HomeMy WebLinkAbout078 - 06/19/2007 - AMENDING THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS LAND USE CODE TO IMPLEMENT TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE NO. 078, 2007
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
AMENDING THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS LAND USE CODE
TO IMPLEMENT TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
WHEREAS, on March 18, 1997, by Ordinance No. 051, 1997, the Council of the
City of Fort Collins adopted the Fort Collins Land Use Code (the "Land Use Code"); and
WHEREAS, at the time of the adoption of the Land Use Code, it was the
understanding of staff and Council that the Land Use Code would most likely be subject
to future amendments, not only for the purpose of clarification and correction of errors,
but also for the purpose of ensuring that the Land Use Code remains a dynamic document
capable of responding to issues identified by staff, other land use professionals and
citizens of the City; and
WHEREAS, the staff of the City and the Planning and Zoning Board have
reviewed the Land Use Code and identified and explored various issues related to the
implementation of Transit Oriented Development and have made recommendations to the
Council regarding such issues; and
WHEREAS, the Council has determined that the Land Use Code amendments
which have been proposed for the implementation of Transit Oriented Development are
in the best interest of the City and its citizens.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF FORT COLLINS that the Land Use Code is hereby amended as follows:
Section 1. That Article 3 of the Land Use Code is hereby amended by the
addition of a new Division 3.10 which reads in its entirety as follows:
DIVISION 3.10 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR THE TRANSIT-
ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (TOD) OVERLAY ZONE
3.10.1 Applicability and Purpose
(A) Applicability. These standards apply to applications for development
within the boundary of the TOD Overlay Zone, south of Prospect Road.
(B) Purpose. The purpose of this Section is to modify the underlying zone
districts south of Prospect Road to encourage land uses, densities and
design that enhance and support transit stations along the Mason Corridor.
These provisions allow for a mix of goods and services within convenient
walking distance of transit stations; encourage the creation of stable and
attractive residential and commercial environments within the TOD
Overlay Zone south of Prospect Road; and provide for a desirable
transition to the surrounding existing neighborhoods. Accordingly, in the
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event of a conflict between the provisions contained in this Division and
the provisions contained in Article 4, this Division shall control.
3.10.2 Permitted Uses
(A) Enclosed mini-storage. Ground-floor enclosed mini-storage shall be
prohibited. Enclosed mini-storage shall be allowed either below grade or
on upper levels of a building.
3.10.3 Site Planning
(A) Building Orientation. Primary commercial and residential building
entrances shall face streets, connecting walkways, plazas, parks or similar
outdoor spaces, but not parking lots. Buildings shall face all street
frontages to the maximum extent feasible, with highest priority given to
east-west streets that lead from transit stations to destinations.
(B) Central Feature or Gathering Place. At least one (1) prominent or central
location within each transit station area shall include a convenient outdoor
open space or plaza with amenities such as benches, monuments, kiosks or
public art. This feature and its amenities shall be placed adjacent to a
transit station, to the extent reasonably feasible.
(C) Outdoor spaces. To the extent reasonably feasible, buildings and
extensions of buildings shall be designed to form outdoor spaces such as
courtyards, plazas, arcades, terraces, balconies and decks for residents'
and workers' use and interaction, and to integrate the development with
the adjacent physical context. To the extent reasonably feasible, a
continuous walkway system linking such outdoor spaces shall be
developed, and shall include coordinated linkages between separate
developments.
3.10.4 Streetscape and Pedestrian Connections
(A) Streetscape. Developments shall provide formal streetscape improvements
which shall include sidewalks having street trees in sidewalk cutouts with
tree grates, planters, or other appropriate treatment for the protection of
pedestrians, and shall provide seating and pedestrian light fixtures.
Specific design details shall be subject to approval by the City Engineer in
accordance with the design criteria for streets.
(B) On-street parking. On-street parking shall be defined by landscaped curb
extensions or bulb-outs. Conventional or enhanced crosswalks shall be
provided at all intersections.
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(C) Off-street parking. Off-street parking shall be located only behind, above
or below street-facing buildings. No parking will be allowed between the
street and the front or side of a building.
(D) Parking Structure Design. To the extent reasonably feasible, all parking
structures shall meet the following design criteria:
(1) Where parking structures face streets, retail and other uses shall be
required along at least fifty (50) percent of the ground level
frontage to minimize interruptions in pedestrian interest and
activity. The decision maker may grant an exception to this
standard for all or part of the ground level frontage on streets with
low pedestrian interest or activity.
(2) Awnings, signage and architectural elements shall be incorporated
to encourage pedestrian activity at the street-facing level.
(3) Auto entrances shall be located and designed to minimize
pedestrian/auto conflicts. Where service entries or parking
structure entries are needed, the following standards shall be met:
(See Figure
(a) the crown of the underground parking access ramp shall be
at least four(4) feet behind the back edge of the sidewalk;
(b) the beginning of the ramp for an above-ground parking
garage shall be at least four(4) feet behind the back edge of
the sidewalk;
(c) the entry to the parking structure shall be separated from
the sidewalk by low planters or a low wall;
(d) no blank walls shall be allowed on either side of the entry;
(e) the sidewalk pavement shall be continuous across the drive
aisle. Any break in the paving surface or scoring shall be
in the drive surface and not in the pedestrian surface; and
(f) appropriate cautionary signage shall be used to alert
pedestrians to the presence of entering and exiting vehicles
and to inform drivers that pedestrians have priority.
Figure_
Clear sight lines for pedestrian safety
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(E) Bicycle parking. A minimum number of bicycle parking spaces shall be
provided, equal in number to ten (10) percent of the total number of
automobile parking spaces provided by the development, but not less than
four(4) spaces.
3.10.5 Character and Image
(A) Articulation. Exterior building walls shall be subdivided and proportioned
to human scale, using projections, overhangs and recesses in order to add
architectural interest and variety and avoid the effect of a single, massive
wall with no relation to human size.
(B) Rooflines. Flat-roofed buildings shall feature three-dimensional cornice
treatment on all walls facing streets or connecting walkways, or a rail at
the top of the wall of a usable rooftop deck, unless the top floor is stepped
back to form a usable roof terrace area. A single continuous horizontal
roofline shall not be used on one-story buildings. Accent roof elements or
towers may be used to provide articulation of the building mass. To the
maximum extent feasible, a minimum pitch of 6:12 shall be used for gable
and hipped roofs. Where hipped roofs are used alone, the minimum pitch
shall be 4:12.
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(C) Materials and colors.
(1) Predominant exterior building materials shall be high quality
materials, including but not limited to brick, sandstone, other
native stone, tinted/textured concrete masonry units, stucco
systems or treated tilt-up concrete systems.
(2) All building facades shall incorporate stone, stone veneer, brick,
brick veneer, stucco, corrugated metal, wood and/or equivalent
accent material in a manner that highlights the articulation of the
massing or the base and top of the building. An all-brick building
does not need to incorporate an accent material, though soldier
courses and banding or other brick, stone, or metal detailing are
encouraged in order to subdivide masses and establish human
scale.
(3) Predominant or field colors for facades shall be low reflectance,
subtle, neutral or earth tone colors. The use of high-intensity
colors, black or fluorescent colors shall be prohibited.
(4) Building trim and accent areas may feature brighter colors,
including primary colors, and black, but neon tubing shall not be
an acceptable feature for building trim or accent areas.
(5) Exterior building materials shall not include smooth-faced concrete
block, untreated or unpainted tilt-up concrete panels or
prefabricated steel panels.
(D) Multiple storefronts. Buildings with multiple storefronts shall be unified
though the use of architecturally compatible features, such as colors,
details, awnings, signage and lighting fixtures.
(E) Walls,fences and planters. Walls, fences and planters shall be designed
to match or be consistent with the quality of materials, style and colors of
the development.
(G) Building Height. All buildings shall have a minimum height of twenty
(20) feet, measured to the dominant roof line of a flat-roofed building, or
the mean height between the eave and ridge on a sloped-roof building. In
the case of a complex roof with different, co-dominant portions, the
measurement shall apply to the highest portion.
(1) All buildings shall be limited to the maximum height allowed in
the underlying zone district unless:
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(a) the development is mixed-use and contains at least one-
seventh (1/7) of its total building square footage as either
residential or office use, in which case the maximum
allowable height shall be the base height plus one (1) story;
or
(b) the development is mixed-use and contains at least one-
seventh (1/7) of its total building square footage as
residential use and at least ten (10) percent of the
residential units are either affordable housing units for rent
or affordable housing units for sale as defined in Article 5
or structured parking (underground, interior to the site or
above ground), in which case the maximum allowable
height shall be the base height plus two (2) stories; or
(c) the project is mixed-use and contains at least one-seventh
(1/7) of its total building square footage as residential use
and at least ten (10) percent of the residential units are
either affordable housing units for rent or affordable
housing units for sale as defined in Article 5, and the
project contains structured parking (underground, interior
to the site or above ground), in which case the maximum
height shall be the base height plus three(3) stories.
(2) Buildings allowed under subsections (G)(1)(a), (b) or (c) of this
section shall have a base portion consisting of one (1) or two (2)
stories. The base portion shall be clearly defined by a prominent,
projecting cornice or roof, fenestration, different material, and
different color from the remainder of the building. If the base
portion is two (2) stories, the ground floor shall be further
differentiated by fenestration and other detailing.
(3) Buildings allowed under subsections (G)(1)(a), (b) or (c) of this
section shall also be designed so that upper portions of the building
are stepped back from the base. The adequacy of upper floor step-
backs shall be determined by the extent to which they advance the
following objectives: (a) providing pedestrian scale along
sidewalks and outdoor spaces; (b) enhancing compatibility with the
scale and massing of nearby buildings; (c) preserving key sunshine
patterns in adjacent spaces; and (d) preserving views.
(H) Windows. Standard storefront window and door systems may be used as
the predominant style of fenestration for buildings as long as the building
facade visually establishes and defines the building stories and establishes
human scale and proportion. Minimum glazing on pedestrian oriented
facades of buildings shall be sixty (60) percent on the ground floor and
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forty (40) percent on upper floors. Projects functionally unable to comply
with this requirement shall mitigate such non-compliance with ample,
enhanced architectural features such as a change in massing or materials,
enhanced landscaping, trellises, arcades or shallow display window cases.
(1) Display windows. Ground floor retail, service and restaurant uses shall
have large-pane display windows. Such windows shall be framed by the
surrounding wall and shall not exceed ninety (90) percent of the total
ground level facade area.
Section 2. That Section 4.18 of the Land Use Code is hereby amended by the
addition of a new subparagraph (F) which reads in its entirety as follows:
(F) Development Standards for the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
Overlay Zone. Development located within the TOD Overlay Zone shall
be subject to the requirements of Division 3.10.
Section 3. That Section 4.21 of the Land Use Code is hereby amended by a
new Section (G) which reads in its entirety as follows:
(G) Development Standards for the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
Overlay Zone. Development located within the TOD Overlay Zone shall
be subject to the requirements of Division 3.10.
Section 4. That Section 4.27 of the Land Use Code is hereby amended by the
addition of a new subparagraph(G) which reads in its entirety as follows:
(G) Development Standards for the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
Overlay Zone. Development located within the TOD Overlay Zone shall
be subject to the requirements of Division 3.10.
Section 5. That the definition of"Transit facility" contained in Section 5.1.2
of the Land Use Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
Transit facility shall mean bus stops, bus terminals, transit stations, transfer points
or depots without vehicle repair or storage.
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Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 5th
day of June, A.D. 2007, and to be presented for final passage on the 19th day of June,
A.D. 2007.
v
Maya
ATTEST:
�uA� �'j , .-A. i
City Clerk
Passed and adopted on final reading on the 19th day o 4, A007
.
Mayo
ATTEST:
City Clerk
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