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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4800 INNOVATION DR. - ADDITION OF PERMITTED USE - 18-08 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT4800 Innovation Drive — Addition of a Permitted Use, #18-08 August 21, 2008 P & Z Meeting Page 8 E. After the adoption of the LUC, Wholesale Distribution is not a Permitted Use within the H-C zone. F. Based on the existing building and site improvements, Wholesale Distribution at 4800 Innovation Drive would be considered to be in compliance with Section 3.5.1 of the Land Use Code, subject to adding a bike rack near the front entrance and enlarging the trash enclosure to accommodate recycling containers. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that Wholesale Distribution be added as an allowable use to 4800 Innovation Drive. At the time of submittal for a Minor Amendment, the site shall be upgraded by: • Adding a bike rack near the front entrance; • Enlarging trash enclosure to accommodate recycling containers; and • That as a result of the Minor Amendment review process, the site is improved, to the extent reasonably feasible, as per the recommendations of Development Review Staff and City of Fort Collins Utilities. 4800 Innovation Drive —Addition of a Permitted Use, #18-08 August 21, 2008 P & Z Meeting Page 7 The trash enclosure area would need to be expanded to include sufficient area for recycle containers. 9. Compliance with Article Four Harmony Corridor Standards: The building and site improvements are in compliance with the applicable land use and development standards of the Harmony Corridor zone district. 10. Neighborhood Meeting: A neighborhood information meeting was held on July 24, 2008. No objections were raised. A summary of this meeting is attached. 11. Minor Amendment Follow-up: If the applicants are successful in their request for an Addition of a Permitted Use, then a Minor Amendment review process would be required. It is during this process that all applicable departments and utilities would have an opportunity to inspect the site and make comments regarding bringing the site up to a level of improvement that meets the current standards, but only to the extent reasonably feasible. 12. Findings of Fact and Conclusion: In reviewing the request to add Wholesale Distribution as a Permitted Use for 4800 Innovation Drive, Staff makes the following findings of fact: A. 4800 Innovation Drive is a fully developed site. The building includes an office component on the front and a shop/warehouse area on the back. There is a dock -high loading dock and overhead doors. Customer parking is adequate. The outside storage yard is screened from public view. B. Up until a few months ago, the building was occupied by Simpson Sheet Metal. The building is now vacant and on the market with a potential buyer. C. Simpson Sheet Metal was approved as an I-P Site Plan Review in 1993 which preceded the Land Use Code. D. Prior to adoption of the Land Use Code, Wholesale Distribution would have been eligible for approval subject to compliance with the Land Development Guidance System and review by the Planning and Zoning Board. 4800 Innovation Drive —Addition of a Permitted Use, #18-08 August 21, 2008 P & Z Meeting Page 6 8. Traffic: As is typical for a wholesale distributor, there will be incoming trucks ranging between two to four times per week delivering product in bulk form. Outgoing truck traffic to retail accounts is expected to range between three and five times per day. This level of truck traffic can be accommodated on the existing streets without any further improvements and is significantly less than the traffic associated with Simpson Sheet Metal. In terms of compatibility, the traffic associated with a wholesale distributor would not have a negative impact on the Oakridge Business Park. 7. Compliance with Oakridae Business Park O.D.P.: The original Oakridge Business Park Master Plan, and subsequent amendments, has consistently indicated this area to be "Industrial." Wholesale Distribution would remain in compliance with the approved Master Plan. 8. Compliance with Article Three General Development Standards: For projects developed prior to adoption of the Land Use Code, changes of use, minor and major amendments, and re -development projects are required to improve the site only to the extent reasonably feasible. Extent reasonably feasible shall mean that, under the circumstances, reasonable efforts have been undertaken to comply with the regulation, that the costs of compliance clearly outweigh the potential benefits to the public or would unreasonably burden the proposed project, and reasonable steps have been undertaken to minimize any potential harm or adverse impacts resulting from noncompliance with the regulation. In evaluating the applicable standards, site improvements would be needed to bring the project into compliance with the Land Use Code. The following improvements are considered reasonably feasible and may be expanded during a normal Minor Amendment review process. A. Bicycle Parking A bike rack would be needed to be placed near the front entrance. B. Trash Enclosures 4800 Innovation Drive —Addition of a Permitted Use, #18-08 August 21, 2008 P & Z Meeting Page 5 6. Wholesale Distribution and Compatibility with the Neighborhood Context and Section 3.5.1 of the Land Use Code: A. Section 3.5.1(B) — Architectural Character and Building Compatibility Most of the Oakridge Business Park was developed prior to adoption of Section 3.5.1 of the Land Use Code. The street -facing west elevation features both split -face block on the lower portion of the wall and smooth -face block above windows. As befitting a sheet metal company, the west -facing office features a green metal panel as faux mansard facade. The split -face block is also used as the screen wall for continuity. The front is well - landscaped with trees achieving 15 years of maturity. The parking lot is located to the side so there is a landscaped yard between the entrance and the street. The outside storage yard is screened on the north and south by a six foot high decorated steel fence with masonry corner piers. The east edge of the yard borders both a Platte River Power Authority easement and the Union Pacific Railroad. B. Section 3.5.1(C) — Building Size, Height, Bulk, Mass, Scale The building is compatible in that the size, height, mass, bulk and scale of the building is similar to those structures within the business park. The street -facing elevation is one- story and articulated and the mass is subdivided by the various exterior materials. The shop is also one-story but with a high ceiling. C. Section 3.5.1(H) - Land Use Transition The building and site improvements at 4800 Innovation are found to be of similar visual character with the buildings in the surrounding area. D. Section 3.5.1(I) - Outside Storage Areas/Mechanical Equipment The screened outside storage is setback from Innovation Drive in excess of 20 feet. The loading dock, truck parking and outside storage and other service functions are set behind the office and screened from public view by the existing six foot high solid fence. E. Section 3.5.1(J) - Operational/Physical Compatibility Standards The building and outside yard are screened and illuminated at appropriate levels. The 21 parking spaces have proved adequate for Simpson Sheet Metal employees and customers. Hours of operation is not a critical component in determining contextual compatibility since there is no adjoining residential and the closest neighborhood is separated by the railroad right-of-way and P.R.P.A. easement which totals 150 feet. 4800 Innovation Drive —Addition of a Permitted Use, #18-08 August 21, 2008 P & Z Meeting Page 4 The site include a paved parking lot for customers and employees in the front, a paved loading area behind a screened gate for truck deliveries, and a gravel area for outside storage of various materials, equipment and inventory. Up to 40 employees were engaged in a variety of both onsite and offsite activities. Onsite operations included the unloading of bulk materials and equipment, fabrication of heating and cooling duct systems, parts storage for service trucks, and a variety of administrative functions. Offsite operations included up to 35 technicians servicing accounts and customers. 5. Context of the Surrounding Area: The applicant has provided the following description of the surrounding area: 4800 Innovation Drive is located in the Oakridge Business Park and adjoins the Union Pacific Railroad along the east property line. The immediate neighboring users include Drahota Construction and Verigy (electronics R&D) to the north. The building immediately to the south was occupied by DAKO Cytomation, now Beckman Coulter (medical equipment R&D) but is currently vacant and on the market for lease or sale. It is an approximately 10,800 square foot building currently built out for office/lab/flex warehouse uses. The building immediately to the east (developed in the County) is a multi -tenant, rail -served warehouse/distribution facility with retail in the front occupied by a number of different uses including Florida Tile, BC Granite & Tile, Coldstone Creamery, Taco Del Mar, Norwalk Furniture Warehousing, Empire Staple and more. Neighboring users within the Oakridge Business Park include Wolf Robotics, BHA Design/Dengler Architects, Hercules Industries, Office- Scapes, Honeywell, Baker Instruments and IBMC. These occupants include a mix of office, retail, wholesale, warehouse, distribution and manufacturing uses. In addition to the applicant's contextual analysis, Staff further notes that the Oakridge Business Park represents an evolving mix of non-residential land uses since the mid- 1980's. The park demonstrates a high level of quality with tree -lined streets and screened outside storage yards. There is an eclectic blend of building styles ranging from tilt -up concrete to brick and stone. The most recent building, the BHA Design/Dengler Architect building won the City of Fort Collins Urban Design Award for the Green Building category. 4800 Innovation Drive —Addition of a Permitted Use, #18-08 August 21, 2008 P & Z Meeting Page 3 The new Addition of a Permitted Use is basically an extension of Section 1.3.4 of the Land Use Code which, prior to July 1, 2008, allowed the Director to add a use to a zone but only so long as: • Such use is not specifically listed as a "Permitted Use" in Article 4; • Such use is not specifically listed by name as a prohibited use. Now, under the expanded process, the Planning and Zoning may add a use to zone under the following criteria: • Such use may be specifically listed as a "Permitted Use" in Article 4; • But, such use, if approved, would be allowed only for the one specific parcel as requested by the applicant and not on a zone district -wide basis. 4. Description of the Proposed Use and Previous Use: A. The proposed use is Wholesale Distribution. This use is defined as: Wholesale distribution shall mean a use primarily engaged in selling and distribution of manufactured products, supplies or equipment, including accessory offices or showrooms, and including incidental retail sales, but excluding bulk storage of materials that are inflammable or explosive or that create hazardous or commonly recognized offensive conditions, and where the products, supplies or equipment that are distributed from the facility are not used or consumed on the premises. Activities may include physically receiving goods in bulk or large lots and breaking down bulk or assembling, sorting goods into smaller lots for redistribution or sale to other firms for resale. B. The former existing use was Simpson Sheet Metal which was established at 4800 Innovation Drive in 1993, prior to the adoption of the Land Use Code. (Simpson Sheet Metal recently moved and the building and site are now vacant.) The building features a one-story masonry office (4,400 square feet) in the front and a shop in the rear behind a screen wall (21,000 square feet). Simpson Sheet Metal was a full service heating, ventilation and air conditioning firm that fabricated, installed and serviced HVAC equipment for residential and commercial customers. There was an office for showroom, inside sales and administration. There was a fabrication shop and warehouse that featured dock high loading and overhead doors. 4800 Innovation Drive —Addition of a Permitted Use, #18-08 August 21, 2008 P & Z Meeting Page 2 COMMENTS 1. Background: The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: N: H-C; Existing businesses and workshops S: H-C; Existing E: H-C; Union Pacific Railroad and Community Shopping Center W: H-C; Existing 2. Zoning History: The property was included in the 617-acre Keenland Annexation which was annexed in 1980. The area was zoned I-P, Industrial Park, with P.U.D. Condition. The property was included in the original Oak Ridge Business Park Master Plan (now called an Overall Development Plan) in 1982. Simpson Sheet Metal, I-P Site Plan Review, was approved in April of 1993 and platted as Oak Ridge Business Park 16t' Filing. Simpson Sheet Metal, Phase 2A and 2B Additions, I-P Site Plan Review, was approved in 1995. Oak Ridge Business Park was rezoned to H-C, Harmony Corridor, in accordance with the adoption of City Plan in March of 1997. It is important to note that Warehouse and Distribution was not included as a Permitted Use in the Harmony Corridor zone in 1997. In 1993, Simpson Sheet Metal was considered to be Light Industrial which was eligible for review by the Planning Director as an I-P Site Plan Review. Warehouse and Distribution would also have been eligible for the same review process prior to adoption of the LUC but is not a permitted use under today's H-C zone. 3. Addition of a Permitted Use: This new process was recommended for approval by the Planning and Zoning Board in May of 2008 and granted final approval by City Council on July 1, 2008. The process is equivalent to a Type Two review in that a neighborhood meeting is required and consideration is by the Planning and Zoning Board. City of Ens F6rt Coth Planning & Zoning Board STAFF REPORT Item #: Meeting Date 3 �� Staff: led N"an�� PROJECT: 4800 Innovation Drive —Addition of a Permitted Use, #18-08 APPLICANT: Mr. Robert Ross c/o Realtec 255 East Monroe, Suite 4 Fort Collins, CO 80525 OWNER: Mr. Robert Ross 4800 Innovation Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request to add Wholesale Distribution as an Addition of a Permitted Use in the Harmony Corridor zone district specifically for the property at 4800 Innovation Drive. The property is developed and improved with an existing building that features a 4,400 square foot office and a 21,000 square foot warehouse featuring dock -high loading and overhead doors. The parcel is 2.6 acres in size, platted as Oakridge 16t' Filing and zoned H-C, Harmony Corridor. RECOMMENDATION: Approval EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The site was approved and developed for Simpson Sheet Metal, as a Light Industrial use, in 1993 prior to the adoption of the Land Use Code in 1997. The proposed use, wholesale distribution, would have been eligible for the same review process as Light Industrial prior to the LUC. Under H-C zoning, however, the proposed use is not permitted. The proposed use has been reviewed by the criteria of Section 3.5.1 which addresses compatibility with the surrounding area. Two specific improvements are needed to bring the site up to current standards and additional improvements may be necessary as a result of a subsequent Minor Amendment process. A neighborhood meeting was held and no objections were raised.