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Laramie is home to a sizeable and growing technology cluster of more than 60 companies. These technology firms project they will add more than 100 new jobs in the next five to eight years. We’re not a silo of activity – a strong regional synergy has developed in the last four to five years between Laramie’s burgeoning technology cluster, the University of Wyoming, and Cheyenne’s NCAR, Wyoming’s super-computing center, and the Microsoft Data Center. This unique palette of amenities has culminated in southeastern Wyoming becoming a desirable environment for data centers, technology businesses, and research and development firms. The Cirrus Sky Technology Park (CSTP) is the first phase of a major economic development effort undertaken by the City of Laramie, the Laramie Economic Development Corporation, and the University of Wyoming CSTP will capitalize on assets specific to Laramie as a university community, including the Wyoming Technology Business Center and university-developed, patented technologies which are being placed through licensing into technology-related businesses. CSTP will become home to the growing number of businesses with technology and data-management at their core, who want to be where the action is in Laramie and southeastern Wyoming. These frequently-asked-questions were developed to address concerns which have been raised at public meetings and submitted in writing to both the City of Laramie and the LEDC. 1. HOW CAN I BE INVOLVED IN PLANNING FOR THIS PROJECT? Only a few opportunities for input have passed; the good news is that there are many more public discussions and meetings that will occur in coming months! Although a grant application was submitted on September 1st to help pay for infrastructure, the development review and planning for this project is only now beginning. The City routinely submits grant applications months (or years) in advance of the start of infrastructure construction. To recap what has already occurred, there have been a number of public discussions of the development of this area over the past two years following Verizon’s announcement of their intent to locate a data center on the site. City Council’s Adopted Goals for the past two years have identified the use of this particular area for economic development as a high priority. Both the City and County held public hearings last year during consideration and approval of mirror Comprehensive Plan amendments. Specific to the Cirrus Sky technology park, public discussions were advertised and took place at City Council meetings on May 1st, June 26th, August 7th & August 14th. Most recently, LEDC and the City hosted a special neighborhood meeting in response to concerns raised by neighbors in early-August. Personal invitations were mailed to each household in the north Laramie area. What is still to come? Public hearings with the Planning Commission and City Council on regulatory topics such as zoning and annexation will occur as the project undergoes the review process outlined in City code. The Cirrus Sky development will be regulated by the City’s Unified Development Code (UDC) after the property is annexed into the City. (The UDC is available on the City website at The process outlined in the UDC includes all of the standard requirements for public notification and public comment and participation. The process started September 10th with a public hearing by ---PAGE BREAK--- the Planning Commission. The timetable for Cirrus Sky development review and consideration will likely occur over 4 - 5 months between September 2012 to February 2013. In addition to attending public meetings, you may wish to subscribe to automatic updates on the development process and the project generally through the City website at www.cityoflaramie.org. 2. WOULDN’T IT BE BETTER FOR THE AREA TO BE DEVELOPED INTO RESIDENTIAL HOUSING? The one sure thing is that the subject property will not remain undeveloped forever…change, as we all know, is inevitable. The real issue is how – not whether – this land will be developed. There are pros and cons to every type of development. In this case the Cirrus Sky project is preferable to residential development in a couple of ways. If the property were developed as residential homes we need only look down the ridge east of 30th Street for a good example of how the development would appear. Most potential homebuyers will want to build houses as close to the edge of the ridgeline as possible and there is no prohibition in City or County codes against doing so. These home owners are unlikely to tolerate a public trail through their yards. There is also no requirement that residential developments be annexed into the City, or that they come under City zoning or building codes. While Albany County land-use regulations are appropriate for large-lot, low-density rural development, we believe most citizens (City and County) will agree: this land is not well-suited for houses on individual wells and private septic tanks. With Cirrus Sky, the City will own and develop the land. As the developer the City has the authority to ensure reservations for public trails and green space in perpetuity for future generations. This will be unlikely, if not impossible, if a private land owner developed this property for residential or any other purpose. 3. I’M CONCERNED ABOUT THE VISIBILITY OF DEVELOPMENT ON THE RIDGE – SIZE OF BUILDINGS, OUTDOOR LIGHTING AT NIGHT, ETC. IS THERE ANYTHING THE CITY CAN DO TO ADDRESS THIS? Yes. The City is creating a new zoning district (the Technology-Office, or T.O. District) within our Unified Development Code specifically with the Cirrus Sky project in mind. A key feature of the T.O District is an enhanced setback from the trail corridor along the ridge. The regulation requires that taller buildings be set farther away from the ridgeline trail, according to a sliding scale, so that a 45-foot tall structure (the highest allowed in the district) will be at least 200 feet from the ridgeline. Regarding outdoor lighting, the staff has incorporated International Dark Sky (IDS) development standards in the District’s draft language; one feature is a requirement that illumination at any property line be held to zero – the strictest lighting limitation possible. ---PAGE BREAK--- It would be incorrect to suggest that Cirrus Sky buildings will be invisible from below, or that no lights at all will be visible in Laramie below the ridge, but the T.O. District requirements will minimize light pollution and building visibilities as much as possible. 4. WHY IS THE CITY MASTER PLANNING SUCH A LARGE AMOUNT OF ACREAGE? It’s true that Laramie has seldom, if ever, had a development project of this scope – geographical, financial, or logistical. However, it’s been well-publicized that Laramie in general, and the Cirrus Sky area in particular, are the subject of significant interest from data centers and technology enterprises since Verizon announced they had optioned property in this area in January 2011. It would be short-sighted and poor practice for the City to ignore this genuine, persistent interest in the community from international corporations like Microsoft and Verizon. The master planning process should look at the area of interest, and the surrounding area, to plan for measured, purposeful development that will complement the community as a whole, as well as adjacent areas that may already be developed. In April 2012 the City began work in tandem with a consulting firm to conceptually plan for roughly 2400 acres north of the current city limits from roughly 45th Street west to the Laramie River. This action was undertaken purposefully to keep the community in the ‘driver’s seat.’ When the City and community plan in-advance for growth we influence the outcome and future direction of the community, rather than being ‘along for the ride’ while private development determines our future for us. 5. WHAT IS THE ANTICIPATED TIMELINE FOR THE PROJECT? CAN THE CITY REGULATE HOW THE DEVELOPMENT LOOKS SO THAT IS ISN’T AN EYESORE? Laramie’s development review and approval process is quite thorough. Assuming the property is zoned to the new T.O. District upon annexation, the UDC will require compliance with strict criteria, including landscaping, parking, and high-quality building materials. The T.O. District as drafted specifically requires large setbacks from the ridgeline trail corridor – approximately two hundred feet for a three-story building – and outdoor lighting requirements are very strict as noted. Staff expects the T.O. District will be considered by City Council in October. In addition to UDC standards, property covenants and restrictions will be mandatory. If UW purchases property they will have their own additional standards, probably including qualities parallel to those in the University’s Long-Range Development Plan (See UW website at http://www.uwyo.edu/facilitiesplanning/lrdp/). The rest of Cirrus Sky Tech Park will also be covered by covenants agreed upon by the City and LEDC. All commercial development in Laramie requires approval under Design Review. International Building Code and International Fire Code requirements also apply. Specific information on site designs is always available by contacting the City planning staff. Construction could begin as early as March and it is feasible the property could be shovel-ready by the end of October 2013. 6. ISN’T THERE POTENTIAL FOR WATER RUNOFF PROBLEMS THAT COULD BE CAUSED BY PARKING LOTS AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION ON THE RIDGE? ---PAGE BREAK--- Storm water management is a serious concern in north Laramie, and the proposed Cirrus Sky development is uphill from that area. The City Engineer and our consultants have conceptually designed the project to over-detain runoff on the ridge site. Over-detention means that volume in detention ponds and swales or pipes will be increased to hold more water, and to release it more slowly. Designing a large area like Cirrus Sky is actually the best opportunity we have to achieve this effect; the project’s size is an advantage here. In any event, the UDC would not allow development on the Cirrus Sky site, or anywhere else in the City, without engineering review of plans including drainage design. These plans are always available for review by the public on request. Fortunately, most data centers require large undeveloped buffer areas around them so the percentage of property occupied by impervious rooftops and parking lots is typically quite low, compared to other commercial projects. 7. I LIVE AT THE END OF 22ND STREET AND I AM REALLY OPPOSED TO MORE TRAFFIC ON MY RESIDENTIAL STREET. HOW WILL THE CITY HANDLE TRAFFIC ISSUES ON REYNOLDS, 22ND STREET, AND 30TH STREET? Data centers are typically low-volume traffic generators (not many employees per shift, few deliveries, etc.). Technology businesses that would occupy Cirrus Sky Tech Park might generate higher traffic volumes. The City is sensitive to the concerns of neighbors who may have lived quietly on dead-end streets for years. Undoubtedly, the extension of these streets will create change as these streets are used for the purpose and capacity to which they were designed and built. However, mitigating negative effects is a standard component of City planning processes. We review traffic patterns and plan to regulate accordingly through various means, including the installation of appropriate traffic control devices and the lowering of speed limits in appropriate areas. Two recent examples are the new traffic signals on Grand Avenue at Boulder Drive, and at Grand Avenue and Vista Drive. Both signals were installed by WyDOT in coordination with City-approved development in that area. As designated in the Major Streets and Highways Plan, originally adopted in 1992, Reynolds and 30th Streets are both minor arterial streets, and 22nd Street transitions at Reynolds from a minor arterial (south) to a collector (north). Those street categories are the City’s highest traffic-level designations other than interstates like I-80. These streets were built to carry sizeable volumes of traffic. The master plan for the Cirrus Sky area takes into account the need to disperse traffic among multiple roadways and to move it to major highways by routes that are not through residential areas. We expect the next phase of Cirrus Sky to include building Asphalt Lane (currently a gravel road along the site’s northern edge) and connect it to Roger Canyon Road (9th Street). At a later point, 15th Street will also extend north and connect to Asphalt Lane. 8. SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT NOISE FROM THE DEVELOPMENT? Most data and technology businesses conduct their work entirely indoors. We do understand data centers usually have backup power generators that they test run on a regular basis but to address this, data centers require a large-acreage area partly to allow buffering of this noise by both sheer distance and especially by berms that attenuate sound. The ridgeline itself will also serve as a natural sound barrier for those directly below. ---PAGE BREAK--- 9. THE CITY IS PUTTING THE GREENBELT TRAIL ALONG THE RIDGE AND I SHOULDN’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH LITTER AND TRESPASSING CAUSED BY TRAILS RUNNING NEAR MY PROPERTY. WHAT WILL BE DONE ABOUT THIS? The Cirrus Sky site is currently undeveloped, but an informal trail network has crossed the property for years. Trespassing and litter are current, not future, concerns. City ownership of the trail is a much better guarantor of proper maintenance than illegal, uncontrolled access. The current owner has stated his intention to fence off and post no-trespassing signs on the land in the Spring if the City does not acquire the property and build the technology park. Litter and trespassing are concerns along any public trail corridor, worldwide. The Greenbelt trail along the ridgeline will be operated and maintained by the City Parks and Recreation Department and the City will maintain it in the same manner as other community trails, keeping it clean and safe. 9. WON’T THIS PROJECT HURT WILDLIFE AND IMPACT SENSITIVE SPECIES? The City is not aware of any sensitive species in the vicinity. If and when development plans indicate the potential for wildlife concerns, they will be addressed per Federal and State requirements. 10. COULD THIS PROJECT HAVE NEGATIVE EFFECTS TO THE ENVIRONMENT? WON’T OIL AND ANTIFREEZE FROM VEHICLES ON THE RIDGE POLLUTE THE AREA? As with public trails, these issues are present everywhere there are vehicles. The only way to prevent all transportation contaminants is to prohibit development and fence off the area, which is rarely if ever an option for private property. Controlled, careful development is a much better method to minimize these concerns than leaving this land open to four-wheelers, dirt bikes, and people looking for a secluded spot to change their oil or coolants – all of which are known activities on this property at present. The Cirrus Sky development area is not within the Aquifer Protection Area and is not identified as containing any geographic features that constitute a point of vulnerability where pollutants could rapidly infiltrate the aquifer. The City’s nearest Aquifer Protection Overlay (APO) boundary is almost one mile due east of the subject property; the County’s APO boundary is even more distant. In the unlikely future event this area should become part of the City APO, a Site-Specific Investigation (SSI) would be required and appropriate mitigation measures taken before a project received final approval. 11. THIS PROJECT WON’T GENERATE PROPERTY TAX BECAUSE UW DOESN’T PAY TAXES, SO WHAT IS IN IT FOR THE COMMUNITY? The City and LEDC intend to sell this property to businesses that want to build facilities to house job-creating businesses. Each time an entrepreneur buys property and builds a business new tax revenue results. If Laramie had been selected as the site for Microsoft, Albany County and Laramie would have become home to a $120 million taxable facility. 60 new jobs would have ---PAGE BREAK--- been created, forty-five (45) of which pay at least $65,000 per year and these workers would have also paid taxes. The University of Wyoming has voiced support for the project and expressed strong interest in possible purchase of some of the property if Cirrus Sky Tech Park is developed. In discussions among UW, the City and LEDC, the University has consistently stressed that they intend to sell property to research and technology enterprises, after initial infrastructure makes tracts available. Real estate owned by UW is of course exempt from property-tax; however, land sold to private enterprises will be subject to taxation. The timing of land sales is unknown and certainly some property may remain off the tax rolls for a time, but that is neither planned nor expected to be permanent. 12. THERE ARE MANY OTHER BUSINESS PARKS WITH AVAILABLE SPACES. WHY DO WE NEED A NEW BUSINESS COMPLEX ON EMPTY LAND? The City’s Turner Tract in the southeast area of town and LEDC’s Laramie River Business Park in west Laramie both have available land with most infrastructure installed, or nearby. Some technology enterprises would find those locations suitable, and indeed they are regularly shown to prospective technology businesses that want to grow, or relocate, in Laramie. However, most data centers need larger lot sizes and more buffering distance. In a nutshell, Laramie has no place already developed that would meet the criteria for many data centers and technology firms. 13. WHY MUST WE DEVELOP THIS LOCATION IN PARTICULAR? The Verizon site-selection team made Laramie aware of a stunning asset in our area, whose importance we did not fully realize: the Western Area Power Administration’s (WAPA) regional switchyard, directly adjoining the Cirrus Sky property. The WAPA facility may look like just another electrical substation, but in fact it’s the focal point for four separate, independent regional power transmission feeds. An electric consumer with service from the WAPA switchyard could have power interrupted from one, two, or even three different parts of the grid, and still remain in operation. A data center cannot afford to lose power for even a microsecond. The WAPA station is a rare and irreplaceable asset to Laramie – and the closer a data center can get to it, the better. 14. DON’T DATA CENTERS DISLIKE LOCATING NEAR RESIDENTIAL AREAS? It’s true that mega-data centers (like the one proposed by Verizon) look for locations that are away from residential development – sometimes a half-mile or more. But that factor is critical only to the largest centers; however, even for the mega-data center distance isn’t essential if other buffers, such as natural features, are present. One reason for being distant is that the centers can be noisy. Natural barriers such as the ridgeline reduce noise concerns. The Cirrus Sky site is designed to accommodate medium-to-smaller projects, including data centers, research and development firms, and technology-based companies, all of which will benefit from the redundant power provided through the WAPA substation. ---PAGE BREAK--- 15. I’M CONCERNED ABOUT A) WATER & SEWER DEVELOPMENT, B) TRAFFIC ON ALL THREE STREETS LEADING INTO AND OUT OF THE AREA, C) RUN OFF FROM THE AREA, AND D) BLASTING EFFECT ON HOUSING BELOW THE DEVELOPMENT. Water, sewer, traffic and run-off are all addressed in the development review process and through City code requirements in the UDC. You may wish to review the answers to questions 1, 6, and 7 also as they are similar to your question. The City has no indication that blasting will occur at this site. 15. CAN ANYTHING BE DONE ABOUT HEAVY TRUCK TRAFFIC ON 22ND AND 30TH STREETS DURING CONSTRUCTION? Yes. City project managers will work with contractors to move traffic away from residential neighborhoods and schools.