HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSU - WASHINGTON SCHOOL - APU - SPA110001 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PLANNING OBJECTIVES8 March 2011
Ted Shepard
Community Development and Neighborhood Services
Fort Collins, CO 80522
RE: Response to staff comments for Washington Lab School, 223 South Shields Street
ZONING ,
1. We are asking for an addition of permitted use.
2. Outdoor play area will exceed 5,125 square feet.
3. 25 parking stalls will be installed, meeting the zoning requirement.
WATER — WASTEWATER ENGINEERING
1. Water service will be required for automated sprinkler system.
STORMWATER ENGINEERING
1. Exhibit is contained within submitted plans.
2. Increase in impervious area will be less than 5,000 square feet.
3. We have worked with Landmark Presentation Commission (LPC) staff and believe we
have found a mutually agreeable solution.
FIRE AUTHORITY
2. An automatic fire sprinkler system will be provided throughout the building
3. A knoxbox will be provided in an approved location.
5. It is our intent to comply.
6. It is our intent to comply.
ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
4. We have met with Joel Olson and preliminary discussions indicate that a traffic study is
not needed.
6. We are receptive to dedicating public right — of - way and easements, if required.
7. It is not our plan to pave the alley and would like to discuss the issue further at
Development Review.
8. We propose constructing a 6 foot attached sidewalk along Scott Avenue. Existing street
trees in the city right — of - way will need to be moved to accommodate the sidewalk.
Fred Haberecht, ASLA
trees will be installed along Olive Street as well as screening vegetation which soften the visual impact of
the accessible ramps from the south. We take exception to the zoning requirement for a decorative solid
fencing around outdoor play areas. We feel this requirement is both injurious to the visual character of
the neighborhood, makes for a less safe environment for the children at play.
Stormwater issues have been addressed on the site by increasing impervious surfaces by less than
5,000 square feet. Over 6000 square feet of asphalt paving is proposed to be removed from the site,
which will enable the partial paving of the existing parking area on the north side of the building. We
heard at the neighborhood meeting that there are ponding issues in alley associated with building runoff.
The Site and Engineering Plan indicates a valley pan to intercept this water and convey it to Shields
Street. We do not indicate paving the alley, in part because we suspect it may make the ponding worse
for properties north of the alley.
The building is proposed have an automatic fire sprinkler system, and will comply with the intent of
Conceptual Review comments from the Poudre Fire Authority.
In conclusion, we feel that our proposal promotes a reuse that very closely parallels the use since 1918,
and does so with minimal impact to site, building and neighborhood, especially when compared to
alternatives other than keeping it as an Elementary school.
Since ,
i
Fred Haberecht, L D AP, ASLA
Assistant Director, Landscape and Planning
Facilities Services Center North
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-6030
970.491.0162 970.491.0105 - fax
Univcnit�
Office of Facilities Management
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-6030
6030,Campus Delivery
March 9, 2011
Ted Shepard
City Planner
Community Development and Neighborhood Services
281 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80522
RE: CSU Early Childhood Center at Washington School — 223 S. Shields Street: Development
Review submittal and request for an Addition of Permitted Use.
Dear Ted,
The attached submittal package indicates, from our perspective, an adaptive reuse of the Washington
Street School in and a manner that is sensitive to the site, building and neighborhood. The change of
use from an Elementary School to an Early Childhood Center, while requiring of an Addition of
Permitted Use, from a practical standpoint will change the function and visual character of the site and
building very little from its historic use since 1918.
Student census will decline from 125 students from its days as the Washington Lab School to 100
students. Staff will increase from what is was as an Elementary school because of the increased student
to staff ratio and the involvement/education of college students in a classroom environment, which is
largely the purpose for the Early Childhood Education Center. It is anticipated that a maximum of 36
staff may be on site at the same time. The site plan indicates a parking area on the north side of the
building that accommodates all staff parking requirements, in the same area where staff parking
occurred in the past. Also, in the same way it has occurred historically, parents will park on the adjacent
streets when students arrive or are picked up. What is different about the proposed use is that student
arrival and departure will be much more distributed throughout the operating hours (from 7:00 Am till
6:00 PM). At peak times in the morning and afternoon arrivals or departures should not exceed 32
students per half hour.
The building elevations have been left untouched to the greatest extent possible., We have worked with
the City of Fort_Collins_Preservation Planner in an iterative -way since Conceptual_Review__to preserve the
east and west significant elevations, while introducing ramps and an elevator on the less significant north
and south elevations. The main floor of the building sits six feet above the elevation of the site, and the
ramps and elevator are both requirements for licensing from the State for the proposed use.
The site will visually appear very much as it does today. The green space will remain green space, and
additional playground area for younger children will be introduced on the west side of the building, street