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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSU ENV. LEARN. CENT. - SITE PLAN ADVISORY REVIEW - 55-98 - CORRESPONDENCE -raphy, habitat, and Iloodplain is considered to determine the exact figure) measured from the top of the bank Transportation Planning 1. A Transportation Impact Study should be completed to the existing City standards, includ- ing Levels of Service for all modes of transportation. 2. There is an existing dirt road that connects Prospect to the existing Environmental Leaning Center. Can this road connect over to the Visitor's Center as a possible connection for bi- cycles and pedestrians, allowing them an alternative to Prospect Road.? 3. The parking lot should be designed to accommodate buses.. These are the preliminary issues we have identified and hope that these issues can be resolved through a successful dialogue with CSU. Again, I want to stress that we all felt that Conceptual Re- view was a very important step in the process, and by attending and connecting with all the depart- ments at one time, the review process would be more effective I'm still trying to schedule times that all are available to meet with the CSU folks. Right now, it is looping as if the July 91h date should be ruled out Please let me know if you have any recommen- dations. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me at 21-1-6641. 3 event This has environmental impacts as well as safety impacts for visitors and employees alike. 3. water quality must be addressed and it's not evident that it is in the conceptual drawings that Stormwater has received. 4. A letter of assurance that the proposed development is not impacting wetlands should be submitted as well as other plans for review. 5. It appears as if the plan proposes a box culvert through the parking lot Stormwater Utility would prefer to see an open ditch, meandering through the site that offers environmental and habitat values rather than a box culvert This culvert is the primary outfall for land on the east side of the Interstate, so there needs to be an analysis of the required capacity. Engineering 1. Without a plan that shows the entire site defining property boundaries and ownership, showing the location of the stream and other features, Engineering cannot determine the total impacts of the proposed development and who pays for what portion of the bridge on Prospect 2 A Transportation Impact Study should be conducted for the proposed uses. At the very minimum, traffic counts and the impacts associated with the increase should be evaluated. As access is from the frontage road, a state highway access permit is required. Before the State will grant such a permit, they will want to review a Transportation Impact Study as well. In addition, the TIS will determine necessary improvements, including ♦ the extent of improvements at the Prospect and the Frontage Road intersection; ♦ requirements for paving the Frontage Road to our standards (collector/connector) and completing other improvements—ar least curb and gutter —based on traffic volumes; ♦ necessary improvements to Prospect Road along the frontage of the property; ♦ the possibility of improving/rebuilding the bridge on Prospect; ♦ the need for a left turn lane onto the Frontage Road (which would affect the overall function of the intersection and the bridge) and a right turn lane onto the frontage road; and ♦ other improvements, specifically sidewalks and bike lanes, that are directly tied to the results of the TIS. Current Planning (Environmental Planning) 1. The majority of the issues are design -related, specifically as to what are the impacts to wet- lands, plans/design for the creek, and landscaping transitions. Z The parking lot appears to be too dose (30� to the stream. The Land Use Code requires a minimum of at least 100' Cm determining the buffer distance, an examination of the topog- Z City of Fort Collins Communitv Planning and Environmental Services Current Plan g MEMORANDUM TO: FRANK BRUNO, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FROM: LEANNE HARTER, CITY PLAN SUBJECT: VISITOR'S CENTER AT THE FINVIRONIViE 1TAL LEARNING CENTER DATE: DULY 8, 1998 CC: GREG BYRNE, BOB BL?uN1CHARD,.GLFYi SCHLUEIER, ROB W_K NSON, SHERI WAN IHOFF, K3THLEE�1 REAVIS Several of us met last week for a preliminary discussion on the Visitor's Center at the Environ- mental Learning Center. We identified numerous issues where there are very real problems and con- cems over what is being proposed. Some concerns are general in nature while others are site specific are listed below. Generally, we all agree char the proposed development should be brought before the Conceptual Review Team At that meeting (held on Monday mornings for half an hour), several departments t and Power, Warer/Wastewarer, Advance Planning, Poudre including Stormwate., Eagineeciag, Light all are repre- Fire Authority, Building Inspections, Current Planning, Zoning, and Park Planning, seated. By attending Conceptual Review, all these various entities are able to offer comments on the proposed Visitor's Center that will facilitate the cooperation between CSU and the City throughout the review process. A second issue that was discussed is that an overall development plan should be preared for District, how- ever, :tmm site. We are aware of the master plan for the Poudre River Environmental Leg ever, this doesn't address the proposed rock park (and possibility of shared parking between that use and the Visitor's Center), connections back over to the existing Environmental Learning Center, proposed points of access from the Frontage Road and Prospect Road, and other issues. An overall plan would address these areas and perhaps alleviate concerns. Stormwater Utility 1. Scor nwater has received nothing for the site design itself; including drainage Plans, gr2 in plans, and erosion control. In order to evaluate the site effectively, all these the are re- quired- 2. CSU has been woridng with Marsha Hilmes regarding floodplain issues, but at this point in time, Stormwater is not comfortable with what is being proposed. The only access to the site is from the Frontage Road, and it is being proposed to be overtopped by a couple feet with the excess flows traveling around the culvert to the west and through the parking lot. It was also being discussed to design the "low water crossing" to blow out in a big storm 261 North College Avenue • P.O. Box 380 • Fort Collins, CO 30522-0580 • (970) 2-11-6750 • FAX (970) 416-2020 e) Depending on the numbers the transportation impact study shows, you may be required to provide right turn and left turn lanes and associated improvements to the Frontage Road and Prospect. f) You will be required to complete improvements to Prospect along the property frontage. This will include ROW dedication to the current standards. Part of Prospect does fall within the State ROW, and those improvements will be per State Code. Please contact Tim Blandford at 221-6750 if you have questions about these comments. 6. Gaylene Rossiter with Transfort stated that there transit service about 1 mile to the west along East Prospect Road and the intersection with Midpoint Drive (Route 10). There are no plans at this time to extend transit further to the east. 7. The Environmental Planner with the Current Planning Department offered the following comments: a) We recommend you use design techniques that will maximize compatibility with the natural environment. This includes avoiding the use of riprap (or at the minimum buried riprap), and revegetating disturbed areas as a result of development with native grasses. b) The proximity of the parking lot to the creek does not comply with the minimum distance requirements of the Land Use Code. The parking lot should be located further to the west if possible. c) We recommend that the ditch/drainageway passing through the parking lot is an open channel. Please contact Rob Wilkinson at 221-6750 if you have questions regarding these comments. 8. The Current Planning Department offered the following comments: a) At an earlier meeting to discuss the proposed project with City staff, the recommendation was made that the issue be brought before various City Boards and Commissions on a "for your information" basis. I've scheduled dates for the Planning and Zoning Board (worksession), Parks and Recreation Board, Natural Resources Advisory Board, and Council Growth Management Committee. The dates are as follows: Planning and Zoning Board —August 28, 1998 Parks and Recreation Board —September 23, 1998 Natural Resources Advisory Board —September 16, 1998 Council Growth Management Committee —September 14, 1998 Please contact Roger Buffington at 221-6854 if you have questions about these comments. 3. The Stormwater Utility offered the following comments: a) This site is located within the Boxelder/Copper Slough basin and is located on inventory grid #15K. b) There are no fees required in this basin. c) The site needs to have some water quality measures prior to the release of drainage water. d) There needs to be some coordination between the site developer and Natural Resources for the use of riprap and its visual impacts on the creek. e) Any grading outside of the limits of the site shown would require a grading easement. f) The standard drainage and erosion control reports and plans are required and they must be prepared by a professional engineer registered in Colorado. Please contact Glen Schlueter at 221-6589 if you have questions about these comments. 4. Light and Power offered the following comments: a) There existing electric system is located south of Prospect Road and the Frontage Road. b) There will be development charges, and we will need to review a site plan and a plat to determine these charges. c) A commercial Cl form will be required. d) We will need to discuss transformer locations. Please contact Alan Rutz at 221-6700 if you have questions about these comments. 5. The Engineering Department offered the following comments: a) The Street Oversizing Fee is $552.19/acre, assuming that this is categorized as a recreational use. Please contact Matt Baker for more specific information regarding the fee. b) Please submit a transportation impact study with the utility plans for review. c) The Frontage Road is considered to be a state highway and therefore, you will be required to improve it to Prospect per the State Code requirements. d) You will need to apply for a State Highway Access Permit through CDOT. CONCEPTUAL REVIEW STAFF COMMENTS City of Fort Collins MEETING DATE: July 20, 1998 ITEM: Visitor's Center at the Environmental Learning Center APPLICANT: Tom Kehler Colorado State University Facilities Management Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-6030 LAND USE DATA: This is a request for the proposed Visitor's Center at the Environmental Learning Center. It is a joint venture among Colorado State University, the City of Fort Collin, and Colorado State Parks. The building is located on property owned by CSU, and the proposed parking is to be located on the Resource Recovery Farm site, and will be shared parking with the future "Rock Park." COMMENTS: 1. The Zoning Department offered the following comments: a) For parking lots with up to 100 spaces, we require 6% of the interior to be parking lot interior landscaping. b) Please locate bicycle racks near the main entrance of the building. c) You will need to provide four (4) handicapped spaces. It may function better if the two (2) handicapped spaces on the south of the parking lot are moved to the north half, closer to the building entrance. Please contact Jenny Nuckols at 221-6760 if you have questions on these comments. 2. The Water/Wastewater Utility offered the following comments: a) This site is served by ELCO and Boxelder Sanitation. COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 281 N. College Ave. P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 (970) 221-6750 CURRENT PLANNING DEPARTMENT Commun' Planning and Environmental S Current Planning City of Fort Collins August 11, 1998 Tom Kehler Colorado State University Facilities Management Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-6030 RE: Conceptual Review Comments Dear Tom: -ices For your information, attached is a copy of the Staff's comments concerning the proposed Visitor's Center at the Environmental Learning Center that was proposed to the conceptual review team on July 20, 1998. In addition, a copy of a memo forwarded to Frank Bruno prior to conceptual review is attached and outlines in greater detail staff's concerns. The comments are offered informally by Staff to assist you in preparing the detailed components of the project application. Modifications and additions to these comments may be made at the time of formal review of this project. If you should have any questions regarding these comments or the next steps in the review process, please feel free to call me at 221-6750. Sincerely, C�i' Harter, eanne Harter,'AICP City Planner xc: Eric Bracke Stormwater Utility/Glen Schlueter Frank Bruno Sheri Wamhoff ?1179 ecfrlannert File 281 North College Avenue • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 • (970) 221-6750 • FAX (970) 416-2020 For these meetings, I think it would be appropriate to have you attend to give a summary of the project and the time frame. If possible, it would be beneficial to have reduced copies of the plans that could be sent to the board members in their packets. b) We've discussed that the project will go through a hybrid development review process to facilitate the review and comments from various City staff and outside reviewing agencies. Attached is a set of submittal requirements, and not all of these will be necessary to be submitted, but it will give you a general idea of the level of detail we would like to review. When you have all the plans ready (and the transportation impact study), please call Ginger Dodge at 221-6750 to schedule a time to bring in the submittal. The review process should take around four (4) weeks, and at the end of that time, comments will again be forwarded to you. c) The parking lot portion of the proposal will be required to receive approval as a building permit review. This review will be done as part of the hybrid review process for the entire site so as to not delay the process. The building permit review is required as the parking lot is not located on the same lot as the Visitor's Center. Please contact Leanne Harter at 221-6750 if you have questions about these comments.