Fort Collins council rejects appeal of Union Park plan

FORT COLLINS — The Fort Collins City Council on Tuesday unanimously rejected the latest appeal of the city’s approval of the Union Park project development plan, acknowledging the concerns of nearby residents but telling them their time for appeal had passed.

English Ranch resident Jeff Janelle, on behalf of more than 500 of his neighbors, had filed the appeal of the Planning and Zoning Commission’s Feb. 15 approval of the development plan for Union Park in southeast Fort Collins. Their issue was the requirement that Windsor-based developer Landmark Homes stop a street connection short of Paddington Road and English Ranch, only completing the connection if and when the land between Union Park and English Ranch is developed.

Janelle’s notice of appeal was filed on Feb. 29, alleging that the Planning and Zoning Commission failed to conduct a fair hearing when it considered evidence relevant to its findings “which was substantially false or grossly misleading and failed to properly interpret and apply relevant provisions of the land-use code, city code and/or charter.” He especially contested the results of a traffic impact study that he said failed to properly consider the impact of more than 600 homes.

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Janelle’s appeal requested that the City Council eliminate the local stub street and instead reinstate an alternative bike and pedestrian connection.

The 32.6-acre Union Park development would include a total of 603 dwelling units across multiple housing types, a 10,000 square foot child-care center with multiple outdoor play areas, 34,000 square feet of office/retail space in two buildings, and additional office/flex space available in mixed-use and live/work buildings.

The development has faced multiple appeals since Landmark first proposed it in 2021. Land-use attorney Bob Choate, representing Landmark, told the council that this was the sixth public hearing on Union Park and that the project had been delayed more than a year.