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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMOUNTAINRIDGE FARM PUD PRELIMINARY MAY 16 1994 NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING - 18 92B - MINUTES/NOTES - CORRESPONDENCE-NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGSECOND NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING MINUTES PROJECT: MOUNTAIN RIDGE FARM PRELIMINARY DATE: MAY 161 1994 APPLICANT: Nordick/Neal CONSULTANTS: Eldon Ward, Cityscape Matt Delich, P.E. CITY TRANSP: Tom Vosburg PLANNER: Ted Shepard This was a follow-up meeting to discuss transportation issues, primarily the proposed connection between Imperial Estates and Mountain Ridge Farm, via Westfield Drive. Eldon Ward presented a plan that indicated the proposed connection be made. He stated it was done at the direction of City Staff to promote efficiency within the section and to ease congestion on the arterials. QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, COMMENTS 1. Is Westfield Drive a collector street? RESPONSE: No, Westfield would be classified as a local street. 2. One citizen supported the connection. 3. A Veterinarian stated that he had broken his leg and had to sit at home for three weeks. During this time he observed the kind of traffic that occurred all through the day. He stated that from sunrise to 6:30 AM he saw elderly people walking, most of them with their pets, alongside the road for there are no side -walks on Westfield. About 7:30 AM the junior high children start walking, biking or roller-blading to school and at 8:30 AM the elementary children are walking by on their way to school. At 9:00 AM mothers who are accompanied by smaller children walk back home from escorting their other children to school and at 11:45 AM the mothers go back to pick up their children from morning kindergarten while at 12:30 PM the afternoon kindergarten children are beginning to arrive. At 2:30 PM the junior high students are walking home and at 3:30 PM lots of people are going by on their way home. After -school activities begin near sunset and he stated he has seen 1 many different kinds of 4-H animals walk down the road with their owners. He stated that other streets in Imperial Estates do not go through and he had purchased hishome with the understanding that they would have a rural lifestyle. He was opposed to the connection between Imperial Estates and Mountain Ridge Farm via Westfield Drive. 3. There was discussion about putting in berms, trees and/or upgraded fencing in the "panhandle" area. RESPONSE: Eldon Ward stated that berms have limited effect and that these were ranch style home in this area with low profile. Common perimeter fencing seemed to be the consensus from the last meeting. 4. Will the City maintain our streets in Imperial Estates? RESPONSE: No. 5. One man stated that the County stipulated that they would only do minor repairs to these roads and wondered if the residents had to be responsible for paving the streets. RESPONSE: As County residents, you have to check with the County Engineering. Department to determine the level of street maintenance within Imperial Estates. 6. Another man stated that many people park off these roads and therefore left little to no room to walk by and that the kids do not give right -away to vehicles. 7. It was mentioned that there were concerns about the planning ofthis subdivision and that the residents wanted it to be like a rural area and that they are being surrounded by homes, i.e. "Sprawl for All" on city -sized lots which are not compatible with the existing lots in Imperial Estates. The City has the sloppiest zoning law he has ever seen. RESPONSE: Eldon Ward stated that compatibility does not mean "the same as". 8. It was asked if the City had met with the County and do the County Commissioners have any say on the land use?, RESPONSE: No, the City has not met with the County. The City has land use jurisdiction over parcels that are located within the city limits. Mountain Ridge Farm has been within the city limits since around 1980. 9. What constitutes "low density" housing? RESPONSE: Eldon Ward stated, 2-6 units per acre, single-family homes and that "high density" constitutes apartments, condominiums, 10-12 units per acre, etc. 10. If private property damage occurs due to water, sewer, or street construction, who's responsible? RESPONSE: Eldon informed them that the contractor would be liable for any construction damage, but, in most cases, this work is done in the public right-of-way. 11. One man stated that Richmond Drive (next to Cobblestone Corners) has berms and nice fences and that they wanted berms and fences. RESPONSE: Cobblestone Corners is a P.U.D. for townhomes (four- plexes) and duplexes with sideyards, not rear yards separating the P.U.D. from Skyline Acres. 12. When is Seneca Street going clear through to Horsetooth? RESPONSE: Seneca will be built in conjunction with Stockbridge. 13. How can the developer claim that Mountain Ridge will have no impact on Imperial Estates? How do you define impact? RESPONSE: Eldon Ward stated there will always be some degree of impact associated with land development. But based on the proposed density and on the traffic numbers we've seen, Mountain Ridge will have little or no impact on Imperial Estates. 14. Someone stated that there are 380 houses and nearly 800 cars between Stockbridge and Mountain Ridge Farm. Our estimate is that Westfield Drive will become an attractive route for these new city residents. Even if you mark the roads for drivers to go slower, won't they speed through Imperial Estates anyway? RESPONSE: Eldon Ward and Matt Delich stated that Seneca will likely be the attractive route for most drivers since it is a collector street that connects directly to Horsetooth and Harmony Roads. 15. Then why put Westfield through at all? We don't want it. RESPONSE: Tom Vosburg stated that the city prefers to connect Imperial Estates to Seneca so that there is efficient access to the future park and two schools for Imperial Estates. This helps reduce the impact on the adjacent arterial streets and reduces congestion at the arterial intersections. 3 16. one man asked if there could be a joint meeting between the County and the City and that most of the questions being asked were interlocking between the two parties. RESPONSE: Eldon Ward stated that joint meetings of this nature were monumental occasions and that it would not take all these boards to accomplish this. The County has not traditionally commented on projects located within city limits. 17. Who's liability is it if a child gets hit by a car? There needs to be further studies done. Cars have been seen traveling on the bike paths. RESPONSE: The liability would be the same as if it were any other public street in the City of Fort Collins or unincorporated Larimer County. Bike paths are usually barricaded so cars cannot enter. 18. One man stated that when you put city traffic on Westfield, then it becomes a City problem. He asked if Westfield was !dedicated as a public street. RESPONSE: Ted Shepard responded that it was likely that the streets within Imperial Estates were dedicated as public during the platting of the subdivision. Whether this public dedication carries a maintenance obligation on the part of Larimer County is a different question. The County Engineering Department should be asked to rule on this. 19. More traffic studies need to be done and a special look at the pedestrian traffic needs to happen. RESPONSE: Tom Vosburg responded that the traffic impact analysis that was done for Mountain Ridge meets the City's requirements for a traffic study. Although the trip generation numbers were not specifically assigned to Westfield Drive, the City Transportation Department believes that Mountain Ridge Farm will be served by a very good local and collector street network including Seneca, Wabash, and Troutman. This system will allow trips to be distributed north to Horsetooth, east to Shields, and south to Harmony. This distribution system is direct and efficient. Therefore, it is estimated that the amount of traffic relying on Westfield Drive will not overload the County street. 20. We are concerned that the traffic study did not specifically address Westfield Drive and the impact on Imperial Estates. 22. We do not even have street lights, let alone any sidewalks. Our streets are rural in character and this character will be sacrificed, against our will, by connecting us to Mountain Ridge. 4 23. Which intersection on Horsetooth Road will be signalized? RESPONSE: Tom Vosburg stated that each intersection is valued on its own merits (traffic warrants) and he wasn't sure what intersection would warrant a signal. In a general sense, arterial/collector intersections are candidates for a traffic signal. 24. One man stated that the city of Ft. Collins as a whole is too big to be meaningful, but the neighborhoods, are not. Neighborhood values should take precedence over city-wide values. 5 VkUJL(✓ I : MT, r l 'E p-4M r TYPE OF MEETING: /UE/Glf a !6 ffoao6No DATE: NAbiE 010 You nCc6rrf wlttTTE.N NOTIFICATION o, AAC You AN Vou AUUItESS YES/NO ? OWNER It ENT -MOP. - moo: � �►_�_ '� 1 05 iso - W0,54 mi TIT yes yes yes BPS yes des y" yt,T A6