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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOVERLAND HILLS 2ND FILING PRELIMINARY - 38 90A - CORRESPONDENCE - RESPONSE TO STAFF REVIEW COMMENTSa GEFROH HATTMAN INC. ARCHITECTS/PLANNERS CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT 135 West Swallow Road Fort Collins, CO 80525 (303) 223-7335 September 6, 1990 Mr. Steve Olt Planning & Development CITY OF FORT COLLINS Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 RE: OVERLAND HILLS FILING II Dear Steve: The following are our responses to your comments concerning our project. We have ordered our responses in the same sequence as your comments as follows: 1. We understand that this proposal will be a standard subdivision with this submission comprising the preliminary. 2. We believe that there are several land use policies that reinforce the proposed density of the project. We see policies that directly support our density as: 1, 5, 6, 9, 16, 20, 26, 54, 55, 57, 75, 78, 79, 80, 82, 91. You have noted several policies which you believe show we are in contradiction to the policies we take acception to for the following reasons. POLICY 3: Though the City indicates that a maximum utilization of the land is its primary goal, this has always been tempered with loca- tional variants and distance from the core or nodial areas of the City. This property is located at the fringe of the City and at the edge of the urban growth area. We see this division as a natural progression from single family 6-7000 sq. ft. lots that exist in Springfield to the Foothills zone that exist to the west. POLICY 12 and 13: Though the City looks at an overall density of 3 D.U. per acre as a criteria for development, a variety of housing types densities have also been encouraged. If you look at the half mile by half mile area, bounded by Horsetooth Road, County Road 38E to the South Taft Hill Road, and Spring Creek, you will not. An overall high density with the two major trailer parks and the small lot first filings of Springfield. When one looks at this property with respect to the overall pattern of this area, the goal of this criteria is met. POLICY 14: Urban development standards are achieved on this project as "proper street construction standards" as determined by the City Engineering Department are provided for.The density provides these standards adopted by the City have been determined to be adequate and safe with respect to density. Mr. Steve Olt September 6, 1990 Page 2 POLICY 75: We agree with the City policy and believe that we comply totally with the policy to provide a mix of housing densities. We believe there is an abundance of land available that has been divided into 6,000 S.F. to 9,000 S.F. lots. Large lots of an estate size are not provided elsewhere in the market and this segment, we believe, can be addressed with this development. POLICY 78: As we understand, the City's growth phasing and patterns re - enforces our low density as a transition from urban to rural. It has been stated previously that densities should decrease as you approach the fringe and especially the foothills. That a cliff appearance of urban rural interface should be avoided. We think we provide this with our low density. POLICY 79: We believe that we meet the criteria of low density residen- tial development set out by this policy. We are within J mile of a planned neighborhood center within our mile of Drake Crossing, an existing center, } mile County commercial service area along Taft Hill and County Road 38E, and only two and -1' miles from the largest regional shopping district in the County. The property is boardered by Horsetooth Road which allows ease access to the City's major employment area 2J miles away. A major neighbor- hood center is within I miles of the site. The property is within a mile of the existing neighborhood park at Rossborough and another planned adjacent to Weber Junior High School. Behind the property is the Pine Ridge Community open space. POLICY 87: No designated open space is being absorbed by this project. The open space, as previously discussed at the annexation and mapping for a probable location of Overland Trail, it was agreed at that time open space should occur between Overland Trail and Springcreek. Our density with four homes spread over 9+ acres gives more of an open space feeling than at three units per acre which would provide 27 homes on the same land. POLICY 89: We agree that areas adjacent to Spring Creek should be part of the City's parks and trail system. The property has been offered to the City Parks Department and they were not interested. We, from a dedicated standpoint, are willing to donate the property between Spring Creek and Overland Hills. This is in our next phase. There is a problem of continuity of a dedication on the east side at the Barne's property and at the Springfield Subdivision. We believe it is logical to have the land with continuity of this open space rather than disjointed, discontinuous sections. POLICY 92: We believe that this policy can be ordained. As our develop- ment plan indicates, a continuous access to the trail and creek will be provided at a future phase. 3. Utility easements have been added. 4. Utility easements have been labeled. 5. It is the intention of the developer and owner to build Overland Trail as a 36 foot wide local street at the time the project proceeds Mr. Steve Olt ` September 6, 1990 Page 3 to a Third Phase. It is not his intention to position the City to any suggestion of responsibility. We believe that the trail is most appropriate on the west side of Spring Creek and not the east side. The dedication will occur at the time a Third Phase is provided. 6. The developer understands his obligation for Horsetooth Road. The developer has agreed with staff to enter into an agreement with the City to construct the full width of Overland Trail with a Phase Three Development. When development is adjacent to Overland Trail, Overland Trail has a reason to be built because it would be serving the property and access can be taken from it. The responsibility for construction of the bridge for Spring Creek is understood. 7. Overland Trail is an off -site future access which has limited if no impact on this phase of construction. Design of Overland Trail will not occur over this property until such time as it serves the property. I do not believe it is within anyone's interest to design and build facilities that serve no one,that go no where, and are only a burden on the community. There are plenty of examples around town of this. 8. Dedication of property beyond this phase will occur when that property is proper for development. To make dedication prior to planning is not good practice, it limits future options and does not allow for an orderly progression of the planning process. 9. Storm drainage comments have been addressed directly to them. 10. The bridge will be on Horsetooth Road and will be designed with the Third Phase to current City and State standards for land criteria for arterial streets. We appreciate your comments and see how we can improve the project. If you have any other concerns or comments, please let us know. Sincerely yours, GEFROH HATTMAN (C.) Fredric J. Hattman Vice President kam