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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOLORADO EARLY COLLEGES, 4800 WHEATON DR. - SPAR - SPA120002 - P&Z PACKET - RECOMMENDATION/REPORTG 1 11 A l 0 .1 t I; N i A x I A CHAMBER O I' C () M \t If 12 C F April 10, 2012 Sandi Brown Colorado Early Colleges — Fort Collins 4800 Wheaton Drive Fort Collins, Colorado 80525 Subject: Support for Colorado Early Colleges — Fort Collins Dear Sandi: Thank you for updating me on the early college school. Colorado Early Colleges will be a great addition to Fort Collins. A paradox of our times is that too many good people have a difficult time finding gainful employment while I hear on a weekly basis from employers that they cannot find good people. Clearly something isn't working right. Having a dual track high school that allows students to earn a high school diploma while earning an Associate's degree or credits toward a Bachelor's will be a strong incentive for many students to stay in school, work hard and make a positive future for themselves. And CEC's postsecondary and workforce readiness guarantee is powerful for both students and employers. I personally like the early college school philosophy of rigor, mastery, competence and confidence directed at low-income, first -generation college goers. I know from experience that it is extremely difficult to bridge out of generational poverty. The very idea of college can be intimidating for want of information and example and the confidence that you can succeed. Colorado Early Colleges — Fort Collins can be their guide and path. Here's wishing you well. We look forward to working with you in the years ahead. Sic ely, A I �)dl, David L. May President & CEO Traffic The hours of the school are nontraditional for a high school. We project to run the school from 8 am to 6 pm. Traffic will be spread out through the day. We project approximately 15 percent of the students to drive to the school. We have submitted a grant to the Daniels Fund for the purchase of a bus. In Colorado Springs, approximately 50 percent of the students who attend daily ride a bus to the school. We are projecting approximately 40 percent of the students to ride a bus to the school location. We have yet to finalize routes but we might have two different times students arrive and depart from the school. We plan on having a significant percent of our school population attend from the Greeley and Windsor area. We will also have students ride the public transit system to the school location. We also might run the school bus to and from Front Range Community College if there is enough student demand. Lunch Program Colorado Early Colleges — Fort Collins will have a lunch program for our students. This will keep the traffic during the lunch time frame at a minimum from our school. Our free and reduced lunch students will benefit from the program. The lunch program helps us attract students to the school, especially those who might never be able to afford an Associate's Degree. Sports Colorado Early Colleges — Fort Collins will not offer competitive after school sports programs. The students by state law are allowed to participate in sports programs in their district of residence. Use of Building Colorado Early Colleges — Fort Collins is leasing the first floor of the building. The existing tenants will continue to use the facility. We have had several discussions with both tenants and believe that the tenants will be able to work together to have adequate parking, rest rooms, internet capacity and building usage. There has been an interest from the. Enterprise employees to have their students attend the school. Conclusion Colorado Early Colleges — Fort Collins will be a great addition to the education options of the northern Colorado area. The school has been very successful in Colorado Springs and we expect the same positive results in Fort Collins. Colorado N. Early Colleges Fort Collins Site Plan Advisory Review Ted Shepard Additional Information for Review Keith King, Administrator 4800 Wheaton Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525 www.cecfc9l4.org Colorado Early Colleges — Fort Collins is a charter school that has been approved for replication by the Colorado Charter School Institute. This school will be a replication of Colorado Springs Early Colleges. This school will be the sixth early college high school in the state of Colorado and the first to be replicated by Colorado Springs Early Colleges. Early colleges are unique high schools. Colorado Early College — Fort Collins is no exception. The students who enroll are required to take the Accuplacer test for placement in the school. This test places students in the right classes academically regardless of their grade level. It is the same assessment used by the Colorado Community College System to determine if students need remedial education courses before enrolling. Colorado Early College — Fort Collins is designed to give students an Associate's Degree will they are attending high school. The tuition and books are provided to the students free. We use the state funding for high school to pay for their college expenses. Size of school Colorado Early Colleges - Fort Collins is expecting to begin classes with 240 students. The school is unique in that many of the students will not be attending.school at the Wheaton site but will be attending classes at Front Range Community College and Colorado State University. For example, at the Colorado Springs Early Colleges approximately 25 percent of the students attend a college or university off campus. The Wheaton location will also have college courses taught at it. These courses are offered on a more traditional schedule which is three days a week. Some of the students taking classes at the Wheaton facility will not attend every day. We project that there will be approximately 150 students attending the facility daily. Staff We expect to employ approximately 15 staff personnel to run the school. This includes administration, teachers and support staff. There will be some part time adjunct faculty that comes to the school throughout the day to teach classes. These staff personnel will not be at the school location every day but only when they teach classes. pj� G imp Uo y dt� k �� �►'��' ' ��t�+�x . `r+, fib* L i, , , -56 MIT No Text Colorado Early Colleges, 4800 Wheaton Drive, - Site Plan Advisory Review #SPA120002 April 19, 2012 P & Z Hearing Page 6 The applicant's project narrative indicates that the school's hours of operation are from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. which is longer than the average school day thus spreading the traffic out over a longer time frame. Transfort Route 16 serves Harmony Road, approximately one -quarter mile north of the site. Since the goal of the school is to provide credit towards an Associates Degree, some students are expected to matriculate at Front Range Community College or Colorado State University thus minimizing trips to the school. As mentioned, there is adequate parking. The lot has 186 out of 212 total spaces. (The second floor tenant is guaranteed 26 spaces for employees and customers.) The balance of the parking is available on a first -come first -serve basis. The parking lot has a sufficient number of spaces and is of deep enough so that parent drop-off and pick-up can queue up without backing out onto Wheaton Drive. 7. Neighborhood Meeting: No neighborhood information meeting was held for this project since the Current Planning Department determined that the proposal would not have significant neighborhood impact. 8. Findings of FacVConclusions: A. The change of use to a public charter school within an existing facility triggers review by the City of Fort Collins. B. The use of the building for a public charter school complies with State Statute Section 31-23-209, C.R.S., in that the location, character, and extent of the charter school conform to the adopted Master Plan (City Plan) of the City of Fort Collins. C. The conversion of the first floor of the building continues to comply with the Oak Ridge Amended O.D.P. D. The Site Plan Advisory Review complies with the applicable General Development Standards of Article Three and the zone district standards of Article Four. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the Colorado Early Colleges public charter high school — Site Plan Advisory Review #SPA120002. Colorado Early Colleges, 4800 Wheaton Drive, - Site Plan Advisory Review #SPA120002 April 19, 2012 P & Z Hearing Page 5 The existing parking lot includes more than 6% of the interior in the form of landscape islands. D. Section 3.2.2 - Access, Circulation and Parking The site is already well-connected to the surrounding public streets with direct access provided by connecting walkways. E. Section 3.2.2 — Parking The standard requires that schools provide a minimum of two spaces per three employees, or one space per 1,000 square feet, which ever is greater. The school will have 15 employees and the size of the school is 25,000 square feet. The parking lot has 212 spaces. The second floor tenant is guaranteed 26 spaces for employees and customers. The balance of the parking, 186 spaces, is available on a first -come first -serve basis. With 186 spaces serving 25,000 square feet, there is a ratio of 7.44 spaces per 1,000 square feet, thus complying with the standard. F. Section 3.2.4 - Lighting There will be no new lighting associated with the new charter school. G. Section 3.5.1— Building and Project Compatibility The existing building was designed such that the materials, colors and scale were selected to be compatible with the existing residential units to the south and east while at the same time intending to blend with the proposed commercial development to the west. H. Section 3.6.4 — Transportation Level of Service Requirements A Transportation Impact Study was not performed for this project. In general, traffic to and from the school will be within the business park, not the residential neighborhood. Wheaton Drive is a collector street that, along with other collectors (Keenland Drive and McMurry Drive), creates a network serving the entire Oak Ridge neighborhood. The site's location allows for trip distribution to two arterial streets (Harmony Road and Lemay Avenue). Colorado Early Colleges, 4800 Wheaton Drive, - Site Plan Advisory Review #SPA120002 April 19, 2012 P & Z Hearing Page 4 Therefore, Staff finds that the location, character and extent of Colorado Early Colleges public charter high school complies with the City's Comprehensive Plan (City Plan). 4. Compliance with Oak Ridge Overall Development Plan: The Oak Ridge O.D.P., as amended, indicates the subject parcel to be "Industrial I Business Park. The O.D.P. states: "Low Density Residential Uses, Churches, Schools, and Public or Private Community Services, including Day Care Centers, are to be allowed as alternative land uses in all parcels. Alternative uses of lesser intensity than those indicated on the Master Plan at this time may be allowed if approved by Administrative Change." The request for a public charter school, therefore, is in compliance with the governing Overall Development Plan. 5. Compliance with Applicable H-C Standards: A. Permitted Use — the proposed land use is considered a public school and permitted in the H-C zone. B. The school will be moving into an existing building that presently complies with the requirements of the H-C zone. There are no planned building modifications, additions or any other physical site improvements associated with Colorado Early Colleges. 6. Compliance with Applicable General Development Standards: A. Section 3.2.1 - Landscaping and Tree Protection The existing facility and parking lot are well -landscaped with mature plant materials. B. Section 3.2.1 - Parking Lot Perimeter Landscaping The existing parking lot features perimeter trees along Wheaton Drive and along the north and south edges. C. Section 3.2.1 - Parking Lot Interior Landscaping Colorado Early Colleges, 4800 Wheaton Drive, -Site Plan Advisory Review #SPA120002 April 19, 2012 P & Z Hearing Page 3 3. Right of Advisory Review: Colorado Revised Statutes provide two specific references which allow the City to review the planning and location of public facilities: A. Section 22-32-124, C.R.S., as amended, addresses the right of a public school to construct facilities within a municipality and the location or manner of construction of such schools. The statutes specifically limit the municipalities' participation in the process to a limited right of review and appeal to the charter school governing body, the Colorado Charter School Institute. B. Section 31-23-209, C.R.S. provides that no public building shall be constructed or authorized in a city until the "location, character and extent thereof' has been submitted for approval by the Planning and Zoning Board. In the case of disapproval, the Planning and Zoning Board shall communicate its findings to the School District. The disapproval of the Planning and Zoning Board may be overruled by the Colorado Charter School Institute by a vote of not less than two- thirds of its membership. Under Section 31-23-209, C.R.S., the Planning and Zoning Board should make a finding as to the location, character, and extent of the public building relative to the adopted Master Plan (City Plan) of the City. Such findings help ensure that the proposed project conforms to the adopted plan of the City of Fort Collins. With regard to location, the site is located within an established business park and adjoins an existing residential neighborhood. (Oak Ridge is a master planned community featuring a wide variety of non-residential land uses and a mix of housing types.) The site is developed and mature landscaping provides a buffer for the houses to the south. The site is well served by a network of collector and arterial streets. Transfort provides service along Harmony Road, one -quarter mile to the north. With regard to character, the building and physical site improvements are existing. Landscaping has matured and the building is now comfortably situated within the surrounding context of both the business park and the residential neighborhood. As mentioned, there are no planned building additions or any other improvements that would alter the existing character. With regard to extent, the proposed public charter school is expected to create a level of intensity that is either equal to or lower than that of previous uses. There will be no outside activities or athletics on the grounds. With the public school schedule, there will be minimal activity on weekends and during school holidays and summer break. Colorado Early Colleges, 4800 Wheaton Drive, - Site Plan Advisory Review #SPA120002 April 19, 2012 P & Z Hearing Page 2 COMMENTS: Background: The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: N: H-C; S: R-L; E: R-L and H-C; W: H-C; 2. Zoning History: The property was annexed in 1980 as part of the Keenland Annexation and placed into the R-P (Planned Residential with P.U.D. condition) zone district. The parcel was re -zoned to H-C in January of 1999 in order to implement the Harmony Corridor Sub -area Plan. The original Oak Ridge Master Plan was approved in 1982 and identified the general area as an "Industrial / Business Park." This Master Plan was amended 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990 and in 2000 to reflect the various changes to the parcels necessary to accommodate the needs of end -users. In the amendment of 2000, the area was re -designated as "Primary Use." The subject parcel is legally defined as Lot One of Oak Ridge Business Park Second Filing which was approved in 1984. The original development was Comlinear, a high-tech corporation whose operations included administration, research, development and manufacturing. In 2009, as part of a Minor Amendment, the parking lot was expanded from 179 to 212 spaces. Since the departure of Comlinear, there have been a variety of tenants including a charter school which remodeled the first floor interior resulting in classrooms, an auditorium and hallways conducive to secondary education. Consequently, the first floor is well -suited for another school. Fart Collins �r i iF_M NO r MEETING DATE IR 11 . STAFF r PLANNING & ZONING BOARD PROJECT: Colorado Early Colleges, 4800 Wheaton Drive, - Site Plan Advisory Review #SPA120002 APPLICANT: Colorado Early Colleges c/o Mr. Keith King 4435 North Chestnut Colorado Springs, CO 80907 OWNER: First Tier Capital Corporation P.O. Box 20130 Cheyenne, WY 82009 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request to convert the entire first floor of 4800 Wheaton Drive for a public charter high school with an estimated total enrollment of 240 students served by 15 teachers and staff. There would be no building additions or changes to the existing site improvements. The first floor contains 25,000 square feet and already features classrooms and an auditorium. One existing tenant will continue to occupy the second floor. The parking lot contains 212 spaces. Originally, the project was approved as Oak Ridge Business Park, Second Filing, Lot One in 1984 for Comlinear Corporation. The site contains 4.05 acres and is zoned H-C, Harmony Corridor. RECOMMENDATION: Approval EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The conversion to a public school charter is governed by Colorado State Statutes. The conversion is in conformance with the Oak Ridge Amended O.D.P. and permitted in the H- C zone. The Site Plan Advisory Review complies with State Statutes as to the location, character and extent of the project. Further, the project complies with the applicable General Development Standards, Zone District Standards and is in conformance with City Plan. Current Planning 281 N College Av PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 fcgov.com/currentplanning 970.221.6750