Next door: Save the Poudre drops appeal opposing development's density

"We can step back in the stream again and go forward.”

-- Gino Campana, developer

Save the Poudre has dropped its appeal opposing the Pateros Creek housing development next to us, and instead plans to monitor the project as it progresses. At current count, we have five ongoing, planned and potential projects affecting this old farm: a new house across Shields street from us, a planned widening of Shields St. in 2014 to include a center lane, bike trails, sidewalks, and a new bridge, a possible West Vine storm drainage culvert running through the property, the Pateros Creek housing development next door, and City of Fort Collins natural areas developments and enhancements across the river. Whew!

Full Pateros Creek appeals story in The Coloradoan

Read also:
A peek at the development next door
Check out our "Horse Property Issues" category.

Drainage, bigger street, bike trails, sidewalks would feed into Poudre River

Surveyors have been adorning North Shields Street with colored flags for many months as they develop a plan for higher-volume access.

A city/county open house will combine the Shields Street widening project on our west border with plans for a large storm drainage culvert running through the neighborhood to the Poudre River. The open house will be held from 4 - 6 p.m. Aug. 8 at Lincoln Middle School, 1600 W. Lancer Drive, Room 102. Information: fcgov.com/stormwater, [email protected] or (970) 221-6700.

Read also:
Which Poudre are we protecting?
Former mobile home park awaits rebirth as Pateros Creek riverside subdivision
Larimer County information on Shields Street corridor project

Related articles

Larimer County acquires critical easement adjacent to Timnath for Poudre River Trail

Which Poudre are we protecting?

Local reporter Kevin Duggan wrote recently that Save the Poudre, dedicated to preserving recreation and the river's health, are keeping a "watchful eye" on development, especially the Pateros Creek homes slated to go up next to us. I got to wondering on Facebook which Poudre River we are supposed to be protecting: 

More than a hundred years ago north of the little burg of Fort Collins, the Poudre was a mere creek this time of year. Wagons and cars forded that creek, as there were no bridges. There was no “Old Town”. No paved roads. No bike trails. No giant trees. No riparian forest. Which Poudre are we protecting? 1880's? 1920’s? 1950’s? 2012?"

via www.facebook.com

I reference my Facebook comment here in case you are interested in following the Pateros Creek development on our east border, or the planned widening of North Shields Street on our west border.

Read also:

A peek at the development next door 

Design begins on $5-million Shields St. corridor project

A peek at the development next door

FORT COLLINS, Colorado -- The Pateros Creek development planned next to our stable has a face now, 41 new small-lot homes reminiscent of the Craftsman era, which form a double-loop on 17.34 acres.

You can see the details -- and where a new bike trail is proposed -- at the development’s web page: http://www.bellisimoinc.com/projects/pateros-creek

Read also:

Next to our stable: 41 new 'Pateros Creek' homes

Next to our stable: 41 new 'Pateros Creek' homes

(Update 06/21/12: The Fort Collins Planning and Zoning board unanimously granted Pateros Creek's variance request for a density of 41 homes. The former trailer park had 49 lots, 44 of which were occupied.)

FORT COLLINS, Colorado -- The planned housing development on the east border of our stable has blossomed into 41 “clustered” homes with a proposed name of “Pateros Creek”.

Half of what was formerly the 17.34-acre Bender Mobile Home Park will be used for the new homes, with the other half used as open space and a buffer from the Poudre River on the property's north border, according to a letter from the city to nearby residents. 

Most of the Bender Mobile Home Park residents moved out in April, and nearly all of the park's trailers are gone. Sidehill Investment, LLC, owns the 912 Wood St. property, according to Larimer County records.

The development's proposed name, Pateros Creek, was one of the earliest of several names for the Poudre River, according to the Fort Collins History Connection. The website suggests "pateros" may be a mispronunciation of the French word, "piteux", or "piteous", after an early trapper who was found on the river in pitiful condition.

The Pateros Creek development, with a proposed zoning of Urban-Estate, will be the subject of a 5:30 p.m. informational neighborhood meeting June 12 in the Community Room of city offices, 215 North Mason Street, Fort Collins.

Read also:

'Next door' becoming part of the city

No conflict of interest for developer Gino Campana

Public hearing: 'Next door' becoming part of the city

FORT COLLINS, Colorado -- Who would have thought more than 20 years ago when we came here, that the city would ever come to us? 

The city's Planning and Zoning Board will conduct a public hearing regarding the annexation of the trailer park property on our stable's east border, approximately 1/4 mile east of N. Shields St. on the Poudre River, at 6 p.m.Thursday, City Hall, 300 LaPorte Ave., Fort Collins. 

Developer Gino Campana bought the trailer park property last year with plans to build new homes on the 17.3 acre site, each priced at approximately $450,000. Trailer park residents moved out last month.

Meanwhile, the Fort Collins-Larimer County $5-million project to widen Shields Street and replace the Poudre River bridge on our west border continues. We have a mystery on our hands, as a hand-written document created more than 100 years ago, 1896 to be exact, calls into question who owns extra footage for the widening -- residents or the county?

Read the city's public hearing announcement containing annexation details and a map.

Read also:

No conflict of interest for developer Gino Campana

Fort Collins losing MH home sites to redevelopment

Updating ag land use policy before it's too late

"The general public is agreeing that agricultural land, particularly fertile land with access to water, is important to preserve."- Chrsitopher Kailing

via www.goodfoodworld.com

Property owners need incentives to preserve agricultural or open lands. Otherwise, the high cost of property taxes makes maintaining pretty scenery, lower-density uses, or a place for food to grow an unaffordable proposition. (Click on the goodfoodworld.com link for the full story.)

Read also: Agriculture survey reveals common concerns

Agriculture survey reveals common concerns

Declining farm and ranchland, increasing difficulty finding housing affordable for agrarian incomes, issues around regulations, farm interns and costs as well as access to land were common concerns ..

via halfmoonbay.patch.com

I would venture to say that the farmers and ranchers in the Half Moon Bay area of California are not the only ones with these concerns. One of the reasons hay prices continue to climb is that hay fields are fast disappearing. (Click on the halfmoonbay.patch.com link for the full story.)

Subdivision proposal spotlights debate over prime agricultural land

"We're trying to talk about maintaining a resource that has potential as time goes by to provide income and food .."-- Fred Stewart, Target Range Resident

via www.nbcmontana.com

These landowners are trapped: They cannot afford to farm the property, nor can they develop it because their local government wants the farmland and irrigation. (Click on the NBC Montana link above for the full story.)

Scary snowpack could hurt farming, grazing

“We’ll take anything we can get at this point.” - Mike Hungenberg, farmer

via www.greeleytribune.com

While there is enough stored water for this year, the supply of new water has dried up. Next year, the situation could be grim for Colorado Front Range farmers and ranchers who depend on irrigation. Know a song about rain? Now would be a good time to sing it.

(Click on the Greeley Tribune link above for the full story.)