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HomeMy WebLinkAboutINTERSTATE LANDS FIRST ANNEXATION - 34-88 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - APPLICANT COMMUNICATION//The owner, Overlook Farm Inc., has submitted a written petition requesting annexation of approximately 192.4 acres located west of I-25 and north of Prospect Road. In order to establish contiguity, the area to be annexed has been divided into two separate annexations, Interstate Lands First Annexation, consisting of 20.5 acres, and Interstate Lands Second Annexation, consisting of 171.9 acres. This is a voluntary annexation. The property is presently undevel- oped. There is an annexation agreement which defines the developer's and the City's responsibilities regarding storm drainage improvements, street improve- ments, access and utility services affecting the future development of this property. The proposed agreement is attached. The property is located within the Fort Collins Urban Growth Area. According to policies and agreements between the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County contained in the INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT FOR THE FORT COLLINS URBAN GROWTH AREA, the City will annex property in the UGA when the property is eligible for annexation according to State law. The First annexation gains the required 1/6 contiguity to existing city limits from a common boundary with the Sludge Farm Annexation to the south, and the Second annexation gains its contiguity from the First. /The owner has also submitted a written petitions requesting that approximately 34.6 acres of the property be zoned R-P Planned Residential and that the remaining acreage, approximately 157.3 acres be zoned H-B Highway Business. The portion of the property proposed to be zoned R-P is located adjacent to Boxelder Estates and is intended to become a transitional land use between existing estate lots and the anticipated retail/commercial land uses �tcd for the property closer to the Interstate. /"" /` Before the LDGS, the zoning code listed a set of land uses and performance standards for uses allowed in each zoning classification. Since the development of the LDGS, the meaning of zoning designations have changed. Now most development in the City is done through the LDGS, which evaluates the each project on its own merits, looking at neighborhood compatibility, adopted City plans and policies, public facilities and safety, resource protection, environmen- tal standards and site design. A planned unit development meaning a project processed under the LDGS, is allowed in all zoning classifications with only two exceptions. Since any use can be proposed as a planned unit development, the LDGS to some extent makes the zoning classification irrelevant. The zoning classification does set expectations as to what kind of development will occur on the property, therefore the planning staff does consider the appropriateness of the zoning classification based on the City's Goals and Objectives and Land Use Policies Plan. Staff has requested that a planned unit development condition be placed on both the R-P and H-B zoning designations indicating that any development on the property will be evaluated under the criteria of the LDGS. Staff believes that the requested zonings with a planned unit development condition will ensure appropriate land use transitions and design compatibility with surround- ing land uses. A neighborhood meeting was held March 29, 1988 to hear concerns regarding the annexation and zoning of this property as well as to receive comments on the proposed master plan. The meeting was well attended by county residents who voiced their concerns about annexation. The primary objections were to City expansion in general, the possibility of their property becoming an enclave in the future, and the urban land uses proposed being a threat to their rural lifestyle. No enclaves are being created with the annexations. The R-P Planned Residential District designation is for areas planned as a unit to provide a variation in use and building placement. The property will probably eventually develop at a moderate residential density. According to the City's LAND USE POLICIES PLAN, higher density residential uses should locate near the core area, regional/community shopping centers, the CSU main campus, or the hospital; within close proximity to community or neighborhood park facilities; where water and sewer facilities can be adequately provided; within easy access to major employment centers; with access to public transpor- tation; and in areas with provisions for alternate modes of transportation. This site addresses most of these locational policies. The policies also indicate that higher density residential uses should locate in planned unit developments. The H-B Highway Business District designation is for automobile oriented businesses. The master plan proposed for Interstate Lands indicates a regional/community shopping center along with highway oriented business service uses located near I-25. According to the City's LAND USE POLICIES PLAN, regional/community shopping centers should locate in areas which are easily accessible to existing or planned residential areas; near transportation facilities that offer the required access without exceeding the capacity of the existing and future transportation network of the City; where they can be served by public transportation; and in areas served by existing water and sewer facilities. The policies also state that transitional land uses or greenbelts should be provided between residential neighborhoods and commercial areas to enhance the concept of a mixture of land uses. This site addresses these locational policies.