Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutI-25 & MULBERRY ANNEXATION - ANX220004 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - LUC REQUIREMENTSI-25 & MULBERRY STATEMENT OF CITY PLAN PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES ACHIEVED BY THE PROPOSED ANNEXATION/ZONING & ODP PLAN: The I-25 and Mulberry property is generally located at the northeast corner of I-25 and Mulberry Street. The property is currently vacant and is historically used for agricultural farming activities. The subject property is located within the City’s Growth Management Area (GMA) and therefore, is subject to the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County. The IGA requires that before urban development of the property can occur it must request to be annexed into the City of Fort Collins. The boundary of the GMA, together with the IGA, verifies that the City and County agree that the property should be annexed prior to its development. The Owner of the property is requesting annexation and zoning for commercial, retail, employment and industrial uses consistent with the intent of the City’s Structure Plan and the I- 25 Corridor & Subarea Plan. The Subject property is approximately 46.92 acres in size and is contiguous to the City of Fort Collins Municipal Boundary. The proposal is to annex the property to the City and Zone the western portion of the property, being approximately 12.11 acres, CG-General Commercial with the remaining 34.80 acres to be Zoned CS-Service Commercial. The Annexation and Zoning submittal will also include an Overall Development Plan (ODP). City Plan establishes the overall policy foundation for Development in the City of Fort Collins. This section includes the Principles and Policies achieved for each of the applicable “Outcome Area”. The following is the supporting information for each Principle and Policy Area achieved by the proposed I-25 & Mulberry Annexation, Zoning and ODP. Principle LIV 1: Maintain a compact pattern of growth that is well served by public facilities and encourages the efficient use of land. POLICY LIV 1.1 - GROWTH MANAGEMENT AREA Continue to utilize the GMA surrounding Fort Collins as a tool to guide and manage growth outside of the City limits and delineate the extent of urban development in Fort Collins. The I-25 & Mulberry property is located within the City’s Growth Management Area (GMA) boundary and is more than 60% Contiguous to the Municipal Boundary of the City. The proposed annexation is consistent with the Intergovernmental Agreement between the City and the Larimer County and is required to request the City to Annex prior to development. Annexation of the property will ensure a compact land use pattern within the well-defined City of Fort Collins GMA Boundary, with adequate public facilities and infrastructure available to serve the future Development. POLICY LIV 1.6 - ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES Utilize the provision of public facilities and services to direct development to desired location, in accordance with the following criteria: » Direct development to locations where it can be adequately served by critical public facilities and services such as water, sewer, police, transportation, schools, fire, stormwater management and parks, in accordance with adopted levels of service for public facilities and services. Public infrastructure are all available within close proximity to the site and proposed future development will not exceed the capacity of the current infrastructure. The site can be adequately served by critical public facilities and services such as water, sewer, police, transportation, fire, stormwater management, in accordance with adopted levels of service for public facilities and services. Principle LIV 2: Promote infill and Redevelopment. POLICY LIV 2.2 - PRIORITY LOCATIONS FOR INFILL AND REDEVELOPMENT Ensure appropriate use of the City’s public investments in infrastructure/improvements in the following areas to achieve the City’s strategic goals: » Downtown District; » Urban Mixed-Use Districts; » Mixed-Employment Districts; and » Metro Districts. The I-25 & Mulberry property will be a “Catalyst” for the development and redevelopment of the I-25 & Mulberry Interchange and where applicable will follow the Goals and Objectives of City Plan and the I-25 Corridor Plan. Principle LIV 3: Maintain and enhance our unique character and sense of place as the community grows. POLICY LIV 3.3 – GATEWAYS Enhance and accentuate the community’s gateways, including Interstate 25 interchanges and College Avenue, to provide a coordinated and positive community entrance. Gateway design elements may include streetscape design, supportive land uses, building architecture, landscaping, signage, lighting and public art. This project will explore the possibilities of enhancing the I-25 & Mulberry Gateway in order to establish and define the Mulberry Gateway District and where applicable the proposed development will follow the Goals and Objectives of the I-25 Corridor Plan. The applicant has been and will continue to work with CDOT and City Staff throughout the development process regarding necessary streetscape improvements for the proposed I-25 NE Frontage Road Realignment. As development moves forward, creating a high quality gateway image will be achieved with building architecture, landscape, site signage and lighting. These elements will be designed and refined with future PDP and FDP submittal packages. POLICY LIV 3.4 - DESIGN STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES Maintain a robust set of citywide design standards as part of the City’s Land Use Code to ensure a flexible, yet predictable, level of quality for future development that advances the community’s sustainability goals, e.g., climate action. Continue to develop and adopt location-specific standards or guidelines where unique characteristics exist to promote the compatibility of infill redevelopment. The I-25 & Mulberry property will comply with the proposed Zoning, Permitted Uses and the City’s Development and Engineering Design Standards. A high quality Service Commercial, Employment and Retail District is envisioned for the proposed I-25 & Mulberry development. The types of commercial, employment and retail development attracted to the subject property coupled with building architecture and site design will be key to contributing to and enhance the overall character and quality of the existing surrounding neighborhood and other development in close proximity to the subject property. Principle LIV 4: Enhance neighborhood livability. POLICY LIV 4.1 - NEW NEIGHBORHOODS Encourage creativity in the design and construction of new neighborhoods that: » Provides a unifying and interconnected framework of streets, sidewalks, walkway spines and other public spaces. » Improves access to services and amenities. The I-25 & Mulberry property will have a strong internal vehicular and pedestrian circulation system that will link the uses together to improve upon and avoid future vehicular and pedestrian conflicts and will be designed to support and encourage all modes of transportation. Bicycle and Pedestrian access will be a key component of the site design phase of this project. The Applicant recognizes the need to coordinate with the City on future planning efforts and site design between adjacent development and the existing Cloverleaf Residential Neighborhood. The proposed development at the PDP & FDP stage of work will allow for interconnecting streets, pedestrian walks and access to future trail systems. POLICY LIV 4.2 - COMPATIBILITY OF ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT Ensure that development that occurs in adjacent districts complements and enhances the positive qualities of existing neighborhoods. Developments that share a property line and/or street frontage with an existing neighborhood should promote compatibility by: » Continuing established block patterns and streets to improve access to services and amenities from the adjacent neighborhood; A 30’ wide Landscape Buffer will be provided adjacent to the Cloverleaf Residential Community. An 80’ wide Landscape Buffer will be provided along the I-25 North Bound ROW with a 30’ Landscape Buffer being provided along the existing NE I-25 Frontage Road that will be abandoned once it is realigned through the subject property. This proposed landscape buffers will help to screen parking to the greatest extent possible, with buildings fronting on the major roads and parking internal to the site. Future site planning efforts will focus on promoting pedestrian connectivity and access to the existing surrounding neighborhoods. Where possible Public spaces will be incorporated into the site-specific PDP and FDP design of this development. Principle LIV 9: Encourage development that reduces impacts on natural ecosystems and promotes sustainability and resilience. POLICY LIV 9.2 - OUTDOOR WATER USE Promote reductions in outdoor water use by selecting low-water-use plant materials, using efficient irrigation, improving the soil before planting and exploring opportunities to use nonpotable water for irrigation. Reduction of impervious surfaces, minimizing earthwork, managing heat island effects of parking areas and building orientation for energy conservation are some of the tools available during the site-specific PDP and FDP design process. The I-25 & Mulberry landscape design will incorporate “waterwise” plant material and other landscape design principles. POLICY LIV 9.3 - URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT Encourage the use of site and building features, such as shade trees and reflective materials, to reduce heat absorption by exterior surfaces, provide shade or otherwise mitigate the urban heat island effect. The Urban Heat Island Effects will be mitigated by reducing the size and locations of parking areas along with incorporating parking lot landscape island and medians to break up the overall size of proposed parking areas. These landscape islands and medians will be planted with large shade trees and shrubs on the ground plane in order to help shade paved areas to the extent possible. Building placement will also aid in providing additional shade and where possible concrete pavement surfaces rather than asphalt paving should be considered to reduce the effects of pavement heat absorption and the radiant heat effects that can result. Principle EH 1: Foster a vibrant, resilient and inclusive economy. POLICY EH 1.1 - EMPLOYMENT BASE Support the enhancement of the community’s economic base and primary job creation by focusing on retention, expansion, incubation and recruitment efforts that create jobs and import income or dollars to the community, particularly businesses in the adopted Target Industry Clusters. The I-25 & Mulberry property will support job creation by developing an emerging Retail, Commercial and Service Based Employment Center in the Northeast Quadrant of Fort Collins. The development of the subject property will incorporate a mix of uses to support the employment-focused development of the General Commercial – CG and Service Commercial – CS Zond District that is a primary Goal of the I-25 Corridor Plan at the Mulberry Interchange. POLICY EH 1.3 - SALES- AND USE-TAX REVENUE Support programs that encourage residents to spend retail dollars locally before looking elsewhere for goods and services. Emphasize the retention and recruitment of retailers or development projects that have a positive impact on sales-tax generation, specifically focused on increasing retail-sales inflow and reducing retail-sales leakage. The I-25 & Mulberry property will include new retail and restaurant uses that will contribute to the City Sales Tax Revenue. Principle EH 4: Ensure that an adequate and competitive supply of space and/or land is available to support the needs of businesses and employers of all sizes. POLICY EH 4.1 - TARGETED EMPLOYMENT AND MIXED-USE AREAS Create and maintain plans for targeted employment areas (Downtown, Midtown, Harmony Corridor, I-25 interchange areas and Mulberry Corridor) to support investment, development and redevelopment in these areas to create new places for employment to grow. Encourage and support higher-intensity employment uses through land use policies and investment in infrastructure and services, such as transit, that support these employment areas. The I-25 and Mulberry Interchange is one of the key interchange gateway to the City. The applicant has been and will continue to work with City Staff throughout the ODO & FDP development process regarding proposed uses and there possible impact and value to growing the City’s Employment Base. The proposed Concept Realignment of the I-25 Frontage Road and Mulberry Street intersection improvements submitted with the ODP shows how development will benefit and incorporated with future improvements to Mulberry Street. POLICY EH 4.4 - FUTURE EMPLOYMENT AREAS Align the Structure Plan and development regulations to support the areas that are desirable and suitable for future employment-growth needs. Identify deficiencies in these areas that need to be addressed to make them suitable and desirable. The proposed Zoning of the I-25 & Mulberry Property will incorporate a mix of uses to support the employment-focused development both in the General Commercial – CG and Service Commercial – CS Zond District this is a primary Goal of the I-25 Corridor Plan at the Mulberry Interchange. Principle EH 5: Engage and help shape regional economic development efforts. POLICY EH 5.4 - REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE Actively participate in conversations with other municipalities, organizations and regional leaders to collaborate on upgrading transportation and other regional infrastructure to fulfill Fort Collins’ goals. These discussions shall focus on the benefits that may be created for Fort Collins and consider the goals in this plan with respect to economic, environmental and human objectives. The existing Northeast I-25 Frontage Road which is located immediately adjacent to the south and west boundaries of the subject property, is proposed to be abandoned and will be relocated interior to the subject property. The Applicant Miller Mokler and the Mulberry Frontage Metropolitan District (MFMD) have been working closely with CDOT for more than 2 years to complete the proposed Concept Design for the I-25 East Frontage Road realignment as submitted with this ODP. CDOT, Miller Mokler and the MFMD believes it will be beneficial to relocate the Frontage Road based on the following: • The realignment of the NE I-25 Frontage Road is necessary to help advance planned Improvements to property adjacent to the realigned Frontage Road. • The realignment of the NE I-25 Frontage Road is anticipated to improve operations at the intersection of Mulberry Street, I-25 Frontage Road, and Cloverleaf Way which currently requires additional signal phases due to its current configuration. • CDOT recognized the need in 2005 for the NE I-25 Frontage Road to be realigned as part of the I-25 & Mulberry Street interchange reconstruction and purchased a Deed of Covenant, reserving a portion of property on the north side of Mulberry Street for future development of a new I-25 frontage road. As a result of the recent NE I-25 and Mulberry Street Interchange Improvements and the proposed abandonment and realignment of the NE I-25 Frontage Road coupled with other recent developments within close proximity of the subject property, the Applicant believes that the development of the property will provide a significant economic benefit to the City of Fort Collins and greatly improving the overall safety and traffic operations at the I-25 Frontage Road and the Mulberry Intersection. Principle ENV 4: Protect human health and the environment by continually improving air quality. POLICY ENV 4.2 - AIR POLLUTANT SOURCES Implement a full spectrum of options—including engagement, incentives and regulation—that focus on prevention of air pollution at the source. The I-25 and Mulberry Project has proposed along with the Realignment of the I-25 NE Frontage Road to incorporate two proposed Roundabouts at key locations along the Realigned Frontage Road as shown in the ODP Submittal. The use of roundabouts rather than signalized intersections at these locations can be expected to help reduce the Carbon Emission Plum that is often associated with signalized intersections due to standing or stopped and idling vehicles. The use of roundabouts at these two locations will allow vehicles to keep moving through the intersections and reduce the amount of time vehicles are required to stop at these locations. POLICY ENV 4.6 - VEHICLES AND NON-ROAD ENGINES Promote efforts to reduce fuel consumption and associated pollutant emissions from vehicles and non- road engine sources, such as lawn and garden equipment. As stated above the implementation of Roundabouts at two key intersection locations along the Realigned Frontage Road will help to reduce pollution emissions and fuel consumption be reducing the time vehicles must be stopped at these locations. Principle ENV 6: Manage water resources in a manner that enhances and protects water quality, supply and reliability. POLICY ENV 6.6 - LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT Pursue and implement Low Impact Development (LID) as an effective approach to address stormwater quality and impacts to streams by urbanization. LID is a comprehensive land planning and engineering design approach with a goal of minimizing the impact of development on urban watersheds with various techniques aimed at mimicking predevelopment hydrology. The I-25 & Mulberry property will implement the required Low Impact Development (LID) measures and techniques as required by the City to assist in ground water infiltration and recharge and to protect the downstream water quality from the impacts of the development. Low Impact Development (LID) measures may include the use of Permeable Pavers within private drives and/or parking lots, Sand Filters, Green Space Buffers and Bio-swales to minimize directly connected impervious areas and promote infiltration. Rain Gardens and/or Underground Detention coupled with Water Quality Isolator Rows may also be utilized to treat stormwater prior to entering detention areas. Water quality will also be provided within the proposed detention ponds as a final Water Quality Measure prior to release into the downstream conveyances. POLICY ENV 6.7 - BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES Utilize stormwater facility design criteria that follow national Best Management Practices (BMPs). Development of the site will incorporate many innovative concepts in stormwater management Low Impact Development and infiltration. These concepts will be further developed at the time of the PDP and FDP Phases of Work. The I-25 & Mulberry property will follow all of the current design criteria for stormwater facilities. Principle ENV 8: Create and maintain a safe, healthy and resilient urban forest. POLICY ENV 8.1 - HEALTH OF THE URBAN FOREST Practice sound arboriculture practices, including diversification of species; monitoring and managing insect and disease impacts (e.g. emerald ash borer); and preparing for unanticipated events such as drought, extreme weather and the long-term effects of climate change. Street, Parking Lot and Landscape Buffer Trees Plantings shall be used to create a new urban tree canopy within the I-25 and Mulberry Property. To the greatest extent feasible existing vegetation, although minimal on the subject property, that is deemed to be valuable will be protected in place. Street Tree Species shall comply with the City’s List of Approved Street Tree. Principle SC 1: Create public spaces and rights-of-way that are safe and welcoming to all users. POLICY SC 1.2 - PUBLIC SAFETY THROUGH DESIGN Provide a sense of security and safety within buildings, parking areas, walkways, alleys, bike lanes, public spaces and streets through creative placemaking and environmental design considerations, such as appropriate lighting, public art, visibility, maintained landscaping and location of facilities. Security will be an important consideration during the PDP and FDP Design Phases of Work this will include the design of safe streets and pedestrian facilities, site lighting, pedestrian visability and landscape design. Principle T 1: Coordinate transportation plans, management and investments with land use plans and decisions. POLICY T 1.1 - DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT As development occurs, consider making concurrent transportation investments to support increased demands for multimodal travel. The street system will provide an interconnected network for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians while providing direct access to retail businesses, employment areas and commercial development and other points of interest and community amenities. Principle T 2: Build and maintain high-quality infrastructure that supports all modes of travel. POLICY T 2.1 – FUNDING Explore efficient and sustainable ways to allocate funding for transportation. The I-25 & Mulberry Property development will include an already approved Metopalitan District. The Mulberry Frontage Metropolitan District (MFMD) will assist in funding some of the Master Development Improvements in the realignment of the I-25 Frontage Road, Water, Sewer and Storm Drainage infrastructure. POLICY T 2.4 - STREET DESIGN CRITERIA Keep street and sidewalk design standards current with community values, new modes of travel, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines, and new technical and safety standards. The I-25 and Mulberry Project will design streets and pedestrian facilities to the most current City and LCUASS Design and Engineering Standards in place at the time of each PDP Submittal. Principle T 4: Pursue regional transportation solutions. POLICY T 4.2 - PARTNERSHIPS FOR INTERSTATE TRAVEL Develop partnerships among Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Larimer County, North Front Range MPO, surrounding communities and private developers to build and improve regional and interstate facilities to increase mobility and make bicycle and pedestrian connections. The Applicant Miller Mokler and the Mulberry Frontage Metropolitan District (MFMD) have been working closely with CDOT for more than 2 years to complete the proposed Concept Design for the I-25 East Frontage Road realignment as submitted with this ODP. CDOT, Miller Mokler and the MFMD believes it will be beneficial to relocate the Frontage Road based on the following: • The realignment of the NE I-25 Frontage Road is necessary to help advance planned improvements to property adjacent to the realigned Frontage Road. • The realignment of the NE I-25 Frontage Road is anticipated to improve operations at the intersection of Mulberry Street, I-25 Frontage Road, and Cloverleaf Way which currently requires additional signal phases due to its current configuration. POLICY T 4.4 - REGIONAL CONNECTIONS Provide safe, sustainable, easy and effective connections to county, regional, state and national transportation corridors, as well as rail and air transportation systems. Principle T 6: Support bicycling as a safe, easy and convenient travel option for all ages and abilities by building a connected network of facilities. CDOT recognized the need in 2005 for the NE I-25 Frontage Road to be realigned as part of the I- 25 & Mulberry Street interchange reconstruction. As such, the Applicant and MFMD with undertake the realignment of the I-25 Frontage Road as shown in the ODP. Principle T 6: Support bicycling as a safe, easy and convenient travel option for all ages and abilities by building a connected network of facilities. POLICY T 6.1 - CONNECTED BICYCLE FACILITIES Build and maintain bicycle facilities that form a continuous and dense low-stress bicycle network with seamless connections to public transit, bike- share and other shared-mobility vehicles, schools, neighborhoods, community destinations and the regional bicycle network. The I-25 and Mulberry development invasions a variety of land uses that will provide multiple opportunity for movement throughout this development. Bike lanes and bike trails will be used where appropriate to provide alternatives to carbon based vehicles. Streets will be designed to be safe for cars, pedestrian and bicycles as well as being visually attractive to the sites employees and visitors. The use of street trees and street lighting will contribute to the pedestrian and vehicle safety and be aesthetically pleasing to the community. Principle T 7: Support walking as a safe, easy and convenient travel option for all ages and abilities by building a connected network of sidewalks, paths and trails POLICY T 7.1 - PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES Implement ADA-accessible pedestrian facilities as detailed in the Pedestrian Plan and Sidewalk Prioritization Program. The I-25 and Mulberry Project will design its streets, pedestrian and ADA facilities to the most current City and LCUASS Design and Engineering Standards in place at the time of each PDP Submittal. POLICY T 7.2 - SAFE PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES Develop safe and secure pedestrian settings by developing and maintaining an appropriately lit pedestrian network, enforcing snow removal on sidewalks adjacent to residential properties and mitigating the impacts of vehicles. Connections will be clearly visible and accessible, incorporating markings, signage, lighting and paving materials. Safety and Security will be an important consideration during the PDP and FDP Design Phases of Work this will include the design of safe streets and pedestrian facilities, site lighting, pedestrian visibility and landscape design. The MDFD will be responsible for maintenance of streetscape landscaping, common open space areas and snow removal on sidewalks within the public ROW. Principle T 8: Manage the transportation system to ensure reliable traffic and transit flow through travel demand management and transportation system optimization. POLICY T 8.2 - SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION Manage traffic congestion through system optimization strategies such as intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and signal optimization. The I-25 and Mulberry Project has proposed along with the Realignment of the I-25 NE Frontage Road to incorporate two proposed Roundabouts at two key locations as shown in the ODP Submittal. The proposed roundabouts coupled with the signalization and turning lane improvements to the Mulberry Intersection will further help to manage and improve traffic congestion. POLICY T 8.6 - ROUNDABOUTS Consider roundabouts as a means of achieving transportation system safety and efficiency at intersections for all modes of travel. As mentioned above the I-25 and Mulberry Project has proposed along with the Realignment of the I-25 NE Frontage Road to incorporate two proposed Roundabouts at key locations along the Realigned Frontage Road as shown in the ODP Submittal. The use of roundabouts rather than signalized intersections at these locations can be expected to help reduce the Carbon Emission Plum that is often associated with signalized intersections due to standing or stopped and idling vehicles. The use of roundabouts will improve vehicular and pedestrian safety. POLICY T 8.10 - ADDRESSING BOTTLENECKS Implement improvements at strategic locations to address congestion/bottlenecks that are creating emissions and safety concerns. Addressed as part of Policy 8.6 above. Principle T 9: Utilize the transportation system to support a healthy and equitable community. POLICY T 9.8 - AIR QUALITY Support efforts to improve air quality through the prioritization of transportation infrastructure and travel demand programmatic investments that reduce vehicle miles traveled. Incorporate air quality impacts into transportation planning decisions through the use of the Fort Collins Air Quality Impacts Tool. The I-25 and Mulberry Project has proposed along with the Realignment of the I-25 NE Frontage Road to incorporate two proposed Roundabouts at key locations along the Realigned Frontage Road as shown in the ODP Submittal. The use of roundabouts rather than signalized intersections at these locations can be expected to help reduce the Carbon Emission Plum that is often associated with signalized intersections due to standing or stopped and idling vehicles. The use of roundabouts at these two locations will allow vehicles to keep moving through the intersections and reduce the amount of time vehicles are required to stop at these locations. Principle T 10: Support and enhance safety for all modes. POLICY T 10.5 - STREET CROSSINGS Design street crossings at intersections consistent with the Fort Collins Traffic Code, the Land Use Code, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), ADA and the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards (LUCASS) with regard to crosswalks, lighting, median refuges, bike boxes, corner sidewalk widening, ramps, signs, signals and landscaping. The I-25 and Mulberry Project will design streets and pedestrian facilities based on the City’s Land Use Code, Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and to the most current City and LCUASS Design and Engineering Standards in place at the time of each PDP Submittal. Principle HI 1: Be a model for quitable, effective and transparent local governance. POLICY HI 1.7 - REGIONAL COLLABORATION Actively collaborate with other jurisdictions in Northern Colorado, school districts and institutions of higher learning, special districts, the NFRMPO, and other regional and state partners to develop cooperative solutions to regional issues and planning challenges. CDOT recognized the need in 2005 for the NE I-25 Frontage Road to be realigned as part of the I- 25 & Mulberry Street interchange reconstruction. As such, the I-25 and Mulberry Applicant along with the MFMD have been working and collaborating with CDOT for over two years in the possible realignment of the I-25 Frontage Road and the Mulberry Intersection improvements. The Annexation and ODP for the I-25 & Mulberry property is the realization of this combined collaboration and effort to make these improvements a reality.