HomeMy WebLinkAboutMELDRUM STREET TOWNHOMES - MODIFICATION OF STANDARD - 8-09 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - MODIFICATION REQUEST•
finished floor, utilities, and HVAC components of all new residential
construction to be 18" above the base flood elevation (BFE). The BFE is 2.2
feet above the existing high point for the site and 3.7 feet above the low point of
the site, making accessibility routes to the units difficult at best.
As a result of the flood plain restrictions to the site, we appealed to the
Building Review Board for an exception from the requirements of "Article 5 -
Standards for Accessible Housing" as allowed for in the statues for situations
with Undue Hardship. Our rationale was the requirement of Chapter 10 of the
City Code and other Land Use Code requirements (including Division 4.9.D.5)
put an undue hardship on the project and prevented us from accommodating
accessible units in the building design.
That appeal was denied and the board directed us to look at alternative site
plan options even if it meant requesting variances to other Land Use Code
standards.
In an effort to follow the direction of the Building Review Board we have
redesigned the buildings so a handicap accessible unit is located at the front of
each building. In order to accommodate that unit's requirements for accessible
living and bedroom space, we increased the unit's footprint pushing more of
the structure to the rear of the lot, which triggers the need for this modification
request.
We believe this request is justified for the following reasons:
1. The granting of this modification would not be a detriment to the public
good.
2. The variance is nominal and inconsequential in the context of the
neighborhood.
3. The restrictions placed on the site to meet the flood plain requirements of
Article 10 of the City Code and the requirements of Article 5 - Standards
for Accessible Housing, puts an undue hardship on the design options
available to us for this site_
Let me know if you need anything further from me at this time to make your
decision.
q
ichael Bello
Urban Development Partners, LLC
1220 South College Ave, Suite 100
Fort Collins, CO 80524
970 566-4541
rOCI Urban
aaa Development
aCI■Partners, LLC
A Northern Colorado Development Company
February 2, 2009
RE: Request for modification to standard
Ted Shepard
City of Fort Collins
281 North College Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Dear Ted,
I herewith respectfully request a modification to standard for Division 4.9.D.5
Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for the Meldrum Townhomes project located on lots 221,
223, 225, and 227 North Meldrum, Fort Collins, CO 80524. The standard
states:
Lots are subject to a maximum FAR of thirty-three hundredths (0.33)
on the rear fifty (50) percent of the lot as it existed on October 25,
1991.
The details of the variance to the standard are as follows:
Maximum FAR allowed in the rear 50% of the lot: 0.333
FAR proposed in the rear 50% of the lot. 0.438
Percent over the standard. 10.5%
Total SF of project. 22,174
Maximum SF allowed in the rear 50% of the lot. 7,384
Proposed SF in the rear 50% of the lot: 91712
SF over what is allowed. Z328
The accompanying site plan shows the configuration for the proposed housing
project. A similar plan was reviewed at the Conceptual Review held Monday,
September 29, 2008. That design met the standard of Division 4.9.D.5;
however it did not meet the State statues as described in "Article 5 - Standards
for Accessible Housing", which requires some component of handicap units in
the building design.
The Conceptual Review identified this site as being located in the 100-year high
risk and moderate risk areas of the Old Town Floodplain. That fact makes this
site subject to requirements of Chapter 10 of the City Code, which requires the
finished floor, utilities, and HVAC components of all new residential
1220 S. College Avenue • Suite 100 • Fort Collins, CO 80524