MEMORANDUM

TO: Town of Berthoud (Attn: Sue Bowles)

328 Massachusetts Avenue

P.O. Box 1229

Berthoud, CO 80513

FROM:Traci Shambo, P.E.

Development Services Engineer

DATE:October 10, 2014

SUBJECT:Heron PointeConcept Plan, Annexation & Rezoning - Berthoud Referral

Project Description/Background:

This is an application to annex, rezone and develop an 80 acre site located at the southwest and southeast corners of Larimer County Road 17 and 14 in Berthoud.

Review Criteria:

LarimerCounty appreciates the opportunity to review this project, and recognizes that this project is different than a project subject to LarimerCounty regulations. Many of the recommendations stated below are based on issues and concerns that commonly arise with similar projects in the County. We have requested information and made recommendations that we feel are essential to this project and its impacts to the site and surrounding areas.

Transportation/Access Issues:

  1. The County's Land Use Code stipulates that all developments must provide adequate public facilities to their development. We require developers to make all necessary off-site paving, widening and intersection improvements to maintain minimum level of service and safety standards. Therefore, County Staff is hopeful that the Town will look outside their Town boundaries at the transportation improvements that will be needed to accommodate future trips and their associated impacts to the roads in the unincorporated areas of the County. The County advocates for requiring developers to make all of these necessary improvements to the off-site road system prior to issuance of building permits or access permits to the road system.
  2. The annexation map currently indicates that the entire right of way of the Larimer County roads adjacent to property will be annexed, which is Larimer County’s preference. With the road under the Town’s jurisdiction, Berthoud can more efficiently address the development impacts on the surrounding road systems and better coordinate with the developer on the specifications and timing of the required off-site road improvements. In addition, Berthoud is better suited than the County to maintain urban level road improvements.

Stormwater Management and Irrigation Issues:

1.Drainage and Erosion control should be closely analyzed and designed as to not impact upstream or downstream properties. The County would require on-site detention of the 100-year event with an outlet that releases flows at the two-year historic rates. Water quality treatment measure shall also be incorporated into the design.

2.The concept plan shows the stormwater off of the site passing through the Colony Ridge development’s detention ponds. Right to use these ponds and the adequacy of the ponds for the developed flows will need to be verified with future, more detailed, submittals. Similarly, the proposed downstream,off-site drainage path adjacent to Heartwood Drive would need to be verified as the historic path of flow and adequateto accommodate the developed stormwater off of this site.

3.A regional detention pond on the Campion Academy is shown on the concept plan. Documentation of maintenance agreements, drainage easements and detailed regional stormwater and detention calculations should be required as part of the more detailed preliminary plans to ensure the feasibility of the concept plan.

4.We recommend that the applicant notify the irrigation ditch companies of any plans pertaining to irrigation needs regarding this proposal. The applicant should receive written approval from the ditch companies to release stormwater into the ditches at a specified rate.

Staff Recommendation:

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposal. Please feel free to contact me at (970) 498-5701 or f you have any questions.

Cc:Sue Bowles, Town of Berthoud, 328 Massachusetts Avenue, P.O. Box 1229, Berthoud, CO 80513

file

R:\Data\DEVREV\PLANCHK\Referrals\CITIES\Berthoud\Heron Point\Heron Pointe Cncept Plan, Annexation & Rezoning Referral.docx