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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJOHNSON FARM - REZONE - 24-00 - CORRESPONDENCE - MEMO / P & Z BOARD (3)Georgians Defines - Development.doc • The loss of so much open space already at the Drake/Timberline corner raises the question of whether a line of trees or something else to provide a visual and psychological buffer is called for there rather than dense housing. This might help minimize pollution and noise problems as well. • Is there any large park planned for the Drake/Timberline area? Aside from the small parks required by City Plan within the new development, is the city expecting all the new residents to use Edora? Since Edora is already quite heavily used for a variety of sports and the existing older neighborhoods don't have their own small parks, this should be questioned. Also, use of Edora by new residents at that corner would create a huge volume of cut -through traffic in the older neighborhoods. • What will a six -lane wide Timberline at that corner generate in terms of noise and pollution for existing and new neighborhoods? Is it feasible to expect so many people to want to buy or rent homes that are on a huge road and near a railroad track? • Traffic improvements needed within the Parkwood and Parkwood East neighborhoods —wider sidewalks, raised crosswalks or speedbumps, etc. —should be tied to any development likely to increase traffic through the neighborhood. • It is impossible to believe that office space at the NW corner of Timberline and Drake would generate more traffic through the Parkwood and'Parkwood East neighborhoods than would 550 apartment units and 18.5 acres of single family homes. I understand this was stated by the proposed developer at the October 12 meeting on the topic at Riffenburgh. • If the market study produced by the would-be developers of this property is_right and there is a glut of office space, why is a developer planning to put office space in on Timberline just north of Prospect? • Lastly, why is there no written map of the proposed development that could be distributed to anyone who is interested? Having learned of the rezoning request only a few weeks ago, I have not been able to find several hours of time during the workday to devote to getting to the city planning office to study the plans. This seems unfair to the public and against the public interest. Thank you for your attention to this issue. Please don't make things for worse for existing neighborhoods when careful planning could make it better for all. Sincerely, Gayle Hemenway �Georgiana Defines - Development.doc- �� — _ _ age'!] gdeines@fcgov.com November 12, 2000 JMNN' 9d Nabano az 91 NOR G3Ai3G3a Gayle Hemenway 1133 Buttonwood Dr. Fort Collins, CO 80525 407-0258 Dear Members of the Planning and Zoning Board and City Council: I am writing regarding the rezoning and development plans for the piece of farmland property on the northwest corner of Drake and Timberline. I believe rezoning should be denied at this time so that the planning for this, and the plan to change Timberline on that corner to a six -lane divided roadway, can be slowed down drastically to allow more objective, serious studies and public input to occur. Monumental changes are occurring rapidly at this site (Drake and Timberline generally) without much public awareness or input. Although I have been in favor of the City Plan, I am now concerned that it, like the developer -driven sprawl which preceded its creation, may be letting development occur without much attention to the overall picture. For example, City Plan's stated goals are "walkable and connected" and "more complete" neighborhoods. But if existing neighborhoods become surrounded by new development without serious thought as to the type and design of the new development, older neighborhoods will become less safe for walking due to more drivers speeding through them. Additionally, residents will be "trapped" in their neighborhoods by the heavy volume of traffic on large streets like Lemay, Drake, and Timberline. The property now up for rezoning is directly behind the existing, fairly dense older neighborhoods of Parkwood and Parkwood East and is the last bit of open space at that corner. What is done with this property will demonstrate whether the new neighborhoods built under the City Plan on the east side of Timberline at that corner will benefit existing neighborhoods and connect them with the new or send them into decline. Here are a few issues points that could be considered if rezoning is denied and more time is allowed: • To support "walkable, connected" neighborhoods, a major intersection like Drake/Timberline should have a pedestrian walkway over or under the road connecting the older neighborhoods to grocery stores, etc. The current plan for a large median between each set of three lanes will not encourage pedestrians and bicyclists to cross and parents will not want their children to cross.