Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutLandmark Preservation Commission - Minutes - 09/28/2015City of Fort Collins Page 1 September 28, 2015 Ron Sladek, Chair Doug Ernest, Vice Chair City Council Chambers Meg Dunn City Hall West Kristin Gensmer 300 Laporte Avenue Per Hogestad Fort Collins, Colorado Dave Lingle Alexandra Wallace Cablecast on City Cable Channel 14 Belinda Zink on the Comcast cable system Tom Leeson Karen McWilliams Maren Bzdek Gino Campana Staff Liaison, PDT Director Preservation Planner Preservation Planner Council Liaison The City of Fort Collins will make reasonable accommodations for access to City services, programs, and activities and will make special communication arrangements for persons with disabilities. Please call 221-6515 (TDD 224- 6001) for assistance. Regular Meeting September 28, 2015 Minutes • CALL TO ORDER Chair Sladek called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. • ROLL CALL PRESENT: Dunn, Hogestad, Ernest, Sladek, Wallace ABSENT: Zink, Gensmer and Lingle (all excused) STAFF: McWilliams, Bzdek, Dorn, Yatabe, Schiager • PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA None. • DISCUSSION AGENDA 1. FORT COLLINS HOTEL PARKING GARAGE - RECOMMENDATION TO DECISION MAKER PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Located at 363 Jefferson Street, this project proposes a 323 stall parking garage consisting of 83,847 square foot (3,200 mixed use and 80,647 square foot parking area). The project will require a Type II (Planning & Zoning Board) Landmark Preservation Commission Approved by Commission at their October 14, 2015 meeting. City of Fort Collins Page 2 September 28, 2015 hearing. The associated Downtown Hotel project was reviewed by the Landmark Preservation Commission at a work session held on June 10, 2015, during which time the Commission discussed the conceptual proposal of a garage structure. At tonight’s meeting, the applicants are requesting a final review of the project, and a recommendation to the Planning & Zoning Board. APPLICANT: Stu MacMillan, Bohemian Companies Staff Report Ms. McWilliams presented the staff report. Applicant Presentation Lou Bieker with 4240 Architecture in Denver gave the Applicant presentation, noting that it had been modified since the publication of the agenda packet, and a copy of the current presentation was submitted into the record. He explained that Bohemian Companies is one of the Applicants, but the City of Fort Collins and the DDA are really his clients for the parking structure. Photos of the current street views were displayed. Applicable sections of the River District Design Guidelines were noted. The Applicant spoke about the parking garage providing a bridge between Old Town and the River District, and the importance of relating to both in its design. City guidelines for street trees have been followed. Retail space is planned along the alley, and may be also incorporated into the Jefferson Street side in the future. The ramping system is located in the interior of the structure, so as not to be visible from the street. He discussed the similarities of the materials to those used in the hotel, specifically the brick and metal screening elements. Public Input None Commission Questions and Discussion Hard copies of the Commission’s findings with regard to the Fort Collins Downtown Hotel from the September 9, 2015 meeting were distributed to the Members by Staff for reference. Chair Sladek directed that the Commission first discuss adjacencies to the project. A Member inquired about the “Quonset hut” buildings on Jefferson. Staff said they were surveyed about 10 years ago, and that some were determined to be potentially eligible at that time, and others were not. However, there has not been a more recent review conducted. Members asked about the buildings across Jefferson, and since there were no photos of that area included in the packet, Staff displayed imagery from Google Maps Street View for the Commission. A Member expressed interested in having information about the dates those structures were built, but that information was unavailable. The Member said the process did not need to be delayed for that reason, but that it would be nice to have that kind of information in the future. Chair Sladek complimented the design, saying he appreciated the Applicant’s thoughtful analysis, which went beyond the standards and requirements, resulting in a well-conceived project. He also stated that it would be helpful to have additional drawings showing the garages in relation to some of these buildings, but that was not necessary to their decision. The Commission discussed how to craft the wording for the motion, findings of fact and adjacencies, drawing heavily from the handout of the findings from the Fort Collins Downtown Hotel. Members discussed the bridge formed by the project between the River District and the Walnut Street area. After some clarification from Mr. Yatabe, Assistant City Attorney, the Commission added the River District to the description of the project’s adjacencies. Commission Deliberation Mr. Ernest moved that the Landmark Preservation Commission recommend to the decision maker, the Planning and Zoning Board, approval of the Fort Collins Hotel Parking Garage project located at 363 Jefferson Street, with the following findings of fact: 1. The adjacencies defined for the Fort Collins Downtown Hotel project at the September 9, 2015 regular meeting of the Landmark Preservation Commission also apply to this project, with the addition of the River District. City of Fort Collins Page 3 September 28, 2015 2. The project is compatible and respectful to the character of the surrounding historic context for the following reasons: a. The building uses historically sensitive materials and colors of materials that are compatible with adjacent historic properties. b. The project uses compatible solid to void pattern, typical of the adjacent historic context. c. The pedestrian scale of the proposed project is compatible with the historic context. Ms. Wallace seconded. Ms. Dunn stated that she didn’t see the project as compatible to the neighboring district, based on Land Use Code 3.4.7, specifically with regard to the cornice line and metal materials. Motion passed 4-1, with Dunn dissenting. [Timestamp: 6:51 p.m.] • OTHER BUSINESS None • ADJOURNMENT Chair Sladek adjourned the meeting at 6:51 p.m. Minutes respectfully submitted by Gretchen Schiager. Attachment: Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) Findings of Fact and Conclusions Pertaining to the Fort Collins Downtown Hotel Project Community Development & Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580 970.416.2740 970.224.6134- fax fcgov.com Planning, Development & Transportation MEMORANDUM DATE: September 10, 2015 TO: Planning and Zoning Board TH: Tom Leeson, Interim Director of Community Development & Neighborhood Services Seth Lorson, City Planner FR: Karen McWilliams, Historic Preservation Manager RE: Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) Findings of Fact and Conclusions Pertaining to the Fort Collins Downtown Hotel Project. As provided for in Land Use Code Section 3.4.7(F)(6), in its consideration of the approval of plans for properties containing or adjacent to designated, eligible or potentially eligible sites, structure, objects or districts, the Decision Maker shall receive, and consider in making its decision, a written recommendation from the Landmark Preservation Commission. This memorandum contains the Commission’s Findings of Facts and its motion for this project. 1) The development project known as the Downtown Hotel is located adjacent to the Old Town Fort Collins Historic District, which is a designated Fort Collins Landmark District as well as a National Register of Historic Places District; and to the Armory Building, which is individually designated on the National, State, and Fort Collins historic registers; additionally, it is adjacent to properties that have been officially determined to be individually eligible for local landmark designation. 2) At its September 9, 2015 Regular Meeting, the Landmark Preservation Commission reviewed the development project known as the Downtown Hotel, and as authorized under LUC Section 3.4.7(F)(6), made the following findings of facts: That the project is compatible and respectful to the character of the surrounding historic context for the following reasons: a. The project design uses traditional proportion and historic modules typical of like adjacent historic buildings. b. The project uses massing location and appropriate step-backs to mitigate height, relative to the historic context, as well as to the Mitchell Block. c. The building uses historically scaled materials, and colors of materials, that are compatible with adjacent historic properties. d. The project uses compatible solid to void window pattern, typical of the adjacent historic context. e. The pedestrian scale of the main floor of the proposed project is compatible with the historic context. 3) The Commission specifically discussed in its deliberations the applicants’ request for modifications to two Standards, relative to the building’s height and setback, specifically: Section 4.16(D)(2)(a), which permits a maximum height of four stories or 56 feet; and Section 4.16(D)(4)(a), which requires a setback at a 35 degree angle measured at the intersection of the floor plane of the fourth floor and the property line. - 2 - 4) At its September 9, 2015 Regular Meeting, the Commission adopted the following motion on a vote of 8-0: That the Landmark Preservation Commission recommend to the decision maker, the Planning and Zoning Board, the approval of the development proposal for the Fort Collins Hotel located at the corner of Chestnut and Walnut Streets, finding that it complies with Land Use Code Section 3.4.7.