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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHARMONY TECH. PARK 2ND AMENDED ODP - 12-97E - CORRESPONDENCE - RESPONSE TO APPLICANTImago Enterprises, Inc. MAY o 4 1111 140 Palmer Drive • Fort Collins • Colorado 80525 Phone: (970) 226-6819 Fax: (970) 207-9256 Email: lesterkaplan@com May 4, 2004 Cam McNair, Director of Engineering City of Fort Collins n 281 College Avevenue. C Fort Collins, CO 80525 Re: Cambridge Avenue Improvement A group of property owners whose access from Harmony Road would benefit from the improvement of Cambridge Avenue between Harmony Road and Rock Creek Drive are exploring the possibility of initiating this improvement. These owners are Hewlett- Packard, Chateau Development (developer of Morningside Village, Village Homes (developer of Observatory Village), and Imago Enterprises, Inc. This group will be meeting May 12, 2004 to discuss what will be involved in undertaking this improvement. Having certain information from your department would be most helpful. I believe that the final engineering for the improvement of Cambridge Avenue, including the acceleration/ deceleration lanes has been approved by the City and CDOT as part of Hewlett-Packards expansion plans, Phase Two of the Harmony Technology Park. We have questions on the status of these plans as well as the following: 1. Have these plans been fully approved, and can they now be considered ready for construction? 2. Has the "A -line" received final approval? 3. I understand that the Harmony/Cambridge intersection future signal is "on the grid" and, therefore, a CDOT responsibility once warrants are met. Please confirm. 4. What steps are now required prior to commencing construction? I would appreciate your getting back to me late this week, if possible. At this stage, a brief meeting or a telephone call would suffice. Thank you for your timely assistance. Sincerely, Lester M. Kaplan cc. Greg Seebolm, Double Eagle May 10, 2004 Les Kaplan, Imago Enterprises, Inc. Page 2 of 2 proposing to construct Cambridge Avenue. By constructing Cambridge Avenue in conjunction with your own project development plan, there may be some duplication in work, but it does prevent the need to be bound by HP's development agreement and in general reduces the amount of HP's involvement. The traffic signal at Harmony Road and Cambridge Avenue is a signal to which the City of Fort Collins Street Oversizing program will contribute. CDOT does not have a responsibility towards the funding of this signal. Matt Baker would be able to explain this in greater detail; however he is out of the office until Tuesday. A follow-up to this letter will be provided upon Matt's return. In response to your second question, the "A -line" process was not done for Cambridge Avenue. Because the discussion at the time was to have Technology Parkway as the first signalized intersection, the A -line process for Cambridge Avenue was not of concern to undertake by HP. (The construction drawings show that initially with the HP development, Cambridge Avenue would not be widened). With no state access permit, a -line, or design waivers processed, CDOT review and approval will be needed in conjunction with the City prior to construction. The previous content partially answers your last question of steps required prior to construction. In addition to what was previously noted, a development construction permit (DCP) will need to be issued by the City. This requires the posting of a security to guarantee completion of the public improvements, as well as payment of an inspection fee. These dollar amounts are determined by an estimate prepared by the developer (or his consultant) and approved by the City. The estimate is reviewed by our City Engineering Inspector against an approved construction plan set (or construction plan set revision). Concurrently, a DCP coordination meeting will be held for interfacing your designers and contractors with City Inspection, utilities, and other relevant staff. In summary, the answers to your questions are somewhat broad not knowing whether you intend to incorporate the Cambridge Avenue improvements into a new PDP or break it out of HP's. Also, the specific nature of what would need to be revised on the approved drawings and documents cannot be fully determined without review by the appropriate City staff. As you discuss this further among the interested parties, we can continue to evaluate the requirements needed to allow construction to commence. There may also be other options to explore that you may find of benefit such as constructing Cambridge to a 36' wide interim improvement to allow for two-way traffic for vehicles and bicyclists. Finally, please note that Current Planning is leading the effort to rename Cambridge Avenue. Ted Shepard is the appropriate contact on this and it is anticipated that the roadway will be renamed in the near future. Let me know of any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Cam McNa City Engineer CM/pb TransF ation Services Engineering Department City of Fort Collins May 10, 2004 Mr. Lester M. Kaplan Imago Enterprises, Inc. 140 Palmer Drive Fort Collins, Colorado 80525 RE: Cambridge Avenue Improvement Dear Mr. Kaplan, �AXE� This letter is in response to your letter dated May 4, 2004 regarding the construction of Cambridge Avenue. The following represents the City Engineering Department's understanding thus far, not knowing specific intentions from your end regarding the Cambridge Avenue construction. The answer to your first question is somewhat complicated and depends on whether you intend to build this roadway as a stand alone project under Hewlett-Packard's (HP) plans and development agreement, or have it incorporated into a project development plan for future development. The construction plans for Cambridge Avenue have been fully approved. However, since these plans were designed in relation to the development of Harmony Technology Park 2nd Filing (HP expansion), the construction drawings- will need to be revised accordingly. More specifically, as Cambridge Avenue was originally designed to be constructed in phases, the phasing plans would need to be amended assuming that HP will not be developing at this time. In addition to revising the phasing, it may be of benefit for a design. engineer to revise the drawings as the full improvement of Cambridge Avenue presently requires construction of associated improvements outside of the roadway. For instance, there are storm drainage lines that carry roadway flows at sump conditions off the street, to detention ponds onto HP's property. It may not be necessary to construct the entire detention system associated with the street plans as presently called out since no buildings are being constructed, but the plans will need to be revised in order to allow constructing less than what is specified and will require approval of City Utilities (Stormwater). In addition to the construction plans needing to be revised prior to construction, amendments to previous studies (such as the drainage report and traffic study) are needed, unless again, you intend to incorporate these as part of your own project development plan. It should be noted that construction plans are considered valid for construction for a three year period following the execution of the development agreement which pertains to the plans. With the development agreement for HP's expansion being dated July 31, 2001, we reserve the right to reexamine the plans after July 31, 2004 if construction has not commenced, and we may require that they be updated to meet current City standards. If it is intended to build the roadway as a stand alone project, then you are bound.by the conditions set forth in the development agreement for Harmony Technology Park 2nd Filing and would have to be acting on HP's behalf to do so. The development agreement would likely need to be amended as the document calls out responsibilities with the,assumption of HP's on -site development commencing. Otherwise for example, you would be obligated for items such as erosion control for the entire HP site even though you are only 281 North College Avenue • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 • (970) 221-6605 • FAX (970) 221-6378 Www.ci.fort-collins.co.us