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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIMPALA VILLAGE PUD PRELIMINARY - 6 93 - DECISION - MINUTES/NOTES44 City requirements in terms of occupancy. Under the Zoning Code, there are no occupancy limits for related persons. He said he would support the motion, and stated that reviewing controversial proposal often involved complex issues, and that the Board sought to find a balance when making its decisions. Member Cottier said she would support the motion and urged citizens to accept the tour invitation extended by the Housing Authority. Motion passed 6-0. proposal must be in substantial conformance to the Preliminary Plan, if approved. An increase in units of more than one percent would require formal action by the Planning and Zoning Board. An unit increase of less than one percent can be approved administratively by the Planning Director. Tom Peterson, Planning Director, pointed out the Housing Authority "concentration" map for Fort Collins. The map was prepared at the request of City Council Member Gerry Horak, whose district contains the Impala Village proposal. The Planning Department, to date, has made no analysis of the map. Rochelle Stephens clarified the day care center situation. There has been some dialogue with the United Day Care Center, a United Way agency; any plans are still at a conjecture stage. The idea was for a possible collaboration with Poudre High School on an internship program for its family development students. Ms. Stephens extended an invitation to community members to come visit current Housing Authority facilities and projects. Member Clements -Cooney moved to approve Impala Village PUD, Preliminary, with the conditions stated by staff. Member O'Dell seconded the motion. Member Clements -Cooney spoke about the need for affordable housing within the community and urged citizens to get involved in a variety of ways. She stressed the complexity of the issue. She added she would like to show her support for the project, since she appreciated the fact that it was a high density in -fill project, and did not contribute to urban sprawl. Member Clements -Cooney also urged residents to contact the School Board in regard to its "open campus" policy, which may be contributing to the current traffic problems in the neighborhood. Member Strom said he would support the motion. He said he wanted to make a few brief points. He stated that when asking to see the slide of the units, he was more concerned about the scale and mass of the units, rather than the condition of the materials. Member Strom said he did not believe there would be undue traffic impact from the project. He said he had some concern about the concentration of low income housing units, but also understood that it was a function of such variables as affordable land. He noted the difficulty of the rental housing situation in Fort Collins, and the currently limited options. Vice -Chair Carroll reiterated that the Board was required to follow the Land Development Guidance System and consider the point ratings for each project. He noted the in -fill nature of the project and the attempts to provide insulating boundaries to the proposal. He also touched on various housing issues. Vice -Chair Carroll noted that the Housing Authority went beyond The concept of a street outlet to Mulberry Street was rejected, due to proximity to other nearby intersections. He said that the two currently proposed access points into the site are appropriate, and would not trigger signalization of the Impala/Mulberry intersection. The intersection will still operate at acceptable levels of service with stop sign control. There is no vehicular access into either Briarwood or Ramblewood from the project. Mr. Shepard said that the current residential accordance with the Zoning Code. He office/maintenance/day care facility. parking levels on the project submittal are in cited the approval condition placed on the Mr. Shepard addressed the public housing dispersement concern. He stated that the dispersement issue was cited in the 1977 Goals and Objectives document, but was not part of the successor 1979 Land Use Policies Plan. Mr. Shepard said that the Land Development Guidance System has no flexible/mandatory requirement in terms of publicly assisted housing. He clarified that the Fort Collins Housing Authority is not a department of the City, and is not required to disperse housing. Member Cottier asked about the existence of parking spaces, bike lanes and sidewalks on Impala Drive. Mr. Shepard said that there are homes which front Impala, with cars parked on Impala. Several members of the audience corrected Mr. Shepard, stating that there is ng parking on Impala Drive. Mr. Shepard added that there were sidewalks, but no bike lanes. Vice -Chair Carroll asked the applicant to more specifically address the public's concerns about the maintenance facility, the day care center, residents per housing unit and total number of housing units. Mr. Kline stressed that the maintenance facility was more like a large stock room for the Authority's screen doors, windows and similar items. He explained the maintenance division's daily work schedule, stating that the seven employees were away from the shop at most times, filling work orders. He said it was not an industrial type situation with offensive noise or lots of traffic. Tracy Carter, Assistant Director for the Fort Collins Housing Authority, spoke to the residents/ per unit concern. She stated that the Housing Authority operates under an occupancy standard, which is very stringent. A two -bedroom unit can hold a maximum of four people; a three - bedroom unit can house a maximum of six people. The occupancy policy is regulated by the Housing Authority Board, and has been operational for at least nine years. Vice -Chair Carroll noted that, theoretically, the Board could change the policy. Mr. Shepard noted that the preliminary proposal for this project was for 56 units. The final Mr. Mahoney also had some concerns as to how square footage and number of bedrooms would affect livability of the units. He questioned the condition of the houses and whether they were fit for habitation. John Munn, 69 S. Taft Hill Rd., stated that he felt the proposal was a step forward to getting something done on the parcel. Jim Weber, 116 N. Hollywood St., spoke in favor of the development and of the Fort Collins Housing Authority in general. He said he has been biking or "autoing" on Impala Drive for the past seven years, and except for a few periods during the day, has not found the traffic to be too bad. Mr. Weber shared that he is a low income person and lives in a low income neighborhood. He stated that he is a board member of CARE Housing, Inc., and had concerns about the whole issue of affordable housing in Fort Collins. Sister Mary Alice Murphy, 1712 Erin Court #A, stated that she was the Director of CARE Housing, Inc. She explained that it was very difficult to find land in Fort Collins, for use in building affordable housing. Sister Mary Alice talked about the variance in land prices in different sectors of the community. She said there aren't the spaces available there once were, to be able to disperse housing. She talked about affordable housing issues at large, and about• how both the Housing Authority and CARE Housing, Inc. worked hard at being good neighbors. Sister Mary Alice spoke in favor of the proposed project, stating that it at least starts to address some of the need for increased affordable housing in the community. Evelyn Clark stated that she is a 20-year Ft. Collins resident. She spoke about the need for the City to provide affordable housing to the lower income population in an economical way. She believed that the density ratio/acre for this project was much better than the proposed student housing by CSU. Ms. Clark also talked about the relationship of housing concentration and bus service. She urged the board to approve the project. Carolyn Nagle, area resident, stated that she is a member of the Inter -Faith Council and serves on the Housing Committee. She talked about the critical need for affordable housing. Ms. Nagle said that all of us depend on those who must earn minimum wage for a living, and that we should recognize their need for safe, decent, affordable housing. Robert Colbert, 224 Briarwood Court, spoke about the already existing neighborhood problems in terms of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, parking, and theft and vandalism of bikes and autos. He requested information on the permitted number of residents per unit in the proposed project. Mr. Colbert was concerned about the effect the population increase would have on an already crowded neighborhood. PUBLIC INPUT CLOSED. Vice -Chair Carroll asked Staff to provide additional information on the proposed project's traffic impact, public housing dispersement issues and the maintenance facility. Mr. Shepard stated that the traffic situation was looked at by the Transportation Department. and decreased property values. Ms. Winfree urged the board to consider the impact of this and similar projects. Greg Connaughton, 308 Briarwood, stated that he recently purchased his house in the neighborhood adjoining the proposed project. He expressed concerns about increased traffic, the decreased value of his recent property investment, population density, the maintenance shop's interference with home appliance use (power tool use and static) and the diminished atmosphere of the neighborhood. Dan Richmond, 2213 W. Olive Court, has been a neighborhood resident for 15 years. He stated that he is in favor of managed development and use. Mr. Richmond said that he would favor this project over a use such as a parking lot extension by the High School. He had no objections to traffic considerations. Mr. Richmond asked for more specifics on the proposed office/maintenance facility. Rose Colbert, 224 Brairwood Court, was concerned about traffic flow, number of persons per unit/bedroom, condition of the housing units, property values, impact of increased student enrollment at Irish elementary and the concentration of low income housing in certain sections of Fort Collins. Mollie Winden, 700 Pear, a neighborhood resident who also works in the school district's administration building, stated that traffic flow through the area is already a problem. She expressed concerns about the increasing quantity of multi -family units in this particular neighborhood, the lack of equitable distribution of low income housing throughout Fort Collins, and the maintenance facility (entrance and outside vehicles). Rita Wright, 2213 Magnolia Court, voiced her concerns about the traffic problem and the already heavy traffic flow in the area. She was also concerned about the amount of low income housing on the west side of Fort Collins. She cited the August 2, 1977 resolution adopted by the Council, endorsing the Goals and Objectives of the Comprehensive Plan, which stated the need for dispersement of publicly assisted housing throughout the City. Ms. Wright expressed concern about decreased property values. Pat Mahoney, who resides east of the site, wanted clarification on the use of the Day Care Center. He stated he was not opposed to low income housing, but wanted to see a more even distribution throughout the community. Mr. Mahoney shared that he was a 10-year resident, and had noted a bifurcation trend in the community. He stated that: "We're creating an ethnically, racially, elderly, student -based population in the north part of town, and we've got this white, wealthy suburb sprawling in the southern part of town." Mr. Mahoney also requested an assessment of traffic patterns before site approval. He noted that there was an indication that the study would be done, and that it had not been done as of the board meeting. He also requested that the Board put a cap on the actual number of units allowed on the acreage. Mr. Mahoney stated that the Housing Authority was not responsive to an earlier request for such a cap. Vice -Chair Carroll asked for an overview of the fencing situation. As a result of a request at an earlier neighborhood meeting, the applicant will provide a six foot solid wood privacy fence on the east side; they will do the same for the north side. There is existing public housing west of the proposed project; the Housing Authority owns the land south of the project, which contains one residential building and some open space. Member O'Dell had a question about a future street shown south of the property. Mr. Kline stated that the cul-de-sac, shown on the map as a "future street", was proposed as part of another project, and was not in existence. Member O'Dell asked if the proposed alternative use -- a day care center --would be privately or publicly run, and what clients would be served. Mr. Kline said that it would be privately run, and that the clients would be working parents. He clarified that the client base would go beyond the project's residents. Member O'Dell asked about parking and outdoor play area considerations. Mr. Shepard provided some specifics. He reiterated that the day care center was a proposed alternative use (to the office/ maintenance facility), and was deemed an appropriate use at the preliminary stage. As far as any approval, he noted the conditions to the staff's recommendation. Additionally, he stated that the Zoning Code and State Code provided for such items as separate employee/visitor parking, outdoor play areas and fencing. Mr. Kline added that should the day care center turn out to be the chosen use, any related considerations would be taken under study. Member Cottier asked about the proposed maintenance shop. Mr. Kline provided clarification on the maintenance facility, which would essentially replace the shop on Mountain Avenue, and would be light -duty maintenance. Member Strom had concerns about the existing modular units. Mr. Shepard presented a slide of the units. Mr. Kline gave more specific information on the units and emphasized that these units would provide a finished product similar to the project at Mountain and Bryan Avenues (across from the Housing Authority administration building). PUBLIC INPUT Sharon Winfree, 2200 Woodford Court, stated she was not opposed to low income housing. She did, however, have concerns about increased density, traffic patterns, the concentration of low income housing units in northwest and northeast Fort Collins, the outdoor maintenance facility I' PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD MARCH 229 1993 MEETING MINUTES IMPALA VILLAGE PUD. PRELIMINARY. #6r93 Ted Shepard, Senior Planner, gave the Staff Report, recommending approval subject to the following conditions: 1. At the time of the Final P.U.D., the office area shall include a "visitors only" parking area, separate from employees, to accommodate visitors and tenants. 2 At the time of Final P.U.D., the landscape plan shall demonstrate adequate landscape and buffering to shield the project from the impacts of the High School parking lot and tennis courts. 3. At the time of Final P.U.D., the office/maintenance building (or daycare as alternative use) shall be described in sufficient detail by architectural elevations' indicating, height, scale, bulk, materials, color, and style so that the building contributes to the neighborhood's appearance in a positive way. 4. At the time of Final P.U.D., the number, location, and specification features of the offstreet lighting fixtures shall be provided and reviewed by the Planning Department for impacts on adjacent properties. Rochelle Stephens, Executive Director, Fort Collins Housing Authority, gave the presentation for the project. She noted Impala Village was consistent with the City's responsiveness to increasing the sorely needed rental housing stock for those residents who are economically restricted. Ms. Stephens also stated that it was the Housing Authority's intent to provide a housing product that makes a positive aesthetic contribution to neighboring developments. Jim Kline, Staff Construction Manager for the Housing Authority, outlined some of the land use aspects and proposed construction design for the project. He cited that previously used housing components would be the base material for the project, and would be brought up to code and restored to the original condition. Vice -Chair Carroll asked for a more detailed description of the project in terms of access, location, and surrounding uses. Mr. Kline stated that there were some concerns about additional traffic on Impala Drive, which accesses the project. Impala Drive already bears heavy use by Poudre High School students. It was his opinion that increased traffic from the project would be tied into residents' work schedules (early morning and evening) and would not conflict with current traffic volume.