Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutNORTH COLLEGE MARKETPLACE - ADDITION OF PERMITTED USE - 23-08 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORTNorth College Marketplace — Addition of Permitted Uses, #23-08 August 21, 2008 P & Z Meeting Page 7 RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that Drive-in Restaurants, a total of four (4), and Gasoline Stations, a total of one (1), be added as allowable uses in the Community Commercial North College zone district specifically for the property at the northeast comer of North College Avenue and East Willox Lane (excluding the existing North College Motors and Pobre Pancho's properties), to be known as the North College Marketplace - #23-08. North College Marketplace — Addition of Permitted Uses, #23-08 August 21, 2008 P & Z Meeting Page 6 9. Compliance with Article 3 General Development Standards: As part of the City's standard development review process, the development and redevelopment of the site (properties) must comply with criteria and standards set forth in Article 3 of the Land Use Code. 10. Compliance with Article 4, Division 4.19 Community Commercial North College Standards: As part of the City's standard development review process, the development and redevelopment of the site (properties) must comply with criteria and standards set forth in Article 4, Division 4.19 of the Land Use Code. 11. Neighborhood Meeting: A neighborhood information meeting is being held on August 7, 2008. A summary of this meeting will be provided to the Planning & Zoning Board prior to the public hearing on August 21, 2008. 12. Findings of Fact and Conclusion: In reviewing the request to add Drive-in Restaurants and Gasoline Stations as Permitted Uses for property at the northeast corner of North College Avenue and East Willox Lane, Staff makes the following findings of fact: A. The site is undeveloped. B. After the adoption of the LUC in March, 1997, Drive-in Restaurants and Gasoline Stations are not permitted uses within the Community Commercial North College (CCN) District. C. As part of the City's standard development review process, the development and redevelopment of the site (properties) must comply with criteria and standards set forth in Article 3 General Development Standards of the Land Use Code. D. As part of the City's standard development review process, the development and redevelopment of the site (properties) must comply with criteria and standards set forth in Article 4, Division 4.19 Community Commercial North College of the Land Use Code. North College Marketplace — Addition of Permitted Uses, #23-08 August 21, 2008 P & Z Meeting Page 5 proposed permitted uses are not significantly different in visual character from adjacent permitted uses. B. Section 3.5.1(H) - Land Use Transition Other areas within the project site provide opportunities for land use transition through the design of plaza spaces (serving as street -front area), gateway features, landscaped open space, and an enhanced natural area corresponding with the purpose of the CCN District to moderate land use intensity at the fringe of core commercial areas. Building placement and distance separations provide opportunities for sufficient land use transitions from adjacent residential neighborhoods. C. Section 3.5.1(J) - Operational/Physical Compatibility Standards During the Project Development Plan process, the Planning & Zoning Board has the authority to impose conditions upon the approval of development applications to ensure that new development will be compatible with existing neighborhoods and land uses. 7. Traffic: Traffic impacts associated with the proposed addition of permitted uses, as well as the overall development plan, will be evaluated with the Transportation Impact Analysis that is required as part of a Project Development Plan submittal. 8. Compliance with a Governing Overall Development Plan or Sub -area Plan: The proposed project is within the North College Corridor Plan and should enhance North College Avenue. Additionally, this project would be a catalyst development that will anchor the North College corridor and will become a significant retail destination. Among other things the project will update, upgrade, and install necessary infrastructure improvements to the area, and place several underutilized properties into productive use. The project will create an attractive gateway to the North College Avenue and North Fort Collins business corridor and generate significant property and sales tax within the area. The project, when complete, will accomplish several objectives of the Plan which include, but are not limited to, utilizing undeveloped and underdeveloped land, improvement of pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular circulation and safety, and develop the property in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan in a manner compatible with the project area. North College Marketplace — Addition of Permitted Uses, #23-08 August 21, 2008 P & Z Meeting Page 4 5. Context of the Surrounding Area: The Applicant has provided the following description of the surrounding area: The project site is generally located on the east side of North College Avenue at the northern 'Gateway' of the City limits. In its current state, North College Avenue lacks curb & gutter, sidewalks, and streetscape along both the east and west sides of the street as well as the operational capacity to accommodate the traffic generated by the development of the area. Within the site, proposed improvements are to extend to Grape Street to the north and to East Willox Lane to the south. Currently, Pobre Pancho's Mexican restaurant and North College Motors auto dealership exist at the southwest corner of the proposed site. The eastern edge is currently a natural area with some wetlands extending into the center of the site. The natural area is mostly surrounded by the Larimer & Weld Canal to the north and east with a small section at the southeast comer abutting an existing residential property in the County. Immediately adjacent to the canal are lands and uses in Larimer County. The southeast corner of the intersection of East Willox Lane and Blue Spruce Drive is currently zoned Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood (MMN). Properties west of North College Avenue and south of East Willox Lane are located in the Commercial North College District (CN). In addition to the Applicant's contextual analysis, Staff further notes that the property directly south, across East Willox Lane, is an existing Albertson's Supermarket -anchored shopping center that contains an Albertson's gasoline station and a Burger King drive-in restaurant. 6. Drive-in Restaurants and Gasoline Stations and Compatibility with the Neighborhood Context and Section 3.5.1 of the Land Use Code: The proposed permitted uses for a gasoline station and for a drive-in restaurant are compatible with the adjacent Commercial North College District (CN) adjacent to the project to the west and south. The adjacent CN District, which is more permissive, allows the use of gasoline stations and drive-in restaurants with Planning & Zoning Board approval. The proposed uses would adhere to the existing Land Use Code and meet a level of character as described in the North College Corridor Plan. A. Sections 3.5.1(B) & (C) — Architectural Character and Building Compatibility (Building Size, Height, Bulk, Mass, Scale) Elements of the proposed uses in terms of structure height, scale, mass and bulk would parallel the structure requirements of the adjacent CN District requirements. Additionally, the location of the proposed uses would be along the outer edge (west and south) of the project closest to the CN District as opposed to the interior of the project site. Overall, the North College Marketplace — Addition of Permitted Uses, #23-08 August 21, 2008 P & Z Meeting Page 3 The new Addition of a Permitted Use is basically an extension of Section 1.3.4 of the Land Use Code which, prior to July 1, 2008, allowed the Director to add a use to a zone but only so long as: • Such use is not specifically listed as a "Permitted Use" in Article 4; • Such use is not specifically listed by name as a prohibited use. Now, under the expanded process, the Planning and Zoning may add a use to zone under the following criteria: • Such use may be specifically listed as a "Permitted Use" in Article 4; • But, such use, if approved, would be allowed only for the one (or more) specific, contiguous parcel(s) as requested by the applicant and not on a zone district -wide basis. 4. Description of the Proposed Uses and Previous Uses: A. The proposed uses are Drive-in Restaurants and Gasoline Stations. These uses are defined as: Drive-in Restaurant shall mean any establishment in which the principal business is the sale of foods and beverages to the customer in a ready -to -consume state and in which the design or principal method of operation of all or any portion of the business is to allow food or beverages to be served directly to the customer in a motor vehicle without the need for the customer to exit the motor vehicle. Gasoline Station shall mean any building, land area, premises or portion thereof, where gasoline or other petroleum products or fuels are sold and light maintenance activities such as engine tune-ups, lubrication, minor repairs and carburetor cleaning may be conducted. Gasoline Station shall not include premises where heavy automobile maintenance activities such as engine overhaul, automobile painting and body fender work are conducted. B. The property is undeveloped; therefore, there have not been any previous uses, other than possibly residential uses. No structures currently exist. North College Marketplace — Addition of Permitted Uses, #23-08 August 21, 2008 P & Z Meeting Page 2 COMMENTS 1. Backaround: The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: N: M1, C in Larimer County; Existing residential S: CN; Existing shopping center E: M1, C in Larimer County; Existing residential W: M1 in Larimer County, CN in the City; Existing North College Avenue commercial corridor The property was annexed in pieces as part of the North College Annexation in December, 1959; as the Nauta North College Annexation in April, 1965; and, as the East Willox Lane First Annexation in July, 1975. 2. Zoning History (most recent to past): The property is currently located in the Community Commercial — North College District (CCN). The current CCN District was adopted in 1995 and was revised to include supermarkets in 2002 and more recently, to include large retail establishments in 2007. Prior to the adoption of the Land Use Code and the rezoning to a CCN District, the property was zoned Business Center (BC). Note, the BC zone was essentially renamed to the CCN District because there is little distinction between the permitted uses. Prior to the BC zoning it was zoned Highway (HB) and Limited Industrial (IL) as recent as 1995. In 1976 the property was zoned HB and MM for medium density mobile home, but it is unclear when it was rezoned from MM to IL. At this time it is unknown as to whether any previous zoning designations would have allowed the proposed additional permitted uses. 3. Addition of Permitted Uses: This new process was recommended for approval by the Planning & Zoning Board in May of 2008 and granted final approval by City Council on July 1, 2008. The process is equivalent to a Type 2 review in that a neighborhood meeting is required and consideration is by the Planning and Zoning Board. City of �FtrtColl mins f� Planning & Zoning Board STAFF REPORT Item #: Meeting Date c Staff: �1' OW - PROJECT: North College Marketplace —Addition of Permitted Uses, #23-08 APPLICANT: BHA Design, Inc. c/o David Kasprzak 4803 Innovation Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525 OWNER: 1908 North College, LLC 1043 Eagle Drive Loveland, CO 80537 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request to add Drive-in Restaurants and Gasoline Stations as an Addition of Permitted Uses in the Community Commercial North College zone district specifically for the property at the northeast comer of North College Avenue and East Willox Lane (excluding the existing North College Motors and Pobre Pancho's properties). The property is undeveloped; however, a supermarket -anchored shopping center is being proposed. This request for the addition of permitted use includes restaurants with drive- in/through facilities and gasoline stations. More specifically, the proposed permitted uses would allow for a maximum of one (1) gasoline station and four (4) drive-in restaurants. The request is intended to further facilitate the redevelopment of a critical property within the North College Avenue Corridor. The parcel is approximately 26 acres in size and zoned CCN, Community Commercial North College. RECOMMENDATION: Approval EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The site is currently undeveloped. The proposed uses, Drive-in Restaurants and Gasoline Stations, are not permitted in the CCN District. The proposed uses have been reviewed by the criteria of Section 3.5.1 which addresses compatibility with the surrounding area. A neighborhood meeting is being held on August 7, 2008 and notes taken at this meeting will be made available to the Planning & Zoning Board prior to the public hearing on August 21, 2008.