Industrial to Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood, rezone the property from the
Industrial district (1) to the Medium Density Mixed Use Neighborhood district (M-M-N) and rezone the abutting
0.070 acres of land from the M-M-N to the Industrial District.
The requests are based on the Applicant's proposal to develop a student oriented single-family residential
project; the Project Development Plan for the proposed project is in the process of being reviewed by staff as
part of a separate application.
On December 11, 2014, the Planning and Zoning Board voted (4-0) to support a recommendation to City
Council to approve the proposed Capstone Cottages plan amendment and rezoning.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Resolutions and Ordinance on First Reading.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
1. Background
The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows:
Direction
Zone District
Existing Land Use
North
Industrial I
Vacant industrial land
Low Density Residential (R-L)
Ex. Neighborhood Andersonville/San
Cristo/Via Lopez
South
General Commercial (C)
Mulberry/Lemay Crossing, Multi -Family
Buffalo Run Apts.)
East
Industrial (I)
Existing industrial businesses
Item # 11 Page 1