HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOVENTRY SUBDIVISION PRELIMINARY - 80 93 - CORRESPONDENCE - CITIZEN COMMUNICATION (3)Mr. Ted Shepard
Senior Planner
City of Fort Collins
P. O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
Re: Proposed "McGraw"
Residential Development, Harmony and Crest Road
Dear Ted:
I would like to visit with you regarding the proposed McGraw development by Colorado
Land Source, Ltd., located south and west of the intersection of Crest Road and Harmony
Road. My interest in this development is one of a Crest Road property owner, To that
extent, I am principally concerned with the lots labeled 99 - 110. Secondarily, I am
concerned with the large number of lots west and north of McGraw elementary and how
they will impact Harmony traffic.
Crest Road presently serves eight homes and one six acre lot, which will be built on in the
near future_ The total number of homes will be nine (9). These homes are all on lots
ranging in size from approximately five to twenty acres. Their average value is
somewhere between $300,000 to $400,000 with one or two pushing $500,000. As a
Crest Road property owner, I feel three concerns should be actively addressed and
ultimately designed for. They include:
1. Safety
2. Compatibility
3. Drainage. wetlands pollution
Crest Road is a long cul-de-sac approximately .6 miles in length, that dead -ends at four of
our driveways. No other access to our homes exists. We are, therefore, dependent on
Crest for fire, police and emergency medical. The proposed homes will be built on small
narrow lots, approximately 11,000 square feet or one -twentieth the size of our lots. It is
important to us that the proposed homes would in no way impede our access to
emergency services.
Crest Road ingress and egress is via Harmony Road. harmony is a very busy collector
street which has become extremely difficult and dangerous to gain access to from 7 - 9
a.m. and 4 - 7 p.m. A left turn from Crest Road, (west on Harmony), during this time is
virtually impossible. Traffic is closely spaced and moves at a high rate of speed. A fight
WestGroup Broadcasting Incorporated o 2000 South College Avenue o Suite 305 o Fort Collins Q� Colorado 0 80525
(303) 221-5758 Fax (303) 221-0755
hand turn can take up to five minutes (timed by Ron Erbes), at peak times. A lot of the
Clarendon Hills subdivision traffic and elementary school traffic exits Hinsdale and heads
east. An increase of two -to- three fold of Crest Road homeowner traffic onto Harmony
could result in a serious traffic problem. Acceleration and deceleration along with turn
lanes on Harmony and Crest would help. Also, if you're headed west on Harmony in the
afternoon and want to turn south onto Crest you must carefully monitor traffic behind
you. That traffic must merge into its right lane, not an easy task given speed and density.
Eastbound traffic on Harmony will cause you to remain an impediment to those
westbound cars for a length of time.
A final safety concern would include a request for a strip of park or open space from Crest
Road west to the proposed city park, between Lot Number 110 and the Erbes residence.
This is a 30 foot utility easement. Children living on Crest Road could then access the
school without having to walk to Harmony Road.
In regards to compatibility, the lots alone suggest that the rural homeowners will have to
drive through a congested area of lower value properties. Eighty foot lots at an elevation
of approximately ten feet below the schools grade may not be desirable to parties capable
of building homes compatible to other Crest Road homes. The water table at this location
and certainly the lot width may force all homes to a two-story configuration. Two stories
on narrow lots above Crest Road would not be very appealing. Lots of at least 150 feet in
width, ample landscape, requirements and setbacks including garage and driveway
orientation would be more acceptable.
The drainage issue must be addressed. The water exiting these proposed lots will head
two directions; north through the Buchard pond and south through my eastern most pond
then on to numerous other eastern ponds including Mill Brothers Nursery. Our ponds
support Blue Heron, a family of red foxes, hordes of birds, fish, rabbits, along with
irrigating many acres of landscaping. Residual pollutants could be a problem for the
ponds. Finally, adequate drainage for all Crest Road driveways should be considered.
During irrigation season our culverts are full. Additional residential runoff may require
that the culverts be increased in size for greater capacity. Most are buried below asphalt.
Please call, Ted, if you have any questions. I would be happy to discuss these issues with
you. Thanks.
Sincerely,
C/
Richard M. eider
RMR/mar