HomeMy WebLinkAboutREGISTRY RIDGE PUD, PHASE I - PRELIMINARY ..... APPEAL TO CITY COUNCIL - 32-95A - MEDIA - (6)OLORADCAN %;TARY
Editorial Page Editor. COALMEZAL
Kathleen Our 224-7733 The Coloradoan, Sunday, August 4, 1996, E3
Registry Ridge has support within city, logical uses
I have been an architect warldng in
land -use planning in Fort Collins for 20
years and am the planner for Registry
Ridge. a meted -use project that has been
annexed to the city for 12 years and has
been through 18 months of city develop-
ment review.
I am writing about this project because
of the campaign of disinformation care
fully orchestrated in successive Soap-
boxes, articles and letters by a group of
county residents adjacent to the project
who may believe they are protecting then'
own interests in trying to prevent this
property's development but who are car -
tautly not representing the interests of
city citizens. I believe you should know
why:
■ 1.) To date, this project has received
approvals farm five city reviewing bodies:
staff, Parks Board, Natural Resources
Board. Planning and Zoning Board and
City Cored. Yet the city must now
spend tax dollars defending claims
against it which were brought by this
group, whose members are neither city
residents nor city taxpayers, while the
developer must spend his own money de-
fending the approval given the develop-
ment They call themselves "Citizens for
Sensible Community Plameng" in an ap-
parent attempt to be seen as a ctzizens'
watchdog group when, in fact, this self-
interest group, whose board of directors
all live next to the project, was formed
just prior to filing its lawsuit
92.) The pmject's density is just over
three dwelling units per acre, the citjs
minimum requirement It has master
plan approval of 702 units to be built in
13 phases over a number of years, each of
which most receive separate preliminary
and final plan approval. These neighbors
want larger -lot county density, but the
project is not in the county. City density
policy encourages efficient use of urban
Soapbox
Frank Vaught
land. Interestingly, the city's most recent
version of its Structure Plan designates a
majority of this project as low -density
mixed -use, just as proposed. The plan for
the corridor between Fort Collins and
Loveland also shows Registry Ridge as
appropriate far urban density at three
dwelling units per acne.
03.) The project promotes city and
county open space and corridor goals. To
meet part of the city's land -use regmre-
create, the developer provided deed dedi-
cating to the city, at no cast 102.89 acres
o%significant natural areas and an option
for another 47.22 acres. This land is des-
ignated in the Condor Plan as open
lands and as priority open space in the
city's Natural Area Plan. Its dedication to
the city as part of Registry Ridge's ap-
proval prevents the development of this
valuable open space, which currently has
master plan approval for up to 732 hous-
ing units.
The city's Natural Resources director
stated at the Planning and Zoning Board
hearing that Registry Ridge represents
the best concept of clustering within the
city because it prevents development on
valuable off -site open space, which other-
wise might occur.
04.) The project is buffeted and de-
signed to be compatible. It is separated
from the neighbors by a 100-foot arterial
street and includes a substantial buffer
strip, varying from 30 to 140 fleet in
width. Large lots (from .35 to .46 acres)
have been placed closest to neighbors.
To try to continue working with neigh-
bors after council approval, I called their
spokesperson, offering to discuss ad-
ditional bu$'ering and design options.
Thew response was that they had hind
an attorney to file a lawsuit
The facts speak for themselves. Fort
Collins' citizens should not be misled by
unfounded claims of incompatibility. We
are falling about single-family homes
nert to single-family, homes and preserv-
ing a large area of priority open space,
which will benefit city and county resi-
dents alike.
Frank Vaught is vice presidern of a local
architectural firm.