County paves way for development in LaPorte

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

After many years as a sleepy rural community, LaPorte is finally poised for growth. On Aug. 8, the Larimer County commissioners unanimously approved the formation of The Grove Metropolitan Districts, against the recommendation of the planning commission. The three districts will be able to provide sewer and other services to properties in LaPorte.

Organizers of the districts are Chris Kaul and Charlie Meserlian, operating as LaPorte Properties LLC. The district boundaries would initially be confined to their development east of Kintzley Plaza, The Grove, with plans for expansion to other developments later. Areas of LaPorte now served by septic systems could also be brought into the districts.

"This gives us the nod to start the growth of the LaPorte Area Plan," said Kaul. "There were a lot of hurdles involved, it cost a lot of money, and many people didn't think we would get it done."

The Grove will likely provide a template for future development in LaPorte, Kaul noted. It will also represent the first step in carrying out LaPorte's master drainage plan, since it will include a large culvert under County Road 54G. Other features of the proposed subdivision include bike paths and wide easements on both sides of the power line.

In July, the county's planning commission recommended denial of the metro district plan. Major concerns expressed by the commission included worries about the financial viability of the district and uncertainty about how other areas of LaPorte would eventually be included in the district.

The developers apparently put those concerns to rest with their revised service plan, including a more detailed financial analysis and specific criteria for future areas to be included in the districts.

Sewer service has been the primary obstacle to development in LaPorte. Developers crossed a major hurdle earlier this year, when Fort Collins agreed to provide sewer treatment to areas of LaPorte designated for high-density growth. However, city officials said they would prefer to deal with a LaPorte sewer district rather than building the infrastructure themselves. The local districts would build the collection lines and take care of maintenance and billing.

Both the county planning staff and the LaPorte Area Planning Advisory Committee have supported formation of the metro districts. One condition attached by the commissioners states that the inclusion area for the districts must encompass the entire area that Fort Collins agreed to serve.

According to the developers, each unit in The Grove will be assessed about $216 per year for sewer service.

Waiting for water

Kaul and Meserlian have been working on The Grove for more than three years, and it seems they have some more waiting to do. Water for the development will likely be supplied by the West Fort Collins Water District, but that district needs to grow in order to accommodate new homes. WFCWD has not expanded significantly since the 1970s, according to manager Doug Bigge.

The water district is currently studying what improvements will be necessary to supply water to new neighborhoods, but the master plan won't be complete until November. "We've had to stand in line for every service except electric," Kaul said. "Now we have to wait for the water, too."

Bigge said each developer will have to purchase additional shares of Colorado-Big Thompson water to bring to the table. The water district, in turn, will need to build new lines and perhaps new storage tanks to accommodate the growth.

At the commissioners' hearing in August, WFCWD attorney Alden V. Hill raised some hackles when he challenged the economic feasibility of The Grove project due to the high cost of water. While the tap fee is unknown at this time, Hill said the developers "could be looking at a cost of $30,000 for a water tap."

Kaul said the figure came as "a big surprise," since other water districts are charging $22,000 to $23,000 per tap. County planner Rob Helmick noted that since WFCWD would probably serve all new LaPorte developments, the playing field would be level in terms of cost regardless of what the district charges.

"Development in LaPorte has basically stalled for the last 10 years," commented Helmick. "It's likely to take off, and it will create issues."

What's next?

The metro districts must be approved by property owners within its boundaries, in an election slated for the first Tuesday in November. At present, Kaul and Meserlian are the only owners. The next step will be to form the districts and obtain financing for improvements.

With the metro districts now going forward, Kaul and Meserlian will submit their plan for The Grove development to the planning commission later this fall. The plan, calling for 263 residential units on 69 acres, includes 163 single-family homes, 100 multi-family units and some commercial space.

Kaul said he and his partner hope to start infrastructure work on The Grove next spring.