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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSupporting Documentation - Response to Comments - 04/18/2025 Page 1 of 11 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 18, 2025 RE: Prospect Plaza Redevelopment, FDP250004, Round Number 1 Please see the following summary of comments from City staff and outside reviewing agencies for your submittal of Prospect Plaza Redevelopment. If you have questions about any comments, you may contact the individual commenter or direct your questions through your Development Review Coordinator, Brandy Bethurem Harras email at bbethuremharras@fcgov.com. Comment Summary: Department: Development Review Coordinator Contact: Brandy Bethurem Harras bbethuremharras@fcgov.com 970-416-2744 Topic: General Comment Number: 1 04/01/2025: 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! Noted, thank you. Comment Number: 2 04/01/2025: SUBMITTAL: As part of your resubmittal, a response to the comments provided in this letter and a response to plan markups is required. The final letter is provided to you in Microsoft Word format. Please use this letter to insert responses to each comment for your submittal, using a different font color. Please use the markups to insert responses to each comment on plans. Please do not flatten markup responses. Provide a detailed response for any comment asking a question or requiring an action. Any comment requesting a response or requiring action by you with a response of noted, acknowledged etc. will be considered not addressed. You will need to provide references to specific project plans, pages, reports, or explanations of why comments have not been addressed [when applicable]. There are twenty-four (24) remaining comments to be addressed and resolved Page 2 of 11 prior to this project being approved for recording. Responses are provided in red text and on redlines in green clouds. Comment Number: 3 04/01/2025: SUBMITTAL: Correct file naming is required as part of a complete submittal. Please follow the Electronic Submittal Requirements and File Naming Standards found here: https://www.fcgov.com/developmentreview/files/electronic-submittal-requiremen ts-and-file-naming-standards_v1_8-1-19.pdf?1703783275 File names should have the corresponding number, followed by the file type prefix, project information, and round number. For example: 1_SITE PLAN_Project Name_FDP_Rd1. A list of numbers and prefixes for each file can be found at the link above. Files are named following the city’s naming convention. Comment Number: 4 04/01/2025: 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 It looks like not all of the SWMP Report was flattened for the round 1 submittal. Report has been flattened for the second submittal. Comment Number: 5 04/01/2025: 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 preparing to resubmit your plans, please notify me with an expected submittal date with as much advanced notice as possible. Noted, thank you. Comment Number: 6 04/01/2025: INFORMATION: Please resubmit within 180 days, approximately 6 months, to avoid the expiration of your project. Noted, thank you. Comment Number: 7 04/01/2025: INFORMATION: ANY project that requires four or more rounds of review would be subject to an additional fee of $3,000.00. Noted, thank you. Comment Number: 8 04/01/2025: FOR RECORDING – PLAT: Could you please update the City signature blocks on the Plat and Planning Set? Instead of using "this _______ day of ______, 20____," could you opt for "on this day, ____________" for the date? This alternative format facilitates Page 3 of 11 smoother date input with digital signatures. Please add "or Designee" to the titles under the signature line; e.g., City Engineer or Designee. Please remove the signature line for the City Clerk. Additionally, kindly ensure there is sufficient space between the signature line and the title line to accommodate the digital signature. Signature blocks updated as requested. Comment Number: 9 04/01/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: All "For Final Approval / For Approval" comments 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. Noted, thank you. Comment Number: 10 04/01/2025: INFORMATION: When your final plan or site-specific development plan gets approved, you have up to three (3) years to finish all the necessary engineering work like water, sewer, streets, and lighting. This time frame is called the 'term of the vested property right.' If you don't finish these improvements within this time, you'll lose your right to develop the property without starting the approval process again. Noted, thank you. Comment Number: 11 04/16/2025: FOR DCP: Please submit the completed project quantity cost estimate, DCP Application, and application fee to me and we can begin the DCP process. You can find forms and information on our Development Review Engineering webpage, https://www.fcgov.com/engineering/devrev Requested documents are included with this submittal. Department: Engineering Development Review Contact: Sophie Buckingham sbuckingham@fcgov.com Topic: General Comment Number: 1 04/14/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: The public sidewalk along Prospect Road needs to tie in smoothly to the existing sidewalk on either side of the property. Show in the utility plans how the sidewalk will tie into existing conditions. The existing fire hydrant at the southeast corner of the site might need to be relocated. Sidewalk tie-outs added to design and plans. Comment Number: 2 04/14/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: How will the eastern emergency access drive be restricted so that other vehicles do not drive on it? Show this information on the utility plans. Grass pavers are proposed at these entrances to discourage everyday vehicle use and blend the driveways with the tree-lawns. Page 4 of 11 Comment Number: 3 04/14/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: The proposed crosswalk location at the south end of the west drive aisle is not acceptable. City staff have safety concerns with vehicles turning off Prospect Road and not having adequate time to decelerate before reaching this crosswalk. Consider either relocating the transformers or pushing the crosswalk toward the north edge of the 75-foot parking setback. Please also evaluate other design options. Transformer layout revised to facilitate a sidewalk along the building. This crossing is no longer necessary. Comment Number: 4 04/14/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: The plat indicates that a gas easement to the Public Service Company of Colorado will be vacated. This will require a signature from PSCo. If there are any existing gas lines in the easement, then the easement cannot be vacated on the plat, it will need to be vacated by separate document after the gas lines are removed from the easement. See corresponding plat redlines from Technical Services. Noted, thank you. We will vacate this via separate document if plat approval timing happens prior to demolition of gas services. Comment Number: 5 04/14/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: Is the Arthur Ditch a fee owner of the Lot 2 area? If so, Arthur Ditch may need to sign the plat to allow 4 feet of access easement on Lot 2. As an owner, Arthur Ditch would also need to sign the Development Agreement to bind the DA to the full extent of the plat boundary. No ,the Arthur Ditch company is not an owner of the Lot 2 area. There is an access agreement indicated in the PLAT. Comment Number: 6 04/14/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: The utility plans need to show the locations of the access manholes for inspection of Arthur Ditch under Prospect Road and Lake Street. Will this project make any changes to the access manholes? These have been added to the plans. Comment Number: 7 04/15/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: See my redlines for additional items to be cleaned up on the utility plans. Redlines have been addressed and responses are provided on the redlined documents. Comment Number: 8 04/18/2025: INFORMATION: The following comment was provided by Xcel Energy: Public Service Company of Colorado’s (PSCo) Right of Way & Permits Referral Desk has reviewed the final development plan for Prospect Plaza Redevelopment. Please be aware PSCo owns and operates existing natural gas distribution facilities stubbed out along the south property line. Note that proper clearances must be maintained including ground cover over buried facilities that should not be modified from original depths. In other words, if the original cover is changed (by less or more), PSCo facilities must be raised or lowered to accommodate that change. Contact Colorado 811 for locates before excavating. Use caution and hand dig when excavating within 18-inches of each side of the marked facilities. Please be aware that all risk and responsibility for this request are unilaterally that of the Applicant/Requestor. Page 5 of 11 The property owner/developer/contractor must complete the application process for any new natural gas service, or modification to any of the existing facilities including relocation and/or removal via xcelenergy.com/InstallAndConnect. It is then the responsibility of the developer to contact the Designer assigned to the project for approval of design details. If additional easements need to be acquired by separate PSCo document, a Right-of-Way Agent will need to be contacted by the Designer. Noted, thank you. Comment Number: 9 04/18/2025: INFORMATION - DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT: City staff typically begin drafting the Development Agreement during Round 2 of FDP, if all reviewers are ready to provide draft DA language. Please note that the sewer issue should be resolved before staff will begin drafting the DA. Noted, thank you. Department: Traffic Operation Contact: Steve Gilchrist sgilchrist@fcgov.com 970-224-6175 Topic: General Comment Number: 1 04/13/2025: INFORMATION: Thank you for providing the updated data requested to clarify the actual number of units to be constructed with this project. Please include these final signed and stamped copies of the TIS and Memo with each round of FDP to ensure proper recording of the final documents. Documents are included with resubmittal. Comment Number: 2 04/13/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: We would like to discuss the changes to the sidewalk connectivity on the southwest corner of the building along Prospect. Electrical transformers are now placed where the sidewalk was to extend directly south to the sidewalk on the east side of the drive isle. This now requires a pedestrian crossing in the area where we explicitly had concerns with parking due to traffic coming off of the arterial roadway. We are now creating a significant issue with a pedestrian crossing in that area. Transformer layout revised to facilitate a sidewalk along the building. This crossing is no longer necessary. Comment Number: 3 04/13/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: Emergency Vehicles Only signs will need to be placed at the entrance to the emergency access roadway along the east side on Lake Street and Prospect Road. We will need to coordinate with PFA if bollard are being considered. Signs added. We are also proposing grass pavers at these entrances to discourage everyday vehicle use and blend the driveways with the tree-lawns. Comment Number: 4 04/13/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: The existing Gardens on Spring Creek guide sign along Prospect will need to be detailed and replaced if removed during construction. Any other existing signs along Prospect and Lake will also need to be replaced like the No Page 6 of 11 Parking signs. Additional signs may be needed for the bus stop, but that will need to be coordinated with Transfort. We are continuing to coordinate with Transfort on the bus bay and will provide signage as required. Department: Erosion Control Contact: Andrew Crecca acrecca@fcgov.com Topic: Erosion Control Comment Number: 1 04/15/2025: INFORMATION: This project is located within the City's MS4 boundaries and is subject to the erosion control requirements located in the Fort Collins Stormwater Criteria Manual (FCSCM), Chapter 2, Section 6.0. A copy of those requirements can be found at www.fcgov.com/erosion . This project was evaluated based upon the submittal requirements of FCSCM. Based upon the provided materials we were able to determine a total disturbed area. Based upon the area of disturbance or this project is part of a larger common development, State permits for stormwater will be required should be pulled before Construction Activities begin. Noted, thank you. Comment Number: 2 04/15/2025: INFORMATION: Erosion Control Reports are required for all projects over an acre. The SWMP satisfies this requirement but will be reviewed according to the criteria set forth in the “City if Fort Collins Stormwater Criteria Manual” (FCSCM) Chapter 2 Section 6, which varies from the State requirements for a CO400000 Construction Stormwater Discharge Permit. The applicant may choose not to add the requested items to the SWMP but will be required to submit an Erosion Control Report as a "Stand Alone" Document. Otherwise, all required items need to be included per FCSCM Chapter 2 Section 6. A copy of the Erosion Control Submittal Checklist can be found at https://www.fcgov.com/utilities/business/builders-and-developers/development-f orms-guidelines-regulations/erosion/ Noted, thank you. Comment Number: 3 04/15/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: Please see redline comments on the Erosion Control Plan (SWMP) and the Utility Plan. Please match the ESC Plan, Add the Standard Notes and Details section in the Erosion Control Report. The Plan set in the SWMP must match what is in the utility Plan. The Erosion Control Plan in the Utility Plan is in an acceptable plan. Please be aware that future submittals will also be evaluated per criteria set forth in the Fort Collins Stormwater Criteria Manual (FCSCM), Chapter 2, Section 6.0. Additional pages added to report. Department: Water-Wastewater Engineering Contact: Derek Lutz dlutz@fcgov.com 970-221-6339 Topic: General Comment Number: 1 Page 7 of 11 04/16/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: There are significant concerns about the capacity of the wastewater mains in Lake Street and Prospect Road based on past video inspections and recent visual inspections. Fort Collins Utilities is in the process of collecting flow data near the project site. The flow data will be used to update a wastewater model, and in turn determine if there is any additional capacity available or if improvements need to be made. Fort Collins Utilities cannot serve this project until this analysis has been completed. We are proposing a connection to Lake street and vetting the connection to Prospect to determine if the pipe is in good enough condition to reuse the existing service and match the existing flow rate. When flow data is available, please provide this so we can determine the path forward. Department: Light And Power Contact: Daniel Paluzzi dpaluzzi@fcgov.com Topic: General Comment Number: 1 04/11/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: Please see markups on sheet 22 of the utility plans for the revised electric routing. We will plan on boring across Prospect like we talked about, but we will go in the parkway behind curb and gutter until we get to the transformers. Please show this on the plans. Electric routing revised as requested. Comment Number: 2 04/11/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: The plat states that you will be vacating the existing duct bank easement. That is fine, but since all of our facilities must be in a utility easement or public right of way, we ask that you provide a 40ft wide utility easement that will encompass all utilities on the east side of your site and show it on the plans. I have placed this note on sheet 22 of the utility plans as well. A 40-ft COFC utility easement is provided. Comment Number: 3 04/11/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: Please show the electric lines on the east side of the site to be 6ft off of the building. This note is in sheet 22 as well. Electric routing revised as requested. Comment Number: 4 04/11/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: Thank you for submitting the C-1 forms and one-line diagrams. I know that these may change depending on the outcome of the pending variance request that you submitted, but please be aware that three phase transformers are limited to a maximum of 12 runs of secondary, not to exceed a wire size of 500KCMIL. Once the outcome of your variance request is decided, please submit a new C-1 form and One-line diagram. I will need a C-1 form for each transformer. Please contact me to discuss if you have any questions regarding this. Documents are included with resubmittal. Comment Number: 5 04/11/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: Meter location(s) will need to be coordinated with Light and Power. Please show proposed meter location on the utility plan. Reference Section 8 of our Electric Service Standards for electric metering standards. A link has been provided below. Page 8 of 11 https://www.fcgov.com/utilities/img/site_specific/uploads/ElectricServiceStanda rds_FINAL_18November2016_Amendment.pdf Meter location shown on overall utility plan sheet C4.0. Comment Number: 6 04/11/2025: INFORMATION: All utility easements and required permits (crossing agreements, flood plain, etc.) needed for the development will need to be obtained and paid for by the developer. Light & Power will need AutoCAD files of the site plan, utility plans, and landscape drawings once plans are approved. Noted, thank you. Comment Number: 7 04/11/2025: INFORMATION: Electric capacity fees, development fees, building site charges and any system modification charges necessary to feed the site will apply to this development. Please contact me to discuss development fees or visit the following website for an estimate of charges and fees related to this project: http://www.fcgov.com/utilities/business/builders-and-developers/plant-investment-development-fees We will continue to coordinate this with L&P. Comment Number: 8 04/11/2025: INFORMATION: Please document the size of the electrical service(s) that feeds the existing property prior to demolition of the building to receive capacity fee credits. We will work with the city to determine the size of the existing service prior to payment of fees. Comment Number: 9 04/11/2025: INFORMATION: If you are planning to place any streetlights in the private drives or in the courtyard, the streetlights are considered private and will need to be privately metered. Please show all private streetlights on the utility plans. Noted, thank you. Comment Number: 10 04/11/2025: INFORMATION: We are experiencing material shortages and long lead times on certain materials and unfortunately this is an industry wide issue. We typically have stock of our transformers, and we work on a first-come, first-serve basis with our inventory stock. I know that this may be a bit unsettling, but we will have to see what is available when this project gains City approval and progresses to construction. I will add that our Standards Engineering group is working hard to secure materials, including transformers, and orders have been placed with our manufacturers to replenish inventory. Noted, thank you. Comment Number: 11 04/11/2025: INFORMATION: You may contact Daniel Paluzzi with project engineering if you have questions. Dpaluzzi@fcgov.com. You may reference Light & Power’s Electric Service Standards at: https://www.fcgov.com/utilities/img/site_specific/uploads/electricservicestandards.pdf?1645038437 You may reference our policies, development charge processes, and use our fee estimator at http://www.fcgov.com/utilities/business/builders-and-developers Noted, thank you. Page 9 of 11 Department: Environmental Planning Contact: Clint Anders canders@fcgov.com Topic: General Comment Number: 1 04/15/2025: INFORMATION: Thank you for providing additional information and comment responses from SPAR240003. The site plan as it's currently shown does not meet the City's standard for using artificial turf. Land Use Code [Article 5.10.1 (D)(2) does not allow the installation of artificial turf as part of a new development project or redevelopment project. The organic or hardscape alternatives mentioned in your comment response would be allowed. Please reach out to Environmental Planning if you have any additional questions as the design progresses. The artificial turf material is proposed to be located within an interior courtyard, and is not proposed in any public-facing areas. Furthermore, this material will be provided in an activity zone for games such as bag toss, etc., and given the anticipated high foot traffic in this area, we have significant concern about natural sod’s ability to survive. We understand that City code has provisions to allow artificial turf for sports fields. Finally, as this is a SPAR project, and with the understanding of the guidelines of “Character, Location, and Extent” for review of this project, we believe that design standards for the interior courtyard are governed by CSU design guidelines, which do not prohibit artificial turf for this location. Department: Forestry Contact: Christine Holtz choltz@fcgov.com Topic: General Comment Number: 1 04/15/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: Please make a few adjustments to the planting schedule: include species diversity table; reduce the number of Princeton sentry ginkgos, and American plums since they are at the maximum diversity percentage; replace chanticleer pear with another ornamental such as Japanese tree lilac, chokecherry, or a variety of crabapple. These adjustments have been made to the plant schedule. Comment Number: 2 04/15/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: How will the trees in the area with crusher fines be irrigated? Please include drip irrigation to trees in all areas without other means of irrigation. The ground cover treatment has been revised and trees are no longer located in crusher fines areas. Comment Number: 3 04/15/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: Please include the following City of Fort Collins notes on your landscape plan: General Landscape Notes, Tree Protection Notes, and Street Tree Permit note. These are available from the City Planner, or by emailing forestry@fcgov.com. These notes are on the first sheet of the landscape set; please see sheet LP-001. Comment Number: 4 04/15/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: Please see the comments from forestry on the landscape plan for tree/utility separation requirements. Utility locations/alignments have been revised and as part of that update, the tree/utility separation comments have been reviewed and addressed. Page 10 of 11 Department: PFA Contact: Marcus Glasgow marcus.glasgow@poudre-fire.org 970-416-2869 Topic: General Comment Number: 1 04/14/2025: EMERGENCY ACCESS EASEMENT Any private alley, private road, or private drive serving as a fire lane shall be dedicated as an Emergency Access Easement (EAE) and be designed to standard fire lane specifications. The plat only shows one of the drive aisles dedicated as EAE. The West drive aisle needs to be dedicated as EAE as well. EAE added on western driveway. Comment Number: 2 04/14/2025: FIRE LANE LOADING - IFC Appendix D102.1 amendment Fire lanes shall be designed as a flat, hard, all-weather driving surface capable of supporting 80,000 pounds. Private drives used for fire lanes shall provide information confirming the design can handle fire truck loading. A note shall be added to the civil plans indicating all areas dedicated as EAE are capable of supporting 80,000 pounds. Note added. Comment Number: 3 04/14/2025: FIRE LANE SIGNS The limits of the fire lane shall be fully defined and fire lane sign locations should be indicated on future plan sets. Refer to LCUASS detail #1418 & #1419 for sign type, placement, and spacing. Appropriate directional arrows required on all signs. Posting of additional fire lane signage may be determined at time of fire inspection. Code language provided below. - IFC D103.6: Where required by the fire code official, fire apparatus access roads shall be marked with permanent NO PARKING - FIRE LANE signs complying with Figure D103.6. Signs shall have a minimum dimension of 12 inches wide by 18 inches high and have red letters on a white reflective background. Signs shall be posted on one or both sides of the fire apparatus road as required by Section D103.6.1 or D103.6.2. - IFC D103.6.1; ROADS 20 TO 26 FEET IN WIDTH: Fire lane signs as specified in Section D103.6 shall be posted on both sides of fire apparatus access roads that are 20 to 26 feet wide. - IFC D103.6.1; ROADS MORE THAN 26 FEET IN WIDTH: Fire lane signs as specified in Section D103.6 shall be posted on one side of fire apparatus access roads more than 26 feet wide and less than 32 feet wide. Please indicate fire lane signs on site plan in accordance with LCUASS detail. Also, please add the fire lane sign detail to the civil plans. Fire lane signs/striping added on western drive. Comment Number: 4 04/15/2025: EXISTING FIRE HYDRANT Page 11 of 11 CLEAR SPACE AROUND HYDRANTS - IFC 507.5.5: A 3-foot clear space shall be maintained around the circumference of fire hydrants except as otherwise required or approved. VEHICLE IMPACT PROTECTION - IFC 507.5.6: Where fire hydrants are subject to impact by a motor vehicle, guard post or other approved means shall comply with section 312. The existing hydrant on the Southeast corner of the property appears to be located on the edge of the drive aisle and obstructed. Bollard added to protect this hydrant. Department: Technical Services Contact: Jeff County jcounty@fcgov.com 970-221-6588 Topic: Construction Drawings Comment Number: 2 04/15/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: Please provide the following information for the Benchmark Statement in the EXACT format shown below. PROJECT DATUM: NAVD88 BENCHMARK # w/ DESCRIPTION ELEVATION: BENCHMARK # w/ DESCRIPTION ELEVATION: PLEASE NOTE: THIS PLAN SET IS USING NAVD88 FOR A VERTICAL DATUM. SURROUNDING DEVELOPMENTS HAVE USED NGVD29 UNADJUSTED DATUM (PRIOR CITY OF FORT COLLINS DATUM) FOR THEIR VERTICAL DATUMS. IF NGVD29 UNADJUSTED DATUM (PRIOR CITY OF FORT COLLINS DATUM) IS REQUIRED FOR ANY PURPOSE, THE FOLLOWING EQUATION SHOULD BE USED: NGVD29 UNADJUSTED DATUM (PRIOR CITY OF FORT COLLINS DATUM) = NAVD88 DATUM - X.XX’. This format is provided. Topic: Plat Comment Number: 1 04/15/2025: FOR FINAL APPROVAL: Please make changes as marked in the Technical Services (TS) markup PDF. 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 markups, please contact John Von Nieda at 970-221-6565 or jvonnieda@fcgov.com Redlines have been addressed and responses are provided on the redlined documents.