HomeMy WebLinkAboutMASON STREET NORTH - MAJOR AMENDMENT - 4-97B - CORRESPONDENCE - VARIANCE REQUEST (4)Steve Olt - Mason Street North Page 1
From: Cam McNair
To: Dave Stringer; Katie Moore; Mike Herzig
Date: Mon, Nov 26, 2001 5:48 PM
Subject: Mason Street North
I have been asked to reconsider the variance requests for the parking space setbacks and driveway
widths on this development project.
Based on the slower automobile speeds at the Mason Court cul-de-sac, I am willing to vary the LCUASS
requirements at that location as follows:
1. The setback to the first parking spaces can be reduced from 40-ft to 20-ft, for those parking areas
accessed from the Mason Court cul-de-sac.
2. The driveway width can be reduced from 24-ft to 22-ft for the parking areas that take access from
the cul-de-sac.
Based on the traffic expected along Cherry Street, as well as the expected traffic volumes entering and
leaving the parking lot that accesses Cherry, the setback and driveway widths need to meet LCUASS
requirements. Therefore, the 50-ft setback means that 2 parking spaces (on the east side of the entry
drive) need to be moved. The 24-ft driveway width can be accommodated with no impact to the number
of parking spaces.
As with all variances to the street standards, these granted for this project are based on the particular
situation under design and the judgment that we (the designer and the City) apply to determine whether
there is a public safety concern. These variances for this project in no way set a precedence for relaxing
these standards on other projects without complete analysis and justification.
Let me know if you have any questions on this.
Cam McNair, PE
City Engineer
281 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580
Phone: (970) 221-6605
Fax: (970) 221-6378
E-Mail: cmcnair@fcgov.com
CC: Cameron Gloss; Gary Diede; Gregory Byrne
Transpc Lion Services
Engineering Department
Shear Engineering November 26, 2001
4836 S. College, Suite 12
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Attn: Michael Rohlfs
Re: Variance Requests
Mason Street North project (Martinez PUD Major Amendment)
Dear Mr. Rohlfs:
I am writing to inform you that two engineering variances to the Larimer County Urban Area Street
Standards have been granted by the City Engineer. These two variances are specifically for reducing the
driveway width (to 18') and parking setback (to 30') for the 4-space parking lot between Building A and
Building B. Variance requests for all other locations were denied.
The Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards calls out specific requirements for the approval of
variance requests. The "proposed plan (as varied) must advance the public purpose of the standard sought
to be varied equally well or better than would compliance with such standard." Based on the arguments set
forth for the variance, it was determined that approval of the variance would be a detriment to public safety
and would not meet the purpose of the standard equally well or better than compliance with the standard
would. The purposes of the standards sought to be vaned were not addressed by the variance request.
Minimum driveway widths are set to accommodate larger volumes of traffic and having multiple cars
entering and exiting the driveway simultaneously. The parking setback standards were formulated to
provide space to reduce conflicts -between cars maneuvering within the lot and entering the lot from the
street. In neither argument for the variance requests were these topics addressed.
The variance requests also included several discrepancies which led to their denial. The Martinez PUD
plans as approved meet the minimum driveway widths required by current standards, and the parking
setbacks are far larger than what was proposed under the variance request. -It was also assumed that Mason
Court has an ADT of less than 100 when the approved Transportation Impact Study shows upwards of 700
ADT on that street.
Overall, it was not shown that the variances would not be detrimental to the health, safety and welfare of
the public as required by the Latimer County Urban Area Street Standards (Section 1.9.2) except for in the
specific parking lot as described above.
The appeal process for variance requests is as follows: the Developer may appeal the decision of the City
Engineer to the Director of Transportation Operations (Gary Diede). All appeals shall be processed
through the City Engineer. The Developer shall give written notice of appeal to the Director within 10 days
of denial (the date on this letter) by the City Engineer. The Director- shall respond within 15 working days
after receipt of the Developer's notice to appeal. If the Director overturns the City Engineer's decision, the
developer may then proceed with the requested variance(s) in the plans. If the Director concurs with the
City Engineer's decision, the Developer shall bring the Plans into compliance with these Standards. The
Director's decision shall be final.
Respectfully,
Katie Moore
Development Review Engineer
281 North College Avenue • P.O. Box 380 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 • (970) 221-6605 • FAX (970) 221-6378
www.fcgov.com