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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning And Zoning Board - Minutes - 09/04/2003Council Liaison: Karen Weitkunat Staff Liaison: Cameron Gloss Chairperson: Mikal Torgerson Vice Chair: Jerry Gavaldon Phone: (W) 416-7435 Phone:(H) 484-2034 Chairperson Torgerson called the meeting to order at 6:32 p.m. Roll Call: Schmidt, Colton, Meyer, Carpenter, Craig, and Gavaldon. Staff Present: Gloss, Eckman, Stanford, Jones, Olt, Deines. Director of Current Planning Cameron Gloss reviewed the Consent and Discussion Agendas: Consent Agenda: 1. Minutes of the April 10, 2003 Planning and Zoning Board Hearing. (Continued) 2. #23-03 City of Fort Collins Vehicle Storage and Operations Service Maintenance Facility Rezoning Discussion Agenda: 3. #35-99A 607 Cowan Street Project Development Plan 4. #56-98R Rigden Farm, 8th Filing, The Shops at Rigden (King Soopers) Project Development Plan 5. #56-981J Rigden Farm, 10c' Filing, Pioneer Charter School Site Plan Advisory Review 6. #29-03 326 Cherry Street Modification of Standards Planning Director Gloss stated that the August 21, 2003 meeting minutes would be completed in the next week in preparation for a City Council Report regarding the Vine Drive and 1-25 Rezoning. Member Schmidt moved for approval of Consent Item 2. Member Craig seconded the motion. Member Colton stated that he had been concerned about the City of Fort Collins Vehicle Storage and Operations Service Maintenance Facility Rezoning given that the site had originally been zoned Public Open Lands. Doug Moore, with the City Natural Resources Department, informed Member Colton prior to the hearing, that the property had not been purchased with Open Space money as the City does not rezone POL Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 2 parcels that have been purchased with Open Space money. The POL zone was a carry-over from years ago. Member Craig requested that a draft of the minutes be provided at the Friday worksession prior to presenting City Council with the recommendation. Director Gloss replied that could be done. The motion was approved 6-0. Project: 607 Cowan Street — Project Development Plan, #35-99A Project Description: Request for a 16 unit multi -family complex located at the southwest corner of Cowan Street and Myrtle Street. The multi -family buildings will be arranged into four 4-unit buildings, two stories in height. Off street parking will be provided in both surface parking stalls and in attached garage units. The currently located single family home will be razed. The property is zoned NCM — Neighborhood Conservation Medium Density District. Staff Recommendation: Approval Hearing Testimony, Written Comments and Other Evidence: Director Gloss gave the staff presentation, recommending approval. Director Gloss stated that the building elevations on the south will be similar in size to that of a single-family home. The elevations on the west and east will be larger in mass. Parking will be provided at the back of the lots abutting the alley. There is also a substantial amount of on -street parking. Contextually, there are single- family houses to the east, apartments to the south, north, and west. A neighborhood meeting was conducted on May 20, 2002 with 4 neighbors in attendance. The main issues were related to building compatibility and on -street parking influences. Water pressure issues and alley and street improvements were also questioned at the meeting. Director Gloss pointed out an error on page Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 3 9 of the staff report in which the zone district is referred to as E, Employment. The zone district should be NCM — Neighborhood Conservation Medium Density Mark Schlang with Thomas Lang Architects offered to answer any questions as the applicant. He did not have an additional presentation. Public Input Kathy Norris, 624 Stover Street, gave her testimony to the Board. She stated that she was excited to see the property being redeveloped; however, she expressed concern regarding alley access for the primary parking at the location. She stated that there are a few existing parking spaces across the alley from the site and that those cars tend to travel at a high rate of speed down the alley. The proposed site is designed such that all the parking will be accessed via the alley and Ms. Norris would like to see the site reversed so that the parking access would be from the street instead of the alley. Carl George, 612 Cowan Street, gave his testimony to the Board. He also expressed concern over the high use of the alleys as well as the on -street parking situation given the high number of apartments, visitors, and renters in the area. Sarah Dentom, 601 Colorado, gave her testimony to the Board. She stated that she was present at the May 2002 neighborhood meeting and understood that the units were 2-bedroom with full basements. Her concern was whether or not the plan allowed for enough parking spaces for the actual number of bedrooms which will eventually occupy the property. Karen Balog, 521 Stover Street, gave her testimony to the Board. She stated that she was pleased with the exterior of the building but that she was also concerned with traffic and speeding on the streets in the area and stated that the proposed complex would add 32 to 48 cars to the neighborhood. Public Input Closed Vice -Chairperson Gavaldon asked Director Gloss and the applicant to address the parking and traffic issues brought up during Public Input. Director Gloss stated that 28 parking spaces are required and provided in the plan, based on the bedroom count of the units. One citizen was concerned about the basements potentially being bedrooms. As there are emergency egress requirements, the architect will need to be asked if the basements are being Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 4 provided with those and whether or not the basements are being counted as bedrooms. With respect to spill -over parking, there is about 350 feet of frontage available for on -street parking on the two street sides of the corner lot, excluding the no parking zones at the corners. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked the applicant to respond to the question regarding basements. Mr. Schlang replied that the basements are unfinished and that part of the review criteria was that the basements not be finished or used as bedrooms. If the basements were to be finished, a building permit would have to be pulled. There is not enough parking to accommodate an increase in bedrooms, thus any application for a permit to finish the basements would likely be denied by the City. There are windows in the basements, however a specific size has not been determined. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked if the windows would be designed as egress. Mr. Schlang replied that if the City required that they not be egress windows, they would not be designed that way. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked Mr. Schlang to comment on the alley access and traffic issues. Mr. Schlang replied that the drive aisle between the southern two buildings continues all the way through the site, thus providing access to Cowan Street. Circulation could therefore occur from Cowan Street for those 8 units. That access was required by the fire department. Additionally, each unit has a single - car garage making 16 of the parking spaces within the building. The buildings are for sale units at this time, not for rent. It would be possible for them to be rented at a later date, however. There are improvements required by the City for the alley. Director Gloss stated that the alley would be required to be improved to City standards including undergrounding any utility service lines, addressing any drainage issues, and paving the alley to width standards. The project would generate about 120 trips per day, based on traffic counts. Given the performance of existing intersections in the area, staff did not find any problem meeting the level of service standards in the area, both for vehicle and pedestrian/bicycle traffic. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 5 Vice -Chairperson Gavaldon asked Ward Stanford, with the Traffic Operations Department, to address the speeding concerns. Mr. Stanford replied that the neighbors could contact the Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program to do some possible mitigation. Primarily the issue is one of enforcement and the neighbors can contact the police department to ask them to police the roads and alleys occasionally. Member Craig asked if the mitigation could be done in the alley as well as the street — could a speed bump be put in the alley? Mr. Stanford replied that speed bumps would not be placed in alleys and that their narrow width is designed to keep speeds low. Speed bumps have not been found to reduce speeds as drivers slow down to approach them and then speed up faster. Speed bumps also add to noise. Member Craig reiterated that mitigation measures could only be taken in the streets, not the alleys. Member Craig asked if the alley was currently dirt and if paving the alley would worsen the traffic and speeding situation. Director Gloss replied that the alley is currently gravel and that only the north end of the alley abutting the property would be paved. Arguments in support of paving the alley include a reduction in mud and spread gravel. Conversely, paving may promote high traffic speeds and more use. Paving the north end of the alley should help concentrate the trips there rather than all the way through the block. There is no way to control the exact traffic pattern however. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked the applicant why the single-family house is being razed rather than being relocated to a vacant lot. Mr. Schlang replied that it was the developers choice, likely related to cost- effectiveness. The house did not fall within any historic guidelines. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked if a Homeowners Association had been set up Mr. Schlang replied that he did not believe so and that the project had been started with another developer and was recently sold to another party. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked how the building exterior would be maintained and how the basements would be prevented from being used as bedrooms. Mr. Schlang replied that the prior developer did have an association whose covenants controlled those issues. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 6 Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked Director Gloss how assurance could be provided that the basements would not be finished and rented out as bedrooms. Director Gloss replied that all parking assumptions have been made on upper level bedroom calculations. Member Craig asked why the basements were put in at all, was if for storage? Mr. Schlang replied that in Colorado, it is a typical means of construction because of the climate. Member Craig asked if the parking issues would be revisited should someone apply for a building permit to finish the basement. Director Gloss replied that parking would be reviewed. Member Craig asked where the parking would go. Director Gloss replied that there are not many options for providing additional long-term parking. Member Craig asked what the mitigation was going to be for the tree removal. Director Gloss replied that five of the trees were considered significant by the City Forester and that mitigation trees would be provided as per the standards in Article 3. That mitigation number could be anywhere from 5 to 6 trees depending on the significance of the tree that is being lost. Director Gloss stated that he did not know exactly where the mitigation trees were going to be provided but that City Planner Bob Barkeen had gone through the landscape plan to assure that the mitigation trees were there. Member Craig asked if the trees could be smaller in number but each larger in size. Director Gloss replied that the Code standards state that appropriate mitigation is left to staff discretion with advice from the City Forester. There are minimum sizes for trees in the Code. Member Craig asked if the option of getting larger trees could be explored. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 7 Member Craig asked about the pedestrian level of service and how it is determined. She asked if sidewalk access to the area school and Albertson's shopping center would fit into these criteria. Mr. Stanford replied that much of the pedestrian level of service criteria works for newly developing areas but that directness, connectivity, and ease of access standards to apply. Sidewalk improvements to current standards are required. A radius of approximately 1000 to 1320 feet around the project is considered with respect to connectivity. Director Gloss added that we have had some projects in the last few years where off -site sidewalk improvements have been required. There is always a value judgment on what appropriate requirements are for the Old Town area. Member Carpenter asked if the house planned to be raised is not considered historical on either the national or state levels as well as local, and why is it not considered historical. Director Gloss replied that he was unsure. Member Carpenter asked Mr. Schlang if he knew the age of the house. Mr. Schlang replied that he did not know the age but that the structure did not meet the historical age threshold for local, state, or federal. The home had no designation or history that was deemed significant. Member Gavaldon stated that the home would be considered historic if it were 50 years old or older. Member Carpenter replied that there is no age standard locally, historical significance is all that applies. Member Gavaldon asked if there was a process for that. Member Carpenter stated that she believed that the project would have to go to the Historic Preservation Department if the house were 50 years old or older. There is usually a letter to indicate the age of the property. Director Gloss stated that when a project application is submitted containing a structure that is 50 years old or older, the application is referred to the Preservation Office within the Advance Planning Department. They then provide Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 8 comment on whether the structure has historic significance and if necessary, they will take it to the Land Preservation Committee for review and comment. Member Carpenter asked if this project did go to the Preservation Office. Director Gloss stated that it was referred to them. Member Carpenter stated that they usually provide a letter and it was odd in this case that they didn't. Member Colton moved for approval of the 607 Cowan Street Project Development Plan, File #35-99A citing the findings of fact and conclusions, as amended, in the staff report. Member Schmidt seconded the motion. Member Carpenter asked if an amendment could be made to the motion requiring a letter from the Preservation Office. Mr. Schlang stated that although there was no letter, the Preservation Office returned comments on the project indicating that the structure was not historically significant. Deputy City Attorney Eckman replied to Member Carpenter that the approval of the project could be conditioned upon the Planning Director receiving a letter from the Preservation Office. Member Carpenter replied that the letter would not need to come back to the Board as long as Director Gloss and staff did receive the letter. Member Colton stated that he would accept the amendment to the motion. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon stated that he was hesitant on the information given to make a decision on this development. He stated concern over the basements and the process required to get them finished, problems with parking if people do not go through the permit process to finish them, and problems with unrelated people living together. He also wanted to make sure an HOA was in place for architectural review. Member Schmidt stated that the applicants have done a good job getting the project to fit in with the neighborhood. There is not much that the Board can do Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 9 with respect to how many people will live in each apartment. The partial pavement of the alley should help the traffic problems. The motion was approved 6-0. Project: Rigden Farm, Bch Filing, The Shops at Rigden (King Soopers), Project Development Plan Project Description: Request for a neighborhood service (shopping) center on 10.5 acres. There will be a total of 114,338 square feet of supermarket, retail and commercial uses in 7 buildings. A total of 453 parking spaces will be provided on the shopping center site. The property is located at the southeast corner of East Drake Road and south Timberline Road and is zoned NC, Neighborhood Commercial. Staff Recommendation: Approval Hearing Testimony, Written Comments and Other Evidence: City Planner Steve Olt gave the staff presentation, recommending approval. Planner Olt stated that the site is at the Southeast corner of Timberline Road and East Drake Road. The site takes up about 10 acres in a 23-acre neighborhood center parcel. King Soopers is the base of this project, it is a 66,000 square foot supermarket with 12,000 square feet of attached retail. As part of Phase One, there will also be other retail and a bank building. The entire parking lot, 453 spaces, will also be built in Phase One. The project is in compliance with Section 3 and Section 4.19, being the Neighborhood Commercial Center portion of the Land Use Code. The supermarket is subject to the City's Large Retail Establishment Section of the Code and it does meet the requirements. Architecturally, the supermarket will match the other retail buildings in Phase One. John Kozlowski, a developer of the project, stated that the project has been in the process for about two years. Jeff Anderson, the architect representative for Wyatt and Associates Architects, gave a presentation. Along Drake Road, two curb cuts are designed to get semi trucks in and out of the site. These cuts will preserve the existing cottonwood Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 10 trees on the site. There will be an 8 foot masonry screen fence around the loading dock and truck parking areas. The development to the north of Drake Road will be screened from noise as well as visually from that loading area. Mr. Anderson stated that in addition to the existing sidewalks along Timberline, there will be sidewalks surrounding this development. From the King Soopers, there will be two pedestrian access spines, one oriented north -south, and a pedestrian ring internal to the site which passes in front of the King Soopers, in front of the retail and pad sites, and down to the future bank. Architecturally, there is a variety of building materials and elevations to make the buildings more visually appealing. Public Input Woody Hesselbarth, 2827 Chase, gave his testimony to the Board. He expressed excitement about the shopping center being part of the neighborhood. Mr. Hesselbarth stated concern about slowing traffic down coming off two 40 mph streets into the parking lots. He also stated that he would like to see bicycle parking and a bus stop at the site. Mr. Hesselbarth stated concern about the Land Use Code requirement for turf to be planted between the sidewalks and street. He would like to instead see excellent xeriscape projects with drip irrigation to be used as an example. Carl Glaser, 215 Jefferson and a property owner in Rigden Farm, gave his testimony to the Board. He praised the design work on the project. He asked if the Board could waive delays of the project as it would benefit the project as well as the people of Rigden Farm. He urged the Board to approve this project unconditionally and allow it to proceed as soon as possible. Charlie Lanter, 2902 Rigden Parkway and manager of the Master and Residential Homeowners Associations, stated that feedback that he has received indicates that the project can not be approved and built fast enough. Public Input Closed Member Craig asked Ward Stanford, Traffic Operations Department, to address the traffic questions. He stated that the right -in, right -out lane is a little shorter than the full desired length, but it is within the standards. It is not a stop condition, it is a moving condition. It is likely that the turn is a 25-foot radius turn, not a 40- foot radius turn as indicated in the traffic study. This will mitigate speeds. There will not be speed bumps on roadways of that type. There is responsibility placed Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 11 on the users to abide by traffic laws when using the lanes. The turn meets all standards. Member Craig asked Planner Olt if it was a 25-foot radius. Planner Olt replied that he was unsure. Mr. Anderson replied that it is a 25-foot radius. Planner Olt stated that the future transit stop will be in the southwest corner of the site. Mr. Anderson replied that the stop will be on northbound Timberline between Custer and the right -turn access, in the deceleration lane. Member Craig asked Mr. Stanford if Drake Road heading east would be two lanes and Drake Road heading west would be one lane going into two lanes. Mr. Stanford replied that there are two eastbound lanes of Drake Road east of Timberline. It is proposed to be a four -lane in time and this project is providing funds for that. Westbound Drake on the west side of Timberline is four -lane. Drake and Ziegler will both be improved to four -lane roadways in the future. Member Craig asked what Drake would look like with the build -out of this project. Mr. Stanford replied that it would be four -lane, two lanes in each direction. Linda Ripley, VF Ripley Associates, spoke regarding the landscaping issues. The developer has stated that a xeriscape landscape is desired; that has been provided while also meeting the City standards for a center like this. Xeriscape design includes many principles other that just eliminating blue grass. Shrub areas have been increased and turf areas decreased as much as possible. An irrigation system will put all the trees and shrubs on drip systems and the turf on a pocket system. The turf is only identified as turf at this time, the type has not yet been determined. Some of the fescue mixes that require less water than blue grass do not last as long in a drought situation. Blue grass does not often need as much water as people use on it. Member Craig asked Mr. Stanford about the truck route heading toward Ziegler because that area can not handle truck traffic. She asked what staff had determined when looking at the truck routes. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 12 Mr. Stanford replied that trucks currently run up and down Drake and Ziegler quite often and that the roads will handle the traffic. Member Craig expressed concern over the volume of traffic. Mr. Stanford stated that staff cannot tell them not to use that route as other truck traffic has been successfully doing so for years. Mr. Stanford stated that he may have been wrong about Drake being a four -lane road. He asked the applicant's engineer what the current plans are, stating that the road may actually be a three -lane cross section. Ron Bellits (?), the traffic study engineer for the project, stated that west of Timberline Road, Drake Road is a four -lane arterial. East of Timberline Road, Drake Road is classified as a two-lane arterial. It will have a four -lane cross section as it approaches the Timberline intersection but in a few hundred feet to the east, it will narrow down to a three -lane cross section with a center turn lane. Member Craig asked if the Master Street Plan showed Drake as a two-lane at that location. Mr. Bellits replied that it did. It is a two-lane cross section as it wraps all the way around and becomes Ziegler Road up until it hits Horsetooth. At Horsetooth, Ziegler becomes a four -lane cross section again. Member Craig asked what the big box threshold is for leaving a pedestrian gap between buildings. Planner Olt replied that the Land Use Code shows no such requirement in the Large Retail Establishment Section. Member Carpenter asked if the standards required an alternate building entrance to the store. Planner Olt replied that the supermarket only has one entrance but that the attached retail has 5 or 6 separate points of entry. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon stated that the Home Depot on Harmony Road was required to have two points of entry. Planner Olt replied that the code states "All sides of a large retail establishment that directly face an abutting public street shall feature at least one customer Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 13 entrance. All entrances shall be architecturally prominent, clearly visible from the abutting public street. Where a large retail establishment directly faces more than two abutting public streets, this requirement shall apply to two sides of the building." He added that this project does not face two streets. Member Craig asked about the screening along Drake — Mr. Anderson stated that the screen was 8 feet in height, on the site plan it is 10 feet in height, and Planner Olt mentioned that it is 10 feet in height. Planner Olt replied that he scaled it at 10 feet from the plan. Member Craig stated her concern about the size of the screen as far as scale in going past it. She asked about the possibility of putting in evergreen trees or shrubs along the wall and how they would fit into the existing trees. Planner Olt replied that the trees are between the sidewalk and the masonry screen wall. We could ask the applicant if they would be agreeable to putting some evergreens in there but it may not improve the situation visually. Member Craig asked if the trees are existing or will be planted. Planner Olt replied that they will be planted. Linda Ripley stated that there are 4 trees planned for that area but it is at the most an 8-foot wide strip. In between and under the trees, there are junipers on each end and a broadleaf evergreen that will climb up the wall a bit. Mr. Anderson replied that the masonry screen height is not specifically designated on the plan right now. With this close proximity between the wall and sidewalk, a 10-foot wall may be a little imposing. Mr. Anderson stated that they would commit to an 8-foot wall. Ms. Ripley stated that she was unsure of how high the broadleaf evergreen would grow but she could substitute the species for one that would certainly cover the wall. Member Carpenter asked about the pedestrian walkways between the shopping center and the Pioneer Charter School. Planner Olt stated that there would likely be a sidewalk with future development, there is currently intervening property that does not have a development proposal Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 14 on it. The issue has not been addressed as to whether or not the center would be required to make that pedestrian connection. Member Carpenter stated that has been a requirement in the past, especially with a school involved. Director Gloss stated that both properties front on Custer Drive which will have a detached public sidewalk along it after completion of this project. It was determined that the sidewalk is already existing. Member Colton stated concern over the Drake and Timberline frontages having no entrances. He stated that the intent of the big box standards was to have multiple entrances and that perhaps this design was not meeting the intent of the standard. Planner Olt replied that the side of the building facing Drake Road is the service and truck entrance. There is a direct public sidewalk connection from Timberline to the grocery store entry. Planner Olt stated that he could not recall any other supermarkets, other than Toddy's, that have multiple entrances. Though the project has an internal entrance into the store, it does provide direct pedestrian connectivity to Timberline Road. Member Colton asked the applicant to address the possibility of putting in another customer entrance. Mr. Anderson stated that the big box on the site will be not only the King Soopers, but also the attached retail buildings. This does allow for multiple entrances. Member Schmidt asked if there were entrances into the back of the retail from the rear parking. Mr. Anderson replied that the building is not a two-sided building. There will not be any cut -through pedestrian traffic. There are emergency and employee access doors at the rear of the building. There is unobstructed pedestrian access from Timberline Road to the King Soopers entrance. Member Colton clarified that the other retail entrances are referred to as "Retail A" and "Retail B" on the site plan. He stated that he didn't consider those entrances to be other entrances into the big box. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 15 Vice-chairman Gavaldon asked Planner Olt how the City applied the big box standards to the King Soopers itself with the two attached retail buildings. Planner Olt replied that based on the definition of Large Retail Establishment, the King Soopers and the attached retail stores A and B are one building and are subject to the Large Retail Establishment criteria. Member Carpenter moved for approval of the Rigden Farm, 8`h Filing, The Shops at Rigden Farm (King Soopers) Project Development Plan, File #56- 98R citing the findings of fact and conclusions in the staff report. Member Meyer seconded the motion. Member Craig stated that she commended the applicant for putting in exactly what City Plan called for in the area but she expressed concern about the project truly meeting the big box standards. Planner Olt stated that supermarkets are exempt from the parking distribution standard in the Large Retail Establishment section of the Land Use Code. The fact that all parking is on the south side of the building and is not distributed around, does meet the code because of this exemption. Member Colton stated that if this project actually does meet the big box standards, he would be concerned about the big box section being written properly. He thought the intent was not to have a 66,000 square foot building with only one entrance in the middle. He stated he would like clarification on the multiple entrance standards. Member Carpenter stated that the King Soopers on Harmony only has one entrance and that this project cannot really be held to a different standard. The motion was approved 6-0. Project: Rigden Farm, 10th Filing, Pioneer Charter School, Site Plan Advisory Review Project Description: Request for a two-story, 26,255 square foot charter school building on a 4.27 acre site. The proposed student population will be 360 students in grades 7 though 12. The site includes an entire block, surrounded by Custer Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 16 Drive on the south, Minnesota Drive on the east, Limon Drive on the north, and Kansas Drive on the west. The property is zoned MMN, Medium Density Mixed Use Neighborhood. Staff Recommendation: Approval Hearing Testimony, Written Comments and Other Evidence: City Planner Troy Jones gave the staff presentation, recommending approval. The site is located between Custer Drive and Limon Drive and between Kansas Drive and Minnesota Drive. The streets are all currently existing. Planner Jones stated that there have not been adequate buildings existing for charter and private schools which has forced these schools to move into buildings that were not intended for school use. This application is refreshing in that the school is integrated within the neighborhood and seems to be a good fit. The school has communicated well with the City throughout the process and the project, though it is not required to, does meet all the standards of the Land Use Code. The school is not installing the maximum amount of parking they could, they are installing athletic fields in a couple locations which could possibly be used for parking in the future if need be. They would have to go through the City process when and if they decided to do that. Steve Steinbicker, Architecture West, gave the applicant's presentation. The school is an Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound program and is currently housed at Cimmaron Shopping Center at Shields and Drake. The new building will involve sustainable techniques, water and energy conservation, and other environmentally -friendly techniques. The building is meant to tie in architecturally with the residential as well as the more commercial uses in the MMN zone. Some outdoor and experiential learning sites have been included on the site as well. The site is not developed at 100%. Public Input There was no public input. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 17 Public Input Closed Member Carpenter stated excitement over the overall proposal but expressed concern over parking. She asked how many of the students will be of driving age. Kim Nichols, Pioneer Charter School Governing Board President, stated that some of the 10th 11th and 121h grade students will be of driving age but that the students see themselves as caretakers of the natural world and that they consider their impacts on the environment. School policies will encourage carpooling, bike riding, and taking the bus. There is currently a system at the existing site so as not to disturb merchants. There will be a workable situation at the new site as well. Member Carpenter stated that there is still basically no parking for students Ms. Nichols stated that there is on -street parking and parking will be added later if it is absolutely necessary. Member Carpenter stated that she did not want to see a lot of overflow parking into the neighborhoods. Member Craig asked about a particularly large section of the facility on the east side. Mr. Steinbicker replied that was the single largest portion of the facility containing a kitchen and an art room. It is approximately 50 feet wide and 85 feet long. It is a partial one and two-story. The area is a multi -purpose space. Member Craig asked if the roof was metal. Mr. Steinbicker replied that it is metal but it is tied visually to other components within the building. The color of the roof is a weathered gray. It is not shiny, reflective, or white. Member Craig asked Planner Jones about neighborhood compatibility and if this project is allowed, if future buildings will also want metal roofing. Planner Jones stated that the school is right in the transition zone between the residential and commercial parts of the neighborhood. Standing metal seam is a common commercial roofing material but is not very common in residential building. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 18 Member Craig asked if the surrounding buildings could claim compatibility if they wanted large metal slabs because of this roof. Planner Jones gave Member Craig a visual presentation of the surrounding properties and possible uses. The current surrounding projects do not have any metal roofing or siding. If metal were to be used in future developments, it would have to be toward the west, further away from residential. Member Craig still expressed concern over a large slab of metal being used as siding next door. Planner Jones stated that there is nothing precluding that in the Land Use Code Member Carpenter stated that the King Soopers was just approved with a standing seam metal roof and that if the door for compatibility was going to be opened, it already had been. Member Colton stated that if the roof was the appropriate color, it could be attractive. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked Ms. Nichols if there was a traffic pattern designed for pick-up and drop-off of students. Steve Steinbicker replied that the site is a one-way in and a one-way out. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked how many people can be stacked in the driveway. Matt Delich, who completed the traffic study, replied that at drop-off time, about 6 to 7 cars could be stacked. At pick-up time, about 10 cars could be stacked. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked Ms. Nichols who will be in charge of traffic control. Ms. Nichols replied that staff is doing that right now and that they will be within the parking lot. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon encouraged working with police and City staff on the parking and traffic issues. He asked if all of the funding was in place to complete the construction, building, and landscape plans and what the time table of the project would be. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 19 Corinne Dovan (?) replied that she was working to secure a bond issue for the building funding. The bond closure is expected to be within the month of September. At that point, the real estate will be purchased and construction will begin. Construction will last through about the middle of the summer for opening in the fall. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked when landscaping would be complete. Mr. Steinbicker replied that landscaping would likely start in late spring. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked how the Board could be assured that the plans would be followed exactly. Ms. Nichols replied that it is a condition of the bond to build a complete and useable facility as described in the drawings. Vice-chairman Gavaldon asked who will monitor and ensure the completed construction. Ms. Nichols replied that they are certified through the bond company and that it is very important to the staff, school, and students that the site remains nice. The Poudre School District has been working with Pioneer throughout the process of design and planning. Member Craig asked if all the site plan details need to be met before the school receives a certificate of occupancy, as with regular projects. Deputy City Attorney Paul Eckman replied that he did not believe that schools come through the City for building permits. Director Gloss confirmed that statement. Attorney Eckman stated that the Board really does not have the ability to approve or deny the project but only to make comments and ask for response to those comments. Member Colton recommended approval of the Rigden Farm, 10th Filing, Pioneer Charter School, Site Plan Advisory Review, File #56-98U. Member Schmidt seconded the motion. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 20 Member Carpenter stated her enthusiasm for the project and stated that she was excited to have the school as part of the community. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon echoed the comment and praised parties for working together. The project was approved 6-0. Project: 325 Cherry Street, Modification of Standards Project Description: Request for a modification of standard of Section 3.2.2(K)(1)(a) of the Land Use Code to waive the requirement that off-street parking spaces be provided for up to 9 one bedroom residential dwelling units on the site. The applicant intends to submit and application to redevelop the existing light industrial building for mixed -use occupancy with commercial artist and studio spaces and residential units. Staff Recommendation: Approval Hearina Testimonv, Written Comments and Other Evidence: City Planner Troy Jones gave the staff presentation, recommending approval. Mickey Willis, Paradigm Realty and Development, gave the applicant's presentation. He stated that this modification was necessary for redevelopment of a troubled downtown infill site. The project includes adding the sidewalk, developing landscaping, removing curb cuts, and making the site more conforming to the existing character of the neighborhood. The site owner will no longer be operating at this location after redevelopment. Mr. Willis stated that he has support from the traffic safety engineers that this is an under -parked area. The project will add about 40 additional diagonal parking spaces. Mr. Willis stated that models such as "pinched parking" and "park once" will help to create greater demand for mass transportation and alternative transportation. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 21 Public Input Stephanie Daigneault, 312 N. Meldrum, gave her testimony to the Board. She stated concern over the number of actual cars being parked in the area given the number of bedrooms, customers, and employees. Ms. Daigenault stated that she believed the City was already considering making diagonal parking on the street to alleviate existing parking problems; therefore, how is converting to diagonal parking going to address existing as well as future problems with this development. She asked if the number of cars the occupants can have will be limited. Ms. Daigneault also expressed concern about the little amount of landscaping between the building and the streets. Manual Martinez, 310 Cherry Street, gave his testimony to the Board. He stated concern over the parking in the area. He confirmed that the project is allowing 14 parking spaces for the 9 one -bedroom units. Planner Jones replied that the Land Use Code requires 14 spaces. Mr. Martinez asked about the commercial use parking. Charlie Meserlian, 700 North College, gave his testimony to the Board. He stated that he thought this was a dynamic use of the property and accommodating the parking would be a positive thing in order to make the project work. Public Input Closed Member Schmidt stated that she believed converting the parking to diagonal would create about 3 spaces in front of each house. She added that the handicap access parking space should be moved off Cherry Street for safety reasons. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked what the average speed on Cherry Street is, though it is posed at 25 mph. He also asked what the traffic count is. Ward Stanford, Traffic Operations, replied that the studies show the average speed to be 28-32 mph. The traffic count is within the collector street range and that the street is rated at higher than collector street volume. The street was an arterial level street in original design. A past public official allowed the street to be classified to a public street without any plan to mitigate traffic. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon clarified that it is a collector street behaving like a minor arterial. He added that he was concerned about the on -street parking. He asked if the City could still employ the diagonal parking outside this development. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 22 Mr. Stanford replied that Meldrum could be converted to diagonal with or without the project if the City chose to do so. There are currently no plans for the City to look at that. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked if the residents on Meldrum could petition and work with City staff to make the street diagonal parking independent of the project. Mr. Stanford replied that they could. City traffic staff does not have a problem with changing the parking as the rest of Meldrum up to this point is diagonal parking and operating fine. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked if there were plans for Cherry Street to go to diagonal parking. Mr. Stanford replied there is probably not a plan for that as the bicycle and pedestrian traffic is so high. Member Colton asked how future similar projects would be evaluated and how it is determined when a "saturation" point is reached with parking. How is an under parked condition evaluated? Mr. Stanford replied that it comes down to a need and the best problem -solving solutions that can be employed. Member Colton asked who made the decision that this would be an acceptable plan. Planner Jones stated that the project was routed to Transportation Planning and group discussions were held with Transportation Planning, Engineering, and Advance Planning. The project satisfies three community needs identified in City Plan and that was a requirement of staff recommending approval for the modification. The project must also not be detrimental to the public good, a somewhat subjective measure. Staff determined it was not detrimental to the public good. Member Meyer also expressed concern about the parking issue; however, she stated that as this is an infill project and the lot will not allow them to do anything else, an exception to the rule may need to be made. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked why affordable housing was being used as a criteria. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 23 Planner Jones stated that on the last page of the recommendation, there were two conditions to the recommendation of approval. Condition "B" is that the future project qualifies as affordable housing as determined by the Advance Planning staff. The modification would die if the project did not come in with a plan that satisfies the conditions. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked what happens if they do not meet the criteria. Director Gloss replied that the applicant would either have to come back with a compliant plan or another modification. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked how the project would look if the modification were denied. Mr. Willis replied that the existing woodshop use could continue or the building could become all commercial and no housing, as commercial uses would have maximum parking requirements rather than minimum. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked if the project could be redesigned to include some off-street parking. Mr. Willis replied that they could not because the foundation is already in place and mixed -use building standards include a zero lot line requirement on the backyard and side yards and a fifteen foot maximum setback on the front yard. This site has 11 feet on the front, 16 inches in the back, 2.5 feet on the east side, and 5 feet on the west side. There is no space large enough for a parking space anywhere on the lot. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon asked about how the building works as a limited use workshop. Planner Jones replied that the difference between a non -conforming use and a permitted limited use is that a non -conforming use must have a building permit issued within 6 months of the date of calamity. A building containing a permitted limited use, when damaged by a natural occurrence, can be rebuilt, provided that to the extent reasonable feasible, such reconstruction complies with the standards in Articles 3 and 4. Member Schmidt moved for approval of the 325 Cherry Street, Modification of Standards, File #29-03, with the conditions listed on page 7 of the staff report citing reasons b, d, and f in the staff report. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 24 Member Craig seconded the motion. Member Colton stated that it may be difficult for future projects to work because this project will be stretching the parking to a maximum. It should not be a precedent for future projects. Though it will create more parking spaces, it will also create more demand. Member Schmidt stated that the new diagonal parking will more than double the parking on Meldrum Street. This more than satisfies the needs for this project plus the project is so close to transit areas that walking and biking will be encouraged. Future projects will need to be evaluated on a case -by -case basis. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon stated that he would not be supporting the motion because he did not believe the project was in the best interest of the public good. He also stated that Meldrum Street could be changed to diagonal parking without this project. Mr. Gavaldon added that there was still no answer to the question about where customers and artisans will park. Cherry Street is not behaving like it was designed to with City trucks and trailers traveling on it. The motion was approved 4-1 with Gavaldon being the dissenting vote. There was no other business. The meeting was adjourned at 11:40 p.m. Approved by the Board January 15, 2004.