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DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS STATE OF COLORADO
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P.O. Box 850 °ys
Greeley, Colorado 80632-0850 f "
(303)353-1232 8
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January 19, 1989
Ms. Linda Ripley
Planning Department
City of Ft. Collins
P.O. Box 580
Ft. Collins, CO 80522
Dear Ms. Ripley:
Larimer o., S.H.
The Gateway at Harmony
Rd. P.U.D.
NW of Harmony Rd. and 287
DOH File 45100
This office has reviewed The Gateway at Harmony Rd. P.U.D. and
provided comments to you in letters of 1/12/88 and 12/15/88. On 1/11/89
the District Engineer and I met with Rick Ensdorff, Mike Herzig, and
Eric Bracke to discuss the proposed right -turn -in access from S.H. 287.
As a result of that meeting and further review of traffic information, we
have the following additional comments on this P.U.D. and the status of
the South College Avenue Access Control Plan.
The feasibility of this proposed access has been re-evaluated in
relation to the State Highway Access Code and the Draft South College
Access Control Plan. Upon discussion of this proposal with the District
Engineer, we do not find justification for approval of this access based
on the Access Code or the Draft Access Control Plan. At this time the
Access Code is the determinating regulation since the Access Control Plan
is not yet in effect.
The Category Three standard in the Access Code does not allow direct
access to the highway unless: the property has no other reasonable access
or denial of highway access and alternative access would cause unacceptable
traffic operation and safety problems to the overall traffic flow of the
general street system. The traffic analyses which have been provided do not
demonstrate a lack of reasonable alternative access from Kensington or Mason
Streets. There is only a slight improvement in the "Year 2010 Peak Hour
Intersection Operation" of the Kensington/College intersection with a
right-in/right-out access, according to a December, 1987 study by Matt Delich.
That analysis also assumes a right-in/right-out access to Harmony Rd. which
is not shown on the current P.U.D. plan.
Although the Access Control Plan is not yet in effect, we have considered
the proposal according to the appropriate criteria in the Draft Plan. The
criteria which must be met are the following: provision of joint access to
an area -wide circulation system serving multiple properties or land uses, an
improvement of traffic operation on S. College Ave., and meeting the design
requirements of the City and State Highway Department. We do not find that
all of these criteria can be met.
LINDA RIPLEY
January 19, 1989
Page Two
In addition to the access considerations for this project, we have
reviewed the right of way analysis of 1/9/89 by Matt Delich. Given the
location of the existing and planned public intersections and the right of
way constraints, we find this analysis to be acceptable. The recommended
additional 15-16 feet of right of way along the Gateway P.U.D. would result
in a 75- to 76-foot width west of the highway centerline/section line. This
is preferable to the 70-foot width which we have previously recommended,
since it would provide a 5-foot area behind the future curb line.
The development of the Gateway property and the area north of Kensington
St. has important implications for the Access Control Plan and the need
for median left -turn improvements. The northbound left -turn lane for
Kensington St. and the southbound double left -turn lanes at Harmony Rd. will
need to be in place to serve the existing and projected turning movements.
The Access Control Plan has been approved by the City Council with
conditions that preclude raised medians along this P.U.D. and south of
Horsetooth Rd. until certain city streets are in place east of College Ave.
In view of the above turn -lane considerations, we plan to discuss these
conditions with City staff and the Council in order to achieve an acceptable
plan.
If you have any questions regarding our comments, please contact me
at 350-2168.
Very truly yours,
DOUGLAS RAMES
DISTRICT ENGINEER
Wallace R. J cobson
Development Planning/Access Coordinator
WJ:mbc
cc: D. Yost
E. Bracke
File: Jacobson via Rames-Crier