HomeMy WebLinkAbout214 S College Ave - Correspondence/Engineering - 09/22/199909/22/99 15:09 FAX
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lag the proposed addition of a third fly. -or to 214 South College, which will bring the
height to 41'-8" (twenty inches hi& ^ than 40 feet), which brings the project under
Height Review, Building Standards § 3.5.1 (H):
t (i) (1) states that the purpose of Building Height Review is to establish a process to
buildings that exceed forty (40) feet in height, intending to encourage creativity and
y of architecture within a context of ht anonious neighborhood planning and coherent
mental design, protect access to sunlieltt, preserve desirable views, and to define and
x downtown and designated activity comers.
We believe the proposed project more than complies with these stated purposes, as
demonstrated by our responses to the 1:lllowing individual code sections:
§ (1} (a) (1) Views
This section states that a building shall not substantially alter desirable views from public
pl streets and parks, specifically mentioning views of mountains, and significant local
lan ks such as Longs Peak, Horsetooth Mountain, etc.
214 South College is in well within the downtown area, situated in a block of two and
three story downtown buildings. Across the street to the sotnbwest, is the Mountain
Empire Hotel, a three-story building si wn to be completely rehabilitated To the east of
214 South College is the subject building's own parking lot, the alley, and then the City
parking block, which extends east to F emington Street. Because of this fact, 214 South
College has one of the more unique sill cations existing in downtown, that of having a
substantial distance between the building itself and residential or park views from the
east. in addition, the building is near ihe heart of downtown, on College Avenue, and
adjacent to many other taller building:.. Therefore, the building does not, in the words of
the code, "substantially alter the opportunityfor. and quality of, desirable views from
public places. streets and parks within the community."
(We took several photographs from several angles on Remington street, looking west
over 214 South College, but due to fo liage in the parking block, and other buiidings,
could not find anything meaningful tc show that the proposed addition will substantially
change the view.)
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§ (R 1 (1) (a) (2) Light and Shadow
This section states that buildings greau x than 40' in height shall not have substantial
adv se impact on the distribution of natural undartificial light on adjacent public andprivate
pro sty. Of specific concern is the casting of shadows on adjacent property sufficient to
prec ude the functional use of solar energy an,i technology, creating glare such as reflecting
sunk ht_._ contributing to the accumulation g` mow and ice during the winter on adjacent
pro rty, and shading windows or gardens foi more than three monde of the year.
Of most concern in any shadow analys is in the Northern Hemisphere is the space to the
north of a building_ To the immediate north of the building at 214 South College is an 8-
`h foot pedestrian walkway, which is already substantially shaded by the building to the
south_ Adding height to the existing bi•ulding will have no additional impact on this
walkway during the snow and ice seasi m.
Concerning the building to the north oftbe walkway (currently the Christian Science
Reading Room), that building has the :additional advantage of the distance between it and
214 South College created by the wall, way.
The addition to 214 South College wil'I not have the effect of shading any windows or
gardens at any time of the year.
Concerning whether the building will,.Antribute to glare of reflecting sunlight: The
proposed design of the addition to the building has most of its glass on the west elevation,
facing College Avenue. This fapade a `the addition is set back from the existing fayade
of the building at least 6 feet at its closest point In addition to having the effect of
minimizing the additional height of th:: building visually from the street, this design
feature also distances any possible sunlight glare from the glass from the street. The
building's orientation with respect to the north/south direction of College avenue
precludes the possibility of the glaneixg sunlight glare that would be more likely, for
example, in the situation of a south-fw ing glass wall adjacent to an east/west street.
Artificial lighting on the rear of the building will only serve to add illumination to the
Parking areas to the east, and any lighting on the west side of the building will serve to
add illumination to College Avenue, a:3 well as add additional interest to the nighttime
view of downtown from areas west of downtown,
(1) (a) (3) Privacy
This section states that buildings grew er than 40 feet shall not infringe on the privacy of
ant public and private property, particurarly adjacent residential areas and public parks.
The proposed addition to 214 South College will overlook College Avenue to the west,
over a block of parking to the east, and commercial buildings to the north and south, all
areas with presumably little concern for privacy..
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1(1) (a) (4) Neighborhood Scale
This section states that buildings with ],eight greater than 40 feet shall be compatible with
;ale of the neighborhood in which they a, a situated in terms of relative height, ._. and
ng scale to human scale. The transition between any building over fortyfeet in height and
butting neighborhood shall not be abrupi
The neighborhood of 214 South Collel�e is the heart of downtown, in the midst of
existing taller buildings (e.g., the juxta posed Empire Hotel), and taller buildings to come.
Concerning its relation to human scale. pedestrians and drivers on College Avenue daily
experience the taller buildings downto wn However, any additional impact the proposed
addition may have relative to building.' human scale will be minimized by the set -back -
from -the -street design of the addition-
Th4 completes comment on § (R) (1) (a), Kview Standards.
In nclusion, § (H) (1) (c) provides that the I'tirector or the Planning and Zoning Board may
inct height litnits for the following putptr,es:
[. �o preserve the character ofexistingresid:wtial neighborhoods:
214 South College is near the heart a P downtown)
2, ddlow architectural embellishments...
than adding a distinctive urban design to the downtown viewscape, this section is n/a.)
3. �eftning and reinforcing the downtown arcas the major focal point of the comnrozil
project is the precise articulation of this goal.
4. Jallowingfor maximum utilization of actn' ity centers:
project adds a residential element to the downtown environment Should the use of the
d space be changed to commercial at a later time (additional code requirements
anted for in the design), the project v, ill reinforce the downtown as the commercial
.r of Fort Collins.
5. brotecting access to sunlight,
discussed)
u
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6. roviding conscious direction to the urbar! form of the city through careful placement of tall
uildings or structures within activity cent zrs;
Comment:
s project fa thm of the goal of kcepinl; downtown Fort Collins a vibrant activity center.
7. Mowing rooftop building extensions to in .;orporate HM equipment.
rjherMAC
equipment to be placed on 21�4 South College will be notably not visible from
acent spaces.
submitted for the owner of 214 c, Guth College,
E Andrew Moses
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