RFL planning committee mediates sign dispute

By Linda Bell
Correspondent

The Red Feather Lakes Planning Advisory Committee met in February in its new guise as a sanctioned county committee tasked with directing planning in the community. It was hardly a moment too soon for some residents.

PAC members deferred discussion of the bylaws and moved swiftly through other procedural matters, given that a contentious signage issue has landed in their domain. Area business operators, angry at Larimer County over signs taken down during the lucrative Christmas season, were waiting to air their views to the committee and county representatives.

The committee turned its meeting over to Mark Peterson, head of the county engineering department, and Martina Wilkinson, traffic engineer and the one charged with creating the preliminary design for tourist-oriented directional signs for use along county roads.

The resulting interactive discussion helped clarify for the community and the county how the TOD program could work in the Red Feather Lakes area. For instance, Janice Weixelman, owner of Red Feather Medical Clinic, noted there needed to be informational signs indicating how extensive the village is, and suggested signs at various intersections should show that. Don Weixelman, owner of Beaver Meadows, said some of his clientele need directional signage to Red Feather Lakes from Interstate 25 through Owl Canyon Road.

Peterson explained that the TOD signs could either be business specific, in which case the business would bear the total cost of the sign, estimated at $250 per year per sign, or generic, where several businesses could join to cover the costs. Wilkinson said the county is exploring whether Colorado Logos, a private contractor that makes, installs and maintains TOD signs for the state, could supply similar signs for the county program when it is approved.

County planner Jill Bennett said the PAC might be able to work with the business community to create a "sign plaza" that could be appropriately approved and zoned through the planning office.

To refine ideas, Larimer County Commissioners have scheduled a work session on rural directional signing for 10 a.m., March 12, second floor of the courthouse office building, 200 W. Oak St. in Fort Collins.

Last August, the county adopted the Red Feather Lakes Area Plan that created the PAC as an ongoing body. The PAC met almost monthly for nearly two years, from November 2004 to August 2006, to craft the area plan.

The PAC will rotate officers for three-month terms during this first calendar year to get used to different styles and pace and to give more people a chance to participate. Eunice Michalka will chair the committee with Lucille Schmitt as vice chair and Bill Gilbert as secretary for the first three months.

Two members of the original committee, Bob Isaacson and Jack Reynolds, have resigned. Two new members, appointed by the county, are Gilbert and Gordon "Bud" Thomas. Thomas lives within the planning area and Gilbert lives in the plan's impact area.

Additional founding members serving on the committee of 13 are Gene Allen, Gene Barker, Susan Bradley, Ted Carter, Terry Ferebee, Dennis Frydendall, Ross Reid, Michael Sledge and Roger Svendsen.

The committee decided to meet the second Thursday of each month, from 4 to 6 pm, in the Red Feather Lakes Volunteer Fire Department meeting room. Members said the later meeting time might attract more community participation and still allow enough time for county representation as needed.