MEETINGS-AUDIO & VIDEO
May 14, 2023: City Council Work Session, The Future of Hughes Land Discussion
During the March 14th work session, Council and Staff discussed the Future of Hughes, based on the poorly designed surveys, and focus groups, that were conducted by the outreach consultant. Staff and Council downplayed the proposed 80+ acre bmx/mtb bike skills park as a future use of Hughes open space, which was spearheaded by the lobbying efforts of a few small but vocal mountain bike groups.
The Council suggested the delay of any additional Hughes outreach efforts until early 2024, which conveniently, is after the November 2023 election in which FOUR Councilmembers are up for re-election (Arndt, Francis, Peel, and Pignataro).
One councilmember (Gutowsky) inquired about the extensive lobbying background of the primary outreach consultant in the mountain bike industry, a conflict of interest and bias that was also downplayed by staff.
We’ll keep our supporters apprised of next steps in the process to protect Hughes as open space for all members of our community. Stay tuned. Thank you.
May 6, 2021: CSU System Board of Governors Meeting, Future of Hughes Land Discussion
The CSU BOG and Chancellor Tony Frank address the recent rezoning (as Public Open Lands) of the former Hughes Stadium site, per the Fort Collins citizens' initiative that was approved by voters on April 6, 2021.
Additionally, the BOG passes a resolution that lays out their intentions and next steps for the Hughes open space parcel. In essence, the CSU BOG states that it still intends to try to use SPAR to bypass the will of the voters in order to develop Hughes for housing and commercial use, although these land uses would NOT comply with Public Open Lands zoning. Notably, the CSU BOG gives the City of Fort Collins a deadline of July 31, 2021 to negotiate a satisfactory purchase offer for the Hughes Public Open Lands parcel.
December 12, 2020: Update on PATHS’ “Request for Interpretation” of SPAR Land Use Code
We have an update on our attorneys' Request for Interpretation to the City regarding the legality and applicability (or lack thereof) of the SPAR process for CSU's proposed redevelopment of Hughes. Spurred by a letter from PATHS, City Staff sent a letter to CSU on 12/10/2020 seeking clarification and specific details about how CSU's proposal meets the explicit criteria for a SPAR Review.
See the letter from City Staff, and the video of the P&Z Board work session, where the status of the Request for Interpretation is discussed by Paul Sizemore, Interim Director of Community Development and Neighborhood Services.
Letter from City of Fort Collins to CSU regarding SPAR: https://tinyurl.com/ya8cgeq2
November 19, 2020: CSU’s Conceptual Review Hearing for Hughes Redevelopment via SPAR, City of Fort Collins
CSU's Conceptual Review public hearing with various City departments for the Hughes Stadium site, beginning the controversial and accelerated SPAR process.
https://www.fcgov.com/developmentreview/files/design-reviews/1605051887-2020_1119_ConceptualReviewPacket_website.pdf?1605051888
November 19, 2020: P&Z Board Meeting Discussion of SPAR
The P&Z Board responds to a citizen’s question about the application of SPAR, and its effect on local control over development. Understandably, several P&Z Board members spoke to their lack of sufficient background knowledge on their part regarding when SPAR applies and when it does not. It is imperative that our City Council and P&Z Board members become informed about this controversial land use topic.
https://www.fcgov.com/developmentreview/files/design-reviews/1605051887-2020_1119_ConceptualReviewPacket_website.pdf?1605051888
November 17, 2020: ITEMS RELATING TO A CITIZEN-INITIATED PETITION RELATING TO THE HUGHES STADIUM PROPERTY
The Hughes open space citizens petition was presented to council for adoption of first reading, or referral to the voters in April of 2021. Thank you so much to everyone who contacted City Council in favor of adopting the Fort Collins citizens' initiative to zone Hughes as public open lands (open space)!! 🥰 Sadly, the vote to adopt the citizens' Hughes Open Space Ordinance within 30 days, FAILED on a 3-to-3 TIE vote, with the same champions of the people voting FOR immediate adoption, and the same three unsupportive members voting AGAINST adoption:
FOR: Cunniff, Gutowsky, Pignataro
AGAINST=Gorgol, Summers, Troxell (AGAIN)
Public comment begins at 28:00 minutes.
October 13, 2020 City Council Work Session to update public about City’s offer to purchase Hughes
Work session public announcement about the City's recent offer to purchase all but 15 acres of Hughes from CSU (15 acres would have been retained by CSU to develop workforce housing). The gist is that Tony Frank refused to enter into back-and-forth negotiations with the City. The City's offer was a VERY good starting point, and was NOT a final offer by any means. See the video below for more about the City's initial offer. Or, skip ahead to 09:50 minutes, the part where one councilman castigates CSU for no longer being a good neighbor and partner to the City of Fort Collins.
Note: This offer from the City is UNRELATED to the citizens initiative that requires the City to enter into fair market value acquisition negotiations within two years of zoning the parcel public open lands.
October 9, 2020: Audio of CSU Board of Governors (BOG) public meeting
The CSU BOG and Tony Frank vote on a resolution to attempt to move forward with a Site Advisory Review Plan (SPAR) under the Fort Collins Land Use Code, to crush public opposition, and despite serious doubts about the legitimacy of that review process for their proposed PRIVATE development. At the time of this BOG meeting, PATHS volunteers were in the middle of a successful signature collection for a ballot measure that would ZONE Hughes as "public open lands" and direct the City to engage in good-faith fair-market negotiations to purchase the property from CSU. Note the glaringly obvious omission. Tony Frank did NOT mention the citizens initiative to the CSU BOG, and it was not taken into consideration before the vote to attempt to move forward with SPAR for Hughes.
Email the Board of Governors: csus_board@mail.colostate.edu
Email Chancellor Tony Frank: tony.frank@colostate.edu
https://csusystem.edu/board-of-governors/
CSU Board of Governors
August 18, 2020 City Council Meeting
Sierra Club Poudre Canyon Group (PCG) endorses public open space for Hughes at 8/18/2020 City Council Meeting.
November 5, 2019 City Council Meeting
Fort Collins City Council: 1st Reading of the Hughes Stadium Redevelopment Plan, per City staff's original recommendation to rezone and build a housing subdivision on the Hughes green space.
June 2020
Keep Hughes Open Space for ALL
Keep Hughes Open Space - June 2020