HomeMy WebLinkAboutTHE GROVE AT FORT COLLINS - PDP - 16-10B - CORRESPONDENCE - VARIANCE REQUESTFORT COLLINS ONLY
56.5' PUBLIC ACCESS,
4GE, AND UTILITY EASEMENT
w�ALK I 32 ROADWAY
(MIN) .✓'-
8'
18i' (�MIN.)
TRAVEL
INTERSECTIONS
(WHERE NEEDED)
ROADWAY WIDTH: 86`vvide. 32wide. (2U at neckdowns to prohibit parking)
RIGHT OF WAY WIDTH: 51' ( 4r+)56.5' public access, drainage, and utility easement
TRAVEL LANES: 16' oo de. 18' wide (min).
LEFT TURN LANES: None.
4.5'
WALK
(MIN)
&.5 Min. Fence Setback
9' UTIL.
ESMT.
BIKE LANES: Bicyclists to share travel lane with motor vehicles. Additional street width, up to 4'
wider, may be required in the travel lane to accommodate bike traffic to serve activity areas, such
as schools and parks.
PARKING: Two lanes Twice.
SIDEWALK: 45(min.) width. Additional width may be required for higher pedestrian traffic
serving activity areas.
MEDIANS: None.
WHERE USED: All residential local streets where traffic volume is anticipated to be 1000 vpd or
less. (unless the Narrow Residential Local Street or Rural Residential Local Street standards are used)
DESIGN SPEED: 25 MPH
SPEED LIMIT: 25 MPH
ACCESS: Access will be unlimited in accordance with these standards.
CONTINUITY: The street shall be continuous for no more than 1320 feet.
FENCES: Fences shall be setback a minimum of 6.5' from the parkway edge of the sidewalk.
CURB AND GUTTER: Vertical curb and gutter, or driveover. However, if driveover is used, the parkways must be
widened by 1' and thereby, the required right of way width will increase by 2' to provide 53'.
RESIDENTIAL LOCAL STREET(PRIVATE)
LARIMER COUNTY REVISION NO: ,GROVE FIGURE
URBAN AREA DESIGN ARIANCE
STREET STANDARDS FIGURE I DATE: B9f411f90 7-9F
FORT COLLINS ONLY
V. FENCE SETBACK
INTERSECTIONS
(WHERE NEEDED)
ROADWAY WIDTH: Se' wide-48' wide (32' at neckdowns to prohibit parking)
RIGHT OF WAY WIDTH: .)69'
TRAVEL LANES: Two lanes,- 1O' wide.
LEFT TURN LANES: 12' wide, provided at certain intersections where needed.
BIKE LANES: Two lanes, 6' wide, T wide where a left turn lane is provided.
PARKING: Two lanes, B' wide. None provided at intersections or where a left turn lane is required.
PARKWAY: 6' (min.) width. Additional width optional. 1 4'(max.)
SIDEWALK: 6 (min.) width. Additional width may be required within and leading to activity areas.
MEDIAN: Not required, except where necessary to control access and/or to provide pedestrian
refuge. Additional roadway and right of way width may be required.
WHERE USED: These specifications shall apply to streets used in commercial areas for local access and
circulation, when the traffic volume on the street is anticipated to be 2,586 upd erleee.
void
SPEED: 30 MPH ess than 1,000 vp
SPEED LIMIT: 25 MPH
ACCESS: Access will be limited. Points of access must be approved by the Local Entity.
CONTINUITY: Streets are limited in length to 1320 feet.
FENCES: Setback a minimum of T from the parkway edge of the sidewalk.
CURB AND GUTTER: Vertical curb and gutter.
COMMERCIAL LOCAL STREET (PUBLU )
LARIMER COUNTY GROVE
DESIGN REVISION NO: VARIANCE FIGURE
URBAN AREA STREET STANDARDS FIGURE DATE:-1-1f161186 7-6F
FORT COLLINS ONLY
70' ROW
WALK
(MIN)
48'ROADWAY
6' I. 1 I. 6
UT1L. 61KE
8' 1_ I TRAVEL I TRAVEL
PARK
9' 12' 16' "6'
BIK OMBINED EFT TUR COMBINE BIK
LN. 4+ 4'f' LN.
TRAVEL, TRAVEL
-SeLRoadway
INTERSECTIONS
(WHERE NEEDED)
ROADWAY WIDTH: iSeL 48 (typ.), 40' where parking on one side only, 32' at neckdowns
RIGHT OF WAY WIDTH: 48' ( i .) 70'
TRAVEL LANES: Two lanes, 1 i' volde. 1 O' wide.
LEFT TURN LANES: 12' wide at intersections where needed.
BIKE LANES: Two lanes, 6wide. )
PARKING: Two lanes, 8' wide; parking may be removed at certain locations to provide a
left turn lane at( intersectons where needed.
PARKWAY: An.) width. Additional width optional. 14' (max.)
5' WALK
(MIN)
SIDEWALK: 5' (min.) width. Additional width may be required for higher pedestrian traffic within
and leading to activity areas. 10.5' wide attached walk w/ intermittent 5'x5' tree grates in urban streetscape sections
MEDIAN: Not required, except where necessary to control access and/or to provide pedestrian refuge.
additional roadway and ROW width may be required.
WHERE USED: These specifications shall apply as required by the Local EntRy, when a Collector street Is shown
on the Master Street Plan or when the traffic volume on the street is anticipated to be in the
range of 2-
r 0" ''-58@ vehicles per day.
less than 2,500
DESIGN SPEED: 46 NIPI 1 30 MPH
SPEED LIMIT: 25-30 MPH
ACCESS: Access will be limited. Points of access must be approved by the Local Entity,
CONTINUITY: The street shall be continuous for no more than 1320 feet.
FENCES: Fences shall be setback a minimum of 7' from the parkway edge of the sidewalk.
CURB AND GUTTER: Vertical curb and gutter.(curb extensions with ecological rain garden planters at select locations)
]'.OI.I _A\ I) NIOOIfl,' 1)RIVF
MINOR COLLECTOR STREET(PUBLIC)
LARIMER COUNTY VISION NO: , GROVE
REJFIGURE
AURBAN ADESIGN ARIANCE
STREET STANDARDS FIGURE DATE: 09/14/00 7-5F
01/06/1 L
■� I NORTHERN
ENGINEERING
Grove I Variance Request Letter 1 01.06.11
The three variances proposed with the Grove combine to provide a plan that advances the public
purpose of the standard LCUASS sections (as depicted on Figures 7-51F, 7-61F, and 7-9F) equally
well or better than a plan that is in strict compliance with the prescribed standard street sections.
The requested variances are necessary due to the multiple physical, environmental and safety
constraints of the site. The proposed alternative design will result in a far superior public street
environment over that prescribed by LCUASS. Additionally, the proposed Grove project helps fill a
much needed demand for safe, modern, consolidated student housing. Its proximity to campus and
the Mason Corridor allows for a significantly reduced carbon footprint, and a substantial reduction in
resource consumption and impact on the City as a whole. The Grove student housing community
aligns with the growing visions of the university, Plan Fort Collins, and the community at large.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely.
Nicholas W. Haws, PE, LEED AP
enc.
CC: Marc Virata, PE
Ward Stanford
Matt Wempe, AICP
Steve Olt
Chris Russ, PE
Stu MacMillan
Linda Ripley
Lucia Liley
— City of Fort Collins Engineering Development Review
— City of Fort Collins Traffic Systems Engineer
— City of Fort Collins Transportation Planner
— City of Fort Collins Community Development and Neighborhood Services
— Campus Crest Development
— Colorado State University Research Foundation
— Ripley Design, Inc.
— Liley, Rogers & Martell, LLC
Page 5 of 5
NORTHERN
ENGINEERING
Grove I Variance Request Letter 1 01.06.11
While code allows a private street in this application without any Land Use Code modifications or
engineering variances, the private street does need to be designed to LCUASS public street
standards. Since Figure 7-91F specifies an explicit travel lane width (as opposed to a minimum), an
engineering variance is technically necessary.
The request to widen this street is in direct response to discussion with PFA regarding fire protection
and emergency access to the multi -family residential structures that will front the roadway.
Therefore, not only is this variance in the best interest of the public, but it is an essential health and
safety issue. Since this is a private street, the additional width does not impose an increased
maintenance burden on the City.
Summary
The variances requested above will not have an adverse impact on the City's capital and
maintenance costs, nor are they expected to reduce the design life of the respective improvements.
In fact, the proposed variances will result in a reduced burden to the City. Rolland Moore Drive and
Public Street #1 will each have less asphalt than if constructed in accordance with the prescribed
LCUASS sections. Not only does less asphalt result in lower City maintenance costs, but it also
reduces stormwater runoff, lessens heat island effect, and helps preserve finite natural resources.
While Private Street #1 has slightly more concrete and asphalt than the minimum LCUASS section,
this roadway will be privately owned and maintained, thereby negating any increased capital or
maintenance costs borne by the City.
The long-term operation and maintenance of the curb extension rain gardens are unknown at this
time since there is little data or precedence in our region for these treatment facilities. However,
the City of Fort Collins Stormwater Utility will be providing the necessary assurance for the rain
gardens. The implementation and testing of low -impact development solutions furthers Fort Collins'
position as a regional leader in sustainability. The rain gardens will benefit the public through
improved water quality, stream and habitat protection, as well as the educational opportunity and
exposure.
The requested variances will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, or welfare. The
reduced travel lane widths on Rolland Moore Drive and Public Street #1 follow established
engineering practice for roadways with similar traffic volumes, speeds, and purpose. 10' travel
lanes are already the standard LCUASS width for connector streets, and are part of the City's
current mission of "putting streets on diets." The public streets (as proposed) also help lower
vehicular driving speeds, which increases the safety for all modes of travel within the right-of-way.
The widened travel lane on Private Street #1 is proposed specifically to improve public health,
safety, and welfare by allowing the necessary space for emergency response vehicles and
operations.
Page 4 of 5
NORTHERN Grove I Variance Request Letter 1 01.06.11
ENGINEERING
The aforementioned curb extensions introduce another deviation from prescribed standards. Gutter
flows will be routed through the curb extension areas to create ecological rain gardens. Currently,
LCUASS does not allow for such low -impact stormwater strategies, thus, a formal variance is
required to allow them within the public right-of-way. This letter merely documents the variance.
Additional measures addressing the long-term viability, and potential replacement, of such facilities
can be found in correspondence between the City of Fort Collins Utilities Department and the City of
Fort Collins Engineering/Streets Department. The Preliminary Drainage and Erosion Control Report
for the Grove also contains representative photographs and further explanation of the rain garden
planters.
Variance Request 2 — Public Local Street #1
The prescribed commercial local street section specified in LCUASS Figure 7-6F is not in the public
interest for the section of Public Local Street #1 connecting Rolland Moore Drive and Botanic Place
(fka, Rolland Moore Drive stub south of Gardens on Spring Creek). A better street section has been
developed through an iterative process involving discussions with City Staff, as well as input
received from the community at numerous public meetings. The resultant improved street section
for Public Local Street #1 is attached as a redlined markup of LCUASS Figure 7-6F.
The referenced attachment contains a detailed depiction of both the standard commercial local
street section as well as the preferred section for Public Local Street #1. The only noteworthy
change is proposed 10' travel lanes. Other deviations include sections of parkway up to 14' wide
as well as roadway and right-of-way widths commensurate with the 10' travel lanes.
Perhaps the greatest distinction between the standard commercial local street section and that
proposed with the Grove is the vehicles per day expected to utilize the roadway. Long-range traffic
volumes (as forecasted by Delich Associates) for Public Local Street #1 are well below the
threshold of a commercial local street. Whereas a standard section specified on LCUASS Figure 7-
6F is to be used when traffic volumes are anticipated to be 2,500 vpd or less, the actual forecasts
for Public Local Street #1 are less than 1,000 vpd. .
The volumes are much more consistent with that of a connector local street, which utilizes travel
lanes 10' in width. The 10' travel lanes, combined with the neckdowns where parking is
prohibited, will provide a certain degree of traffic calming, similar to that along Rolland Moore
Drive. In fact, the typical roadway width and lane configuration for Public Local Street #1 will
match that of the proposed new Rolland Moore Drive. Not only would 11' travel lanes for this
stretch of roadway mislead the public, but it would create an unnecessary increase in asphalt
surface as well.
Variance Request 3 — Private Local Street #1
The prescribed residential local street section specified in LCUASS Figure 7-9F is not in the public
interest for Private Local Street #1, which loops around the Grove amenity area connecting Rolland
Moore Drive and Public Local Street #1. A better street section has been developed with input
from various agencies and boards, as well as the neighboring community. The resultant improved
street section for Private Local Street #1 is attached as a redlined markup of LCUASS Figure 7-9F.
The referenced attachment contains a detailed depiction of both the standard residential local street
section as well as the preferred section for Private Local Street #1. The largest change worth
noting is the increase in minimum travel width from 16' to 18'. This was done at the specific
request of the Poudre Fire Authority (PFA). Other deviations include an 8' wide outer path instead
of a 4.5' wide sidewalk, as well as a "public way" width adjusted for the included components.
Said public way is a 56.5' public access, drainage and utility easement in lieu of a public right-of-
way.
Page 3 of 5
M I NORTHERN
ENGINEERING
Grove I Variance Request Letter 1 01.06.11
This variance request letter is in regards to public and private roadways proposed with the Grove at
Fort Collins PDP submitted on 12.08.10. Specifically, the following three (3) variances are
requested:
1 — Request to vary Rolland Moore Drive from the typical Minor Collector Street standard
2 — Request to vary Public Local Street #1 from the typical Commercial Local Street standard
3 — Request to vary Private Local Street #1 from the typical Residential Local Street standard
Variance Request 1 — Rolland Moore Drive
The prescribed minor collector street section specified in LCUASS Figure 7-517 is not in the public
interest for the section of Rolland Moore Drive to be constructed through the Grove subdivision
boundary. A better street section has been developed through a collaborative process involving
multiple discussions with City Staff, as well as input received from the community at numerous
public meetings. The resultant improved street section for Rolland Moore Drive is attached as a
redlined markup of LCUASS Figure 7-5F.
The referenced attachment contains a detailed depiction of both the standard minor collector street
section as well as the preferred section for Rolland Moore Drive. Key changes include 10' travel
lanes, 6' parkways, 70' right-of-way, and a 30 mph design speed. Other changes include sections
of parkway up to 14' wide, portions of 10.5' wide attached sidewalk with tree grates, and curb
extensions with ecological rain gardens in select locations. The intersection configuration at Centre
Avenue is different as well.
Perhaps the greatest distinction between the standard minor collector street section and that
proposed with the Grove is the vehicles per day (vpd) expected to utilize the roadway. Long-range
traffic volumes (as forecasted by Delich Associates) for Rolland Moore Drive are right on the
threshold of a connector local street and a minor collector for the segment between Public Street
#1 and Centre Avenue. All other traffic projections for this street are at connector level volumes.
The City of Fort Collins, through its own regional transportation modeling, forecasted volumes that
were at connector levels for all of Rolland Moore Drive. Consequently, the proposed lane widths,
parkways, intersection configuration, and design speed all meet or exceed the requirements of a
connector local street, which is the LCUASS classification commensurate with the actual traffic
volumes expected for Rolland Moore Drive. However, this does not imply in any way that Rolland
Moore Drive is no longer a collector street. It remains a collector on the City's Master Street Plan
(which is a planning document, and not a detailed engineering instrument), and provides the
necessary critical elements of travel lanes, bike lanes, on -street parking, and wider sidewalks.
There are three main reasons why a non-LCUASS street section is proposed. First and foremost is
the existing site constraints related to topography, the irrigation ditch, FEMA floodplain, and
mapped wetlands. A narrower roadway corridor helps to minimize wetland disturbance, while also
providing for sensible earthwork and separation from the Larimer Canal No. 2. The second factor
resulting in the contracted cross-section is the desire to reduce driving speeds. Both City Staff and
neighborhood residents expressed the concern for this roadway section to become a cut -through for
Shields Street and Centre Avenue traffic. The narrower travel lanes, striped bike lanes, on -street
parking, enhanced crosswalks and curb extensions combine to offer substantial traffic calming. The
final issue driving the need for a variance from LCUASS is the intent to create a multi -functioning
street in the spirit of sustainable infrastructure design. Not only is an active and engaged
streetscape strongly desired by both Plan Fort Collins and the Developer, but it further complements
the alternative roadway sections and encourages slower vehicle speeds, similar to what is
experienced in Old Town.
Page 2 of 5
INORTHERN
ENGINEERING
Variance Request Letter
Date: January 6, 2011
ADDRESS: PHONE:970.221.4158 WEBSITE:
200 S. College Ave. Suite 100
Fort Collins, C080524 FAX:970.221.4159 www.northernengineering.com
Project: The Grove at Fort Collins Project No. 502-001
Fort Collins, Colorado
Attn: Mrs. Sheri Langenberger
Development Review Manager
City of Fort Collins Development Engineering
281 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, Colorado 80521
Dear Mrs. Langenberger:
Introduction
As you are aware, the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards (LCUASS) — Repealed and
Reenacted April 1, 2007 governs the design and construction of all public transportation
improvements within the City of Fort Collins (aka, the Local Entity). Public safety and convenience,
maintaining public use, and optimizing the use of limited physical capacity of right-of-way are
among the objectives of LCUASS stated in Section 1.2.2.B. LCUASS also addresses decision
making authority and the process for engineering variances. Section 1.4 states that the Local Entity
Engineer shall have the authority on behalf of the Local Entity, and Section 1.9.4.A.(1) dictates that
the Local Entity Engineer must approve any design that does not exactly conform to the prescriptive
standards contained in LCUASS.
The Variances and Appeals Processes section further states that Variances from these Standards
will be considered administratively on a case -by -case basis following a written request for a
variance prepared by a Professional Engineer and submitted to the Local Entity Engineer. Section
1.9.4.A.2.e) goes on to say that, if the Local Entity Engineer approves the variance request, the
plans will continue to be reviewed and approved within the typical review process.
LCUASS variances are not uncommon requests, nor is their granting an unusual occurrence.
Numerous engineering variances have been granted throughout the City of Fort Collins since
LCUASS was first adopted in 2001. The non -conforming design items and reasons vary widely.
Diagonal parking has been allowed in areas to provide a more vibrant retail streetscape. Horizontal
and vertical geometry standards have been varied, streets have been widened and narrowed, and
alternate lane configurations have been provided. In some instances the deviations have been
deliberate for purposes of creative design, function, and aesthetics; whereas in other instances the
changes were driven more by physical site constraints, such as irregular property boundaries, steep
topography, natural features, storm drainage, etc. However, the commonality is that the variances
were approved administratively by the Local Entity Engineer based upon their satisfaction of the
criteria outlined in LCUASS Section 1.9.4.A.2.
Page 1 of 1
Steve Olt
From: Nick Haws [nick@northernengineering.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2011 3:36 PM
To: Sheri Langenberger; Marc Virata
Cc: Ward Stanford; Matthew Wempe; Steve Olt; Chris Russ; MacMillan,Stu;
linda.ripley@ripleydesigninc.com; Ililey@lileyrogersmartell.com; Janelle P. Kechter
Subject: Grove at Fort Collins PDP - Variance Request Letter
Attachments: Grove-VarianceRequest_01-06-11.pdf
Shed & Marc,
Please find the attached variance request letter related to the 12.08.10 Grove at Fort Collins PDP
submittal.
Thanks,
Nick Haws, PE, LEED AP
NORTHERN ENGINEERING
200 South College Avenue, Suite 100
Fort Collins, Colorado 80524
P: 970.221.4158 ext. 113
F: 970.221.4159
e: nick@northemengineering.com
w: www.northemengineedng.com
„f ln" r
1 /6/2011