Lafayette Marketplace - what's happening (insert giant eye roll here)

My report on the developer's visit to the Lafayette Open Space Advisory Committee

Above is a graphic showing the developer’s suggestions for their Public Land Dedication.

Below is the latest sketch plan for the property that will be presented to the Planning Commission on August 23rd. ( edited to add that the August 23rd meeting has been canceled due to a request for postponement by the developer)

OPEN SPACE

Let’s talk open space. We have an open space committee, it’s known as LOSAC, Lafayette Open Space Advisory Committee. One of their charges is to provide input and recommendations for Public Land Dedication (PLD) for new developments. There is an open space, recreation, and parks master plan unsurprisingly called the PROS (Parks, Recreation and Open Space) Master Plan.

THE CITY CODE FOR PUBLIC LAND DEDICATION (PLD) SAYS

Lafayette Development and Zoning regulations (Chapter 26 of the Lafayette Code of Ordinances (“Code”)) require that every annexation, subdivision or residential or commercial development shall require dedication of land for parks and recreation use. Land dedicated may include the one-hundred year floodplain, national historical or natural features, and proposed public areas set aside in state, regional, county or city comprehensive plans. Sites unsuitable for public use due to steep slopes, rock formations, adverse topography, utility easements, or other features which may be harmful to the health and safety of the public are not permitted to be counted toward PLD.

Here are the requirements.

OPEN SPACE ACQUISITION AND FUNDING

Open space has a few purposes, it can be for recreational use, or as wildlife habitat, agricultural properties are also part of our open space holdings, as are trails, and buffering between communities can also be a function of open space. We own some land outright and we sometimes partner with Louisville and/or Boulder County to purchase others. We have 506 acres of solely owned open space and 1,134 acres of jointly owned open space.

We have two sales taxes that provide funding, the POST or the Parks, Open Space and Trails tax, and the Legacy Tax which is specifically earmarked for open space only.

ACQUISITION VIA PLD

When it comes to new developments as you see above there is a requirement to contribute to our public lands either with land dedication if appropriate or with a cash-in-lieu payment of the fair market value of the property. The city staff and LOSAC make recommendations regarding land that would enhance our holdings, maybe there is a great location for a trail that connects to our existing network, or a special area that abuts a current open space property that would enlarge wildlife habitat. You get the idea. Something valuable for our open space holdings. If there isn’t anything then it becomes a cash payment that goes into our funds earmarked for future purchases or enhancements.

PUBLIC PARKS

In some areas of town, at least in the past, PLD was seen as a way to get a good-sized public park in an underserved area. Whitetail Park in South Pointe and Silver Creek Park in Silver Creek are examples of this.

The preference is for at least 3 acres since these parks will be constructed and maintained by the city and are meant to serve the entire community, unlike a pocket park which is oriented toward a local neighborhood. The golf course in Indian Peaks was the PLD for that development. (No we don’t pay to maintain it, it’s an enterprise fund that requires it to run as a business and fund itself. Echos of my water posts here!)

The more parks the city has the more the costs go up for all of us due to the need for more employees and maintenance, so the city is careful about what is accepted. In other words, a developer can’t try and lower the cost of their development by offering land they already own for a park that doesn’t work for the whole city. (They try though, exhibit A, this project, read on!) Plus the costs to build these large parks is in the millions.

BACK TO THE LAFAYETTE MARKETPLACE

At the August LOSAC meeting the committee was asked to provide feedback on the PLD that the developers have offered. The developers were in attendance accompanied by Marcus Pachner of the Pachner Company who is doing the public outreach for them and who gave the presentation to LOSAC. (He also worked in that capacity for the Willoughby Corner project)

SIDESTEP TO THE DETENTION POND AT THE CORNER OF ARAPAHOE AND 287

If you’ve been reading my posts you know that area is important to many in the community due to the wildlife that is seen there. I wrote about it here and gave an update here. Just a reminder, this land was a detention pond for Erie and is currently still owned by the city, while the rest of the property is in Boulder County. The developers want to purchase it and have been talking with Erie.

BACK TO THE LOSAC MEETING

The committee didn’t see anything of value in this plan. They said they couldn’t comment on the detention pond since it’s up in the air as to it even being a part of the development if approved. If the developers do purchase the land it would remain in their control and they are suggesting a small strip around the perimeter as part of their PLD. Check out the graphic.

Although some trails are shown there was a lack of information given about how wide and what materials would be used.

LOSAC said none of the light green areas would be worthy of dedication and at this point, cash-in-lieu would be appropriate.

FROM THE STAFF MEMO

Staff Analysis

Both Planning and Open Space staff have reviewed the proposed PLD dedication and offer the following feedback for LOSAC consideration.

•  Given the proposed number of dwelling units, it is important for PLD to be provided within the residential portion of the development in the form of active and passive park and public spaces to meet the needs of the future residents.

•  The project proposes to meet much of the PLD requirement through proposed landscaped building setbacks and streetscape, which has very limited recreational use and likely does not meet the intent of PLD.

•  The central park is a needed amenity and could be the primary recreational space for the development but could be larger given the deficiency of other PLD on-site.

  Alternatively, other pocket parks and plazas dispersed throughout the neighborhood with amenities to supplement the main park could be beneficial.

•  The angled parking surrounding the park space results in a barrier to the functionality of the space. At a minimum, parallel parking would be acceptable, but there is also potential opportunity to physically merge the park space with an adjacent residential block by eliminating either the western or eastern, north/south roadway adjacent to the park. This would physically connect this critical space with the residential buildings and eliminate a vehicular barrier between the residents and the park.

•  Some credit should be considered for the yet-to-be-defined private amenity depending on to be defined amenities proposed to be provided, but more importance should be given to publicly accessible spaces.

•  The current Town of Erie parcel is a remnant of the former Prince Lake reservoir. Since Erie has reclaimed the main body of water with the 9-Mile development, the source of water which has given the Erie parcel is characteristics is no longer present.

•  The detention pond buffer has limited recreational functionality and should be studied more closely for potential credit towards the PLD.

•  Further discussion around wildlife habitat is needed.

•  The commercial PLD requirement may be appropriate for cash-in-lieu of actual

  dedication or for inclusion into the residential portion of the project.

Here’s the staff memo from the meeting if you want to see more.

Losac Memo

2.66MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

SNARK FROM ME

So I kept the tone civil while I wrote this piece filling you in on some details but now I have free rein to get snarky. OMG, are you kidding me? (I feel better already).

This is a joke right, they actually want us to accept those goofy park strips, which by the way are totally surrounded by angled parking spaces, so relaxing. (A LOSAC member mentioned that too). And that other slightly thicker park sandwiched between two apartment buildings? For us all to use? And possibly maintain? So generous. Oh, there is that strip (they are really into strips) that runs along Arapahoe. Arapahoe? Give me a break.

Then there are the light green sections they are calling public space - privately owned and they want a 50% PLD credit for them. IT’S THE LANDSCAPING AROUND THE BUILDINGS!!! (Yes I am yelling, aren’t you?)

DATES TO NOTE

HEADS UP!

The planning commission public hearing for August 23rd has been canceled due to a request for postponement by the developer. No new date has been scheduled.

WANT TO PROVIDE PUBLIC INPUT ?

Send your comments to: andrea.mimnaugh@lafayetteco.gov