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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSTETSON CREEK PUD, FOURTH FILING - FINAL - 16-89M - CORRESPONDENCE - TRANSPORTATION ISSUEE • MEMORANDUM TO: Kathleen Reavis Transportation Planning City of Fort Collins 210 E. Olive Street Fort Collins, CO 80524 COPY TO: Gary Hoover, Hartford Homes Bud Curtis, Northern Engineering Steve Olt, Current Planning Ted Shepard, Current Planning FROM: Kimberly Straw, AICP DATE: May 5, 1999 PROJECT: Stetson Creek 41h Filing PROJECT NO: 3523 urban design, inc. 3555 stanford road, suite 105 fort collins, colorado 80525 (970) 226-4074 FAX (970) 226-4196 E-mail: cityscap@frii.com This letter in is response to the recent review comments made about incorporating pedestrian paths through the open space areas on the Stetson Creek 4`h Filing. Please find enclosed a print of the Preliminary for the 3`d and 4`h Filings of Stetson Creek, as well as a response letter addressing the initial staff comment, and the subsequent Staff Report for the Planning and Zoning Board. The Preliminary PUD plans illustrate a pedestrian path in the northeast corner of the site to provide access to the school and park site, as part of a filing to the north. Also note that there are no pedestrian paths located in open spaces throughout any of the PUD filings of Stetson Creek. This requested modification would affect a very small area within the larger PUD and result in an inconsistent overall site design. At the time the preliminary for this project was reviewed by Staff, the issue of pedestrian connections was brought up. The response letter, dated September 8, 1993, explains that pedestrian paths were originally examined, but rejected in favor of an enhanced streetscape with a detached walk (not required at the time) and tree/landscape lawn. As you will note in the Staff Report for the October 4, 1993, P&Z hearing, this matter was not made a condition, nor was it discussion item within the report. Upon approval of the Preliminary, we believed that this issue was clarified. Please note that Ted Shepard was the project planner and he may be able to offer additional information to clarify this issue. I do believe that there needs to be some degree of confidence that both applicants and the city can place in an approval of a preliminary plan. The function of a final plan, as I understand it, is to provide the opportunity to refine the approved preliminary plan and finalize the development urban design, inc. details. I don't feel that it is appropriate, at this stage in the process, to begin placing additional conditions and requirements on a project. We and hoping to resubmit these plans within the next week, or so, so please forward any additional comments regarding this issue as soon as possible. Also, do not hesitate to contact me for additional information or to answer any questions you may still have. We look forward to hearing from you. a urban design, inc. • 3. As we discussed the design of Rock Creek Circle has been resolved. Between Timberline and the first cross street, Rock Creek Circle will be designed to collector standards. The remainder of the street will be designed as a local street, but with a higher design speed, and no lots taking direct driveway access from it. 4. The City's Transportation Staff have repeatedly stated that they will support the configuration and lower design speed proposed. Because full collector width is not needed except -at the Timberline intersections, and because the lower design speed is desirable, we have deleted the "collector" designation from the ODP. It is our understanding that a variance request is no longer needed. 5. The neighborhood park/school complex in Wild Wood has ample street frontage and parking 'to serve those users who need to drive there. A bike/pedestrian access trail is proposed through the private open space in Rock Creek. No parking lot for the City Park will be provided by the developers of Rock Creek. 6.. The Applicant would be happy to discuss a City funded trail within the McClellands drainageway open space area as defined on the Preliminary PUD Plans. • 10. At earlier meetings with the Storm Drainage Utility it was determined that - while it was desirable to pursue a very naturally oriented design for the McClellands drainageway - the added costs of reconstructing computer models for Storm Drainage, and the associated time delays represented dis-incentives to the developer. It is our intent to integrate a more natural landscape approach within the channel criteria defined previously by Storm Drainage. 15. An important goal of the access drive approach used along parts of Rock Creek Circle is to maximize the fronts of houses - without garage doors - on the street. Additional pavement, more visible garage doors, and reduced landscaping are not as desirable as the current design. The reduction in width of Rock Creek Circle will give us a little more flexibility for final design solutions. 20. We have provided an eight foot easement for PSCO just outside the landscape tracts. However, there is a continuing concern with Planning and Forestry encouraging street trees, while also supporting the growing demands of utility agencies for increased easements that virtually prohibit street trees. In this case, it would appear that we have room to provide an easement - free of trees - behind the landscaped streetscape area; but this may not be so in other developments. 24. "Neighborhood" paths through the greenbelts at Rock Creek. were evaluated in the design process, and were rejected for a number of reasons. Primarily, it was felt that the enhanced streetscape along Rock Creek Circle would be a better place to invest (it (similar the creation of a special pedestrian environment; and we feel that these greenbelts (similar in scale to those at Warren Shores) would be more functional and pleasant without being cut up by walkways. 0 0 Rock Creek Overall Development Plan, #16-89 October 4, 1993'p & Z Meeting Page 5 B The Rock Creek Overall-Develo With an important land use Pment Plan, polic however, does not comply Y• Policy Number 75 states: "75: Resident' ial areas should provide for a mix of housing densities.rr that Staff believes an O.D.P. which support a more diverse mix of housing contains between low g densities, 134 acres should (3.9 acres density residential is uneven) (130 acres) and duplex/patioh rOPosed spit As a relative) Y biased in favor of homes type will result arge parcel, the reliance oningle housing type. proposed in a homogeneous resident n one single housing Rock Creek O.D.P. does not car development. As Of housing densities carry its fair share of The proposed mix of as envisioned by land use with the housing polic a mix Land Use Policiesgpaansities, therefore Y Number 75• does not comply 6• Nei hborhood Cornatibi The O.D.p, existingproposes low density residential adjacent This is an appropriate along the south to the ppropriate transition between urban and developments that has been successful) 'Pr°Party rural Because of the placement of density in other areas. residential, the low density residential surroundingO'D'p• is found to next to rural area. No neighborhood informati compatible with the meeting was held. �• Trans ortation: The 134 acre O.D.P. Road, an arterial str Willet. take two access been. determined in conjunction wThe ith the of these is off Timberline the Dusbabek access points has these two property, across Timberline to he West.eed for tore access to Points required are sufficient)In addition, parcels. Quired for the Franz Farm Y separated from the access and the Po d Internal conne t' u re Valley Hospital c ions are provided b streets which offer Y a network of connection will access to the north and east, proposed local With a Provide access to the The easterly Possible connection to Corbett Drivere neighborhood access will be provided to the new , a collector street, Access to the future elements junior high school. system and a planned offstreet school will be via the local street path. • Rock Creek Overall Development Plan, #16-89B October 4, 1993 P & Z Meeting Page 6 The traffic impacts associated reviewed by the Transportatio proposed street network system various land owners within the efficient circulation. RECOMMENDATION: 0 with Rock Creek O.D.P. have been n Department. The existing and has been coordinated among the section and will provide safe and Staff finds that the request for the Rock Creek O.D.P., a portion of which modifies the existing Stromberger Property O.D.P., is in conformance with the Harmony Corridor Plan. With the proposed lack of mix of housing' densities, however, the O.D.P. does not conform with the Land Use Policies Plan. Staff, therefore, recommends denial of Rock Creek Overall Development Plan, 416-89B. Should the Planning and Zoning Board find that the O.D.P. merits approval, Staff recommends the following condition of approval. 1. The approval of Rock Creek O.D.P. is conditioned on passage on second reading by the City Council of the Ordinance granting the rezoning of the southerly portion of the O.D.P. from T, Transition, to R-L-P, Low Density Planned Residential.