HomeMy WebLinkAbout982221.tiff 7050 Loma Linda Ct.
Longmont CO 80504
303 833 2992
October 31, 1998
Weld Board of County Commissioners
P O Box 758
Greeley CO 80632
Subject: Road impact fees
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Although long overdue, the first steps are being taken to insure that new construction in
Weld County supports the cost of regional road improvement. Improvements made
necessary by the additional traffic loads that growth creates. Presently, developers only
provide road upgrading and dedications adjacent to their projects. One area being targeted
is in southwest Weld, comprising basically, the urban growth boundaries of the Tri-
Towns, Erie and the County's MUD district.
One aspect of road improvement should receive priority; the completion of the County
road grid system. Originating in the nineteenth century, the Weld section line road grid
system has many gaps in this area. These, mostly, are the result of previous lack of need,
topography and the St. Vrain-Boulder Creek drainage. Closing of these gaps is urgent
because this road system will become the highly traveled arterials as traffic loads increase.
Road block prevention and right of way acquisition cost are two aspects of this problem.
Lack of agreement on an area road plan is leading to road blocks which will prevent
completion of the grid system. One example is the Shores annexation to Firestone. Current
plans would prevent the future completion of WCR11 between WCRs 24 and 28.
Mother, is the apparent lack of interest on the part of Frederick government to permit the
newly projected Del Camino Parkway [WCR 9-1/2] to be continued to SH52. Other
potential road blocks currently exist at CRs 3 and 5-1/2 adjacent to SH119. In passing, it
is important to mention the need to coordinate with CDOT the improvements to be made
to I-25 in the area, to assure that adequate road grid connections are provided across the
interstate to permit their future use as continuous arterials.
Right of way acquisition and improvement is, now, only being addressed on an individual
development basis. The weakness in this approach is the haphazard nature of land being
developed and that much land in the area is unsuitable for development, being in a flood
plain. Acquisition of road right of way land could well be more cost effective done now
rather than in future years when it would be much more expensive. Examples of using this
foresight are the wide right of ways acquired along SHs 52 and 66 which will
accommodate the much needed four laning of these roads and its lack in the case of
SH287 resulting in higher costs four laning of that road.
Let's hope that Weld County and local governments have sufficient strength of purpose
for public good, rather than giving in to special interests, to implement an impact fee
982221
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program necessary for upgrading the roads in this area of Weld County. Unfortunately,
Weld County government, again, is playing catch up with such programs in effect for
years in other counties of the region.
Very truly yours,
Joh/7g
PC: Weld County Council roads2. oc
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WELD COUNTY
ST. VRAIN CONCERNED CITIZENS 9: Oil
Formerly St. Vrain Rural Impact District
7050 Loma Linda Ct., Longmont [Weld County] CO 80504 303 833 WAR
TO THE BOARD
Ms Julie A. Chester
Weld County Planning Services
1400 N. 17th Avenue
Greeley CO 80631
Subject: Blue Heron PUD & Andesite [Del Camino]Mine; Case S-474
We have the following specific comments on the subject projects:
Regarding heights of apartment buildings, [P4]; The proposed apartment buildings may
exceed the maximum height for residential construction permitted by the Uniform Baseline
Standards for Development Agreement [40 feet if not within the I-25 interchange area].
Interestingly, elevations indicate only two story apartment buildings on the sketch plan
submitted.
The PUD main road does not intersect with WCR 7-1/2 and therefor does not satisfy the
alignment required on MUD Map2 Structural Land Use Plan. Sufficient ROW should be
dedicated to provide for the future arterial function of this road.
Location of reservoir dam and spillway should be indicated so as danger to downstream
residents and improvements can be evaluated. Water rights should be checked for water
anticipated to fill the reservoir.
There should be provision for a road through the PUD to connect with a future frontage
road on the west side of I-25 to connect with SH66 which future growth will inevitably
require. This is just another indication of the future arterial problems that will arise as a
result of the County government having no plan in place for completing the road system in
the MUD-Tri-Town area.
Several questions arise from the assertion that land to be developed will be one foot above
the flood plain:
+Where will the fill come from to establish this grade after the land has been mined?
+The map submitted does not furnish [at least clearly] finish elevations in development
area once restoration is completed [except for mention on one map as being one foot
above the flood plain]. This is important, as actual flood plain limits and elevations will
change as the County government permits filling in on various projects to raise lands
within the FEMA flood plain study limits.
+Additionally, the limits of the flood plain should be confirmed. The submittals for this
project, the Milky Way, Idaho Creek projects and the MUD Map 2 Structural Land Use
Map show some variation in locating flood plain limits.
+As a minimum, requirements should be established for prevention of flood erosion of
built up land in case of flooding by means of rip-rap, etc.
A stated proposed secondary access to the PUD from SH119 is not indicated on the maps
submitted.
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The developer should be required to pay for any improvements or extensions required for
CR24-1/2.
At a Commissioner meeting last spring, a representative of the public works department
discussed the requirement of Andesite Materials to provide acceleration and turn lanes
from SH119 to their access road to be completed, I believe, in August. At this time they
are not in place.
Location of the proposed asphalt batch plant should be specified as one that is not
objectionable to neighboring residents and businesses.
The application states there will be no land dedicated to school construction. It is to hoped
that County government will insist that cash in lieu to School District RE1J be demanded
of the developer as a condition of approval of this project. It is regrettable that the County
does not have an IGA with the school district to take care of these needs.
Approval should be withheld until there is a dedication of required water taps for the
project by the Left Hand Water District.
Consideration should be made if the proposed trail system within this project can be
integrated into the proposed Legacy Grant trail system that will run through Barbour
Ponds State Park adjacent to the north, and that use of the project's trail system should
be open to the public [Project trail system not delineated on maps, see P6 of application].
Accesses to SH119 exceed those permitted by CDOT standards for a state highway. They
should be restricted to CDOT standards as condition to approval, and those in existence
not permitted to be grandfathered.
We have the following general comments relating to the Blue Heron application:
Recently, there have been several applications to Weld County government wherein
applications for mining projects have been combined with future plans for development
once the mining operations have been completed many years hence. County government
should consider the problems that might arise from giving approvals for such development
at this time. Circumstances and County policies can change making the approvals
inappropriate when the time comes for actual development. Vestings created with the
approvals might create money liabilities to the County and its taxpayers.
As you are aware, one of the major concerns of the St. Vrain Rural Impact District is
provision for open space, whether unimproved or agricultural. Although this application
provides for open space, this results from the land being in the flood plain. It does not
address the urgent need for a regional plan for open space for the purposes of providing a
buffer between communities and to preserve the some of the rural and agricultural heritage
of the area.
We thank the Department of Planning Services for giving us the opportunity to comment
on these projects and hope they will assist you in evaluating these applications..
Very truly yours,
ST. VRAIN CONCERNED CITIZENS
John S. Folsom
PC;Monica Daniels-Mika, Weld County Council, BOCC
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