HomeMy WebLinkAboutVERIZON FTC RIVERSIDE WIRELESS FACILITY RELOCATION - FDP220012 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 4 - RESPONSE TO STAFF REVIEW COMMENTS
Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6689 970.224.6134 - fax fcgov.com/developmentreview
April 21, 2023
Ryan Sagar
CSAI
5935 S Zang St., Suite 280
Denver, CO 80127
RE: Verizon FTC Riverside Wireless Facility Relocation, FDP220012, Round Number 3
Please see the following summary of comments from City staff and outside reviewing
agencies for your submittal of Verizon FTC Riverside Wireless Facility Relocation. If you
have questions about any comments, you may contact the individual commenter or direct
your questions through your Development Review Coordinator, Todd Sullivan via email at tsullivan@fcgov.com.
Comment Summary:
Department: Development Review Coordinator
Contact: Todd Sullivan, 970-221-6695, tsullivan@fcgov.com
Topic: General
Comment Number: 1
INFORMATION:
I will be your primary point of contact throughout the development review and
permitting process. If you have any questions, need additional meetings with the
project reviewers, or need assistance throughout the process, please let me
know and I can assist you and your team. Please include me in all email
correspondence with other reviewers and keep me informed of any phone
conversations. Thank you!
Comment Number: 2
SUBMITTAL:
As part of your resubmittal, you will respond to the comments provided in this
letter. This letter is provided to you in Microsoft Word format. Please use this
document to insert responses to each comment for your submittal, using a different font color.
When replying to the comment letter please be detailed in your responses, as
all comments should be thoroughly addressed. Comments requiring action
should NOT have a response such as noted or acknowledged. You will need to
provide references to specific project plans, pages, reports, or explanations of
why comments have not been addressed [when applicable].
Comment Number: 3
SUBMITTAL:
Please follow the Electronic Submittal Requirements and File Naming
Standards found at https://www.fcgov.com/developmentreview/files/electronic
submittal requirements and file naming standards_v1_8 1 19.pdf?1566857888.
File names should begin with the file type, followed by the project information,
and round number.
Example: UTILITY PLANS_PROJECT NAME_PDP_Rd2.pdf
File type acronyms maybe appropriate to avoid extremely long file names.
Example: TIS for Traffic Impact Study, ECS for Ecological Characterization Study.
Reach out to me if you would like a list of suggested names.
*Please disregard any references to paper copies, flash drives, or CDs.
Comment Number: 4
SUBMITTAL:
All plans should be saved as optimized/flattened PDFs to reduce file size and remove layers.
Per the Electronic Submittal Requirements AutoCAD SHX attributes need to be
removed from the PDF’s.
AutoCAD turns drawing text into comments that appear in the PDF plan set,
and these must be removed prior to submittal as they can cause issues with the PDF file.
The default setting is "1" ("on") in AutoCAD. To change the setting and remove
this feature, type "EPDFSHX" (version 2016.1) or “PDFSHX (version 2017 and
newer) in the command line and enter "0".
Read this article at Autodesk.com for more on this topic:
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarti
cles/sfdcarticles/Drawing-text-appears-as-Comments-in-a-PDF-created-by-Aut oCAD.html
Comment Number: 5
SUBMITTAL:
Resubmittals are accepted any day of the week, with Wednesday at noon being
the cut-off for routing the same week. When you are ready to resubmit your
plans, please notify me with as much advanced notice as possible.
Comment Number: 6
INFORMATION:
Please resubmit within 180 days, approximately 6 months, to avoid the
expiration of your project.
Comment Number: 7
*INFORMATION:
ANY project that requires four or more rounds of review would be subject to an additional fee of $3,000.00.
Comment Number: 8
FOR HEARING:
All "For Final Approval / For Approval" comments need to be addressed and
resolved prior to moving forward with scheduling the Hearing. Staff will need to
agree the project is ready for Hearing approximately 4 to 8 weeks prior to the hearing.
Any remaining "For Final Approval / For Approval" comments or additional
requirements resulting from the hearing decision need to be addressed and
resolved prior to moving forward with the final documents and recording of this
project. I will provide a recording checklist and process information when we
are closer to this step.
Comment Number: 9
FOR HEARING:
The proposed development project is subject to a Type 1 Review. The decision
maker for your project will be an Administrative Hearing Officer at a public
hearing. For the hearing, we will formally notify surrounding property owners
within 800 feet (excluding public right-of-way and publicly owned open space).
As your Development Review Coordinator, I will assist with preparing the mailing
and coordinating the hearing date with your team.
Comment Number: 10
*RESUBMITTAL:
The next resubmittal will be for a fourth round of review. The additional
Development Review Fee of $3,000.00 will be required with this resubmittal.
Payments can be made by check or credit card.
If paying by check, make payable to “City of Fort Collins”. This is accepted at
the Development Review Center, 281 N College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524,
by mail or can be placed in the blue drop box located at the west side of the
building. Please mark it to my attention and reference the project it is associated with.
If paying by credit card, I can process the payment over the phone with you.
Credit card payments include a convenience fee of 2% + $0.25 added to all
payments under $2,500.00, and 2.75% added to all payments over $2,500.00.
Comment Number: 11
*RESUBMITTAL:
Development Review Staff of the departments with unresolved comments have
agreed to process the next resubmittal as a "Quick Check". The revised
package can be submitted at any time and will be routed the day following
receipt for a two-week (14 day) review period. You will receive comments on the
day following the end of the review period.
Department: Planning Services
Contact: Katelyn Puga, , kpuga@fcgov.com
Topic: General
Comment Number: 2
04/14/2023: FOR FINAL APPROVAL
Please confirm if any new lighting will be added to the site for security. All
lighting is required to comply with the requirements of Division 3.2.4 of the Land
Use Code. Light fixtures, whether freestanding or tower mounted, are limited to
twenty-two (22) feet in height. The site is within the Lighting Context Area 2.
There will be (2) new lights added for site security. This is shown on A2.0 and special note is added on A3.0. The new task lights will
be mounted to the existing building at 10’ max above grade height. These are new 50W LED flood light on 60 min timer.
Comment Number: 3
04/14/2023: FOR HEARING
Please refer to the Planning redlines for additional comments that need to be
addressed prior to hearing.
New details of the cedar fence have been added to A4.0. Setback to the north property line was once a part of the drawings, but
must have been lost during the subsequent revisions. This setback has been readded. The Photosims page was updated already
and submitted for city review, but it appears that page was either not reviewed or missed since it was not included in the full set of
drawings. Either way, the latest drawings carried these updates over so Photosims now match elevations.
Contact: Will Lindsey, , wlindsey@fcgov.com
Topic: General
Comment Number: 1
04/14/2023: UPDATED - FOR HEARING- UNRESOLVED
Please provide justification, such as a propagation analysis that demonstrates
that a 60-foot-tall tower is necessary for coverage to the area. City Staff's main
concern is compatibility with the existing heights of structures within the
immediate area.
This is an outdated comment. We provided coverage plots in round 2 that addresses the differences between Verizon’s existing site
at 91’ and Verizon’s relocated site at 55’. This is a drastic drop in line of sight from our current site. As a result, there will be
coverage losses as shown in the propagation maps. Anything less than 55’ would render the facility non-functional for Verizon as it
would not service a wide enough area. Trees and buildings block signal so it’s important for antennas to have clearances. In order to
put this discussion to bed, I have provided a new document that incorporates the propagation maps along with a narrative.
02/21/2023: UPDATED - FOR HEARING
Thanks you for adding the additional paneling as discussed via email. Is it
possible to bring the metal paneling any further down the length of the structure?
A third section would bring visual continuity with the existing roofline and better
address the concealment aspect to blend the facility into the building(s) and
hide the support poles.
This is an outdated comment. Third section has been incorporated into the design.
09/13/2022: FOR HEARING
Planning's primary comment is about the height and design of the facility. In
evaluating the surrounding context, other then the PRPA power lines, there are
not any structure that are 60+ feet in height. Is this height the minimum that is
needed to meet network goals or the maximum? To further enhance the
compatibility of the tower with the property and surroundings we recommend:
(1) at minimum, that the material be carried down the front of the tower to
conceal the support poles, and
(2) an expansion of the enclosure at the top of the tower to create a
tiered/"wedding cake" effect to the top of the tower.
This approach would help mitigate the overall visual impact of the height.
Alternatively, a reduction in height would increase compatibility.
This is an outdated comment. Third section of paneling has been incorporated into the design and propagation maps have been
provided showing the drastic drop in coverage from Verizon’s existing equipment on the PRPA power lines to this new site. Anything
less than 55’ would likely render the facility non-functional as it would not service a wide enough area. We put together some
alternative designs for Will that included a topper to the stealth tower although we were recommending against this. Ultimately, Will
agreed with us that the addition of a top to the stealth tower would only make it stand out more. A tiered/wedding cake style is also
not able to be incorporated into the tower because there is no room to make the tower smaller at the top nor can we make it larger
at the bottom. The top of the tower is as small as it can be to allow for all the needed equipment inside. The bottom of the tower is
as large as it can be without running into the roof overhang or the existing buildings.
Department: Technical Services
Contact: Jeff County, 970-221-6588, jcounty@fcgov.com
Topic: Plat
Comment Number: 3
04/17/2023: FOR FINAL APPROVAL-UPDATED:
Please make changes as marked. If changes are not made or you disagree
with comments, please provide written response of why corrections were not
made. Please provide any responses on redlined sheets and/or in response
letter. If you have any specific questions about the redlines, please contact John
Von Nieda at 970-221-6565 or jvonnieda@fcgov.com
The redlines to the plat have been addressed and updated on the provided drawings. Our surveyor has connected with John Von
Nieda to get on the same page regarding his comments so that this is not a continuing issue. After discussion with Todd, it sounds
like we’ve all agreed that the plat can have a blank after the reception number that will be filled in after the hearing is completed,
zoning is approved, and our amendment is recorded at the county. This will address Verizon’s existing easements and lease.
02/20/2023: FOR FINAL APPROVAL:
Please make changes as marked. If changes are not made or you disagree
with comments, please provide written response of why corrections were not
made. Please provide any responses on redlined sheets and/or in response
letter. If you have any specific questions about the redlines, please contact John
Von Nieda at 970-221-6565 or jvonnieda@fcgov.com
Department: Water-Wastewater Engineering
Contact: Stephen Agenbroad, , sagenbroad@fcgov.com
Topic: General
Comment Number: 5
04/13/2023: INFORMATION ONLY
All www comments have been addressed and no further requirements apply at
this time. Thank you for cooperating and addressing all comments.
Department: Internal Services
Contact: Lauren Wade, 970-302-5962, lwade@fcgov.com
Topic: General
Comment Number: 1
09/21/2022: No comments from GIS.
Department: Environmental Planning
Contact: Kristie Raymond, , kraymond@fcgov.com
Topic: General
Comment Number: 2
04/03/2023: INFORMATION ONLY:
To include in the landscaping plan if tree removal or trimming is planned:
The City of Fort Collins is designated as a bird sanctuary for the refuge of wild
birds (Municipal Code Chapter 4, Division 8 - Wild Birds:
https://library.municode.com/co/fort_collins/codes/municipal_code?
nodeId=CH4ANIN_ARTIIAN_DIV8WIBI) and in order to satisfy the federal
Migratory Bird Treaty Act requirements, it is prohibited for any person at any
time in the City to abuse or injure any wild bird or damage a nest with eggs or
injure the young of any such bird. A professional ecologist or wildlife biologist is
required to complete the nesting survey linked below 5-7 days before
conducting tree removal or trimming. If tree removal or trimming is planned,
please include the following note on the tree mitigation plan and landscape plan,
as appropriate:
"NO TREES SHALL BE REMOVED DURING THE SONGBIRD NESTING
SEASON (FEBRUARY 1 TO JULY 31) WITHOUT FIRST HAVING A
PROFESSIONAL ECOLOGIST OR WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST COMPLETE A
NESTING SURVEY 5-7 DAYS BEFORE TREE REMOVAL OR TRIMMING TO
IDENTIFY ANY ACTIVE NESTS EXISTING ON THE PROJECT SITE. THE
SURVEY SHALL BE SENT TO THE CITY ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNER. IF
ACTIVE NESTS ARE FOUND, THE CITY WILL COORDINATE WITH
RELEVANT STATE AND FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES TO DETERMINE
WHETHER ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON TREE REMOVAL AND
CONSTRUCTION APPLY."
The Songbird Nesting Survey document will be provided with the comment letter
for you to fill out.
There are no tree removal or tree trimming proposed as result of this project. Notes are located on the landscape sheets that
confirm this is not the case. If after zoning approval, any trees need to be removed, relocated, or trimmed, then Verizon will obtain a
nesting survey from a professional ecologist or wildlife biologist before the work is completed and circle back with the city.
Contact: Russell Hovland, 970-416-2341, rhovland@fcgov.com
Topic: Building Insp Plan Review
Comment Number: 1
09/12/2022: Construction shall comply with adopted codes as amended.
Current adopted codes are:
2021 International Building Code (IBC) with local amendments
2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) with local amendments
2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) with local amendments
2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) with local amendments
2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) with local amendments
2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) with local amendments
Colorado Plumbing Code & state amendments (currently 2018 IPC)
2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) as amended by the State of Colorado
Copies of current City of Fort Collins code amendments can be found at fcgov.com/building.
· Accessibility: State Law CRS 9-5 & ICC/ANSI A117.1-2017.
· Snow Live Load: Ground Snow Load 35 PSF.
· Frost Depth: 30 inches.
· Wind Loads: Risk Category II (most structures):
· 140mph (Ultimate) exposure B or Front Range Gust Map published by The
Structural Engineer's Association of Colorado
· Seismic Design: Category B.
· Climate Zone: Zone 5
· Energy Code: 2021 IECC commercial chapter.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS:
· Commercial occupancies must provide 10ft setback from property line and 20
feet between other buildings or provide fire rated walls and openings per chapter 6 and 7 of the IBC.
· City of Fort Collins adopted International Fire Code (IFC) and amendments to
the 2018/2021 IFC require a full NFPA-13 sprinkler system per IBC chapter 9 or
when building exceeds 5000 sq.ft. (or meet fire containment requirements).
· Buildings using electric heat, must use heat pump equipment.
· A City licensed commercial general contractor is required to construct any new commercial structure.
· Plans must be signed and stamped by a Colorado licensed architect or
engineer and must be included in the permit application.
· Electric vehicle parking spaces are now required per local amendment to the IBC. See section 3604.
· For projects located in Metro Districts, there are special additional code
requirements for new buildings. Please contact the plan review team to obtain
the requirements for each district.
Building Permit Pre-Submittal Meeting:
Please schedule a pre-submittal meeting with Building Services for this project.
Pre-Submittal meetings assist the designer/builder by assuring, early on in the
design, that the new projects are on track to complying with all of the adopted
City codes and Standards listed below. The proposed project should be in the
early to mid-design stage for this meeting to be effective. Applicants of new
projects should email rhovland@fcgov.com to schedule a pre-submittal
meeting. Applicants should be prepared to present site plans, floor plans, and
elevations and be able to discuss code issues of occupancy, square footage,
type of construction, and energy compliance method being proposed.
I have provided building department comments to the architect working on the project. They will be responsible for the ultimate
building permit submittal. They contacted the building department to schedule a pre-submittal, and it was agreed that one would not
be necessary since our firm has submitted quite a few permits for projects like this.