Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMONTAVA - PHASE D CORE AND IRRIGATION POND - BDR240006 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 2 - Project Narrative1 Basic Development Review - Project Information and Design Narrative Montava Phase D Core and Irrigation Pond, BDR240006 Updated July 17, 2024 We are pleased to submit our Basic Development Review application for the Montava Phase D Core and Irrigation Pond. This application is subject to and consistent with the Montava PUD Master Plan and PUD Overlay and the Montava PUD Master Development Agreement approved by the City in 2020. Phase D Bifurcation and Timeline As described in our Conceptual Review meeting on March 21, 2024, in several meetings with the City Executive Committee for Montava and City Planners, and further solidified following our Preliminary Design Review meeting on April 3, 2024, we have bifurcated Phase D and are seeking approval for this phase in two separate BDR submittals: this Phase D Core and Irrigation Pond plan, and a future Phase D “Infrastructure” plan. Each of the two submittals has its own distinct submittal/approval timeline and will be designed to be completely functionally independent of any other submittals. The future Phase D “Infrastructure” plan will be Montava’s next BDR application. The “Infrastructure” plan will focus primarily on 1) street and intersection improvements for the adjacent roadways that provide connectivity from Phase D while increasing multi-modal transportation circulation and, 2) creating a sense of arrival to Montava at the primary Giddings Road entrance at Maple Hill Drive, now known as the Fiddle intersection. The Phase D Core Development Agreement is anticipated to establish development triggers and/or milestones that inform the timing and implementation of the “Infrastructure” plan based in part on the productive discussions with staff during the Design Work Session held on May 21, 2024. With the collaborative partnership between the City, Montava Development & Construction LLC, and our committed design and engineering teams, we have organized around this Phase D Core and Irrigation Pond plan being approved in no more than 3 submittals, allowing us to get Director approval by early November, if not sooner, and get shovels in the ground by year end. Phase D Core and Irrigation Pond Summary Phase D Core and Irrigation Pond is composed of approximately 289.75 acres, centrally and ideally located within the Montava community, equidistant between the future Town Center and the future Farm. The Phase D Core neighborhood is bordered by Giddings Road to the east, the future PSD Elementary School site and the non-potable Irrigation Pond to the west, future phases B and C immediately to the north, and future phases E, F, I and the Town Center to the 2 south. The Phase D Core neighborhood serves as a transition from the dense neighborhood and mixed-use phases adjacent to Mountain Vista Drive, and the less dense, majority single- family neighborhoods that will border Richards Lake Road. Existing Improvements and Uses The existing use of the property is Agricultural, and at present this land is owned by the Anheuser-Busch Foundation and actively farmed by Tim Kerbs. The area currently contains a small handful of sheds, equipment storage buildings and an unoccupied house of low-quality condition. Based on the findings of a Colorado Cultural Resource Survey performed in April 2024, Historic Preservation Services determined on May 10, 2024 that the property is not eligible for Landmark designation. Proposed Uses Our proposed uses are single-family dwelling units, attached and detached, and the Irrigation Pond that will be installed on Tract SS. Several tracts are reserved for future development: Tracts AA and JJ are currently anticipated to be approximately 120-210 multi-family units, and commercial is anticipated for Tract Z. Other tracts, including Tracts MM, NN, OO, PP, QQ and RR are not intended for development, but are included for drainage, detention, future roadways and grading purposes. All residential uses are consistent with the approved PUD Master Plan uses for Transect T3.2 (low-med density residential/SF detached), Transect T4 (med-high density residential/SF, MF, detached and attached, home occupations), and Transect T5 (high intensity mixed-use/commercial, residential, institutional). The future development tracts are included in the overall planning for this area and the anticipated uses fit within the allowed uses of these transects, but they are not included for current review in the Phase D Core application. The mixed-density, single-family residential core of the neighborhood includes approx. 155 alley-loaded townhomes, and 174 cottages and small- and medium-single family homes, together with thoughtfully interconnected pedestrian pathways and green areas, recreation and community gathering spaces, native plant expanses, and pollinator corridors. Compared to previous submittals for Phases G and E, Phase D has a straightforward layout and drainage plan, no existing natural features or existing buildings that need special consideration, and our team is committed to articulating and immediately applying “lessons learned” from the previous submittals. The Phase D Core plan set is designed to stand alone and support itself with utilities and safe access routes to start residential construction. 3 Irrigation Pond Summary A non-potable irrigation delivery system is planned for the Montava development and the west pond serving the non-potable system would also be designed and constructed concurrent with Phase D Core. This pond will be located adjacent to the future City of Fort Collins community park, a future PSD elementary school site, and other planned Montava development areas and is envisioned to serve all three of these entities with shared non-potable irrigation through a distributed system if possible. If this shared system cannot be achieved, a non- potable irrigation system serving only the Montava development areas is still planned. Non-Potable System Approval – Revised Request Submitted to ELCO The ultimate design and use of the non-potable irrigation system assumes use of high- quality WSSC ground water for the main irrigation season and use of well water for shoulder season demand. As ELCO has been unwilling to review our non-potable system plans, which we understand to be a result of Montava not yet owning the property or wells included in our plan, we are unable to provide approval documentation in our Water Adequacy Determination Application. We have, however, submitted to ELCO a revised plan with an interim solution that should allow them to review and approve our non-potable plans. Our interim plan excludes use of well water for shoulder season irrigation, and instead includes use of water that we have already dedicated to ELCO. This solution can be evaluated, approved, and used until we own the wells, which at that point would allow ELCO to evaluate our non-potable system as initially intended, and allow us to replace the ELCO water with well water for shoulder season irrigation as was originally proposed. Public Benefits Phase D Core is also subject to the Development Agreement to Secure Public Benefits for the Montava PUD Master Plan approved by the City in 2020 (the “Public Benefits Agreement”). The following community benefits, all as described in the Public Benefits Agreement, will be implemented in Phase D: (i) new housing construction will comply with the applicable energy efficiency standards, (ii) a non-potable water system will irrigate common areas and most private yards, (iii) any qualifying affordable or workforce housing shall count towards the Developer’s obligation to provide Required Affordable Units, and (iv) the Farm Parcel will be sold, donated or leased for urban agriculture uses before the first building permit is issued. No elements of the Phase D Core plan are intended to supersede the requirements of the Public Benefits Agreement. 4 Affordable Housing Consideration The Land Bank currently has an option to purchase 5 acres within Montava. We had previously outlined several potential locations, and they are currently considering a future development tract of the Phase D Core which, if exercised, brings 100+ Affordable Units to Montava and starts our affordable housing program. Their option expires Dec. 31, 2024, however, we are working together to explore an extension. The Land Bank will be closely tracking Phase D Core approvals with the intention of keeping funding allocated to Montava/Northeast Fort Collins. Site Circulation The Phase D Core’s circulation system is designed to integrate into Montava’s overall interconnected grid of pedestrian-oriented streets, supported by surrounding arterials. The overall grid is designed to easily connect vehicles to arterials and collectors, allowing local streets to remain low volume and pedestrian oriented. Phase D Core will include two connection points to Giddings Road, appropriately spaced per required PFA and emergency access. The northern access road is intended to be an interim access road, as it will require re-engineering and repaving, etc., when we later design and construct Phase C. The ultimate northern access point to Phase D from Giddings Road is intended to be the improved intersection at Giddings and Maple Hill (the “Fiddle”) and will be further addressed in the Development Agreement and Phase D “Infrastructure” plan. Internal to Phase D Core, roadways are pedestrian-oriented, designed for slower speeds and use by all modes, with planned connectivity to future development phases. The bicycle network will connect internal to the site and provide access to the future Montava community that will include dedicated lanes along arterials, collectors, and key local streets, an independent network of off-street trails, and a highly connected network of low volume local streets. Site Design and Architecture Consistent with the approved PUD, Phase D Core implements key New Urbanist principles, including a wide variety of housing types, walkable streets and trails that connect to meaningful destinations and distribute traffic through a network of connected streets. Additionally, our layout provides ample green space - including drainage facilities and small park areas. As part of the Montava PUD Master Plan, Phase D Core will work seamlessly with other phases of Montava as those develop in the future. Composed of approximately 50 total acres, the residential portion of the Phase D Core layout creates 329 dwelling units and a net density of approximately 12.75 du/ac. Our updated layout contains 29 medium, 69 small, and 76 cottage style detached single-family homes, 155 attached 5 single-family homes (townhouse or live/work). 120-210 multi-family units are planned on the tracts for future development that span Montava Avenue on the southern-most section of Phase D Core. Building design within Phase D Core will be based on the standards in the Montava Uses, Densities, and Development Standards and other applicable standards of the Land Use Code. These standards ensure an overall harmony among buildings within Montava yet allow for more specific architectural detail for each phase. Conceptual elevations are submitted with the Phase D Core application (see Conceptual Elevations and Lot Typicals exhibit); we propose that building elevations for two-family and SF attached units be approved by minor amendment to the Phase D Core approval as was agreed to in Phase G. Building architecture will be also be reviewed and approved by the Montava architectural review committee. Fire Sprinkled Structures To our knowledge, none of the structures included in the Existing Structures exhibit have automatic fire sprinklers. Sprinkling of the new residential dwelling units in Phase D Core will be in accordance with applicable building codes. Compatibility with Surrounding Area The layout of the approved Montava PUD Master Plan generally transitions from higher intensity uses and density in the southwest adjacent to the Town Center to lower intensity uses and densities in the north and east adjacent to the Farm. This thoughtful design not only furthers the community and area goals but is supportive and compatible with the adjacent neighborhoods. The Phase D Core is centrally located within the PUD Master Plan; its proposed uses will implement a part of the transition between the highest and lowest intensity uses. No existing neighborhoods are immediately adjacent to the Phase D Core. Future neighborhoods adjacent to the Phase D Core will also be located within the PUD Master Plan and further implement the overall design. Following approval of the Phase D Core and Phase D Infrastructure plans, we anticipate developing the residential phases to the southwest that have been part of our plans from the beginning, namely Phases G, E, F and the Town Center (H). The order of development of such phases will largely depend on the timing of the resolution of the No. 8 Ditch crossing and improvement questions. Water Detention / Drainage Plan Phase D Core is contemplated in the 2019 Master Drainage Report and is served by subbasins D and F, which ultimately drain into future Pond F and are then conveyed via channels to future pond 427 in a southeasterly direction, ultimately following the historical path contemplated 2019 Master Drainage Report and working in alignment with the ICON study. 6 An existing agreement between Anheuser-Busch and The Larimer & Weld Irrigation Company which was executed in 1986, approved by the City, and runs with the land - allows all stormwater from the Montava lands east of the No. 8 Ditch, up to the historic 100-year event, to be discharged into the Larimer & Weld Canal. Phase D Core drainage will fall well short of the 100-year limit allowed in the existing agreement. City Planners have been provided with a copy of the agreement and the letter of approval by the City. Run-off Treatment LID (Low Impact Development) features as required by the City will be implemented for Phase D Core with the use of rain gardens and underground storage. Stormwater conveyance will be engineered through a series of channels and ponds to meet the requirements established in the Fort Collins Stormwater Criteria, Dec. 2018. Natural Features Phase D Core lacks existing natural features that require additional study, modification, mitigation, or special consideration. Phase D Core does NOT contain any of the following: canals, irrigation ditches, water bodies, or wildlife. Phase D Core does contain a small, low-quality wetland swale; although it has already been determined non-jurisdictional by the ACOE, we propose to replace it with a wet meadow/riparian area. All large trees within Phase D Core have been walked and reviewed by a City Forester, and determined to be undesirable species and in poor health; all will be removed and mitigation provided per the Land Use Code. Restricting Factors or Characteristics We do not foresee any restricting factors or characteristics within the Phase D Core and Irrigation Pond plan that would prevent approval and construction in the time frame provided in the first section of this narrative. Phase D Core does not require ditch crossings or improvements, storm drainage under the BNSF will not exceed historic drainage, there are no large scale land sales within this phase to negotiate, we’re not introducing any new or innovative intersection designs, we are designing primarily to standards and/or variances that have already been approved in prior submittals, there is no offsite ROW to acquire, and no Master Street plan amendments are required to develop this phase. Additionally, we will leverage existing utility connections, including the following: 1. Boxelder Sanitation serves the area and Phase D will connect to the existing mainline running through Phase D. 2. ELCO water currently serves the property and is available via an existing main in Giddings ROW. 3. Fort Collins Light & Power currently serves the property and is available via existing 7 infrastructure near the Giddings ROW. 4. Telecom is available via the Giddings ROW. 5. Phase D is included in the Upper Cooper Slough Drainage Area, and we will construct/improve additional improvements recommended in the ICON report to support this Phase. 6. The same non-potable system previously submitted for approval with Phase G is designed to serve the entire project west of Giddings Road is included in this submittal. We have revised one component of the system in attempt to gain ELCO’s approval of our non- potable system; we are replacing well water with ELCO water for shoulder season use. Aside from including a new pump that will convey ELCO water to our non-pot pond, the engineering design of the system overall remains unchanged from our prior submittal. Previous Submittals Phase D Core is part of the approved Montava PUD Master Plan. We have obtained technical approval of our Phase G plans and have undergone three rounds of review on Phase E - both of those phases are on hold pending resolution of Ditch Company issues regarding ditch improvements and crossings. In addition, the City Attorney has confirmed that the prior Interpretation of the BDR appeal process is applicable to the Phase D Core. Phase D was the subject of a Conceptual Review meeting on March 21, 2024 and a Preliminary Design Review on April 3, 2024. We have worked with City Staff to address some specific issues, including Giddings Road Improvements and utility easements, which are summarized below. Giddings Road Improvements Our TIS indicates a need to widen the pavement on both sides of Giddings at the two access points for Phase D Core in order to provide a center turn lane. These indications have been designed in this Phase D Core plan set. Following a very productive design work session with City staff on May 21, 2024, we will propose the construction of a Fiddle intersection at Giddings Road/Maple Hill Drive, the completion of ultimate condition improvements on Giddings - such as curb, gutter, bike lanes and sidewalk - between the Fiddle and the southern Phase D Core access point, and the completion of Maple Hill Drive adjacent to the Phase D Core as a component of the Phase D “Infrastructure” plan set. We also anticipate tying completion of the “Infrastructure” plan set to a to-be-determined milestone within the Phase D Core plan set. These concepts have been discussed further with City staff and will be outlined in the draft Development Agreement. 8 Giddings Road ROW Giddings currently has a 100’ ROW from Richards Lake Road to Mtn Vista. Current LCUASS shows an 84’ ROW for the future 2 lane arterial roadway. We understand that City Council action will be required in order to vacate any excess ROW. We propose to include any ROW vacation in the “Infrastructure” plan submittal after the ultimate configuration of the Fiddle and Giddings Road is determined. Utility Easements City staff has indicated that standard 9-foot utility easements along collectors and standard 15-foot utility easements along arterial roadways will be required per LCUASS, but that a variance of the LCUASS requirements for utility easements on lesser street classification, i.e. local or smaller, would be supported by staff as serving the New Urbanist principles that were contemplated and approved with the PUD, including the intimate enclosure of human interactions at the public-private property boundaries, allowing pedestrian passers-by to connect directly with residents on their front porches and stoops. That variance request has been submitted to Engineering for official approval. Gas service will not be provided in Phase D, as Montava has committed to being an all- electric community. Thank you to City Staff and outside agencies for your time and effort in reviewing our Phase D Core and Irrigation Pond plan BDR submittal. We appreciate the proactive thought, attention, conversation, and collaboration thus far in Phase D planning and look forward to working together to bring this neighborhood to life. Please reach out to Forrest Hancock with any questions or requests for additional information. Email: Forrest@montava.com Cell: 303-815-5769