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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSU STUDENT HOUSING UNIVERSITY VILLAGE EXPANSION ADVISORY REVIEW - 20 93 - MINUTES/NOTES - CORRESPONDENCE-NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGColorado State University Neighborhood Meeting Notes June 30, 1993 Fort Collins. The vacancy rate hovers around zero. Each year there are about 14,000 students looking for housing in the area. This adds to the pressure on the housing supply. If the university builds 198 apartment units, that would free up some of the housing now used by students for other people in dire need of housing. We feel that the area proposed for this housing is a good one as it is close to the campus and Ram Village already also houses students. Betty Maloney, Chairperson for the Community Education and Advocacy Committee of the Larimer County Affordable Housing Task Force, 1309 City Park Avenue. 7 Colorado State University Neighborhood Meeting Notes June 30, 1993 site was incomplete and there are tree plantings which meet city standards. 5. Traffic at West Plum and City Park is dangerous now. How will it be handled - (because of the blind hill). Sandra Wolf, 625 City Park Avenue. Note: There is an existing four way stop at this intersection at the present time. Northwest Site: 1. How are apartments going to be rented? If 43 state employees instead of married students already live in the married student housing, how many more will be rented to employees instead of students? Joanne Ehrlich Note: Technically, faculty, staff, and students are all eligible to rent the apartments, but students are given first priority. At various times in.the past, the occupancy of the apartments has not been as good as it is now, and units were rented to faculty/staff. It is not our intent to rent any of these new apartments to anyone but students as long as demand for the units by students continues. 2. Skyline access: how is this entrance to be handled? Should be de-emphasized as it is only a supplementary entrance. 3. Skyline Drive: improve landscaping to buffer parking from Skyline. 4. Keep the garden plots. 5. Who were the 4 members of the committee that assisted the architect? Note: The citizens from the neighborhood that attended steering committee meetings were Bill Jacobi, Rick Goodale, Randy Reed, Bill Fairbank, Donna Fairbank, Karen Bridges, Gale McKee, and Gerry Arbogast. 6. Plum/Constitution entrance/exit: this traffic area as a primary exit/entry is on a very busy corner. We have had numerous accidents on this corner without the added traffic of this addition. Correy Brockway,. Ram's Village Manager 7. Canal: the grading at the northwest site doesn't match the existing landscape we had prior to canal move. The buildings look very nice. Correy Brockway, Ram's Village Manager General comments: 1. CSU has the right as any citizen has to do with their property as they want, as long as they follow zoning, etc., which they have. Also they tried to sell the property and it was not feasible for developers - so they are using their rights to help solve a problem city wide. They do not have to justify their rights with alternative uses! . Sandra Wolf, 675 City Park Avenue 2. Both as a member of the Larimer County Affordable Housing Task Force, and as a property owner in the area, I support the proposed housing for University students. As many of us know, we are facing a crisis of affordable housing in this area There are long waiting lists (around 2000) for Public Housing in ,6 Colorado State University Neighborhood Meeting Notes June 30, 1993 Steve Burkett: City Stormwater Utility will build the sidewalk on the east side of Skyline from Elizabeth to the CSU northwest site. Council Member Horak: What will the process be from now? What are the options for people who are concerned about issues? Council Member Apt: Warehouse is a surprise. What is the status? Mike McCormick: Warehouse is a dream, there are no plans or funding. Note: Included within the University's Ten Year Capital Development plan is a warehouse for Housing and Food Services. This project is currently projected for the year 1999-2000. The site for this project has been proposed by Housing and Food Services to be immediately east of the NW site of this project. This site has not been approved by the University. Any proposal of using this site as a warehouse would go through a participative process within the University and community before proceeding. Council Member McCluskey: Citizen input should help shape the project. Needs to be more progress made in the CSU/City relationship. Council Member Kneeland: There is a real lack of affordable housing in the community and thinks this proposal meets the Land Use Policies Plan. Neighborhood integrity is important to be maintained. Council Member Horak: Where and when are decisions made in the CSU process and how can we impact the decision making? What is the CSU plan for housing? Dr. Yates: Process will be to direct questions to Vice -President of Administrative Services, Gerry Bomotti and then if not satisfied, to Dr. Yates and finally to the State Board of Agriculture. Notes from plans and models: Southeast Site: 1. West Elizabeth and Taft: will it get a left hand turn signal? Needed now and with more traffic going west, it will be a necessity. Sandra Wolf, 675 City Park Avenue 2. The concern of the entrance on West Elizabeth - should be right turn only. Sandra Wolf, 675 City Park Avenue 3. Adding another exit onto City Park Avenue closer to Elizabeth may allow people to go west on Elizabeth. Note: The access is located for best visibility and to avoid traffic entering too close to the West Elizabeth intersection to be efficient. 4. Improve landscaping to buffer parking from Elizabeth and City Park Avenue. Note: There will be berming to the extent possible in the space available. The model on the southeast 6 Colorado State University Neighborhood Meeting Notes June 30, 1993 24. The Plum/Shields intersection becomes the major crossing to campus. What about an aerial walkway? A below grade crossing? Eric Bracke replied that planning for the Shields Street improvements project considered this. 25. Walking at night Is a safety concern for women. UNC has a tunnel that is unattractive and unsafe. 26. Concerned about quick site development, CSU warehouse project and ditch company clearing along ditch. (Owns home at 1701 Broadview) Northwest site is unacceptable for multl-family. 27. Headlights will impact homes on Broadview. Should build this project at.Shields/Laurel with a multi -story parking garage. Why do we have to have muitl-family units. Art Darbie replied that the university needs more housing, particularly affordable housing. 28. What alternatives were considered other than this site? Art Darbie replied that he did not have that information to provide at this time. Council Member Horak added that the City was only asked to respond to this proposal. 29. Bull Farm site is not viable for single family homes. Council Member Horak replied that may be true, but a private developer would have to go through the City process, to Planning and Zoning Board and City Council. 30. Fort Collins is growing, is no longer what it was. Have proposals like this been turned down by community protest? Yes. 31. Not happy with this meeting 30 days before ground breaking. Mayor Azari added that City Council wants to be proactive with neighborhoods and CSU is heading in this direction, as well. Art Darbie pointed out that the first meeting with the neighborhood had occurred more than 6 months ago and that many changes had already been incorporated into the plan as a result of neighborhood, community, and City input. 32. Does CSU pay property taxes, or money in lieu of taxes to cover impacts on schools? Art Darbie replied that there are indirect funds (i.e. number of local people employed by CSU) that come into the community. 33. Detail on landscape plan should meet City standards. Parking areas on Plum and Elizabeth should be better buffered. Sherry Albertson -Clark replied that City staff has recommended more landscaping along parking areas on Elizabeth and Skyline and more trees between the buildings and homes to the north of the northwest site. The CSU landscape concept is primarily grass and trees, with some shrub beds. 34. City/CSU partnership needs to be done with Integrity. Concerned about warehouse project. 35. Process Is not ok. How are we going to deal with each other in the future? Need honest communication/cards on the table. Mayor Azari asked City and CSU officials for closing remarks, which follow: 4 Colorado State University Neighborhood Meeting Notes June 30, 1993 10. Comment that affordable housing Is an Issue In Fort Collins. 11. Positive comment on Skyline. Think access to Skyline Is Important because of traffic In the area on Plum and at the Plum/Constitution Intersection. 12. What Is happening with Plum Street and bike traffic? Ron Baker replied that CSU is interested in re -aligning Plum with North Drive at Shields Street for bike traffic and has been discussing this with City staff members. 13. Will there be left turns from the southeast site onto West Elizabeth? (Council Member Horak) Sherry Albertson -Clark responded that as designed, left turns would be permitted, but City has asked that the curb cut be shifted to line up with a driveway on the south side of West Elizabeth due to a conflict with an existing transformer. 14. Agree with previous comment that left turns would conflict with the West Elizabeth bikelane. Mayor Azari noted that this item needs further work. 15. What Is proposed for the outparcel on West Elizabeth? Ron Baker replied that nothing is planned at this time. 16. If there was an emergency at the northwest site, where would the fire response be from? City Park station? Concerned about noise levels from fire sirens. Sherry Albertson -Clark replied that the Fire Marshall had commented that if the Skyline connection had bollards, then fire personnel would use the entrance from Plum to get to the west side of the site and that the City Park station would probably be the one to respond first. 17. How will lighting be handled? Concerned about light pollution.. Mick Aller responded that the NW site lighting will be downift at parking areas. Residential porch lighting will be used on the north exposure. Field lighting will be low security type lighting. 18. Concerned with access on Skyline. Cars now park in the bikelanes. Traffic increase will not help the existing situation and will aggravate access to Elizabeth. This is a police enforcement problem. 19. The 20 mph school zone affects traffic speed and access. Eric Bracke replied that the 20 mph zone is not a concern from a traffic standpoint. 20. The wait on Elizabeth is inconvenient. Mayor Azari noted that work is needed on these concerns (school zone and wait on Elizabeth). 21. Concerned about safe access for children getting to Moore School. 22. How will children from this complex get to the school? (Council Member Horak) Mick Aller responded that they will use the sidewalk from the site to get to Skyline and then cross Skyline and go to the northwest. 23. How will crossing of Broadview take place? It's a wide street, would prefer crossing on Skyline. Should keep children on the east side of Skyline. Mick Aller replied that a Skyline crossing could be pursued, rather than Broadview. 3 Colorado State University Neighborhood Meeting Notes June 30, 1993 property line is 41' and another 30-40' to the nearest home, for a total separation of at least 71'. Sherry Albertson -Clark, City Chief Planner, gave an overview of the City's involvement in reviewing the CSU plans, noting that staff has reviewed this plan as they would a plan proposed by.a private developer. She added that as a result of City review, three major issues were raised with CSU - compatibility of the northwest site with the adjacent homes; West Elizabeth floodplain impacts on the southeast site; and access to Skyline. She added that the proposed densities and mufti -family use are supported by the City's Land Use Policies Plan and that CSU had responded to the compatibility issue by reducing the number of units and re -orienting the buildings and that City staff was still recommending additional trees be added to further buffer the buildings from the homes to the north. The issue of the West Elizabeth floodplain had been resolved by shifting the buildings, and the vehicular access to Skyline is recommended by City staff. Mayor Azari and Art Darbie fielded questions, comments and suggestions from the audience as follows: 1. What is the amount of landscaping on the northwest site? (Council Member Horak) Mick Aller responded that residents did not want trees to shade gardens on the north side and explained why chain link fencing was planned rather than solid wooden fencing. 2. There isn't much buffering or landscaping. Note: See Colorado State University or City of Fort Collins Responses, Item #1, Page 8. f 3. What is the Impact of traffic on Skyline? (Council Member McCluskey) Eric Bracke responded that he expects about 20-40 vehicles at the peak hour, but that the revised traffic study and complete set of numbers are not available at this time. 4. Was traffic study done while school was in session? Eric Bracke answered yes. 5. Where will the bike lane be on Skyline and where will sidewalk be? (Council Member Horak) Mick Aller responded that sidewalk will be built on east side of Skyline, along the CSU property. (Discussion ensued regarding the sidewalk question) 6. Did CSU consider fire sprinklers for the building? (Council Member Horak) Mick Aller answered that sprinklers were not required. 7. What is the final answer on sidewalks on Skyline? This question will be addressed by City staff. 8. Concerned about the Elizabeth Street access (for southeast site). Suggest that there only be right turns out of the site. .(Council Member Apt) 9. Will there be an opportunity to discuss management of the complex? What happens when there are Issues? What will the rent be? Alfred Flores of CSU, Director of Apartment Life, responded that CSU will manage the complex. Rents will be $550-575 for a two bedroom (slightly below market). Units will be available beginning March 94 and the rents planned will break even with costs. 2 MINUTES OF THE COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT HOUSING NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING June 30, 1993 On Wednesday, June 30, 1993, from 7:00 - 9:30 P.M., at the Ingersoll Hall Cafeteria, a neighborhood meeting was held to discuss the planned CSU Student Housing project. The meeting began with welcome remarks by Dr. All Yates, President of Colorado State University. Dr. Yates noted that CSU has a strong interest in being a good neighbor and is here to listen to the neighborhood and attempt to accommodate reasonable concerns that are identified. Dr. Yates also noted the need for housing in the community and for CSU students in particular and introduced CSU staff present at the meeting, Art Darbie, Interim VP for Administrative Services, Gerry Bomotti, VP for Administrative Services, Ron Baker, Interim Director of Facilities Development, Greg Smith, Project Manager from Facilities Development. Mayor Ann Azari and Art Darbie, Interim VP for Administrative Services for CSU, set the ground rules for the meeting and Mayor Azari introduced City Council members Gerry Horak, Alan Apt, Chris Kneeland and Bob McCluskey, City Manager Steve Burkett and Greg Byrne, Director of Community Planning and Environmental Services, present at the meeting. Greg Byrne introduced other City staff present at the meeting, including Bob Smith (Stormwater Utility), Eric Bracke (Transportation), Tom Peterson and Sherry Albertson -Clark (Planning). Mike McCormick, from Housing and Food Services gave an overview of the project schedule, explaining that initial site grading and utility work would begin in mid -July with final completion and full occupance of the project by late summer 1994. He also introduced representatives of the construction manager/general contractor, Haseldine. Mick Aller of Aller-Lingle Architects, Project Architect, gave a detailed presentation on the proposed housing project using a series of slides. He explained the changes that have occurred between the plan initially shown at the neighborhood meeting held in the fall of 1992 and the current plan. These changes were in response to comments from the neighborhood and include reducing the northwest site by 20 units; adding a community building to the northwest site and re -orienting buildings to an east/west configuration; increasing the number of units on the southeast site; and shifting the building on the southeast site to the north, out of the West Elizabeth Street floodplain. Mick Aller covered the density of the northwest site which is 10.8 dwelling units (DU)/acre and the southeast site which is 17.46 DU/acre and compared these densities with those of Fort Ram Village (18•1. DU/acre). Mr. Aller gave overviews of the two sites, as follows: Southeast site - access will be from City Park Avenue and West Elizabeth Street; units are configured into one building, rather than several smaller buildings; building will be three-story; roof pitch has been altered to keep to a maximum of 40' in height; shifting of building back from West Elizabeth has created a larger setback. Northwest site - have added landscaping to site, in particular, to buffer headlights at the northern cul-de- sac and along Skyline from the adjacent homes; primary access has always been shown from Constitution, but a full access is now proposed to Skyline, due to emergency service concerns, concern about the lack of traffic distribution and to provide an alternative access point; bike storage would be provided at each building; patios will be screened with screen walls; closest point from buildings to north 200 Unit Student Family Housing Project A Jointly Sponsored Neighborhood Meeting Colorado State University and the City of Fort Collins Ingersoll Hall Cafeteria - June 30, 1993 Purpose: An opportunity for neighborhood and community members to: 1) See and hear an up-to-date status report on the project presented by the project's architect, with comments by University and City Staff members 2) Ask questions, and offer comments and suggestions AGENDA 7:00 p.m. Doors open - Display of plans; University and City staff members to answer questions related to the displays. 7:30 p.m. Meeting Convenes - Opening comments and introductions; Mayor Ann Azari and President Albert Yates. 7:40 p.m. Meeting objectives, agenda, and ground rules; Mayor Ann Azari and Art Darbie. 7:45 p.m. Presentation of project plans. • Some CSU Housing Statistics - (5 minutes) - Mike McCormick, Program Administrator, CSU Housing and Food Service • Project Concepts and Plans - (25 minutes) - Mic Aller, Aller- Lingle and Associates, Architects for Project • City Staff Project Evaluation, Comments (5 minutes) Sherry Albertson -Clark, Chief of Planning, Planning Department, City of Fort Collins 8:25 p.m. CSU officials and staff members - Questions related to what is planned. 8:40 p.m. Neighborhood and community members - Questions comments and suggestions. 9:00 p.m. City and CSU officials and staff members - Comments and suggestions. 9:20 p.m. Closing comments - Mutual assignments, follow-on actions, etc.; Mayor Ann Azari and Art Darbie 9:30 p.m. Close of formal portion of meeting - Displays remain in place, City and University staff members remain to answer questions. 10:00 p.m. Doors close.