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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWATERFIELD THIRD FILING - PDP - PDP130037 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PLANNING OBJECTIVESland planning  landscape architecture  urban design  entitlement November 6, 2013 Waterfield PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PLAN Planning Objectives The Waterfield development was initially planned in 1997 and at that time the entire site was zoned LMN. The Project Development Plan included a variety of housing types, a school site, a park site, a neighborhood center and a natural area around the wetland. In 2003, the Waterfield development plan was modified to eliminate lots proposed north and west of the wetland area to allow the City’s Natural Resource Division to purchase the natural area. While the vesting for the 1997 and 2003 Project Development Plans have lapsed, many decisions regarding future development of the property have been made. A school site, a park site, and future street right-of-ways were dedicated in anticipation of developing a residential community in the future. Since 2003 several changes have occurred that affect the future development of the site. The most significant changes are:  The alignment of Vine Drive on the Master Street Plan has shifted to the north, dividing the development plan with a four-lane arterial street with a 115-foot right-of-way and designated as an enhanced travel corridor.  The City’s Natural Resource Department is no longer interested in acquiring the existing wetland/natural area on the site.  In 2009 the City changed the zoning on the existing Bull Run apartment site and approximately 11 acres north of it, to encourage multi-family housing at the intersection of the two enhanced travel corridors (Timberline and New Vine). The zoning was changed from LMN to MMN as part of the Mountain Vista Subarea planning process. Despite these challenges, the current developers of the site are excited about the opportunities that exist and have worked to create an Overall Development Plan (ODP) that satisfies the land use objectives contained in City Plan, as well as the development objectives of the Poudre School District (PSD) and the City’s Parks Department. The Overall Development Plan was submitted on July 31st 2013 and is being reviewed concurrently with this Project Development Plan. This Project Development Plan proposes a ten foot wide, east-west, community multi-use concrete trail. North of the proposed culd-e-sac, the trail is designed to minimize removal when phase two is constructed. At this location, the trail will cross the road extension when the culd-e-sac is removed. Therefore, the trail crosses this future road at a 90 degree angle. The curves in the trail will act as a warning to slow down. The minimum curve radius designed is 60 feet which allows for a minimum design speed of 25 miles per hour per MUTCD standards. There is an area further east which becomes very restrictive between the lot lines, ditch access road, and ditch. The worst case scenario is shown as a section on the site plan. It preserves the user separation between the ditch company and the trail users by adding a landscaped buffer. The community trail will turn south and follow Timberline Road by Waterfield PDP - Planning Objectives November 6, 2013 Page 2 of 2 widening the existing sidewalk along Bull Run Apartments. Several 5’ wide spur trails will lead residents onto the City trail system. There is also a 5’ wide trail which runs around the wetland. This trail serves as the property line boundary between HOA owned land, City owned land, and Poudre School District land. The PDP proposes to enhance the existing wetland/natural area so that it can be a valuable shared resource for the residential neighborhood, the park and the school. Observation wells drilled at the site in June of this year revealed that the depth to ground water ranged from 3.5 to 15.5 feet. Cedar Creek, environmental consultants hand drilled additional holes within the wetland area and found ground water closer to the surface but still at least 12 inches below grade. Cedar Creek concluded that the existing wetland is not being fed from ground water, but exists because of surface flows, from rainfall and irrigation of adjacent agricultural fields. The wetland is a low spot on the property with no existing outfall. The PDP proposes to direct storm water flows to the wetland area through a series of bio-swales. This strategy will provide water quality treatment of storm flows and help maintain the wetland. The proposed development is planned to encroach into the wetland on the southeast side, resulting in a loss of approximately .18 acres of low quality wetland habitat. In order to mitigate this loss, native plants will be added to the northeast side of the wetland to improve the quality and diversity of the wetland. peachleaf willows will be planted within the wet areas with serviceberry, cottonwood and chokecherry planted on the higher ground. The mitigation plan also proposes enhancement of the existing wetland. The three (3) small pockets of existing Russian olives will be removed and replaced with twenty five (25) Cottonwood, American plum, hackberry and junipers. One hundred (100) half-gallon native shrubs will be planted in clumped groupings within the wetland buffer zone. Along with the tree and shrub enhancement, weeds will be removed and upland weedy areas will be revegetated with a diverse native seed mix. The private open space and wetland area shall be privately owned and maintained by the Home Owner’s Association.