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Home My WebLink AboutCATHY FROMME NATURAL AREA, 1ST ANNEXATION & ZONING (SUBMITTED 01/11/2001) - 40-98 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT W/ATTACHMENTS (3)PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES FOR CATHY FROMME NATURAL AREA ANNEXATION Policy NOL-1.1 Natural Areas System. The City will establish a system of publicly -owned natural areas to protect the integrity of wildlife habitat and conservation sites, protect corridors between natural areas, preserve outstanding examples of Fort Collins' diverse natural heritage, and provide a broad range of opportunities for educational, interpretive, and recreational programs to meet community needs. Policy NOL-1.8 Ecosystems Management. The City will manage, maintain, and enhance public natural areas to ensure the ongoing conservation of desirable plants and animals and their associated ecosystems; control the invasion and spread of undesirable non-native plants and animals; improve aesthetics; and provide opportunities for public use. Principle NOL-2 Open lands are important in providing the city with a well-defined edge, establishing community separators, directing growth, and preserving rural character. Policy NOL-2.3 Community Buffer. Strategic open lands that serve as community separators outside the Community Growth Management Area will be identified for either public ownership or other land conservation measures. Principle NOL-3 The City's parks and recreation system will include parks, trails, open lands, natural areas and urban streetscapes. These "green spaces" will balance active and passive recreation opportunities in an interconnected framework that is distributed throughout the urban area. Principle GM-2 The City will consider the annexation of new territory into the City limits when the annexation of such property conforms to the vision, goals, and policies of City Plan. Policy GM-2.1 Annexation Policies. The City Council will weigh the following factors when considering the annexation of new land into the incorporated limits: Statutory requirements. The property must meet all statutory requirements for annexation according to the laws of the State of Colorado. 4011 OUT UE Vicinity Map 08/26/98 N #40-98 Cathy Fromme Natural Area Annexation and Zoning ill =1000, Cathy Fromme 1st Natural Area Annexation & Zoning, #40-98 April 5, 2001 P & Z Meeting Page 4 FINDINGS OF FACT/CONCLUSION: 1. The area meets all criteria included in Colorado Revised Statutes to qualify for a voluntary annexation to the City of Fort Collins. 2. The annexation of this area is consistent with the policies and agreements between Larimer County and the City of Fort Collins as contained in the Intergovernmental Aareement for the Fort Collins Urban Growth Area. 3. The annexation request complies with all applicable Land Use Code criteria. 4. The requested Public Open Lands (POL) zone district is in conformance with the policies of City Plan and is consistent with the Structure Plan. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the annexation and recommends that the property be placed in the Public Open Lands (POL) zone district. Cathy Fromme 1st Natural Area Annexation & Zoning, #40-98 April 5, 2001 P & Z Meeting Page 3 4. Land Use Code Criteria for Annexations: [Section 2.12] — The Planning and Zoning Board shall hold a hearing on the matter of annexations and report recommendations to City Council. Such Report shall include a recommendation on the proper zoning for the lands if the City Council annexes such lands into the city. The requested zoning for this annexation is the Public Open Lands (POL) zone district. [Section 2.9.4(H)] — Any amendment to the Zoning Map involving the zoning or rezoning of six -hundred forty (640) acres of land or less shall be recommended for approval by the City Council only if the proposed amendment is consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan or warranted by changed conditions surrounding the subject property. The City's adopted Structure Plan, a part of City Plan, designates the site as Rural/Open Lands and Stream Corridors. A zoning designation of POL is consistent with this Structure Plan designation. 5. Creation of an Enclave: This annexation is one piece of a larger series of annexations. Together, the Cathy Fromme 1st and 2"d Annexations and the Coyote Ridge 1st' 2nd, 3rd 4m 51h and 6tn Annexations will create an enclave approximately 1,781 acres in size. The majority of the enclave, approximately 1,621 acres, will be within the UGA. A small portion of the enclave, approximately 160 acres, is located outside the UGA. The creation of this enclave will enable the City to have the authority to involuntarily annex this portion of urbanized county land once the enclave has existed for at least three years. Please refer to the attached map titled "Cathy Fromme & Coyote Ridge Annexations" for a diagram of all the annexations together, and the affected enclave area. 6. City Council Hearings: City Council hearings on this proposed annexation and zoning will be held on the following dates: Initiating Resolution March 6, 2001 First Reading April 17, 2001 Second Reading May 1, 2001 Cathy Fromme 1st Natural Area Annexation & Zoning, #40-98 April 5, 2001 P & Z Meeting Page 2 COMMENTS: 1. Background: The surrounding zoning and land uses as follows: N: POL — existing Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area already in the City, S: FA 1 Farming (Larimer County Zoning) — existing portion of the Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area not yet in the City, E: UE — Undeveloped vacant land, FA 1 Farming (Larimer County Zoning) — Rural residential, W: FA 1 Farming (Larimer County Zoning) — South Taft Hill Road, 11 Industrial (Larimer County Zoning) — The Larimer County Landfill The property is currently zoned FA-1 Farming District in Larimer County. It is not anticipated that any urban level services will need to be extended to the area being annexed. Because the City of Fort Collins already manages the Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area, law enforcement services are currently being provided by the Natural Areas and Trails Rangers of the Fort Collins Natural Resources Department. Once the property annexes, the Natural Areas and Trails Rangers will continue to provide law enforcement services for the area being annexed. 2. Colorado Revised Statutes: This property is eligible for annexation according to CRS, requiring 1/6 contiguity to the existing city limits. The Cathy Fromme 1st Natural Area Annexation and Zoning complies with this standard since the property has 3,201.20 feet of its total boundary of approximately 7999.15 feet contiguous to the existing City limits. This meets the minimum 1,333 feet required to achieve 1/6 contiguity. This contiguity occurs through a common boundary with the Seven Springs /Hann Annexation (April 1986), the Hann Annexation (March 1986), and the Fossil Creek Estates Annexation (November 1993). 3. The Intergovernmental Agreement Between Fort Collins and Larimer County: The property is located just outside the Fort Collins Urban Growth Area (UGA). According to policies and agreements between the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County, contained in the INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT FOR THE FORT COLLINS URBAN GROWTH AREA (Last Amended November 2000), the City may annex property outside the UGA, provided the property is eligible for annexation according to Colorado Revised Statutes (CRS). In the IGA, the city agrees to annex all rights -of -way, easements, etc. adjacent to a voluntary annexation. The proposed annexation includes the adjacent applicable portion of South Taft Hill Road. ITEM NO. S MEETING DATE SAL iiA STAFF ,Innac Citv of Fort Collins PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD STAFF REPORT PROJECT: Cathy Fromme 1st Natural Area Annexation and Zoning, file # 40-98 APPLICANT: City of Fort Collins OWNERS: City of Fort Collins, and Larimer County PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request for a 100% voluntary annexation. The site is approximately 81 acres of publicly owned property located south of Harmony Road, east of Taft Hill Road, north of Trilby Road, and west of Shields Street. The recommended zoning is Public Open Lands (POL), and it is adjacent to a larger piece of Public Open Lands. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Cathy Fromme 1st Natural Area Annexation and Zoning is in substantial compliance with the Colorado Revised Statutes, the Intergovernmental Agreement between Fort Collins and Larimer County, and the Fort Collins Land Use Code. RECOMMENDATION: Approval COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 281 N. College Ave. P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 (970) 221-6750 PLANNING DEPARTMENT