HomeMy WebLinkAboutGLENMOOR DRIVE PUD - PRELIMINARY - 8-95A - REPORTS - CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONpoint requirement for such a dense project. It did it on the
basis of density since it was close to a store. I believe
Fort Collins should redraft its point system to reflect the
need for diversity in all neighborhoods. The "fill-in"
policy needs to be revisited with an eye to encouraging
openness, flora and fauna. The reality is that very few
people walk or drive to even close -by stores. And very few
shop in one supermarket. If that were the case, there would
be no grocery ads in the newspaper. Specialties and special
prices encourage driving. Perhaps the city should ban gro-
cery ads? That would be at least as realistic as the city's
present policy of seeking a solution to the city's traffic
and pollution problems with a ineffectual bus system and
bicycle weeks.
(3) You should admit that the city's policy is to solve
CSU's housing problem by encouraging the invasion of family
neighborhoods with student housing. Much, if not most, of
the "single-family" housing in the neighborhood around the
Glenmoor developments, as well as the few completed units of
first development itself, is now student housing, with as
many students as possible crammed into each "single-family"
unit.
I believe P&Z should admit that there is no "single-
family" housing in Fort Collins since staffers admit that
zoning is not enforced on the advice of the city's lawyer
who; I believe,, has completely misread a Supreme Court
ruling. I suggest that you get a second opinion.
(4) My latest encounter with P&Z staffers convinced me
that nothing has changed in the three years since approval
of Villas of Orchard Place, despite changes on the board.
Staffers still consider themselves development expediters.
They are there to serve those who pay the fees to support
them. The neighbors be damned, full speed ahead.
(5) You should start to take an interest in who does a
project. There should be points for the prospects of a
project being put together by people of good character and
the financial wherewithal to complete it. You don't even
know who're the real developers of projects since you allow
the "owner" slot to remain blank until after you have grant-
ed initial approval which usually means that a project is a
done deal.
(6) There should be points based on real environmental
effects instead of proximity to grocery stores.
(7) Many of us in the city's neighborhoods consider P&Z
the enemy. Creating a full-time ombudsman post in P&Z to
look after the interests of those who already live near a
proposed development should be placed at the top of your
agenda if you are really interested in improving community
acceptance of your decisions.
Ed Randegger
PO Box 2204
Fort Collins, CO 80522
(970) 493-8089
November 16, 1995
Planning and Zoning Board
City of Fort Collins
Re: Glenmoor Drive PUD -- Preliminary #8-95
I oppose adding to the traffic, noise and shoddy student
housing in our neighborhood. But it's obvious that as long
as unwanted density is on the North Side, anything goes.
I recognize that this is just another wasted effort to
suggest a change in the city's development philosophy and
policy.
In a quick, lay run through of plans for this develop-
ment, I noted that it will require special drainage because
it sits on the "edge" of a wetland. It seemed to me that if
it was only on the "edge," it would not need special drain-
age.
Other obvious objections to density, traffic, destruction
of open space, paving over wetlands, etc., are the same
ones we made to the still uncompleted Glenmoor project (now
misnamed "Villas of Orchard Place" since it isn't on Orchard
Place) whe it was initiated by Maui -based investors three
years ago. Since the project finally began this year, work-
ers' radio noise has permeated the neighborhood and I have
been subjected to obscene gestures from the workers when I
complained. Police were no help since they apparently didn't
want to hurt the workers' feelings. There seems to be no one
in charge of the mini -project which is taking more time to
build than The Preserve. The slow pace and to me strange
approach to building means that every unit already should be
providing a good home for mold. The buildings themselves are
ugly, as I think most would agree. But it is the North Side.
The new development will be invisible to us but not to
Moore School. Student noise also should be louder in the
school than where we are. But I doubt if you will get any
comment from the school because it will not effect salaries.
Now I would like to make a few general statements based
on the proposed project:
(1) The people in the neighborhoods seem to be the last
to learn about these projects. The first we learned of it
was a "Dear Resident" letter which was dated November 7 but
arrived several days later. The envelope was postmarked in
Denver November 9. Why did it go through Denver since there
is one -day service in Fort Collins? Was it just sloppy
mailing, or an effort to cut the response time?
(2) P&Z's staffers found the project met the minimum