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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSPRINGER FISHER ANNEXATION - ANX200001 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - APPLICANT COMMUNICATION244 North College Ave, #130 I Fort Collins, CO 80524 www.norris-design.com September 16, 2020 City of Fort Collins – Planning & Development Services Attn: Mr. Pete Wray, Senior City Planner 281 North College Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80524 Re: Springer – Fisher: Annexation and Zoning Dear Mr. Wray, On behalf of the applicant, Hartford Acquisitions, LLC, we are pleased to provide to the City of Fort Collins these Annexation and Initial Zoning application materials for the approximately 78-acre property known as Springer-Fisher presently located in unincorporated Larimer County. Located at the northwest corner of Mulberry and Greenfields Court, along the Mulberry corridor, the requested annexation and zoning for Springer-Fisher is consistent with City planning documents and along with the additional application requirements outlined below, we are looking forward to working with the City to incorporate Springer-Fisher into the greater Fort Collins community. The following application documents, as required by the City of Fort Colins for Annexation and Zoning have been provided: 1. Application form (1 copy), filing fee, sign posting fee, and $.75 for each APO label. Included within these application materials are the required signed Application form and fees. 2. Transportation Development Review Fee The Required TDR fee has been included as part of this application submittal. 3. Names and address of all owners of record of real estate property within one thousand (1000’) feet of the property lines of the parcel of land proposed to be annexed, exclusive of public right-of-way. Per discussions with Brandy Bethurem Harras on August 26, 2020, it was determined that City Staff had previously procured the necessary adjacent property owner information and that it was unnecessary for the application to include this information. The APO label fee was provided as part of this application. 4. Petition for annexation with the following inclusions: a. A statement indicating that the requirements of the Colorado Annexation Act have been met. The requirements of the Colorado Annexation Act have been met by this application. b. A statement indicating the signers of the petition comprise more than 50% of the landowners in the area and own more than 50% of the area. The signers of the petition comprise more than 50% of the landowners and own more than 50% of the area. c. The signatures and addresses of such owners. The signature and addresses of the owners have been included within the Annexation Petition. d. The date of signing each signature. The date of signing is included with each signature within the attached Annexation Petition. 244 North College Ave, #130 I Fort Collins, CO 80524 www.norris-design.com e. The affidavit of each circulator of such petition that each signature is the signature of the person whose name it purports to be. The affidavit of each circulator is included within the attached Annexation Petition. f. A request of the City of Fort Collins to approve the annexation and zoning as indicated. With this application for Annexation and Zoning, the Applicant, Hartford Acquisitions, LLC, respectfully requests approval of these applications for Annexation and Zoning by the City of Fort Collins. g. A statement as to why it is necessary and desirable for the City of Fort Collins to annex the area. The Applicant request this property to be annexed into the City of Fort Collins in order to develop the property. To this point the property, currently rural and undeveloped, has great potential to be developed into a mixed-use neighborhood consistent with the City of Fort Collins’ City Plan and East Mulberry Corridor Plan. This annexation will permit its development into the community the Applicant as well as the City have envisioned for this property. The property is approximately located at the northwest corner of Mulberry and Greenfields Ct, along the Mulberry corridor. This property is adjacent to land already annexed into the City (to the north) and within future planning documents, City Plan and the East Mulberry Corridor Plan, the City has always considered this property when it comes to future land planning and eventually incorporating it into the City. It is the Applicant’s understanding that it is the City’s desire to annex the majority of, if not all, properties in this vicinity. The applicant would like to continue the process of annexation for this Springer-Fisher property and to work with the City to develop its potential to flourish as well as contribute to the greater Fort Collins community. h. A description of the zoning classification being requested, and any conditions requested for that zone district classification. The zoning classifications being requested are as following o Low Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood District (LMN) o Medium Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood District (MMN) o Employment (E) o General Commercial (CG) At this time, no conditions are being requested as part of this application. i. A statement of consistency of the requested zoning to the structure plan. The designated land uses of the City of Fort Collins Structure Plan Map for this property are Suburban Mixed-Use District and Mixed-Use Neighborhood. The proposed General Commercial and Employment zone districts are consistent with the Suburban Mixed-Use District designation and its goal to include a variety of non-residential and commercial business opportunities. The proposed LMN and MMN zone districts are consistent with the Mixed-Use Neighborhood District designation and its goals to include a variety of residential types and densities along with supporting land uses. The designated land uses of the East Mulberry Corridor Plan Framework Plan for this property are Office/Employment, Neighborhood Commercial, Medium Density Residential, and Low Density Residential. The proposed General Commercial and Employment zone districts are consistent with the Office/Employment and Neighborhood Commercial designations and their desire to provide employment opportunities to serve and assist in establishing nearby residential districts as 244 North College Ave, #130 I Fort Collins, CO 80524 www.norris-design.com well as provide commercial/retail services that serve the surrounding community. The proposed LMN and MMN are consistent with the Medium Density Residential and Low Density Residential designation and their goal to provide a variety of lower to medium intensity residential uses. 5. Statement of Principles and Policies This Annexation and Zoning Application are in conformance with the policies and goals of both the City of Fort Collins City Plan and the applicable East Mulberry Corridor Plan. In addition to compliance with the Fort Collins City Plan Structure and East Mulberry Corridor Plan Framework Plan as previously outlined, this Annexation and Zoning is consistent with the following Principles, Policies, and/or Goals of these guiding master plan documents: Fort Collins City Plan Principle LIV 1: Maintain a compact pattern of growth that is well served by public facilities and encourages the efficient use of land. Policy LIV 1.1 - GROWTH MANAGEMENT AREA Continue to utilize the GMA surrounding Fort Collins as a tool to guide and manage growth outside of the City limits and delineate the extent of urban development in Fort Collins. The Springer-Fisher property is within Fort Collins Growth Management Area and has been identified as one of several properties throughout this corridor as being desirable for annexation into the City of Fort Collins. With existing City infrastructure located nearby and development in the surrounding area, this property makes logical sense for inclusion into the City of Fort Collins and respects the desire for a compact pattern of growth. Principle LIV 3: Maintain and enhance our unique character and sense of place as the community grows. Policy LIV 3.3 - GATEWAYS Enhance and accentuate the community’s gateways, including Interstate 25 interchanges and College Avenue, to provide a coordinated and positive community entrance. Gateway design elements may include streetscape design, supportive land uses, building architecture, landscaping, signage, lighting and public art. The annexation and zoning of this property will allow development that will serve to further enhance the Mulberry corridor, a major gateway into the City, specifically the downtown of Fort Colins. The mix of uses permitted by the zoning will not only provide the opportunity to develop a multi-faceted community on this property but also provide for the opportunity to enhance the Mulberry corridor. Principle LIV 4: Enhance neighborhood livability. Policy LIV 4.1 - NEW NEIGHBORHOODS Encourage creativity in the design and construction of new neighborhoods that:  Provides a unifying and interconnected framework of streets, sidewalks, walkway spines and other public spaces;  Expands housing options, including higher density and mixed-use buildings;  Offers opportunities to age in place;  Improves access to services and amenities; and  Incorporates unique site conditions. 244 North College Ave, #130 I Fort Collins, CO 80524 www.norris-design.com The proposed zoning categories of LMN and MMN permit and encourage a variety of residential types and densities, and even the proposed General Commercial and Employment areas permit opportunity for unique and varied residential types. Together this property will offer a variety of residential opportunities that will further enhance the character of the Fort Collins community. The extension of Greenfields Court to the north will provide connectivity to the north not only for this project but for others in the area. Additional connectivity to the west and east will also be provided for with the development of this property. Policy LIV 4.2 - COMPATIBILITY OF ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT Ensure that development that occurs in adjacent districts complements and enhances the positive qualities of existing neighborhoods. Developments that share a property line and/or street frontage with an existing neighborhood should promote compatibility by:  Continuing established block patterns and streets to improve access to services and amenities from the adjacent neighborhood;  Incorporating context-sensitive buildings and site features (e.g., similar size, scale and materials); and » Locating parking and service areas where impacts on existing neighborhoods—such as noise and traffic—will be minimized. The proposed zoning of Springer-Fisher will allow for a development pattern that is compatible within its boundaries as well as in the surrounding areas. The zoning allows for a gradation of densities from Mulberry that gives way to less intensity as one moves north and is compatible with the existing developments in the area, such as the adjacent community of Mosaic. Principle LIV 5: Create more opportunities for housing choices. Policy LIV 5.1 - HOUSING OPTIONS To enhance community health and livability, encourage a variety of housing types and densities, including mixed-used developments that are well served by public transportation and close to employment centers, shopping, services and amenities. Policy LIV 5.2 - SUPPLY OF ATTAINABLE HOUSING Encourage public and private sectors to maintain and develop a diverse range of housing options, including housing that is attainable (30% or less of monthly income) to residents earning the median income. Options could include ADUs, duplexes, townhomes, mobile homes, manufactured housing and other “missing middle” housing types. Policy LIV 5.3 - LAND FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT Use density requirements to maximize the use of land for residential development to positively influence housing supply and expand housing choice. Policy LIV 5.4 - LAND SUPPLY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING Continue to grow and utilize the Affordable Housing Land Bank Program and other programs to create permanently affordable housing units. As previously noted, the chosen underlying zoning for the Springer-Fisher property allows and encourages a wide variety of housing types and densities, including providing opportunities for the inclusion of affordable housing options. This will allow for a range of options and price points that will serve the overall Fort Collins community. East Mulberry Corridor Plan Goal LU-1 Residential neighborhoods will be linked and integrated with supporting neighborhood commercial uses, providing such immediate daily needs as groceries, laundry, day care, clinics, and other retail goods. The zoning proposed within the Springer-Fisher Annexation will allow for an array of land uses that will 244 North College Ave, #130 I Fort Collins, CO 80524 www.norris-design.com serve future residents, be interconnected to provide neighborhood services while also meeting the needs of the surrounding communities and land uses. Goal LU-3 A variety of commercial uses serving residents, businesses and travelers will be located along East Mulberry Street/SH 14 between I-25 and Lemay Avenue. The zoning proposed will permit commercial, retail, and employment land uses that will serve the residents of this community as well as residents, consumers and travelers throughout the greater Mulberry corridor. Goal T-4 New additions to the street network will provide increased connectivity between existing and proposed development. The extension of Greenfields Ct to the north will allow for the eventual connection to Vine Dr, and within the development of the Springer-Fisher property there will be increased connectivity to the properties both to the east and west. Goal H-1 A variety of housing types will be provided to both provide housing close to employment and shopping and to add diversity. The proposed zoning categories of LMN and MMN permit and encourage a variety of residential types and densities, and even the proposed General Commercial and Employment areas permit opportunity for unique and varied residential types. Together this property will offer a variety of residential opportunities as well as opportunities to work close to home that will further enhance the character of the Fort Collins community. 6. List of Names, Addresses, and Phone numbers of any retailers located within the boundaries of the annexation There are no retailers currently located within the boundaries of the annexation. 7. Annexation Map Per discussions with Brandy Bethurem Harras on August 27, 2020, it was determined that 4 printed copies, along with digital copies are required as part of the initial submittal. This requested number of copies have been included as part of this submittal. We look forward to working with the City of Fort Collins through this process. Please feel to reach out should you have any questions or need anything else as part of this process. I can be reached at rmcbreen@norris-design.com or 970.409.3414 Sincerely, Norris Design Ryan F. McBreen Principal