HomeMy WebLinkAboutSOUTH TRANSIT CENTER - PDP - 9-10 - REPORTS - MODIFICATION REQUESTApplicable Criteria from Section 2.8.2 Modification Review Procedures:
(2) The granting of a modification from the strict application of any standard would,
without impairing the intent and purpose of this Land Use Code, substantially alleviate
an existing, defined and described problem of city-wide concern or would result in a
substantial benefit to the city by reason of the fact that the proposed project would
substantially address an important community need specifically and expressly defined
and described in the city's Comprehensive Plan or in an adopted policy, ordinance or
resolution of the City Council, and the strict application of such a standard would
render the project practically infeasible.
This standard would require the transit facility to be located no more than 15' from the
street right-of-way. Unlike a typical lot that has public street frontage on one or more
sides, this site is located at the terminus of Fossil Boulevard so has very limited right-
of-way frontage. This limited frontage is located at the southeast comer of the site. A
primary function of the transit center is to serve as the southern terminus to the Mason
Corridor BRT route. To accomplish this it must directly connect to the guideway
located at the northwest corner of the site. This public facility must also accommodate
visitor and rider connectivity from not only the public street frontage but from the
adjacent bike trail, the Mason Corridor, and from potential future development to the
east. So, rather than locating the building at the southeast corner of the site as the
strict application of the standard would require, we have centrally located the bus
platform facility to efficiently work with the BRT guideway design, the bike trail, and
separated visitor park and ride spaces. Strict application of this standard would render
the project infeasible as a primary public facility addressing important community
needs outlined in the city's Comprehensive Plan regarding transportation.
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limited street frontage. Rather than atypical lot that has significant primary street frontage
from which pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles enter and exit, this lot has:
1) limited street frontage, and
2) must equally accommodate pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles from the northwest
(trail and BRT), southwest (trail), southeast (street), and east (future development
parcels), not just the sheet.
As such, the two Land Use Code standards 3.5.3(B)(1) regarding orientation to a connection
walkway and 3.5.3(B)(2) regarding orientation to build -to lines for streetfront buildings, cannot
be met as written without compromising the function of the South Transit Center.
For consideration of the modification request, we submit the following findings for your review:
3.5.3(B)(1) — Orientation to a Connecting Walkway. At least one main entrance of any
commercial or mixed -use building shall face and open directly onto a connecting walkway with
pedestrian frontage.
Applicable Criteria from Section 2.8.2 Modification Review Procedures:
(I) The plan as submitted will promote the general purpose of the standard for which the
modification is requested equally well or better than would a plan which complies with
the standard.
This standard is intended to provide direct pedestrian connectivity from the public
frontage (considered to be the primary origination of pedestrian traffic) to the building
without crossing an intervening driveway. As a primary function of the transit center,
this facility must accommodate pedestrian connectivity from not only the public street
frontage but from the adjacent bike trail and from potential future development to the
east. So, rather than focusing a building entrance toward a single connecting
walkway, the site centrally locates the bus platform areas with direct pedestrian
connections to the bike trail, the adjacent public street, and the east property line.
The station building and central platform area is completely surrounded by bus drive
aisles and bus bays. Although this requires each of these pedestrian connections to
cross the bus drive areas, this orientation provides better and safer pedestrian
conditions than alternative plans. By circulating the buses around a central platform
rather than through multiple bus bay islands, we reduce the number of times a
pedestrian needs to make these bus drive crossings that are inherent in design of
multiple bays. Once a pedestrian arrives from their origination point (parking lot,
street sidewalk or bike trail) they are able to circulate from station -to -bay or from bay -
to -bay without crossing any additional drives.
Also, the bus drives are much safer to cross than a typical visitor drive or parking lot
aisle. The bus operators are keenly aware of pedestrian/rider patterns and operate at
very low speeds in the station areas. The site is configured to provide direct pedestrian
connectivity from the bike trails and street sidewalk to the platform and building by
only crossing the bus drive, but no intervening parking lot drive aisle or publicly -used
drive.
3.5.3(B)(2) — Orientation to Build -to Lines for Streetfront Buildings. Build -to lines based on a
consistent relationship of buildings to the street sidewalk shall be established by development
projects for new buildings and, to the extent reasonably feasible, by development projects for
additions or modifications of existing buildings, in order to form visually continuous, pedestrian -
oriented streetfronts with no vehicle use area between building faces and the street.
Modification of Standards Request Page 2 of 3
Modification of Standards Request
South Transit Center
July 27, 2010
Project Overview
The South Transit Center is a transportation hub located at the south terminus of the Mason
Corridor, a 5.5-mile multi -modal transportation corridor running north -south along the
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad through the heart of Fort Collins. Improvements will
include a new 4,500 sq. ft. building, 10 bus bays for Bus Rapid Transit and Transfort fixed -
route buses, covered passenger waiting areas, a 170-space park and ride facility, as well as
bike and pedestrian trail connections.
As a transit hub and public facility, it will help to achieve many fundamental goals of City Plan
and the Land Use Code. However, the unique needs of such a facility result in a site plan that
while meeting the intent of the code, is unable to meet three specific requirements. As a result,
we are requesting three modifications of standards in order to facilitate the optimal design for
this facility. We submit that the granting of the modification requests would not be detrimental
to the public good, and would like to offer the following information specifically regarding
each request:
Modification of Standards Requests - Section 3.5.3.(B)(1) and (22)
The standards under 3.5.3 Mixed -Use, Institutional and Commercial Buildings are indicated
with the following purpose:
Purpose. These standards are intended to promote the design of an urban
environment that is built to human scale to encourage attractive street fronts and other
connecting walkways that accommodate pedestrians as the first priority, while also
accommodating vehicular movement.
The sheer nature of the transit hub is to provide access for the public to the BRT corridor and
multiple Transfort bus routes. The station is a starting point and terminus for the Mason
Corridor BRT, south city and regional Transfort routes, and multiple Transfort route transfers.
The users of the Transit Center will include:
- riders from the BRT or Transfort routes making transfers,
- riders driving by car to the park and ride lot to use the services,
- bicyclists or pedestrians from the adjacent city bike trail,
- bicyclists from the adjacent public street (located at the southeast comer of the
property), or
- pedestrians from this public street or from a future redeveloped parcel east of the site.
As such, the station needs to be designed to efficiently accommodate the many bus routes, but
also must well accommodate pedestrian connections from many locations in addition to the
street front.
The site itself is uniquely situated to provide this purpose well. It is directly adjacent to both the
city bike trail and the proposed Mason Corridor route. It is also served from the south by a
public street, Fossil Boulevard, which then connects directly to a future signalized intersection
at College Avenue. However, the site serves as a terminus to Fossil Boulevard, so has only
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