Southwest Annexation
Current Features
Annexation ApprovedIn October 2006 City Council passed an ordinance annexing the Southwest Enclave and implementing the first phase of the annexation. (The area included in this annexation is to be brought into the City in four phases. See a map of the phases of the annexation.) Voters upheld the annexation at the April 3, 2007 election, by voting against the repeal of the ordinance. So what does this mean for residents, property and business owners in the Phase I area? View a map of Phase One of the Southwest Enclave Annexation. The properties located with Phase One of the SWEA are now considered to be within the City Limits of Fort Collins. This will have some impacts on the property owners in this area. Please see the information below. You may also contact various City departments for more information about the issues discussed below. Frequently Asked Questions for BusinessesMay 2007
Will the City make me change my business sign?All existing, permanent signs that were in place prior to the effective date of the annexation and that do not comply with the City of Fort Collins sign code must be brought into compliance within 7 years. This means that such signs must be made compliant by April 6, 2013. In some cases the signs can be lowered in height, relocated on the property or building, or reduced in size. There will be some instances when a sign or signs will need to be removed in order to comply with the sign code. The City will send a letter to affected property owners two or three years before the April 6, 2013 deadline. The letter will describe the nature of the nonconforming sign or signs that need to be modified or removed. Non-permanent signs such as banners, portable signs, vehicle-mounted signs and signs with flashing, blinking or other animation effects must be removed or corrected by June 5, 2007. The installation, remodeling or removal of any sign requires that a sign permit be obtained from the City. Please contact the Zoning department with any questions at 416-2745. Will the government services I receive be different than they are now?Some service providers will change and others will remain the same. The following list summarizes the primary government or public services that people have had the most questions about:
Will these services cost me more money than I pay currently?The answer to this question varies depending on a number of factors: size of the property, amount of developed vs. undeveloped land, whether it is residential or business, etc. Some businesses will pay more fees, some less, and some the same. Probably the biggest change is that of monthly stormwater utility fees, which are assessed by the City and not by the County. Stormwater fees are described in more detail below. Additionally, this Property Tax Calculator allows you to enter the value of your property to see a "before and after annexation" estimate. In most cases, there is a small annual increase in property taxes. How will my electric service be impacted? Will it cost more?The City Utilities will assume responsibility for providing electric service. The City's base electric rates are typically lower than PVREA and Xcel and the vast majority of property owners will pay the same or less cost for City electric service as they did with REA. City staff can estimate your new costs for City electric service based on your current usage with REA or Xcel. If you'd like to have this calculated, please contact Doug Martine, Electric Project Engineering Supervisor at (970) 224-6152 orThe electric utility will contact each property owner in advance of the changeover to City service with details of when and how the change will occur. What are the storm drainage fees likely to be?Stormwater fees fund projects throughout the City, and all City property owners that own developed property are subject to a monthly stormwater fee. Stormwater Rates describes how monthly stormwater fees are calculated and includes the name and number of a City staff person who can work with you to determine the rate for a specific property. In general, the monthly stormwater drainage fee for commercial properties averages approximately $144 per month and for residential properties (with a lot size of 8,600 square feet) it averages $14.36 per month. PLEASE NOTE that stormwater fees will be phased-in over five years to lessen the impact on property owners. During the first year that your property annexation takes place, only 20% of the fee will be charged. Year two will be 40%, and so on until the full 100% of the fee is reached. Will storm sewers be installed?No, the stormwater master plan does not identify the need for storm sewers in this area. Runoff would be as it exists today, in borrow ditches and under streets in culverts. Is there a change to water service upon annexation?No. The Fort Collins/Loveland Water District currently serves this area and will continue to do so. Will the City maintain our streets?The City will take over whatever level of maintenance the County does currently. The County and the City have the same street standards, so if the County maintains your streets, then they will also meet City standards and the City will maintain them. Essentially, these streets are accepted onto the City system. It your homeowners association is already maintaining the roads, then it will continue to maintain them after your neighborhood is annexed into the City. In the case of "non-compliant" streets that don't meet the County's current standards, the City will not accept them onto the City system but will perform a basic level of maintenance. This includes pothole repair, minor crack sealing and slurry sealing. Grading of gravel roads would be completed 2-3 times per year. The City may use recycled asphalt in certain areas and add magnesium chloride to reduce dust impacts. Any needed maintenance beyond this level would fall to local Homeowners Associations or adjacent property/business owners until such time that the roads are brought up to current County and City standards. Will our streets have to be upgraded once we're in the City?Generally speaking, the City will not force any upgrades, unless there is a specific health and safety issue. In the case of public streets that have not been accepted on the City system (that don't meet the standards) and are structurally failing, neither the City nor the County will fund local street reconstruction. The most likely way to improve these local streets would be to form a Special Improvement District (SID). An SID is formed when the majority of affected property owners vote to create it. If your neighborhood's streets meet County standards and are currently maintained by the County, then you will not need to make any improvements upon annexation. If they are not maintained by the County and residents do not want them to be maintained by the City, then no improvements need be made. However, if the street is not currently maintained by the County and residents do want the City to take over maintenance, then the street will first need to be upgraded to County and City standards. If we do decide to upgrade our streets, will we be forced to have streetlights, sidewalks, curbs and gutters?Local streets within existing neighborhoods may not be required to meet all of the design elements such as sidewalks or curb and gutter. The City standards do require concrete edge protection - sometimes that means curb and gutter; sometimes it has been a flat concrete gutter. City staff members have a long-standing practice of collaborating with property and business owners, working together to design street renovations. Each neighborhood is looked at specifically and separately in order to make improvements that are appropriate for the character of the neighborhood. Streetlights will not be forced. They are available if the neighborhood chooses to install them and agrees to pay for it.A detailed explanation of the City's policies on annexed streets is included in the Larimer County Urban Area Streets Standards at: http://www.larimer.org/engineering/GMARdStds/ApdxG%20Reenacted%20%2010-01-02.pdf Will our streets be plowed when it snows?The City will plow arterials, collectors, and school bus routes immediately. Snowfall more than 12" deep will eventually be plowed on all streets. What are the long term plans for South College Avenue and the businesses there?There are a couple of ways to answer this question. In terms of transportation, many business owners are familiar with the South College Avenue/US287 Access Control Plan that was developed by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Larimer County and the City of Fort Collins in 2002. This plan is intended to address transportation safety issues along South College/US287 from Swallow Road to Carpenter Road. It can be viewed at http://fcgov.com/transportationplanning/scollege.php or we can provide a hard copy for anyone interested. When a property redevelops to a new land use (commensurate with changes in traffic volumes) or when a property owner wishes to modify access to the property, the property owner can be required to implement the improvements identified within the Access Control Plan. Future access changes are the same whether South College Avenue is annexed or not because this roadway is part of the state and federal highway system and jurisdiction over required improvements lies with state and federal agencies. Additionally, the City is preparing to create a "subarea plan" in 2007 for the South College corridor, the boundaries of which will include some relatively short distance east and west of College Avenue from Harmony Road to Carpenter Road. This plan will involve people who own and work in businesses and will include their ideas for how the area should evolve. As a point of interest, the City has no plans to create a subarea plan for the residential areas west of College to the foothills because the pattern of development is largely established by existing development and publicly-owned open space. Any more detailed residential planning could be triggered by land development applications that cover a limited geographic area.How does being in the City affect retail businesses that collect sales tax?If you currently collect state sales tax, you will need to obtain a City sales tax license and begin collecting City sales tax on November 1, 2006. There is no charge for the license. Tax remittance schedules will be provided when the license is issued. City sales tax rate tables will be supplied for your convenience. See www.fcgov.com/salestax for more information. A City "use tax" is collected on certain items purchased outside the City that have not already had a Colorado municipal tax levied on the purchase. The use tax applies to items used in the business, such as computers, display cases and construction materials. It is not applied to inventory or other items purchased for resale. Use tax is only applied when City sales tax or a Colorado municipal tax has not already been paid on the item at purchase. To submit use tax, a use tax form is available at www.fcgov.com/salestax or from the City sales tax office. The sales tax (and use tax) for the city of Fort Collins is 3%. The total sales tax for the combination of City, County and State is 6.7%, as noted in the table below.
A list of common questions and answers regarding sales and use tax is available on the City website: www.fcgov.com/salestax/faq.php. Sales and Use Tax staff may be reached at 221-6780. Who needs a Secondhand Dealers license?
What are the differences between the City and County building permit process?The City and County follow a similar building permit process. The differences are mainly in the types of fees that are to be paid. The City collects fees for street oversizing, stormwater, capital expansion (e.g. parks and police) and a School District Impact Fee. The County collects fees for wildfire review, stormwater, special review for certain types of uses, and additional fees if the property is located within the Fort Collins Growth Management Area. Building Permit fees for the City of Fort Collins are generally lower than Larimer County for most types of construction. I'm interested to learn more about City zoning districts. How can I find out what can or cannot be built on or near my property in the future?City zoning districts in this area generally reflect the land use that is/was already in place. For example, properties along the South College corridor have commercial-type designations. Additionally, information is available about what can or cannot be built on or near a property based on its zoning district. This is available on line within the Land Use Code Matrix or Article 4 of the Land Use Code at www.fcgov.com/currentplanning. You can also contact the City's Zoning Office at (970) 416-2745 to discuss this with Zoning staff. Are there any requirements if I want to expand the building in which my business is located or if I want to change the use of my commercial building?The City, like the County, has varying requirements depending on the size of the addition and/or the type of change. Generally, any addition to a nonresidential building that increases the floor area by more than 25%, or any change of use of such a building (i.e. changing a warehouse to an office building, a retail store to a restaurant) will require that the entire property be brought into compliance with the standards contained in the Fort Collins Land Use Code to the extent reasonably feasible. This could trigger such things as landscaping, parking lot, curb cuts, sidewalk, and stormwater detention upgrades. Additional right-of-way or easement dedications and the need to plat the property may also be required. Who can I call if I have more questions about any of these issues?There are a number of City employees available to talk with you in detail about these and other subjects you may have questions about. The City's website also contains a wealth of information: www.fcgov.com. Please contact Cameron Gloss, Director of Current Planning, at (970) 221-6765 for general information or a referral to a specific City staff person. Cameron can also be reached via Frequently Asked Questions for Residences
Will the government services I receive be different than they are now?Some service providers will change and others will remain the same. The following list summarizes the primary government or public services that people have had the most questions about:
Will these services cost me more money than I pay currently?The answer to this question varies depending on a number of factors: size of the property, amount of developed vs. undeveloped land, whether it is residential or business, etc. Some businesses will pay more fees, some less, and some the same. Probably the biggest change is that of monthly stormwater utility fees, which are assessed by the City and not by the County. Stormwater fees are described in more detail below. Additionally, this property tax calculator allows you to enter the value of your property to see a "before and after annexation" estimate. In most cases, there is a small annual increase in property taxes. How will my electric service be impacted? Will it cost more?The City Utilities will assume responsibility for providing electric service. The City's base electric rates are typically lower than PVREA and Xcel and the vast majority of property owners will pay the same or less cost for City electric service as they did with REA. City staff can estimate your new costs for City electric service based on your current usage with REA or Xcel. If you'd like to have this calculated, please contact Doug Martine, Electric Project Engineering Supervisor at (970) 224-6152 or The electric utility will contact each property owner in advance of the changeover to City service with details of when and how the change will occur. Is there a change to water service upon annexation? No. The Fort Collins/Loveland Water District currently serves this area and will continue to do so.What are the storm drainage fees likely to be?Stormwater fees fund projects throughout the City, and all City property owners that own developed property are subject to a monthly stormwater fee. Stormwater Rates describes how monthly stormwater fees are calculated and includes the name and number of a City staff person who can work with you to determine the rate for a specific property. In general, the monthly stormwater drainage fee for residential properties (with a lot size of 8,600 square feet) it averages $14.36 per month. PLEASE NOTE that stormwater fees will be phased-in over five years to lessen the impact on property owners. During the first year that your property annexation takes place, only 20% of the fee will be charged. Year two will be 40%, and so on until the full 100% of the fee is reached. Will storm sewers be installed?No, the stormwater master plan does not identify the need for storm sewers in this area. Runoff would be as it exists today, in borrow ditches and under streets in culverts. What about septic tanks in the area?Septic systems will continue to be regulated by the County Department of Health, and so there will be no difference in the regulations. The County does require that if a septic system fails, and is within 400 feet of a public sewer, then you must connect to the sewer. Annexation does not change those rules - it will still be governed by the County. Will current land uses be "grandfathered" or will we have to change under the City code?All current land uses are allowed to remain. For example, if you are permitted to have horses under the current County regulations those horses are allowed under City regulations as well. Will the City maintain our streets?The City will take over whatever level of maintenance the County does currently. The County and the City have the same street standards, so if the County maintains your streets, then they will also meet City standards and the City will maintain them. Essentially, these streets are accepted onto the City system. It your homeowners association is already maintaining the roads, then it will continue to maintain them after your neighborhood is annexed into the City. In the case of "non-compliant" streets that don't meet the County's current standards, the City will not accept them onto the City system but will perform a basic level of maintenance. This includes pothole repair, minor crack sealing and slurry sealing. Grading of gravel roads would be completed 2-3 times per year. The City may use recycled asphalt in certain areas and add magnesium chloride to reduce dust impacts. Any needed maintenance beyond this level would fall to local Homeowners Associations or adjacent property/business owners until such time that the roads are brought up to current County and City standards. Will our streets have to be upgraded once we're in the City?Generally speaking, the City will not force any upgrades, unless there is a specific health and safety issue. In the case of public streets that have not been accepted on the City system (that don't meet the standards) and are structurally failing, neither the City nor the County will fund local street reconstruction. The most likely way to improve these local streets would be to form a Special Improvement District (SID). An SID is formed when the majority of affected property owners vote to create it. If your neighborhood's streets meet County standards and are currently maintained by the County, then you will not need to make any improvements upon annexation. If they are not maintained by the County and residents do not want them to be maintained by the City, then no improvements need be made. However, if the street is not currently maintained by the County and residents do want the City to take over maintenance, then the street will first need to be upgraded to County and City standards. If we do decide to upgrade our streets, will we be forced to have streetlights, sidewalks, curbs and gutters?Local streets within existing neighborhoods may not be required to meet all of the design elements such as sidewalks or curb and gutter. The City standards do require concrete edge protection - sometimes that means curb and gutter; sometimes it has been a flat concrete gutter. City staff members have a long-standing practice of collaborating with property and business owners, working together to design street renovations. Each neighborhood is looked at specifically and separately in order to make improvements that are appropriate for the character of the neighborhood. Streetlights will not be forced. They are available if the neighborhood chooses to install them and agrees to pay for it.A detailed explanation of the City's policies on annexed streets is included in the Larimer County Urban Area Streets Standards at: http://www.larimer.org/engineering/GMARdStds/ApdxG%20Reenacted%20%2010-01-02.pdf Will our streets be plowed when it snows?The City will plow arterials, collectors, and school bus routes immediately. Snowfall more than 12" deep will eventually be plowed on all streets.Can electric fences be constructed?Changes were recently enacted to the City code so that electrically charged fences can be used for livestock and pasture management in the UE and RUL zones. These fences must not exceed a maximum amperage, have to be surrounded by permanent fencing, and if they are located along a public right-of-way, must contain signs identifying them as being electrically charged. Existing fences that don't meet these standards would be allowed to continue indefinitely, unless the fence is relocated or modified. At that time the fence would have to meet the above requirements. What are the City's laws regarding pets, horses and farm animals?There are not many differences between City and County animal regulations. For example, excessively barking dogs are prohibited in both the City and County, and neither jurisdiction places a maximum on the number of pets. Probably the main difference in terms of pet regulations is that of leash laws. In the County, leash laws apply only to dogs, and the animal can be under verbal control. In the City, the animal must actually be on a leash, and the law also applies to cats. The Urban Estate (UE) and the proposed Rural Lands (RUL) zoning district regulations for horses and other farm animals virtually match that of Larimer County. Horses are permitted within these areas if a minimum of ½ acre of pasture is provided per horse. If there are cases where additional horses are legal under present County regulations, the City could add a provision in the annexation ordinance for these horses to be "grandfathered" and thus allowed under City regulations as well. The City's regulations do not place a cap on the number of farm animals, but the same County and State health regulations still apply that may effectively limit the number of farm animals on a particular property.Animal regulations are handled by the Larimer County Humane Society in both the City and County. Details on these regulations can be found on the Humane Society's website at www.larimerhumane.org or by calling 226-3647 (226-DOGS). I'm interested to learn more about City zoning districts. How can I find out what can or cannot be built on or near my property in the future?City zoning districts in this area generally reflect the land use that is/was already in place. For example, low density neighborhoods will be zoned Urban Estate, South College corridor properties have commercial-type designations, etc. Additionally, information is available about what can or cannot be built on or near a property based on its zoning district. This is available on line within the Land Use Code Matrix or Article 4 of the Land Use Code at www.fcgov.com/currentplanning. You can also contact the City's Zoning Office at (970) 416-2745 to discuss this with Zoning staff. Who can I call if I have more questions about any of these issues?There are a number of City employees available to talk with you in detail about these and other subjects you may have questions about. The City's website also contains a wealth of information: www.fcgov.com. Please contact Cameron Gloss, Director of Current Planning, at (970) 221-6765 for general information or a referral to a specific City staff person. Cameron can also be reached via Questions? Comments?
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