Taft Hill neighbors object to 291 proposed homes, senior care home

Pat Ferrier | The Coloradoan

A standing-room-only crowd packed Laporte Outreach Ministries on Wednesday to send a clear message of resistance to the proposed 291-home Sanctuary at the Green development off North Taft Hill Road.

Citing density, floodplain and traffic concerns, disruption to wetlands, view sheds and quality of their rural life, more than 100 residents stood in near unanimous opposition to the project that has lingered for more than a decade.

Formerly known as Sanctuary West, the project was first proposed 11 years ago but is back with a different plan for nearly 41 acres on the north side of Laporte Avenue, just west of Taft Hill Road.

Bill Veio and Solitaire Homes of Denver have proposed a 291-unit development that would include a mix of townhomes, condos, multifamily units and a long-term care facility surrounded by independent living units.

Stephanie Hansen of Ripley Design, Fort Collins, told the crowd plans are still preliminary and can be modified before they are submitted to the city's planning department.

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Resident Laura Larson, representing more than 70 neighbors, said "people are very opposed to what you are planning. That is why we are here."

She referenced the city's northwest subarea plan that spells out the city's desire to respect the rural feel of the neighborhoods and foster slow, low-density development.

"We feel this is incompatible with the neighborhood," she said. "We hope the city will oppose this project."

Neighbors objected not only to the density of the project but to the three-story design of an assisted living center for seniors.

Hansen said developers have respected the subarea plan by clustering planned housing near the center of the site and maintaining open space on half the property.

Veio, managing partner of Solitaire Homes, said the project would help provide much needed housing in Fort Collins, some of which would be considered affordable for much of the city's population.

Currently, price points are expected to be about $250,000 for condos, $300,000 for townhomes and $300,000 to $400,000 for duplexes.

If the project and annexation are approved by the planning and zoning board and City Council, construction would start within a year at the earliest. Buildout could take up to two years depending on the market, Veio said.

Solitaire Homes still needs to conduct traffic, environmental and wetlands studies to determine impact on the existing neighbors. And the developer will also be responsible for improving portions of Taft Hill Road, including sidewalks.

The site is primarily vacant land within an existing neighborhood north of Poudre High School and the Poudre School District administration building.

The property consists of three parcels, including 14 acres east of New Mercer Canal that will need to be annexed into the city and zoned, said senior planner Ted Shepard.

The 98,000-square-feet long-term care facility with independent living units arranged as a campus are east of the canal, Shepard said.

Veio's company built Saddle Ridge subdivision at Overland Trail and Elizabeth Street nearly two decades ago.