HomeMy WebLinkAboutMASON STREET NORTH - MAJOR AMENDMENT - 4-97B - P&Z PACKET - VARIANCE REQUESTCivic Center Subarea Plan. In short, this modification will address "an important
community need specifically and expressly defined and described by an adopted policy
(subarea plan)" (subparagraph (2) of 2.8.2.(H).).
3. All the buildings along the Lee Martinez Park (including the cohousing, the single family
houses on lots 1-10 and Building B of Mason Street Court) form a consistent building
wall, which enhances the visual continuity along park's southern edge. Building C, as it
is placed in the Mason Street North project repeats the same orthogonal geometry as
created by the other buildings around it and enhances the building wall defining the edge
of the park. In short, the placement of building C creates visual continuity. For a
pedestrian walking on the sidewalk along on Mason Court this visual continuity provides
orientation. Therefore the configuration of Building C on the site plan addresses the
general purpose of Section 3.5.3.(B)(2) of the code (subparagraph (1) of 2.82.(H)).
4. The only ROW that Building C could be "built -to" is the cul-de-sac at the end of Mason
Court, which is already surrounded by Building B, park, and the entrance to the private
road. This does not leave any significant frontage for a building the size of Building C to
be "built -to." Therefore "by reason of extraordinary and exceptional situations, unique to
this property, the strict application of the standard" would result in "exceptional practical
difficulties" and "exceptional hardship upon the owner" (subparagraph (3) of 2.8.2.(H).
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5. Justifications for Variances from Criteria
The Mason Street North project complies with all the applicable criteria outlined in
Articles 3 and 4 of the City Code, with following exception:
Section 3.5.3. (13)(2) of Land Use Code requires buildings to form a built -to line along
the sidewalk in order to provide "visually continuous, pedestrian -oriented street fronts." The
development team was informed by Steve Olt of City's Current Planning Department that
Building C of Mason Street North does not comply with section 3.5.3.(B)(2). The development
team believes that although Building C does not follow 3.5.3.(B)(2) literally, it satisfies its
general purposes. Depending on the legitimate reasons outlined.in 2.8.2.(H), the development
team is requesting a modification to section 3.5.3.(B)(2). The following is a list of justifications
explaining why this modification would not be detrimental to public good and that this request of
modification meets the requirements and criteria outlined by the subparagraph (1), (2), and (3) of
2.8.2.(H):
Mason Street North Project plays a very crucial role in connecting the downtown Fort
Collins to Lee Martinez Park, by means of a pedestrian connection suggested by City's
subarea plan. This path crosses Cherry Street in the middle of the block and continues
into the Mason Street North project. The Downtown Development Authority of Fort
Collins decided to help the development team financially to create a series of public
access easements whereby upgrading paving materials to a more pedestrian friendly type,
plaza like parking lots are created. The parking lot between Buildings C and B will be an
example of such parking lot/plaza space. Building C relates to this parking lot/plaza by
means of a continuous arcade, which creates a very inviting and civic environment fort
anybody who crosses Mason Street North project to reach Lee Martinez Park. The main
building entrance opens to this arcade in order to encourage this inviting civic feeling. In
short, although this parking lot is not a ROW it is still a very important pedestrian
connection with a public easement and Building C provides a civic front, i.e., a "built to"
line, to this easement. Therefore, lining the building by this path (although it is not a
ROW) "will promote the general purpose of the standard (3.5.3.(B)(2)) better than a plan
that would comply the standard" (subparagraph (1) of 2.8.2.(H).
2. Building C serves for creating pedestrian continuity between the Lee Martinez Park and
Cherry Street crossing in an exceptionally successful way. It attracts and directs the
pedestrians towards the park. It gives them a sense of "civic realm." This could not be
achieved if it were aligned along the Mason Court dead end, which is the only adjacent
ROW to Building C. Indeed Building C could have damaged the mentioned pedestrian
connection, if it had oriented itself along the Mason Court cul-de-sac. Therefore, again,
the proposed configuration "will promote the general purpose of the standard
(3.5.3.(B)(2)) better than a plan that would comply the standard" (subparagraph (1) of
2.8.2.(H). In addition, complying 3.5.3.(B)(2) would result in a building configuration
damaging the mentioned pedestrian connection. This connection is proposed by City's
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