HomeMy WebLinkAboutVariance Requests - 11/18/2025Joseph M. Frank 303.267.6232
2900 South College Avenue, Ste. 1A
Fort Collins CO 80525
Eric Kelley 970.405.3961
4920 Saddlewood Circle
Johnstown CO 80534
Front Range - RV & Boat Storage
PDP230011
1312 NE Frontage Rd Fort Collins, CO 80524
Project Development Plan (PDP) to build an outdoor RV and boat storage
facility. Access to the facility is planned directly from NE I-25 Frontage Rd.
RV and Boat Storage Facility
Fort Collins Stormwater Criteria Manual Chapter 6 Section 1.1 Detention Requirement
See attached sheet
See attached sheet
Docusign Envelope ID: 7160D295-8647-45CA-907E-47A999F783D8
11/18/2025
1. Hardship Preventing Compliance with Detention Requirements
The primary hardship is that the project site historically discharged directly into the Larimer and
Weld Irrigation Canal (LWIC), which forms the southern boundary of the property. As of 2025,
LWIC’s policy prohibits accepting stormwater runoff from any new development, even for sites
that have historically drained to the canal. This policy change removes the site’s ability to
maintain its long-established drainage pattern and prevents construction of a traditional
detention facility releasing to the canal.
Because LWIC will not accept any stormwater, either the runoff generated on-site or the
substantial regional off-site flows (approximately 230 to 350 cfs during the 100-year event) that
traverse the site from areas north of Mountain Vista Drive, the entire stormwater system must
be rerouted a significant distance to Boxelder Creek. Routing these regional flows requires a
large capacity outfall channel and storm infrastructure to safely pass the full 100-year
discharge. The size and hydraulic demands of this system leave insufficient space or feasibility
for a conventional detention basin.
Detaining only the site-generated incremental runoff while still conveying 230–350 cfs of
regional flow would require an oversized facility with significant land, cost, and maintenance
impacts without producing any meaningful reduction in the combined peak flow entering
Boxelder Creek. These constraints are external to the applicant and make it impractical and
hydraulically ineffective for the site to meet the standard detention requirement.
2. Proposed Alternative for the Site
The proposed alternative is to utilize the City’s Beat-the-Peak methodology, as allowed under
Chapter 6 of the Fort Collins Stormwater Criteria Manual, in lieu of constructing a traditional
on-site detention pond while still providing water quality via Low Impact Development (LID).
A detailed hydrologic and hydraulic analysis (Hydrology and Hydraulics Report for the Joint
Outfall Channel Design (PEC, June 2025)) was completed comparing the timing and magnitude
of the developed-site hydrograph to the regional hydrograph for Boxelder Creek at the
proposed outfall location. The analysis demonstrates that the site’s peak discharge consistently
arrives before the Boxelder Creek peak for the applicable design storms. Because the site flow
does not coincide with or increase the regional peak, the project satisfies the City’s intent for
stormwater quantity control without detention.
To support this approach, the project includes construction of a large-capacity outfall channel
capable of safely conveying the full 230–350 cfs of combined on-site and regional flow to
Boxelder Creek under the 100-year event. This ensures no adverse downstream impact even in
the absence of a detention basin. All required water quality and LID features will still be
provided in accordance with City standards.