Larimer County commissioners on Monday approved a combined preliminary and final planned land division and rezoning that will consolidate two parcels north of Mulberry Street into one 11.358-acre legal lot and allow a planned development zoning for multifamily housing.
The rezoning and land division set the zoning framework that would allow the applicant to submit a subsequent site plan review for about 2 acres planned for 18 multifamily units in three buildings; the commission approved the application 3-0 with a revised condition requiring wetland buffer and waterway setback measures consistent with the project's credible and competent evidence report.
The county planner said the project ''would consolidate two parcels into one lot and rezone the properties from MR, UR2 and UR3 to PD, planned development,'' explaining the rezoning is required because the property is in the Fort Collins Growth Management Area and the county's planned-land-division rules require a concurrent rezoning. Michael Whitley, senior planner with Larimer County Community Development, said, "The property owner is Kevin Brown, and the applicant is Troy Jones of MTA Planning and Architecture."
The nut graf: commissioners and staff said the proposed development would concentrate buildings on the southern portion of the parcel to avoid flood hazard areas, wetlands and buffers along Box Elder Creek, but staff and the commission approved a variance to allow a portion of a water-quality pond and part of a duplex to encroach inside normally required buffers in exchange for mitigation described in the applicant's evidence report.
In discussion and during a public comment period, neighbors raised concerns about traffic, flood risk, building height and view impacts. Neighbor Steve McGill told the commission, "My wife and I have lived there for 43 years," and described concerns about tree clearing, wildlife and view loss if a multi-story building were constructed adjacent to existing single-family homes.
The application requests several deviations from strict Land Use Code standards. Under county rules, 100-foot waterway setbacks and 100-foot wetland buffers apply in some cases; the applicant's request would reduce those buffers for a water-quality pond (about 42 feet from the wetland) and portions of a residential building (about 55 feet from the wetland). The applicant also requested reduced setbacks from Mulberry: proposed setbacks of 15 feet front, 5 feet side, 8 feet rear and 24 feet from the property line adjacent to Mulberry instead of the standard 80-foot property-line setback or 130 feet from right-of-way centerline. County staff reported Colorado Department of Transportation had reviewed and did not object to the proposed Mulberry setback.
Commissioners and staff emphasized that the approval is for the land-division and zoning only; a separate site plan review will examine building orientation, lighting, drainage and detailed mitigation before any construction permits are issued. Scott Benton, the county's environmental planner, described the mitigation proposed in the evidence report as a small-scale restoration that includes removal of invasive species and planting native shrubs (for example, coyote willow) in the riparian area to improve habitat.
Applicant Troy Jones and property owner Kevin Brown said they intend the project to provide missing-middle housing and that the developer's target price point is "less than $400,000" for for-sale units. Jones said staff review and City of Fort Collins referral comments will be addressed during the site plan review, and commissioners noted they could add conditions requiring compliance with specific referral recommendations if desired.
The Board's approval (motion by Commissioner John Kefalas) included the staff-recommended conditions and amended Condition 7 to state: "wetland buffer and waterway setback shall be consistent with those described in the credible and competent evidence report for wetland buffer reduction." The vote was 3-0 in favor.
What happens next: the developer may submit a site plan review application to finalize building layouts, drainage, lighting and habitat mitigation; water and sewer service will be provided by East Larimer County Water District and Box Elder Sanitation District, and the property is in the Poudre Fire Authority service area.