HomeMy WebLinkAboutLIND PROPERTY - PDP - 39-94B - CORRESPONDENCE - CITIZEN COMMUNICATION (7)Page 4
shine directly into these homes. There will be lessened but similar effects on the homes
opposite the intersections of Richard's Lake Road and Country Club Road. We would
like to explore any actions such.as landscaping that could be done to help mitigate these
problems. Can you provide us with any insight on how these problems were handled in
other existing neighborhoods affected by new development?
Finally, we would like to work closely with all parties to cooperatively resolve any
construction related problems which affect our neighborhood. Prior to start of actual site
work and construction, we would like to identify contact points for the different parties
(neighborhood, developer, and local government) in the event that problems arise. Also,
we would greatly appreciate any reasonable actions which could be taken to help
minimize construction traffic in our neighborhood. Currently, all such traffic flows down
NCR11; are there any plans to require alternative routes for construction traffic?
Thank you again for the opportunity to provide comments. Nick Yobbagy, Kirvin Knox,
and I will continue to act as representatives in working with the developers and local
government representatives on neighborhood concerns. Please feel free to contact me on
(970) 407-0531 for further explanations of our comments.
Sincerely,
Joseph W. Bleicher
For Neighbors in the Country Club Heights Subdivision
cc: Mr. Ted Shepard
Mr. Cam McNair
Mr. Dave Stringer
Mr. Matt Baker
Mr. Craig Farver
Mr. Tom Dougherty:
Ms. Yvonne Seaman:
Mr. Thomas Bender:
Tom Dougherty Construction
Centex Homes
Chair of the Larimer County Commissioners
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which result in large ponds of water collecting in front of some of our homes and
driveways as well as in the depressions caused by wear in the road. We believed that the
road needed to be engineered for adequate downstream drainage to prevent damage to -
both it and the future NCR 11. We also wanted to evaluate including, on a cost -sharing
basis, rollover curbs and driveway approaches along the western side of the road.
To minimize tearing up the oversized road, we also discussed the coordination of the
oversizing with other improvements such as relocating the overhead electrical utilities
underground (or any applicable site preparation for installation at a later date). Also, we
believed that if any additional fire hydrants are to be installed on the west side of
NCR 11, this should definitely take place prior to the oversizing. (In a brief follow-on
meeting that took place on February 23, 2003, we again raised these concerns and offered
our assistance to work closely with the superintendent of this project in coordinating with
our neighborhood.) We would like to again state our desire to do everything we can, to
the extent practicable in conjunction with the road widening, to coordinate these
improvements so as to minimize future road damage and disruption. Could we get an
update on these actions?
We also discussed our concerns with the differential in height between the existing
NCR 11 and the proposed relocated NCR 11 which would vary between 2-4 feet lower.
We were looking to have sufficient additional berming to help mitigate tire and other
vehicle noise as well as vehicle lights. We also wanted to evaluate the use of privacy
fences and/or walls to help mitigate the adverse effects of the increased traffic we are
already experiencing and which will be greatly increased by the Maple Hill and Lind
developments.
We also discussed homeowner responsibility for the maintenance of both the frontage
road and the 26-foot wide separation area. This is a new requirement for us; as residents,
Larimer County now provides us with road maintenance, snowplowing, and cutting of the
grassy area along the eastern side of NCR 11. Our neighborhood's March 7, 1997,
Memorandum of Understanding with the developer of Richard's Lake stated " ...the
Developer and Neighbors agree to negotiate in good faith, along with the City and County
to establish the specifics of engineering, maintenance (i.e., landscaping, snowplowing),
and the financial obligations of the section of roadway from Richard's Lake Road south
to Country Club Road." With only 17 homeowners fronting along NCR 11, we seem to
be bearing an unusually heavy burden compared to the large number of new homeowners
.in the three new developments in our area. Are there any ways for us to get a more
equitable treatment; have you instances of existing homeowners who have dealt with
such a situation?
Also, there are three proposed Maple Hill entrances. that are perpendicular to our existing
homes. The homes closest to these entrances will be subject to significant engine and
other vehicle noise from acceleration and braking and lights from exiting vehicles will
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developments which has an adverse effect on both our property values and quality of .
neighborhood life.
We would appreciate any updates on actions related to the frontage road which were
discussed at the January 29, 2003, meeting between neighborhood and city
representatives. At that time, there was ongoing design and planning work for the
eventual relocation of NCR 11 to the east. Further, this effort involved coordination
between the developers of the Maple Hill PDP directly to our east and the Lind PDP to
our northeast. Are there any new updates to the status of these actions?
At the meeting, we noted that in a previous agreement with our neighborhood, the
relocation of NCR 11 to the east and the frontage road were tied into the issuance of 200
building permits. Our understanding was that issuance of 200 permits might still be the
trigger for these actions, but there would also be other factors affecting the timing. There
were plans to negotiate with the developers on timeframes for certain actions based on
issuance of an agreed upon number of building permits. Also, timing of the road
relocation and frontage road would be influenced by the construction, in the vicinity of
Richard's Lake Road, of pedestrian underpasses under the relocated NCR 11 and CR 52.
As we noted at the meeting, we would like to ensure that we have an opportunity to
provide neighborhood input on the timing, which greatly affects us, of the relocation of
NCR 11 and the frontage road. Are there any new updates to the status of these actions?
At the meeting, we were told that because of the current poor structural condition of
NCR 11, a street oversizing was planned in early spring or early summer. This
oversizing would not be in lieu of or affect the plans for the eventual relocation of NCR
11 to the east as discussed above. The street oversizing would involve an overlay of
existing pavement as well as an increase in overall width to 36-feet for two 12-foot travel
lanes and 6-foot bike lanes on each side. The centerline of the road would remain the
same, but there will be expansion in width in both the east and west sides for bike lanes.
For most of our homes, this will require some shortening of driveway lengths and
removal/relocation of landscaping /landscaping materials.
Further, our understanding was that the street oversizing would include some new turn
lanes on NCR 11 by the intersection of Richard's Lake Road and the intersection of
Country Club Road. Also, the oversizing would result in a shift of the road to the east at
the Country Club intersection which will result in improved sight lines at this dangerous
intersection. (In December 2000, a tragic accident at this intersection resulted in two
deaths.) Are there any new updates to the status of the design actions?
Based on the meeting, we understood that once the new NCR 11 is relocated to the east,
our frontage road could be the 20-foot wide western portion of the oversized road (the
16-foot eastern portion would be part of the bermed separation from the new road.) . We
raised concerns that the oversizing addresses the serious drainage problems on NCR 11
Joseph W. Bleicher
2509 N. County Road 11
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Phone: (970) 407-0531
April 7, 2003
Ms. Linda Michow
Hearing Officer
City of Fort Collins
Dear Ms. Michow:
Our neighborhood, the Country Club Heights Subdivision, appreciates the opportunity to
provide written comments on the development proposal referred.to as Maple Hill P.D.P.
#29-OOA. We want to again communicate our concerns, obtain current status of ongoing
efforts, identify contact points, express our desire to participate in the decision making
process, and request that we be informed of changes which affect our neighborhood.
The proposed Maple Hill development is directly to the east of our neighborhood of 34
single-family homes on large lots that back onto Fort Collins Country Club from their
locations on Country Club Road, NCR 11, and Richard's Lake Road. Our neighborhood
dates back to 1965 when NCR 11 was a dirt road with very little traffic, and the sites for
the Richard's Lake PUD (up to 682 units) to our north, the Maple Hill PDP (up to 667
units) to our east, and the Lind PDP (up to 775 units) to our northeast were all farmland.
As development in the north has brought the city to the country, we have tried to work
cooperatively to preserve neighborhood integrity, quality of life, safety, and home values.
We are especially appreciative of the efforts of the developers of Maple Hill and the
representatives of the City of Fort Collins who. have worked with us on these goals. We
want to continue to work with the city and county governments, the developers, and other
affected parties to achieve a reasonable, fair, and equitable plan to obtain a frontage road
and other actions which will mitigate the adverse effects of these developments.
Of greatest importance to our neighborhood is obtaining the earliest possible
implementation of a frontage road along NCR 11, an effort that we began in 1996 with
the developer of the Richard's Lake PUD. This frontage road would provide existing
homes with limited, consolidated access to NCR 11 rather than backing directly out onto,
the road. Further, the frontage road with a separation area from the relocated NCR 11
would help mitigate the effects of the greatly increased traffic from ongoing residential