HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/9/2014 - Planning And Zoning Board - Agenda - P&Z Sept 2014 Work Session Agenda PacketPlanning & Zoning Board
Work Session Agenda
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
281 N. College Ave – Conference Room A
Web users: Documents for the Consent and Discussion items shown below can be
found online under the September 11, 2014, Hearing agenda.
12:00 – 5:00pm
Consent:
1.) P&Z Hearing Minutes – August 14, 2014
Discussion:
2.) Pedersen Toyota Expansion (Beals)
3.) Adoption of LUC Revisions from TOD Parking Study (Lorson)
4.) Clydesdale Annexation (Holland)
5.) The Flats at Rigden Farm (Beals)
Board Topics:
Nature in the City (Ex)
Design Manual Update (Mapes)
Land Use Code Changes (Shepard)
Policy and Legislation:
Housing Affordability Policy Study (Beck-Ferkiss)
MEMORANDUM
Date: August 27, 2014
To: Planning and Zoning Board
Thru: Laurie Kadrich, CDNS Director
Cameron Gloss, Planning Manager
From: Lindsay Ex, Senior Environmental Planner
Re: Nature in the City – Project Update
Staff is pleased to provide an update on "Nature in the City." The goal of the September update to the Board is to
solicit feedback on the project’s direction and identify if additional outreach or tasks should be added.
The purpose of this project is to ensure that, as our community grows to its buildout population, all citizens have
access to nature close to where they live and work, e.g., within a 10-minute walk. In addition, we want to ensure
the natural spaces created provide a variety of high-quality experiences, including appropriate access, high-
quality habitats for species, recreation, and opportunities for rejuvenation and relaxation.
To meet the project's goal, and based on prior feedback from the Planning and Zoning Board, we are approaching
this project in three phases:
• Phase One: Inventory and Assessment (Jan to Sept 2014) – This phase will collect and analyze data to
assess our existing natural assets/gaps from a triple bottom line perspective (economic, social, and
environmental). See Table on the opposite page for more details.
• Phase Two: Strategic Plan (Aug to Dec 2014) – The Strategic Plan will include policies and action steps
to address the gaps and challenges identified in the inventory and assessment. Short-, medium-, and
long-term strategies will be identified.
• Phase Three: Implementation (Dec 2014 to Mar 2015) – Implementation will include design guidelines,
regulatory updates, and incentives to achieve strategic objectives.
An interdisciplinary team between the City (with representatives from 14 City Departments) and Colorado State
University (with representatives from three colleges) are involved in the project's design and implementation. In
addition to the project team, a 15-member Citizens Advisory Committee representing a wide range of
stakeholders is providing bi-monthly feedback on the project's direction.
We are currently conducting the inventory and assessment of the project using a triple bottom line approach and
have already engaged almost 300 citizens and met with four City Boards - see Table 1 for more information. The
strategic plan will be developed this fall, with the goal of bringing the plan to the Board in late 2014/early 2015 for
a recommendation to Council. Implementation will begin after adoption.
The project was also awarded $25,000 from the City’s Sustainability Innovation Fund to build the first green wall
in our community. We are collaborating with the Institute for the Built Environment and the Urban Lab
(urbanlab.colostate.edu) to design and install the wall in the spring of 2015.
For more information about the project, please see our website at fcgov.com/natureinthecity.
Planning, Development and
Transportation
Planning Services
281 North College Ave.
P.O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580
970.221.6750
970.224.6134 - fax
fcgov.com/currentplanning
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Table 1: Summary of Nature in the City Progress to Date
Element Key Goals Accomplishments to Date Next Steps
Phase One: Inventory and Assessment
Environmental • Assess the ecological value of
spaces throughout the city
• Field study to sample 166 sites in the City for
birds, butterflies and vegetation has been
completed.
• Sampling is occurring at nine land use types:
Parks, Natural Areas, Certified Natural
Areas/Buffer Zones, residential open space,
commercial open space, schools, trails, ditches,
and urban agriculture.
• Working with CSU to analyze the data
collected to date (August – October)
• Determine strategy for evaluating landscape
connectivity (July-August).
Social • Understand the benefits of
nature
• Understand how our residents
value and use nature
• Reviewed existing studies, e.g., Plug in to
Nature, to synthesize existing knowledge
• Collected over 200 locations of where people
access nature and over 300 survey responses for
how people use and why they value nature in the
community.
• Conduct a Visual Preference Survey to
understand how people value the 160 sites
(September)
Economic • Understand the value of nature
and how the proximity of nature
affects property and rental
values and business attraction
and retention
• Understand the ecosystem
services nature provides
• Reviewing the literature to identify what is already
well known
• Scheduled focus groups with the business
community to understand their perspective on
this issue; focus groups completed this week
• Meeting with experts to better understand the
ecosystem services nature provides in an
urban environment (September)
• Identifying key issues for the economic
section of the strategic plan (September-
October)
Multi-
disciplinary
• Understand best practices
related to Nature in the City
• Define what we mean by Nature
in the City
• Reviewed 12 cities and 10 projects across the
world, case study document available on the
project’s website
• Developed a definition for the project
• Designing the green wall (Summer 2014 –
Spring 2015)
WORK SESSION DATE
WORK SESSION ONLY
September 9, 2014
STAFF Mapes
PLANNING & ZONING BOARD
STAFF REPORT – POLICY DISCUSSION
PROJECT:
Fort Collins Design Manual Edition 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This work session discussion item is to gain the Board’s perspective and feedback about a
second edition of the Fort Collins Design Manual, which provides illustrated examples and
explanations of Land Use Code standards.
QUESTIONS FOR THE BOARD:
• Which aspects of the Land Use Code do you think would benefit from having illustrated
examples and explanations?
• What topics do you think are most needed and most beneficial to cover at this time?
BACKGROUND and DISCUSSION:
The Land Use Code was first adopted in 1997 in conjunction with City Plan. Following
adoption, it became apparent that some of the new standards did not have adequate mutual
understanding among various users.
The code needed a more illustrative companion document to explain the background and intent
behind the standards and acknowledge issues in a more user-friendly tone to improve
understanding and aid discussions among staff from different departments, developers, Board
members, and interested citizens.
In response, the Design Manual (Edition 1) was published in 2000.
Staff is now working on a second edition consistent with the original intent for the manual to be
an updated resource for planners, developers, and decision makers, as well as a forum for
continual discussion.
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Design Manual Planning and Zoning Board Work Session Discussion
September 11, 2014
Page 2
Primary aspects of the work are:
• Converting the manual to a current software program (the original document software is no
longer in use).
• Making the manual more flexible to allow staff to publish additional sections as they are
completed over time, and revise information as appropriate.
• Emphasizing online use.
• Adding full color.
• Reorganizing by topic in a more logical order rather than following the outline of the Land
Use Code.
• Developing additional sections to clarify concepts that were not addressed in the first
edition.
• General updating and editing.
EXISTING DOCUMENT:
A link to the existing document is here:
http://www.fcgov.com/advanceplanning/designmanual.php
Also, in case it is more convenient, a sample selection from the existing document is attached.
This attachment is a higher quality format than the online version, which had formatting issues
when it was posted some years ago.
DRAFT NEW MATERIAL:
The Table of Contents and an example draft section from the new document are attached.
OUTREACH METHODS:
Staff views this project as primarily an internal production effort, but Staff will invite the design
and development community to participate. The intent is to use email contact lists to invite
review, comments, and suggestions from design and engineering consultants, developers and
past applicants. Planning staff is working collaboratively with other City departments and
referral agencies, e.g. Poudre Fire Authority, to develop specific sections of the manual, as
appropriate.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Sample selection from the existing Design Manual
• Sample selection of draft material for the new edition
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Design Manual Edition 2
Working Draft Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Suitability + Limitations of Land for Development
a. Floodplains, natural features, infrastructure capacity
3. Framework of Streets, Walkways + Other Connections
a. Street-Like Private Drives
b. Multi-Family Block Standards
c. TOD Streetscape/Pedestrian Connections
4. Site Layout
a. Bicycle parking
b. Drive-ins/Drive thru
c. Shading
d. Relationship of Buildings to Streets, Walkways, Parking
e. Access to a Park, Central Feature, Gathering Place
f. TOD Site Planning
g. Urban Estate Cluster Development
h. LMN Neighborhood Centers
i. Fire Access – Rebecca
5. Building Size, Form + Compatibility
a. Historic Preservation
b. Compatibility – Height, Size, Bulk, Mass, Scale
c. Compatibility – Privacy
d. Compatibility – Building Materials
e. Compatibility – Windows
f. Building Height Review
g. Residential Building Standards
h. Garage Doors
i. Multi-Family Garages
j. Variation in Massing
k. Sight Specific Design
l. Commercial Façade Treatments
m. Large Retail Establishments
n. Multi-Family Development Standards – Mix of Housing Types
o. Parking Structure Design
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p. TOD Character – Roofs
q. TOD Character – Materials
r. TOD Character – Design Elements
6. Site Design + Landscaping
a. Street Tree Planning Standards
b. Landscape Area Design
c. Parking Lot Landscaping
d. Access Circulation Parking
e. Trash & Recycling Enclosures
f. Outdoor Storage/Mechanical
g. Fences and Walls
h. LID
7. Supplemental Areas
a. Lighting
b. Wireless Telecommunication Facilities
c. Residential Buffering
8. FAQ/Glossary
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Sunken landscape island within a permeable paver parking lot.
Rain garden next to on-street parking area constructed with permeable pavers.
A bioswale created as part of a residential development.
SITE DESIGN & LANDSCAPING Low Impact Development (LID)
INTENT
• Low Impact Development (LID)
includes a variety of practices that
mimic natural drainage processes to
manage stormwater.
• LID practices typically retain rain
water and encourage it to slowly
infiltrate, or soak into the ground,
rather than allowing it to run off
into ditches and storm drains where
it would otherwise contribute to
flooding and pollution problems.
• LID techniques typically allow for
overflow when infiltration cannot
occur quickly enough in large storm
events.
• LID practices such as natural or
man-made swales, depressions and
vegetated areas capture and retain
water on-site, allowing time for
water to soak into the soil, where it is
naturally filtered.
• LID practices can improve water
quality; reduce the number and
severity of costly flooding events;
restore wetland and aquatic habitat;
improve groundwater recharge;
enhance neighborhood aesthetics;
and improve property values.
GUIDELINES
• A minimum of 50% of new impervious
surface area must be treated using
one or more Low Impact Development
techniques (e.g., rain garden,
bioswale, landscape buffers).
• At least 25% of new pavement areas
must be designed to be pervious
(allows water infiltration).
• Implementation of a design
alternative that provides equal or
better stormwater treatment than the
previous requirements.
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LUC 3.4.3; Fort Collins Stormwater Code Volume 3, Section 3.1
Left: Rain garden along the length of the sidewalk in a residential development. Right: Sunken bioretention area.
Left: Close-up of permeable pavers in a parking area. Right: Design option for a rain garden at a street corner.
Design option for a rain garden within a land-
scaped median. The median has been lowered
slightly below grade to allow for runoff to enter the
rain garden.
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SITE DESIGN & LANDSCAPING Low Impact Development (LID)
TECHNIQUES
• Rain gardens (also known as
bioretention)
• Bioswales (concave/dipped
landscape areas that collect runoff)
• Vegetative buffers
• Stormwater wetlands
• Green rooftop systems
• Permeable paving
• Sidewalk trees and tree filters
• Sidewalk planters
• Dry wells and infiltration trenches
(water directed to a well of crushed
stone or gravel to allow groundwater
recharge)
• Direction of rooftop runoff to pervious
surfaces
• Narrower street widths (reduction in
amount of pavement)
RESOURCES
• City of Fort Collins:
fcgov.com/low-impact-development
• Fort Collins Streetscape Standards:
www.fcgov.com/advanceplanning/
pdf/streetscape-doc.pdf
• Environmental Protection Agency:
water.epa.gov/polwaste/green
• Colorado State University:
stormwatercenter.colostate.edu/
resources
• North Carolina State University Low
Impact Development Guidebook:
www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/agecon/
WECO/lid/documents/NC_LID_
Guidebook.pdf
• University of New Hampshire
Stormwater Center:
www.unh.edu/unhsc
• Villanova University Urban
Stormwater Partnership:
www3.villanova.edu/vusp
A tree filter diverts runoff before it enters the storm sewer system. Water quality
monitoring equipment also serves as public art (box on the right).
A rain garden in action during a storm. The forebay at the entrance to the rain
garden collects heavy sediment to improve infiltration.
A basic rain garden designed to filter runoff between two homes.
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LUC § 3.4.3; Fort Collins Stormwater Code Volume 3 § 3.1
Left and Right: Retrofitting existing streets with LID techniques. Photos before and after rain gardens were installed in curb bulb outs
on a street. LID can serve multiple purposes beyond water quality improvement and stormwater management. In this example, the
LID enhancement also contributes to traffic calming and neighborhood beautification.
Permeable Pavement
Bike Lane
“Complete Street” with Low Impact Development Techniques
Rain Garden
On-Street Parking
Curb Extension/Bulb Out
Transit Accommodation
High-Quality,
Sustainable
Landscaping
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Arranging Parts
A disconnected development whose plan emphasizes just one consideration: vehicle access to a parking
lot. Even this one consideration exhibits a need for more thoughtful planning and design. This is the
front. The back and sides consist of blank walls, more asphalt and chain link fencing, offering no positive
relationship to the surrounding neighborhood.
1 | Introduction
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Arranging Parts
Fort Collins Land Use Code standards deal with the basic physical fabric of the city.
The fabric is composed of a collection of parts – some privately owned, starting with
building and parking lots; and some publicly owned, starting with streets, parks,
drainage ways and natural areas.
This shows solutions to some basic local standards for how to arrange the parts in real
estate developments.
Goals for the functioning, health and appearance for Fort Collins depend on arranging
the parts of new developments more along the lines of a traditional, walkable town.
This means confronting and balancing the tendency for disconnected developments
dominated by traffic, parking lots and garages.
The most pervasive design question faced by the Code is probably this: how can
vehicle access be provided with the least effect on the pedestrian environment and
visual quality?
Streets, sidewalks, building placement and functional landscaping form a walkable pattern of city blocks
and comfortable street fronts. This allows access for all, on foot or on wheels. This looks like the most
2 | Introduction
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positive way to deal with traffic, air pollution, loss of local identity and most other “growth” issues. It takes
thoughtful design to avoid leaving out key parts and integrate vehicular functions so they won’t overwhelm
the place. The standards affect design and operations both for real estate developers and for City
Departments.
A Town-Like Pattern
Hypothetical Context Diagram for a Residential Development –
Dividing Up a Piece of Land vs. Building Up a Neighborhood or District :
3 | Introduction
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A Town-Like Pattern
4 | Introduction
15
Individual developments must be illustrated in their context. Streets and connections
laid out by developers of adjacent properties will be integral parts of neighborhoods and
districts built up over time.
Project Plans must include at least a diagram showing the proposed development in the
context of the relevant neighborhood or district surroundings. This should include both
sides of adjacent streets, whole intersections and conditions across all edges. Look at
the zoning and the City Plan principles and Policies behind it.
Then, especially on parcels with a dimension over 500 feet or so, look for ways to form
a simple, connected pattern of streets and blocks. Look for existing streets that can be
extended and provide street stubs that can be extended by future development. These
streets will have trees, comfortable sidewalks and crosswalks and special features to
calm traffic if needed.
This pattern then lends itself to building fronts facing the streets and street corners.
In some cases, off-street paths and trails for bicyclists and pedestrians need to be
extended or provided in addition to streets.
It will take effort by developers and the City to tie parts together – housing and other
land uses; streets, sidewalks and buildings; individual styles and an underlying
community fabric; developments and open lands.
Sequence showing evolution of an example plan for a piece of land considering the context. The
tendency is to only consider (1), dividing the land into lots and put the traffic on the existing road. The
Code requires attention to (2), contributing to a larger neighborhood or district. The result is (3), a
different plan that (1), meeting multiple needs. The Code emphasizes accessibility and mixing to avoid
overloading one single street, multiple choices and allow some everyday trips to be shorter and more
direct.
5 | Introduction
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A Whole Approach
Street edge along a commercial development with no connecting walkways. Everyone is
required to walk across parking lots and drive-thrus to get to and from all buildings. The
buildings are separated from each other and from streets by the maximum possible distances.
Sidewalk segments and landscaping are relegated to leftover spots. The Land Use Code
Street edge, downtown Fort Collins commercial development. Ideally, styles and details will
vary with buildings and tenants. But the aim is for each building to take its place along a
landscaped walkway, close to neighboring buildings as an integral part of a walkable district or
6 | Introduction neighborhood.
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A Whole Approach
Specialists can easily design each of the parts – the driveway access, the parking lot,
the sign and building, for example – to serve technical and consumer marketing
purposes in an individual development. The hard part is to make the multitude of real
estate developments fit in and fit together over time into a whole greater than the sum
of the parts – a livable city.
Without local standards, development
formulas commonly result in buildings
as isolated “islands” engulfed by
parking lots and drive-thrus, with no
connecting walkways to or between
buildings.
7 | Introduction
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Focus On Streets
This is an overriding theme in the City’s system.
• First, focus on the thoughtful layout of an interconnected street network with
walkable blocks.
• Second, on the street itself as a positive public space with trees, sidewalks,
transit stops, bike lanes, crosswalks and other features.
• Third, on the street front created by interesting building faces and entrances
brought together along streets. Big, roaring arterials may pose exceptions.
These three things all go together in walkable cities. There is not a new idea here – this
is the way towns and cities have traditionally been built.
Streets are the city’s most important public spaces. They determine what kind of place
Fort Collins will be, under what conditions its residents encounter each other in public
and what image the City will project to visitors. They are the basis of accessibility for
pedestrians as well as for vehicles.
A street is not an object that’s easy to recognize and deal with, like an individual
building in its own parking lot. A street is formed by many individual buildings, all part of
the shared space. By focusing on a shared street instead of just a parking lot or private
drive, we have to be more pluralistic – to accommodate different points of vie w.
Plans for real neighborhoods and
districts are more complex, broken
down into blocks with building faces
along connecting walkways and
plazas, patios, etc. The result is a
richer environment. To meet the
standards, plans should look more like
this.
8 | Introduction
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Focus on Streets
Comparison of formless sprawl arranged entirely around vehicle access to parking lots (left), and
compact community development designed around pedestrian streetfronts, community identity, and rural
land conservation (right).
9 | Introduction
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Focus on Streets
A plan for new development with a focus on shared streets and a sense of community. Access is direct
and convenient, walking is pleasurable and transit becomes more feasible in cities that evolve along
these lines.
10 | Introduction
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11 | Introduction
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Focus on Streets
A Paragraph from City Plan:*
“New streets will make development an integrated extension of the community.
The street pattern will be simple, interconnected and direct, avoiding circuitous
routes. Multiple routes should be provided between key destinations. Streets
should be located to consider physical features and to create views and prominent
locations for civic landmarks such as park, plazas and schools.” – City Plan
Principles and Policies, Policy CAD 1.3
In addition to standards for private development, the City itself has a critical role in
responding to traffic pressures so that streets remain attractive public spaces which
justify the orientation of building faces onto them. This has long been an intractable
problem for cities. It will require constant attention in Fort Collins’ future.
A comfortable street linking a neighborhood, a commercial district and ultimately, the rest of the City.
Elements are short blocks, fronting buildings, detached sidewalks, street-side parking, medians,
landscaping and low traffic speeds. A busy urban junction can be comfortable, interesting and accessible
by many modes of travel when streets accommodate multiple needs.
*City Plan is Fort Collins’ Comprehensive Plan upon which the Land Use Code is based.
12 | Introduction
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Focus on Streets
Street view of dwellings facing parking lots; the closest front door is behind the trash dumpster.
13 | Introduction
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Street view of dwellings arranged in the traditional manner of homes on a local street.
Focus on Streets
‘Not This’ - Buildings with Only Parking Lot Access:
The basic connections and relationships between parts often get shortchanged in developments where
large or winding parking lots take the place of local streets. This form of development has little
relationship to the community besides a traffic inlet/outlet onto an existing street. That is the key issue –
the form of development created by the basic arrangement. Requiring upgrades to buildings or
landscaping can’t make up for the negative effects or arranging everything around vehicle access to a
parking lot.
14 | Introduction
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‘This’ - Buildings Facing Streets:
Street connections and relationships are what make a city. Standards call for mingling different building
uses and ways of movement along city streets. Over and over again, these solutions emphasize a
positive urban relationship of buildings facing onto landscaped sidewalks. This form of development has
a complete, integral relationship to the larger community. Parking lots are convenient and workable, but
not at the expense of other important considerations.
15 | Introduction
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• Develop design guidelines for incorporating
nature into the urban environment (Spring
2015)
Public Engagement
Citizens • Ensure all citizens/residents
have an opportunity to
participate in the project and that
all stakeholder groups have a
voice
• Developed a 15-member Citizens Advisory
Committee to oversee the project
• Developed project website, email list (200
subscribers), and held three open house (170
attendees)
• Launched an interactive WikiMap to allow people
to identify where they access nature
• Conducting additional outreach in other
locations throughout town where we have not
reached citizens with the project, e.g., the
Farmers Markets and schools
• Developing two videos for the project with
Cable 14 on “What does nature meant to
you” and an overview of the project (June)
Boards and
Commissions
• Ensure City Boards and
Commissions can provide
feedback on the project
• Met with the Planning and Zoning (P&Z), Natural
Resources Advisory (NRAB), Land Conservation
and Stewardship (LCSB), Parks and Recreation,
and Senior Advisory Boards
• Staff will provide quarterly updates to P&Z
and NRAB
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