HomeMy WebLinkAboutWOODLAND STATION PUD - PRELIMINARY - 18-94B - CORRESPONDENCE - CITIZEN COMMUNICATION (9).t
island surrounded by quiet, residential acreages and a delicate
ecosystem. To apply a generic standard of 3 units per acre to this
tract would be a tragic mistake. This is an inf ill parcel and it
should be developed in harmony with its surroundings. Please
consider the Strachan/Shields tract to be a special case worthy of
special planning so as not to destroy the character of our
Neighborhood, the wildlife that reside there, and the potential for
the City to have an outstanding environmental resource east of
County Road 9.
We respect the property owner's right to sell and the developer's
need to have an economically feasible subdivision. Please allow
the Neighborhood and the developer to arrive at an acceptable plan,
regardless of the proposed 3 units per acre standard which would
create a disaster in this situation.
The Neighborhood stands by its proposal presented at the
Neighborhood meeting which is: a) that County Road 9 should be the
dividing line between urban and rural development and that, b) two
acre lots should be created along the Poudre River ridge line which
then transition to one acre lots, which then transition to half
acre lots along County Road 9.
We request that the City be creative in working with the developer
to make our development proposal feasible, in order that this
sensitive area might be saved.
We are confident that through creative planning you can preserve
this area forever. Applying a generic density standard to this
special area is simply not proper - it would be shortsighted and
would exemplify the epitomy of poor planning and incompatible
development. We'd like you to be able to drive or bike by this
special area 10 years from now and be proud of how you helped to
preserve its established character. Thank you very much for your
serious consideration of our feelings.
We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
The Neighborhood
Dick
& Ellie Chinn
Jim &
Karen Gleason
Bill
& Lynn Warren
David
& Mary Robertson
Bill
McBride
Rhys &
Judy Christensen
Sam
& Catherine Sands
Dan &
Sue Henderson
Dr.
David & Sandy Thomas
Herb &
Elisabeth Murphy
cc: City Council
City Natural Resource Department
Planning and Zoning Board
Planning Department
Brad Bennett, Developer
July 1, 1994
Ted Shepard, Planner
City of Fort Collins Planning Dept.
281 N. College
Fort Collins, CO 80521
AL _ 61994 D
Re: Proposed development of Strachan/Shields properties
Thank you for taking the time to meet with our neighborhood on
Thursday night. We are writing to present a unified voice to the
City Planning Department, the Planning & Zoning Board, the City
Council, the City's Natural Resource Department and the developer.
First, we would like to define "the Neighborhood" and invite all of
you listed above to become intimately acquainted with our
Neighborhood. The boundaries are Horsetooth Road on the north,
Fossil Creek inlet ditch on the east, Hewlett Packard on the south
and County Road 9 on the west (the Neighborhood). This area has
long been characterized by its rural nature and residential
acreages. The smallest lots are 2.39 acres and range upwards to 18
acres. Currently there are 15 homes in the Neighborhood.
Many of the existing homes sit on the Poudre River ridge line with
unrestricted views to the east and west. The area to the east of
Fossil Creek inlet ditch from Harmony Road to Drake Road has been
designated as a unique habitat in the Cache la Poudre Landscape
Opportunities Study (L.O.S.). This 1992 study earmarked this area
for bird preserves, wildlife habitat, lakes, etc. Please consult
this study as part of your planning process. Already the Straus
Cabin area and the CSU Environmental Learning Center have been
established as natural preserves on ground east of County Road 9.
We feel that County Road 9 should be the buffer zone and barrier to
high density, urban development. All the ground east of County
Road 9 should be designated as residential acreages or open space
to preserve this important historical and environmentally sensitive
area.
The Neighborhood has not protested any development west of County
Road 9. We've supported Stoneridge, English Ranch and the NCR
plant. However, we are drawing the line at County Road 9. We
don't feel it is appropriate to place an urban development smack in
the middle of our long established rural area. Placing 135 tract
homes amongst our 15 acreages is an abomination.
The City's LDGS calls for compatible development. Dropping 135
tract homes in the midst of an established rural area which lies
adjacent to a defined historical and environmentally sensitive
ecosystem is not compatible development or good design no matter
how you look at it.
The 35 acres comprising the Strachan/Shields properties is an