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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAVAGO TECHNOLOGIES BLDG. 4 WEST EXPANSION - MJA/FDP - FDP130006 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORTProject Name, Project #FDP130006 Planning & Zoning Hearing May 16, 2013 Page 8 C. The quality of the air emissions emanating from the existing and proposed industrial buildings was a topic of concern. In response, the applicant explained that Avago is governed by an air quality,emissions permit from the State of Colorado which establishes a maximum amount of emissions. Avago cannot exceed this specified amount of emissions or otherwise risk a violation from Colorado Department of Health and the Environment. Avago does not plan on exceeding the allowances on its existing permit. In fact, the desire is to reduce current levels. D. Noise and illumination were concerns raised by those in attendance. In response, the aforementioned berm will provide a buffer so that the decibels at the receiving property line will comply with City Code. Lighting will be setback from the north property line by a sufficient distance such that there will be no light spilling across the property line. 5. Findings of Fact/Conclusion: • A. The proposed use is permitted in the H-C zone district and since the building exceeds 80,000 square feet, the use is subject to review by the Planning and Zoning Board. • B. The Major Amendment complies with the applicable standards of the H-C zone district of Article Four. C. The Major Amendment complies with the applicable General Development standards of Article Three. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends approval of Avago Technologies Building Four Expansion, Major Amendment, #FDP 130006. 0 Project Name, Project #FDP130006 Planning & Zoning Hearing May 16, 2013 • Page 7 Q. Section 3.6.4 — Transportation Impact Study The requirement to submit a Transportation Impact Study was waived due to the proposed use being an extension of the on operation. Also, the estimated number of additional employees is considered minimal due to shift schedules and relative to the minor impact.on the surrounding streets during peak times. This means that all through traffic and turning movements at the intersections of Harmony Road / Ziegler Road and at Ziegler Road / Council Tree Avenue will remain within the range of acceptable Levels of Service without the need for additional improvements. The anticipated number of deliveries is not expected to exceed the present level. Harmony Road, Ziegler Road and Council Tree Avenue are fully improved and include bike lanes. Transfort Routes 16 and 17 serve Harmony Road. In order to improve the Transfort bus stop, a new concrete pad will be provided including a connecting walkway. 4. Neighborhood Input: A neighborhood information meeting was held March 25, 2013. A summary of this meeting is attached. The main concerns, and their resolution, are summarized as • follows: A. The primary concern is the extent of the buffering between the proposed addition and the north property line. The concern was expressed that with the addition, now would also be an opportune time to enhance the screening of the existing building. In response, the applicant has provided the upgraded berm which will include additional landscaping, particularly evergreen trees. With a length of 800 feet and a height mostly at ten feet, and topped with landscaping, the screening of both the addition and the existing building will be more effective and will soften the appearance of the industrial buildings as viewed from the neighborhoods to the north. B. Traffic on Ziegler Road was raised specifically the difficulty for the residents of the two neighborhoods to the north in gaining access onto Ziegler Road. In response, the City Traffic Operations Department is aware of these issues, particularly making left turns to go southbound on Ziegler Road. There is a reluctance, at this time, on the City's part to locate and install a traffic signal while there are still large tracts of vacant land on the west side of Ziegler Road. Until these tracts develop, the necessary warrants for installing a traffic signal may not be met. As mentioned, the new users of the proposed Avago addition will gain access from the existing traffic signal at Ziegler Road and Council Tree Avenue and does not, by itself, generate traffic in sufficient numbers to justify any further traffic signals on Ziegler Road. Project Name, Project #FDP130006 Planning & Zoning Hearing May 16, 2013 Page 6 • N. Section 3.5.1(G) — Building Height Review The building will be three stories and 59 feet high. Buildings over 40 feet in height are subject to this standard. Although the addition includes three exhaust stacks that are ten feet high, they are exempt from height considerations per Section 3.8.17(C), which states that cooling towers and ventilators and other similar rooftop equipment that cover no more than 5% of the horizontal surface of the roof are exempt from height review. (1.)Views. With regard to views, the proposed addition does not substantially alter the opportunity for, and quality of, desirable views from public places, streets, and parks within the community. (2.)Light and Shadow. The shadow analysis reveals that at 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on December 21st, the length of the shadows do not cross the north property line. (3.)Privacy. The proposed height of 59 feet for the addition avoids infringing on the privacy of adjacent public and private property, particularly adjacent residential areas and parks. (4.)Neighborhood Scale. The proposed addition is compatible with the scale of the Hewlett-Packard / Avago 160-acre campus relative to the existing six • buildings in terms of height, mass, length -to -mass and the human scale. O. Section 3.5.1(J) — Operational/Physical Compatibility All operations take place within the buildings. Loading docks and trash enclosures are located on the south side of the building. Based on existing operations, the potential noise generated by the mechanical equipment will be attenuated by a combination of distance, earthen berm and landscaping such that there will be no violation of the City Code as to decibels at the receiving property line. As noted, illumination does not spill off -site. The parking lot setback from the north property line by 900 feet and there is sufficient parking all Avago employees, customers, vendors and visitors. P. Section 3.5.3(D) — Character and Image As mentioned, the proposed addition is designed with sufficient detail and provides a distinct base, middle and top so as to comply with the standard. There is more detail at the lower level for pedestrian interest and more expansive use of materials on the upper portions. The sloping roof at the top breaks the vertical plane. For a large-scale industrial building, the proportions of length, width and height are balanced. Project Name, Project #FDP130006 Planning & Zoning Hearing May 16, 2013 • Page 5 I. Section 3.2.2(D) — Access and Parking Lot Design This standard requires that all vehicular use areas be designed to be safe, efficient, convenient and attractive, considering all modes of transportation that will use the system (cars, trucks, buses, bicycles and emergency vehicles.) The fundamental component of the campus circulation system is the established loop road which circumnavigates the six buildings and their parking lots. Within this circulator are the buildings and parking lots, while outside are the earthen berms, mature landscaped areas and perimeter fencing that define the quality and character of the campus. Access to the campus is limited at the entry points; two off Harmony Road and one off Ziegler Road. While the manned guard houses have been removed, the campus does not invite the public as there are no goods or services that are offered to the general public. The primary users of the system are the employees and customers as well as the shipping and receiving operations. The semi -open campus is feasible due to security being provided at each building entrance. This is comparable to other large- scale industries throughout the community. J. Section 3.2.2(J) - Setbacks The demolition and reconstruction of a portion of the parking lot is within the boundary • of the perimeter loop road and would be no closer to Ziegler Road than existing improvements. K. Section 3.2.2(K)(5) — Handicap Parking This standard requires that for a parking lot providing between 76 and 100 spaces, there shall be a minimum of four handicap accessible spaces. There are four such spaces located as close to the connecting walkway as possible. L. Section 3.2.4 — Site Lighting The new parking lot light fixtures will match the existing fixtures and remain in compliance of being fully -shielded down -directional. Because the parking lot serves a campus framework, and is separated from the public roadways by a significant landscaped area, there is no spillage of illumination off the property. M. Section 3.5.1 — Building and Project Compatibility The proposed addition is specifically designed to match the existing building. There will be matching split -face concrete block at the lower one-third of the building with horizontal accent bands of smooth -face concrete block to provide vertical relief. The upper two-thirds will be a combination of metal panels and synthetic stucco in a pattern that matches the existing building. The addition will be topped with a standing seam • metal roof, color gray, to match the existing roof. Project Name, Project #FDP130006 Planning & Zoning Hearing May 16, 2013 Page 4 • C. Section 3.2.1(E)(4) — Parking Lot Perimeter Landscaping The 84-space parking lot is located internally to the campus and not along a public street. It is approximately 900 feet south of the north property line and 265 feet from the west property line. While there will be 13 new trees planted along the north edge, the primary screening is provided by the existing landscaping along the north and west property lines that contribute to the overall aesthetics of the entire campus. The combination of distance and existing and proposed landscaping allows this parking lot to be sufficiently mitigated in accordance with the intent of the standard. D. Section 3.2.1(E)(5) — Parking Lot Interior Landscaping With 84 spaces, the parking lot is required to have 6% interior landscaping. The parking lot landscaping, primarily due to the prominent entry treatment, exceeds this minimum requirement. E. Section 3.2.1(F) — Tree Protection and Replacement The new addition involves the relocation of five evergreen trees. These trees will be transplanted to the north of the addition in the area of the earthen berm where their location and maturity will contribute to the buffering. F. Section 3.2.2(B) — Access, Circulation and Parking — General Standard • The site of the expansion is presently a temporary outside storage yard and a parking lot containing 393 parking spaces. Of these 393 spaces, 309 will be eliminated with 84 remaining. At full build -out, the estimated number of new employees is 100 who will be divided among three shifts. This 84-space parking lot; combined with the existing parking lots to the south and west of Building One, are sufficient to accommodate the number of existing and future employees and customers. G. Section 3.2.2(C)(4) — Bicycle Facilities As an industrial use, the facility is required to provide four bicycle parking spaces in fixed racks. Building Four West Annex will provide 30 bicycle parking spaces. H. Section 3.2.2(C)(5)(6) —Walkways and Pedestrian /Bicycle Destinations The campus as a whole is well -served by a network of private drives which allow for bicycles and pedestrians to gain access at all entry points. Walkways are provided between the public sidewalks and the loop road. As part of this project, Avago will install a new eight -by -eight -foot concrete pad for the Transfort bus stop and a five-foot wide walkway connecting the main driveway. This walk will be 50-feet in length and tie into the existing public sidewalk ramp. • Project Name, Project #FDP130006 Planning & Zoning Hearing May 16, 2013 • Page 3 B. Section 4.26(E)(3)(a) — Height The proposed addition will be three stories in height thus under the maximum allowable height of six stories for nonresidential buildings. C. Section 4.26(E)(3)(b) — Campus Exception The campus has been established and is defined by the placement of the existing six buildings all served by a perimeter loop road. All six buildings are clustered in the middle of the campus with parking lots located outside the cluster. In fact, Building Four is connected to Building Two and all buildings are loosely connected by courtyards. Since the proposed addition is considered to be part of an established campus, and is oriented internally to the campus framework, the proposed addition is exempted from having to front on a public street. 3. Article Three — Applicable General Development Standards: A. Section 3.2.1(C)(D) — Landscaping and Tree Planting Standards The primary change in the landscaping is north of both the existing building and the • proposed addition where the existing earthen berm will be significantly enhanced. In order to provide buffering to the north to the maximum extent feasible, the new berm will be lengthened to 800 feet which exceeds the width of the north elevation of the existing building and proposed addition by 200 feet. The berm will undulate with the height ranging from 10 to 12 feet. For no less than 500 feet, the berm will maintain the height of ten feet with two peaks reaching 12 feet. In addition, new trees and shrubs, with an emphasis on evergreens, will be planted along the earthen berm to further the buffering benefit for the neighborhoods to the north. New landscaping also includes foundation shrubs along the west elevation featuring a meandering double row of shrubs. The north side of the 84-space parking lot will be screened by 13 new trees. B. Section 3.2.1(E)(6) - Screening There will be six cooling towers along the north elevation. In terms of height, two of these towers will be 22 feet, three will be 19 feet, and one will be 15 feet. These towers will be mitigated by the aforementioned earthen berm and landscaping. The loading dock is located on the south side and will not be visible from the north. 0 Project Name, Project #FDP130006 Planning & Zoning Hearing May 16, 2013 Page 2 • COMMENTS: 1. Background: The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: N: R-L; Woodland Park Estates N: U-E; Hidden Pond Estates S: H-C; Harmony Technology Park, Filing One, (Intel) E: H-C; Preston Kelly 2"d Filing, Lot One (Hewlett-Packard) W: H-C; Symbios Logic Subdivision (A.M.D.) W: H-C; Front Range Village First Filing (Regional Shopping Center, Office and Public Library) The 160 acre campus was annexed in 1977 in a series of annexations called Harmony Annexations Three and Four. It was platted as the Preston -Kelley Subdivision in 1978. Buildings One, Two and Three were approved in 1978 and constructed as a single phase. These were followed by individual phases for each subsequent building. In order, the next three buildings constructed were Buildings Six, Five and Four. A total of seven buildings were anticipated on the Master Plan. Prior to adoption of the Land Use Code, all approvals were processed administratively as an I-L (Limited Industrial) Site Plan Review. • s Building Four is referred to as ICBD Genesis IV and was submitted after the adoption of the Land Use Code. It was approved by the Planning and Zoning Board in 1998 as a 315,000 square foot building for the testing and manufacture of micro silicon chips and integrated circuits. In 1999, the campus was divided into two lots by the Preston Kelley Filing Two Subdivision for the purpose of creating two distinct companies, Hewlett-Packard (94 acres) and Agilent, which has now become Avago, (70 acres). 2. Article Four — Applicable Harmony Corridor District Standards: A. Section 4.17(B)(2)(c)1. - Permitted Use and Section 4.17(D)(3)(b) — Dimensional Standards The proposed land use, research laboratories and light industrial, are permitted subject to administrative review. However, all new structures greater than 80,000 square feet in gross leasable area are subject to Planning and Zoning Board review. 0 � FarOCollins ITEM NO MEETING DATE STAFF 3 6/16113 SHEPARD PLANNING & ZONING BOARD PROJECT: Avago Technologies Building Four Expansion, Major Amendment, #FDP 130006 APPLICANT: Avago Technologies Wireless USA, Inc. c/o BHA Design 1603 Oakridge Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525 OWNER: Avago Technologies Wireless USA, Inc. 4380 Ziegler Road Fort Collins, CO 80525 • PROJECT DESCRIPTION: 4 This is a request to expand Avago Technologies Building Four which is the most northwesterly building on their campus located at 4380 Ziegler Road. The proposed addition would contain 138,800 square feet and be three stories in height. The addition would be placed on the west side of the existing building. The addition would allow more space for the current operations which include fabrication for wafer manufacturing, clean room operations and testing and other support functions. The total Avago site contains 70 acres and is zoned H-C, Harmony Corridor. S I'i D Cr , is 6'J I RECOMMENDATION: Approval ivc�o'H PX 0-pt-& r- c , wE- "oc.,v6 'Tdwe7t.i i4^ r' �i3:' Fes•r EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Nax-vol P, c. The land use is permitted in the H-C zone and because the building exceeds 80,000 square feet, it is subject to Planning and Zoning Board review. The request complies with the applicable standards of the Harmony Corridor zone and the General Development standards of Article Three. The location of the proposed 138,800 square foot addition is on the west side of the existing Building Four and is buffered to the north with an earthen berm. The existing parking lot will be reduced from 393 spaces to 84 spaces which remain sufficient to serve the addition. The architecture of the proposed • addition is specifically designed to match the existing building. Planning Services 281 N College Ave - PO Box 580 - Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 fcgov.com/developmentreview/ 970.221.6750