HomeMy WebLinkAbout990893.tiff VELD CC" _,Y
ST. VRAIN CONCERNED CITIZENS
7050 Loma Linda Ct.,Longmont CO 80504 303 833 T992 "
April 12, 1999
Weld Board of County Commissioners
P 0 Box 758
Greeley CO 80632
Subject: Development in the flood plain
Dear Commissioners:
Enclosed is a copy of a letter to FEMA regarding documentation of changes in the St.
Vrain-Boulder Creek flood plain that have or will result from approval of development in
the Flood Hazard Overlay District. We suggest that FEMA be added to the referral list
for PUDs, zoning changes, etc. when development applications are made and advising
FEMA with appropriate supporting information when, in the unfortunate event,
development is approved by the BOCC in such a district. Before discounting the
possibility of flooding in the MUD district, it might be well to recall the recent flooding in
Fort Collins, the Big Thompson disaster of 1978 and the Cherry Creek flooding of 1965.
It is understandable that land owners and developers desire to maximize their profit from
land development wherever it is. It is less than understandable the role that Weld
government is playing in approving development in areas that constitute a potential danger
to the health, welfare, safety and property of Weld citizens when so much appropriate land
is available without those attendant risks.
Very truly yours, •
St. Vrain Concerned Citize ,
r /J 7John S. Folsom
PC: Weld County Planning Commission, Weld County Council, Monica Daniels Mika
990893
ST. VRAIN CONCERNED CITIZENS
7050 Loma Linda Ct..Longmont CO 80504 303 833 2992
April 10, 1999
Cynthia M. Croxdale
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Technical Services Division, Room 418
500 C Street, SW
Washington D.C. 20472
Dear Ms Croxdale:
The St. Vrain Concerned Citizens is a group of residents of southwest Weld County,
Colorado in an area that is being rapidly being developed from agricultural land to
industrial, commercial and residential uses. A portion of this land is in the floodways and
flood plain of the St. Vrain and Boulder Creek drainages. Lands within the 100 year flood
boundaries have been and are proposed to be developed with the erection of several
structure types for various uses. In addition, there has occurred placing of fill on lands in
the flood plain to raise the land above its flooding elevations. As far as we can determine
there has been no reporting of these changes in the topography of the flood plain to
FEMA so that it can determined as to their effect on flows, elevations and boundaries of
the flood plain and a LOMC from MSC will reflect current flooding potentials.
The Flood Insurance Rate Maps [FIRMS] for the area have never been completed as to
zone designations, etc. as best as we can determine [latest map revisions 9/28/82]. We
specifically refer to FIRM Community Panel Nos. 080266 0855 C and 080266 0850 C.
In light of the above, we are requesting FEMA to analyze this community's needs as to
changes in and completion of FIRMs and adequacy of reporting to FEMA of those
changes for the following reasons:
1. Road names and locations have changed, annexations and changes to corporate limits
have definitely occurred. We cannot make judgment as to changes in elevation reference
mark locations.
2. Zone designations [ zones AO, AH, Al-A30, B, C, and D] have not been determined
according to the maps we have..
3. Floodplain and floodway boundary delineations, hydrology and hydraulic data would
have been affected by changes in topography of the area resulting from recent surface
mining and topography changes from development .
4. On request, we will provide mapping update documentation including records of river
flow, rainfall, floodplain topographic surveys [including alterations resulting from land
development, hydrologic and hydraulic analyses that is available to us to assist in preparing
a Flood Insurance Study Report.
4. We would hope that FEMA would request a Letter of Map Change [LOMC] revising
and amending the affected FIRMS and most importantly inform local governmental
jurisdictions [which will be provided on requestlof their responsibilities and those of
developers in their areas to comply with reporting requirements for changes in floodplain
topography affecting its elevations, flows and boundaries.
We would appreciate your advising us as to that status of this request and how we may
assist with information or in any other manner to implement it. If you are not involved in
the subject matter of this letter, please forward it to the proper person.
Very truly yours,
St. Vrain Concerned Citizens
John S. Folsom
PS: Please send me a copy of the form for and requirements for reporting to FEMA any
changes to the flood plain. E-mail address:jmfolsom@ecentral.com Thanks: JSF
PC: Weld County Board of County Commissioners, Planning Commission, Planning
Services, Council
ST. VRAIN CONCERNED CITIZENS
7050 Loma Linda Court, Longmont CO 80504 303 833 2992
April 1, 1999
Ms Gloria Rice-Adler,Access Coordinator
Colorado Dept. of Transportation,District 4
1420 2nd Street
Greeley CO 80631
Subject: Access to Andesite Rock mining operation and misc.
Dear Ms Hice-Adler:
1. Recently, we discussed on the `phone the main access from the north side of SHI 19 to
the Andesite Rock pit between WCR7 and 1-25. The trucks tuning onto SHl 19 from the
pit have no acceleration lane and in many cases enter immediately onto a travel lane of the
highway when turning west. This is a dangerous situation as the heavy volume of traffic on
SH119 is typically accelerating to the high speed of 65MPH permitted on the highway. It
is my understanding that there must be a 20% increase in traffic volume from the pit or in
excess of what has been approved for CDOT to be able to request a change in the access
configuration.
I went through the various applications to, supporting documents and approvals from
Weld County relating to County permits for Andesite mining operation:
Letter from Tuttle and Applegate,Inc. dated 4/25/94 to Theresa Jones of CDOT Region 4
stated that vehicular traffic at the access road would not increase from the present 50
trucks,24 employee and 10 miscellaneous daily trips.
Communication from Randahl & Associates to Weld County Planning Services dated
2/6/84 stated that the truck traffic generated would not exceed 40 trucks per day.
The Concrete batch plant was approved in resolutions for amendments to the permit dated
9/9/87 and 5/18/94,
My impression,from random observations, is that the vehicular traffic at the mine entrance
exceeds these amounts. In any case, in my opinion the situation is of a nature of waiting
for an accident to happen. I request that CDOT confirm the above information and
monitor the traffic volume at the access to determine if exceeds an amount that would
justify CDOT requiring upgrading of said access.
2. There is another dangerous traffic situation at the intersections of WCR20 and the 1-25
frontage roads. WCR20 passes through a narrow box culvert under the interstate,
intersecting immediately with the frontage roads at each end. The proximity of the
frontage roads is so close to the end of the underpass that even the stop signs can not be
aligned properly for visibility. With the increase of commercial and industrial
establishments, nearby, along the frontage roads, traffic volume has increased greatly
which typically travels at high rates of speed particularly on the east frontage road perhaps
emulating the 75MPH speed permitted on the parallel interstate. The nearest traffic
controls on the east frontage road are two miles to the north and three miles to the south.
Again, this is a situation waiting for an accident to happen. I am aware this is not an
access condition, but I would appreciate your passing this, as well as comment 3. below,
along to the proper individual.
3. At the intersection of WCR5 and SH 119 there is no acceleration lane for traffic turning
from WCR5 southbound to SH119 eastbound, so that this traffic has no opportunity to
accelerate and merge with SH119 eastbound traffic which is transitioning between the
55MPH and 65MPH posted speed limits. Let's face it; speeds in excess of 70MPH are not
unusual along this stretch of road.
4. Please send to me a copy of the CDOT letter to Weld County Planning Services in
response to their referral request in the matter of the application by the Villa of Greeley
for the St. Vrain Junction Commercial Park to be located north of SH119 [WCR24] and
bisected by the I-25 east frontage road.
I would appreciate the CDOT reaction to items 1,2 and 3 of this letter.
Very truly yours,
St. rain Concerned Citizens
John S. Folsom
PC�BOCC with comments
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