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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWOODWARD TECHNOLOGY CENTER (FORMERLY LINK-N-GREENS) - PDP - PDP130001 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT W/ATTACHMENTS (54)1 1/14/2013 Statement of Planning Objectives Link-n-Greens Project Development Plan January 14, 2013 We are pleased to submit the following Project Development Plan (PDP) for the Link-n- Greens site. Woodward, Allen Ginsborg and the design team has worked closely with the neighbors, stakeholders, and city staff to develop a comprehensive and long-term development plan for the site. The documents enclosed reflect the result of this collaboration in an overall PDP meets the criteria for approval as set forth in the Land Us Code. With this PDP submittal Woodward is requesting a vested right to develop the project as set forth in the PDP for 25 years, and that this PDP be determined to be a "site specific development plan" by the City within the meaning of the Colorado Vested Rights Statute, C.R.S. Sec. 24-68-101 et seq.. A Development Agreement setting forth the terms and conditions of the vested right for Council's consideration is being drafted and negotiated concurrently with review of this PDP. (i) Statement of appropriate City Plan Principles and Policies achieved by the proposed overall Development Plan. The Link-n-Greens Project Development Plan (PDP) is the result of more than two years of visioning, market analysis, and outreach with neighbors and City staff by Allen Ginsborg of NewMark Merrill Mountain States. This site is a key redevelopment opportunity area for downtown and the Lincoln Triangle Area. Fort Collins’ City Plan, Plan Fort Collins, identifies the Lincoln Avenue Area as one of its ‘Catalyst Project Areas’. “During the Plan Fort Collins process project team members, City Council, and the public identified areas throughout the City that have the potential to showcase opportunities to embrace the Plan Fort Collins vision themes of Innovate, Sustain, and Connect. Through a combination of public and private actions that complement and build upon one another, these areas have the potential for lasting, desirable change. Catalyst areas are viewed as places for ongoing and new public and private sector initiatives that use a multi- disciplinary and triple bottom line approach, addressing economic, environmental, and social factors in a balanced manner.“ - Plan Fort Collins The Link-n-Greens PDP allows the opportunity for a significant portion of these public and private actions to be planned and implemented together to meet these goals. The attributes of the Lincoln Triangle identified in Plan Fort Collins are: • A strong and unusually diverse mix of retail, heavy and light industry, offices, recreation, and residential neighborhoods with a rich history and culture. • Significant historic structures and areas such as the Buckingham neighborhood, Lindell Mill (Ranch-Way Feeds), Harmony Mill, the Northern Colorado Feeders 2 1/14/2013 Supply building, the UP Freight Depot, Coy/Hoffman barn, and the Giddings Building. • Large, currently vacant and underdeveloped infill properties that are owned by individuals and organizations with an interest in redevelopment. • An existing historic neighborhood providing a diversity of households in a close-in Downtown location. • The Cache la Poudre River corridor. • Three thriving craft brewery businesses that attract regional and national visitors. • Designation within the proposed FortZED service grid. • Sites to cultivate incubator businesses including the CSU Engine and Energy Conversion Lab (EECL) and the Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative. • Proximity to Downtown and related opportunities to enhance Downtown business activities, including breweries and brew pubs, in a way that is “Uniquely Fort Collins.” The PDP reflects the Area Vision for the Lincoln Triangle: “The Lincoln Triangle Area, while already dynamic and changing, has the potential to showcase the Plan Fort Collins vision themes – Innovate, Sustain, and Connect – in a vibrant, eclectic area of the City that can integrate the best of Fort Collins’ history and culture with its future as a great place to live, work, and play.” - Plan Fort Collins The PDP helps to achieve the following Area Objectives for the Lincoln Triangle: • Showcase Heritage- Create opportunities to integrate and showcase the area’s rich history and culture through transportation and other public improvements. o The existing historic Coy Hoffman barn and silos on the Link-n-Greens site are being retained and have been integrated into the redevelopment plans as a key feature of the planned campus. The barn complex is listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. The Poudre Trail is planned to be relocated through the project area to allow for additional public views and direct connections to this historic resource. • Leverage Activities- Leverage and build on activities already occurring in the area – for residents, visitors, and employees. o Employment, commercial, retail, industrial, residential and recreational activities exist adjacent to the property. The anticipated redevelopment of Link N Greens is an opportunity to expand and leverage the existing mixed uses. • River Links - Enhance and expand the Poudre River corridor, by improving recreation access and opportunities, restoring degraded river banks and floodplain lands, and enhancing wildlife habitat. o The proposed enhancements are consistent with the City of Fort Collins Cache la Poudre River Natural Areas Management Plan Update, and will greatly improve the river’s ecology, biodiversity, habitat value, and create a healthier and sustainable river ecosystem. The proposed enhancements will also increase opportunities for downtown visitors to enjoy safe and easily accessible natural areas, and to prevent further barriers to wildlife 3 1/14/2013 movement along the Poudre River, adding to the overall experience and environment within the adjacent Williams, Springer and Udall Natural Areas. o Multiple connections for pedestrians are provided into, through, and adjacent to the large industrial/office campus. A significant number of walkways connect to and through the open space areas south of the collection of Woodward facilities and the realigned Poudre trail. Public connections to the Poudre Trail are indicated from the road intersections at Mulberry/Lemay and at Magnolia/Lemay, and exist west of the site at the Lincoln Avenue bridge. • Strengthen Neighborhoods - Strengthen and enhance the residential integrity and historic roots of the TresColonias neighborhoods: Buckingham, Alta Vista, Andersonville, Via Lopez, and San Cristo. o The PDP provides opportunities for additional neighborhood commercial services and employment opportunities to support the nearby residential areas. In addition, the PDP accommodates the City’s vision for enhancements to Lincoln Avenue (wide medians, streetscape, thematic lighting, trolley circulator). The employment campus use is an appropriate transition from the neighborhoods to the higher-intensity commercial areas east of Lemay and along Mulberry Street. • Expand Housing – Seek new housing opportunities in appropriate locations to enhance existing neighborhoods and continue to maintain a balance between residential and non-residential uses in the area as infill and redevelopment occurs. o While the PDP does not envision additional housing on this site, it provides support for existing and planned nearby residential neighborhoods by providing the opportunity for additional neighborhood commercial services, and employment opportunities. • Connect - Improve circulation for visitors, employees, and residents internally as well as to and from the area and connections between the area and Downtown Fort Collins for visitors and residents. o The PDP provides the opportunity for improved circulation for employees and residents to and from the site and adjacent areas, and along the adjacent roads, sidewalk and recreational trail connections to Downtown Fort Collins. The Link-n-Greens PDP supports City Plan Principle LIV 5 to promote redevelopment and infill in areas identified on the Targeted Infill and Redevelopment Areas Map. This map indicates this site as one of the Targeted Redevelopment Areas within the City. These areas are parts of the City where general agreement exists that redevelopment and infill would be beneficial. The purpose of these areas is to: • Promote the revitalization of existing, underutilized commercial and industrial areas. • Concentrate higher density housing and mixed-use development in locations that are currently or will be served by high frequency transit in the future and that can support higher levels of activity. • Channel development where it will be beneficial and can best improve access to jobs, housing, and services with fewer and shorter auto trips. • Promote reinvestment in areas where infrastructure already exists. 4 1/14/2013 • Increase economic activity in the area to benefit existing residents and businesses and, where necessary, provide the stimulus to redevelop. (ii) Description of existing and proposed, open space, buffering, landscaping, circulation, transition areas, wetlands and natural areas. The Link-n-Greens PDP site has been developed and used as a golf course since 1986, and is generally characterized by irrigated turf, man-made lined ponds and trees planted in patterns that line the golf holes. The Cache la Poudre Riveris the southerly boundary and the majority of the westerly boundary of the property and Poudre River bike trail is located on property within an easement. Proposed restoration and planting plans for the Poudre River buffer zone are included in the ECS Report. City staff and the project development team have consulted extensively on habitat restoration of the buffer zone. The staff of the City's Natural Resources department has expressed a desire to use the buffer zone to achieve more natural topographic and river flow conditions within the buffer zone and to create and expand native wetlands, floodplain cottonwood woodlands, and upland shrublands and grasslands within the buffer zone and the extended riparian restoration area. Project and City planning staff used evaluations of historic aerial photos, river morphology, and existing topography to guide their development of a native riparian restoration plan for the proposed buffer zone between the river and commercial development in the project area. This plan includes allowing the Poudre River to overflow its banks during high flow periods into a designed overflow channel that would assist in creating adjacent wetlands and areas of upland floodplain forest. The site contains several hundred trees. Many of the trees were ‘development’ trees planted with the golf course. Many of these trees are ornamental, non-native species and are planted in patterns that define the golf course holes and tees. Other trees are ‘pre- development’ trees, mostly associated with the river edge, areas near the Coy/Hoffman Barn, and near the northeast corner of the property. All trees have been assessed for health, species and condition. Most of the trees associated with the previous golf course development will be impacted to accommodate this new development pattern. Significant pre-development trees within the river buffer area, the northeast corner of the property, and those associated with Coy/Hoffman Barn will be retained where possible. However, as development and river restoration occurs it will be necessary to remove a number of significant trees. Reasons for tree removal include: • Poor health, as determined by the City Forester; • Hazardous conditions; • Regrading within the Poudre River buffer zone which will: (1) allow the river to overflow its banks during high flow periods into a designed overflow channel that would assist in creating adjacent wetlands and areas of upland floodplain forest; (2) achieve more natural topographic and river flow conditions within the buffer zone and to create and expand native wetlands, floodplain cottonwood woodlands, and upland shrublands and grasslands within the buffer zone and the extended riparian restoration area; and (3) Incorporate bank stabilization measures in areas identified by the City. 5 1/14/2013 Approximately30% of the site is being retained as natural and/or open space area. In addition it is anticipated that the balance of the proposed development will include areas for outdoor use and landscaping. Although the ponds associated with the golf course were mapped as part of the 1999 Natural Areas Inventory, they are man-made lined ponds which serve the golf course operations. While the largest pond to the south is anticipated to remain and be reconfigured as part of the river buffer area, the remaining ponds will be removed with phased redevelopment of the site. The redevelopment of the site from its current use as a golf course also offers opportunities to reduce the amount of irrigated turf and associated chemical fertilizers on this large site adjacent to the river. Habitat enhancement and tree plantings in the Poudre River buffer zone and elsewhere on the site to mitigate loss of trees in areas to be developed have been identified in the PDP. Tree mitigation requirements will be met with the proposed development. (iii) Estimate of number of employees for commercial and industrial uses. The site will be developed in several phases over time. Exact timing of individual phases will be market driven. The first phase of the Woodward campus is anticipated to accommodate over 500 employees. At full build-out it is estimated that the proposed development would accommodate approximately 1,700 to 1,900 employees. (iv) Description of rationale behind the assumptions and choices made by the applicant. The following are the planning objectives of the Link-n-Greens PDP: 1. To provide a mixed-use development that helps meet the objectives for Lincoln Triangle area identified in the Plan Fort Collins. 2. To help achieve the Targeted Infill and Redevelopment Policies of Plan Fort Collins. 3. To meet the goals and objectives of the Cache la Poudre River Natural Areas Management Plan Update, ensuring adequate protection of and opportunities for enhancement of the adjacent river corridor. 4. To support and enhance the area multi-modal transportation network that serves downtown and the Lincoln Triangle area. 5. To support the redevelopment and success of Downtown Fort Collins, nearby businesses and residential neighborhoods by providing the opportunity for additional neighborhood services, access to recreation trails, and employment opportunities. 6. To provide for the logical expansion of utility service infrastructure within the area. 7. To develop an appealing and marketable land use plan that respects and is compatible with adjacent land uses. 6 1/14/2013 (v) Written narrative addressing each issue raised at the neighborhood meetings(s), if a meeting was held. The City provided written minutes summarizing comments received during the PDP neighborhood meeting and no significant comments were raised. The meeting minutes are included with the PDP submittal. (vi) Name of the project as well as any previous name(s) the project may have been known by. None (vii) A narrative description of how conflicts between land uses are being avoided or mitigated. The PDP has been developed in a collaborative effort involving City Staff, and several adjacent landowners in the area. This process was useful because it brought together key participants early in the process and enabled the group to identify issues and conflicts and quickly make decisions to address each item.