Proposed metro district for Fort Collins 'new urbanism' project gets cautious council nod

Rebecca Powell, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·4 min read
A drawing shows what the Strauss Lakes project might look like at the corner of Horsetooth and Ziegler roads in east Fort Collins.
A drawing shows what the Strauss Lakes project might look like at the corner of Horsetooth and Ziegler roads in east Fort Collins.

Fort Collins City Council got back to business Tuesday, taking up items originally scheduled for the March 5 meeting that ended early after a demonstration during public comment.

On the heels of a well-attended Monday night special meeting about public comment and remote meetings, Tuesday's meeting was shorter and simpler than other meetings in the past month, when public comment regarding a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza dominated the conversation.

More than a dozen commenters again urged council members to consider taking up that resolution, and many of them said they would continue asking.

The discussion of the evening was about a new development for east Fort Collins that could bring 1,323 market-rate, workforce and affordable housing units, plus some commercial buildings, to 185 acres on the northeast corner of Ziegler and Horsetooth roads.

Metro district for 'new urbanism' project gets first look

A proposed metro district for a "new urbanism" development in east Fort Collins got a cautiously encouraging reception from City Council members Tuesday.

While they didn't take a vote, Fort Collins City Council members heard from Bill McDowell, managing partner of landowner and developer Cottonwood Land & Farms LLC, about the proposed Strauss Lakes Metropolitan District.

The hearing was required because of a metro district policy adopted by council in 2021 that requires a conceptual review hearing for metro districts with City Council before an application is ever filed. This hearing is meant to give them an opportunity to influence the plans while in the early stages.

That policy was meant to address council members' concerns about the tool, which creates an additional property tax for people who live in metro districts and can have consequences for homeowners if the district becomes insolvent.

A metro district is a special taxing district that developers can create to help fund projects. They sell bonds to pay for things like road construction and sewer lines, and then the homeowners who purchase properties in the district pay an additional property tax that repays the debt.

On Tuesday, council members gave largely positive feedback.

Fort Collins' policy requires metro districts to offer extraordinary benefits to the community, and a point system shows how well the proposal is meeting that requirement. That points system takes into consideration factors like energy and water conservation, neighborhood livability and housing options.

McDowell's team highlighted the community benefits they believe their metro district would provide:

  • At least 10% of units will be affordable housing for area median incomes ranging from 30% to 60%.

  • Trail connections, including to the Poudre River and from neighborhoods west of Ziegler to the new community park.

  • Level 3 electric vehicle charging stations.

  • Community gathering spaces, including five parks and open spaces, xeriscaped courtyards, low-water pocket parks and green space.

  • New bike and pedestrian bridges over channels and ditches.

  • Replacement of the Horsetooth Road bridge.

  • Contributions to Horsetooth and Zeigler roads intersection improvements.

  • Signals at William Neal Parkway and Ziegler Road.

  • Zeigler road sidewalk improvements.

  • Alley-loaded construction and smaller lot sizes.

  • Live/work units.

  • Increased multifamily development and attached single-family homes.

  • Improved bus stop on William Neal Parkway.

  • Consolidation of wetlands.

  • Facilitation of job growth and sales tax growth.

Mayor pro-tem Emily Francis said she hoped the developer would consider integrating its planned affordable housing units with the overall development, rather than separating them, as others' proposals have done.

She said setting aside any feelings about metro districts, she likes the new urbanism approach that includes a mix of housing types, alley-loaded units, wide sidewalks and said it appears to be in alignment with what council is looking for.

Council member Kelly Ohlson said everything about the plan appears to conform so far.

While council had the option to vote to take a more formal stance, Ohlson said he didn't want to do that, and council opted not to.

Mayor Jeni Arndt said the project looked like it was aligned with the goals of Fort Collins and said the city should continue to evaluate it.

The metro district approval of this project is separate from the development review of the project, and no formal applications have been made at this time.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins City Council reviews Strauss Lakes Metropolitan District