FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Fort Collins is looking to the future and preparing for the population to grow dramatically over the next 20 to 30 years.
To meet the need for housing, the city is embarking on a long-term review process for a master planned community near the Anheuser Busch brewery.
The development, called Montava, will cover 800 acres of land. It's intended to be a mixed-use development, with commercial, residential, office and industrial space.
"The concept is the development provides opportunity for live, work, play all in one area," said City Planner Clay Fricky. He said this trend in mixed-use development will be new to Fort Collins.
The Montava website called it an "agri-urban community" and explained how the development will include a focus on community farms, keeping with Fort Collins' agricultural character.
On the city's website, residents asked if the development would bring traffic headaches to that area. The city said there will be several changes to the street network around Montava. The changes include widening Timberline Road, adding a new arterial road running parallel to Vine, and extending Turnberry.
At least 10 percent of the planned 4,000 homes will be considered affordable for families making lower than the median income for Fort Collins. It will leave space for new Poudre Valley schools.
"We don't have a lot of vacant land left in the city of Fort Collins," Fricky said. "We likely wouldn't see another development of this size in the future."
That's why he said it's important for residents to be engaged throughout the process. While the master plan will likely be approved in the spring of 2019, every step of the development will have to go through a review process.
A community meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at the Northside Aztlan Community Center from 6-8 p.m.