HomeMy WebLinkAboutDRAKE CROSSING, WALGREENS - MAJOR AMENDMENT/FINAL PLAN - 35-96A - CORRESPONDENCE - TREE MANAGEMENT PLAN (7)No Text
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The City of Fort Collins LUC does allow for major changes to an approved
development plan. Based on the previous Planning and Zoning Board action to
approve the Walgreens Drug Store development, any request to cut down or any
way eliminate existing on the site would constitute a Major Amendment to the
approved development plan, as set forth in Section 2.2.10(B) of the LUC. The
request would be reviewed by staff and ultimately taken to a public hearing in
front of the appropriate decision -maker (administrative hearing officer or
Planning and Zoning Board) for a decision. Based on criteria set forth in the
LUC, City staff would not support the elimination of existing trees on the
Walgreens Drug Store site. The loss of the tree would be a "change in character"
to the plan.
Attached are color photos of the apparent tree(s) in question and a copy of the
recorded Walgreens at Drake Crossing Shopping Center, Landscape Plan.
Please let me know if I can be of further assistance to you. I can be reached at
(970)221-6341.
Sin erely,
Step en Olt,
City Planner
cc: Cameron Gloss, Current Planning Director
Tim Buchanan, City Forester
Current Planning File #35-96A
Community Planning and Environmental Services
Current Planning
Citv of Fort Collins
October 13, 2003
Drake & Taft Hill, LLC
c/o Dave Gustayson
410 17th Street, suite 1705
Denver, CO. 80202
Re: Walgreens Drug Store at Drake Crossing Shopping Center -
Possible Removal of an Existing Pine Tree
Dear Mr. Gustayson,
This letter is in response to your letter of inquiry (dated October 2, 2003) about
possibly eliminating an existing pine tree that apparently is blocking the
Walgreens Drug Store script sign on the south elevation of the existing store in
the Drake Crossing Shopping Center in Fort Collins.
I made a site visit to the store on October 13, 2003, to observe the situation and
found that there are 2 existing evergreen trees in planting beds on the south
side of the building. These trees are transplanted Austrian Pines (from other
locations on this site, per the approved and recorded Landscape Plan) that are
approximately 8 - 10 feet in height. They presently do not, in any way, block the
building signage. There is also a clump of 3 large pine trees at the southwest
corner of the building. They are existing 25 feet (+/-) tall trees that are in their
original locations. They do not block the building signage, except possibly from
approaching automobiles to the west at a distance of approximately 500 feet to
1,000 feet.
The Walgreens Drug Store development request went to the Planning and
Zoning Board on March 21, 2002, for discussion. Of most concern to the Board
was the potential loss of about 18 trees on the site. At this meeting the Board
determined that the proposal did not satisfy Section 3.2.1(F) Tree Protection
and Replacement of the City's Land Use Code (LUC) regarding preservation of
significant trees "to the extent reasonably feasible". After lengthy deliberation,
the Board unanimously approved a motion to continue the item to April 4,
2002, with direction to the applicant to redesign the site, to the extent feasible,
to preserve existing trees. In the interim, the City forester and a local arborist
developed a tree relocation and preservation plan that was presented to the
Board on April 4th. The Walgreens Drug Store request was again discussed and
received approval from the Planning and Zoning Board, on April 4, 2002, with
the requirement to preserve, relocate, and transplant the existing trees on -site
as possible. Cutting down or eliminating existing trees on the site would
constitute a major change to the approved and recorded development plan.
281 Noi th College Avenue • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 • (970) 221-6750 • FAX (970) 416-2020