Johnstown Town Council 4/01/24

For more information (including members in attendance) see the full notes document here.*

View the meeting agenda and packet.

A video recording of the meeting is available on the Johnstown Government Facebook page.

From the Johnstown website: “Enhance the quality of life of our residents, businesses, and visitors through community-focused leadership.”

Key Points

Recognition for Outstanding Athletic Accomplishment – The Roosevelt High School Girls Basketball Team competed in March at the Colorado State High School Championship Games and won the Class “5A” State Championship Title.

United Power was recognized for their 85^th anniversary of providing cooperative electric service to residential, agricultural, and business members along Colorado’s northern front range.

Two Pioneer Ridge Elementary School students, Declan Averill, and Titus Porter suggested the town reconsider their vendor for dog waste bags. According to Declan and Titus, the US uses approximately 415 billion dog waste bags each year. They personally recommended using Earth Rated and/or So Phresh for these reasons:

1. Johnstown’s current vendor is FIDO House. The bags are not biodegradable and cost about $0.09 per bag.
2. Earth Rated bags are made of 65% recycled plastic and cost about $0.04 per bag.
3. So Phresh bags are biodegradable and cost about $0.08 per bag.

Consent Agenda

“The Consent Agenda is a group of routine matters to be acted on with a single motion and vote.” The Town Council unanimously approved all 5 items (details in the packet).

1. March 18, 2024, meeting minutes.

2. Ordinance No. 2024-242: Amending Sections 10-251, 10-252 And 10-254 Of the Johnstown Municipal Code Concerning Marijuana Regulation

3. Ordinance No. 2024-243: Dedication of Rights of Way and Easements to the Colorado Department of Transportation

4. Front Range Fire Annexation, Zoning, and Annexation Agreement. 

   1. Ordinance No. 2024-244:> Annexing Certain Unincorporated Lands Located in the Southeast Corner of Section 6, Township 4 North, West of the 6 P.M., County of Weld, State of Colorado, consisting of approximately 0.098 acres and known as the Front Range Fire Rescue Protection District Annexation.

   2. Ordinance No. 2024-245: Approval of the PUD-R Zoning known as the Front Range Fire Rescue Protection District, located in the Southeast corner of Section 6, Township 4 North, West of the 6 P.M., County of Weld, State of Colorado, consisting of approximately 0.098 acres. 

   3. Front Range Fire Rescue Property Annexation Agreement

5.  March 2024 list of bills.

Matrix Design Group has been awarded the Johnstown Stormwater Master Plan contract. Public Works Director Wilkins recommended Matrix Design Group to update Johnstown’s 2001 Master Plan for flood mitigation. Five proposals were submitted to Public Works. Matrix Design Group ranked the highest and their fees were below the budget limit. Matrix Design Group will identify flood prone areas and suggest possible solutions.

The Council approved an application from the Meteorite Committee and Historical Society to relocate a monument in honor of a meteorite that fell in the area. The monument will remain in the same vicinity, but set further back from Colorado Blvd. The town also agreed to take ownership and maintain the monument and the site.

A Public Hearing was held with respect to the Blue Spruce Ridge Annexation in 3 parts:

1. Resolution No. 2024-17: Finding of Facts and Conclusions.
2. First Reading of Ordinance No. 2024-246: Annexing certain unincorporated lands located in Larimer County, consisting of 41.1 acres, known as Blue Spruce Ridge Annexation.
3. First Reading of Ordinance No. 2024-247: Approval of a Mixed-Density Neighborhood (R2) zoning of the property known as the Blue Spruce Ridge Annexation, located in the County of Larimer, consisting of approximately 41.1 acres.

Earlier this year, the Planning Commission approved zoning this annexation as low-density R-1, single family detached homes. At a public hearing the residents agreed that would be best for this area and fit in with the surrounding neighborhoods. The owners and developer of Blue Spruce Ridge, named Blue Spruce Ridge HoldCo LLC, are now asking to rezone the 41.1-acre property to mixed density R-2, allowing them to build townhomes and row houses.

Town Planner Smith said rezoning to R-2 will allow for compact, affordable residential properties with a starting price of around $350,000. Previous comments from the Johnstown council indicate more affordable housing is needed to accommodate new home buyers and seniors with a walkable community.

Public comment raised the following concerns:

1. The height of townhomes. Residents currently have views to the west and south. Three-story townhomes will block their southern view of farmlands.
2. One resident researched the land use code. It’s currently R-1 and he says it should stay that way with single-family, detached homes to match their communities.
3. R-2 townhomes should only be used to transition downtown areas to residential. Not in outlying farmland surrounded by single family homes.

Council members also had concerns. Morris asked the owner if he could commit to one-story structures only. Roy Blade of Blue Spruce Ridge HoldCo, LLC said, “No, these cannot be one story.”

Mayor ProTem Berg reminded the council that they’ve previously asked for diversity in housing, and zone R-1 doesn’t allow for that. Berg asked the council members, “Do you want all cookie-cutter single family homes? Or do we want a variety of product and affordable housing?”

The town council voted 4-1 in favor of the Resolution and both Ordinances, including changing the zoning to R-2 medium density. Council member Morris voted against the Resolution and both Ordinances.

First Reading Ordinance No. 2024-248: An Ordinance Amending Article III of Chapter 13 of the Johnstown Municipal Code to add Section 13-86 Establishing a Special Fee concerning Regional Water Storage Tank Improvements to be paid by benefitted properties in the Subject Area and Remitted to the Water Utility Enterprise. J-U-B Engineers suggested a West Water Tank for Johnstown. They said the tank should hold 2 million gallons at an estimated cost between $12M and $13M. The town finance department suggested covering that expense with an estimated fee of about $970 paid by each of the area’s residents and commercial developments benefiting from the tank.

The construction of the West Tank is intended to provide multiple benefits to the Town’s water utility, including:

• The West Tank will be located at the highest service elevation in Johnstown. This means it would provide resiliency to the rest of the water distribution system in the event of an emergency.
• This tank would increase reliability and operational stability throughout the distribution system.
• Water pressure would increase, providing more pressure for existing and future properties and businesses in the west zone.
• The tank will provide necessary storage in the event of a fire or critical infrastructure failure within the west pressure zone.
• The additional tank would also reduce the size of the pump station required at the Water Treatment Plant at future buildout. This will ultimately result in a lower capital and annual operational cost for the Water Treatment Plant.

The council unanimously approved the Ordinance.

With no further public comment or business, the meeting adjourned at 9 p.m.

Next Meeting

April 15, 2024 @ 7:00 p.m. 450 S. Parish Ave., Johnstown, CO 80534, or online Town of Johnstown Facebook page.

Questions to Consider

When would the fee for a west water storage tank have to be paid?

Would the fee be one lump sum? Or could residents make payments?

*Citizen Observers further the commitment of the League of Women Voters to its principle of Citizens Right to Know, however, we are not acting as journalists. Omissions and errors are possible. It is assumed that users of this information are responsible for their own fact-checking. This could include contacting a government clerk, conversing with an elected official or staff, and/or asking us to speak to the Observer who attended.