HomeMy WebLinkAboutDOWNTOWN HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER - MODIFICATION OF STANDARD - 06-08 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - MODIFICATION REQUESTRemington Block - Building Heights
Highest Point
Perceived
Height at Street
Predominant Height
Building
Olive
Remington
Oak
Office
68
43
32
—
56
Hotel
120
—
32
84
84
Conference Center
60
—
38
60
38
visibility, thereby creating a landmark destination in Old Town, while its design remains
sensitive to and respectful of its historical context.
4. Allowing for maximum utilization of activity centers. The multiple -use development will
create an increased level of activity on Remington Street and strengthen the north -south axis
of the Odd Town area east of College Avenue. The height of the hotel allows the density
which is required to make the project financially viable, while freeing up area at the street
level for plazas and pedestrian activity.
6. Providing conscious direction to the urban form of the city through careful placement of tall
buildings or structures within activity centers. The project as a whole is designed to create an
activity center at the southeastern portion of the Old City Center District. This is an area
that has been identified by the DDA as appropriate for this type of mixed use, and the hotel
will serve as the landmark focus for that revitalization.
OZ Architecture is pleased to be working with Corporex, the DDA and the City of Fort Collins on this
important and exciting project. We appreciate your consideration of this modification request. .
Sincerely,
OZ Architecture
Kelly Davis, AIA
Managing Principal
3/4/08 page 3 of 3
e
Also,
"(2) the granting of a modification ... 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 in the city's Comprehensive Plan or in an adopted policy, ordinance or
resolution of the City Council, and the strict interpretation of such a standard would render the
project practically infeasible... "
The taller hotel building will create a landmark destination in Old Town and fill an identified need in
accordance with the Downtown Strategic Plan, the City Plan and the Downtown Development Authority's so
Plan for Downtown Development. The additional height is also necessary to provide the number of units
required to support a major hotel.
The request for modification of the building mass standard 4.16 (D) (4) (a) is also based on criteria (1) above.
Any components of the project over three stories are designed with significant setbacks which will minimize
shadows on the streets, open spaces and adjacent properties. While selected elements of the project will
project into the 35 degree setback zone, the overall effect will be to balance the height of the buildings and
provide a more coherent overall design and appropriate scale than would strict adherence to the 35 degree
line.
Special Height Review
Section 3.5.1 (G) (1) of the Land Use Code describes the city-wide review process for buildings over 40 feet
and the conditions under which a modification of the height standards may be granted. Subsection (a)
describes the review standards which are addressed as follows.
1. Views. The proposed structure will not substantially alter desirable views from public places,
streets and parks. Photo simulations are included with this submittal showing the impact on
views from the adjacent neighborhood. While the hotel will be visible above existing
buildings, the actual projecting area is small relative to the entire site and will not block
existing views of the mountains.
2. Light and Shadow. The project is designed so as not to have a substantial adverse impact on
adjacent property. The taller hotel building is placed strategically in the center of the site to
take advantage of programmatic adjacencies with the conference center and to avoid casting
shadows on adjacent properties. A shadow analysis is included with this request. Photometric
plans will be provided with the site plan submittal and will meet City requirements.
3. Privary. The proposed building will not infringe on the privacy of adjacent property. The
hotel windows are a significant distance from residential areas and public parks.
4. Neighborhood Scale. The project is designed to be compatible with the scale of the existing
neighborhood. As noted above, concentrating the density of the hotel within a taller, more
slender building will result in less mass at lower levels and more plaza areas, which will allow
for pedestrian scale amenities. The taller, smaller footprint of the hotel will ultimately have
less impact on the neighborhood than would a lower, broader footprint which might meet
the letter of the height and building mass standards.
Section 3.5.1 (G) (1) (c ) states that height limits can be increased by the decision maker in the development
review process for the following applicable purposes:
3. Defining and reinforcing the downtown areas as the major focal point in the community. As
noted previously, the hotel is a vital component of the DDA's and the City's plans for
downtown revitalization as described in the Downtown Strategic Plan, the City Plan and
the DDA's Plan for Downtown Development. The height of the hotel serves to increase its
3/4/08 page 2 of 3
0 Z A R C H I T E C T U R E'
March 4. 2008
Planning and Zoning Board
c/o City of Fort Collins Planning and Zoning Department
Development Review Center
281 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80522
Reference: Downtown Hotel and Conference Center
Dear Planning and Zoning Board:
On behalf of our client, Corporex Colorado, LLC, we respectfully request a modification to the standards
4.16 (D) (2) (a) and 4.16 (D) (4) (a) of the City of Fort Collins Land Use Code. The referenced sections
address building height and building mass reduction for taller buildings in the Old City Center Downtown
Subdistrict. Corporex is working with the Downtown Development Authority and the City in a
public/private partnership to create a mixed -use development which will include a destination hotel, a
conference center, an office/retail building and underground parking. Architectural drawings showing the
proposed building heights and massing, as well as photo simulations showing integration with the
surrounding neighborhood, are included with this request.
Modification Request
The site under consideration is bounded by Olive Street on the south, Remington Street on the east, a public
alley on the west, and extends north beyond Oak Street to the middle of the next block. This area lies within
the Old City Center Subdistrict of the Downtown District (D). Total site area is approximately 1.8 acres. The
request for modification is in two parts:
1) To allow the hotel portion of the development to exceed the height requirement of 56 feet and
4 stories.
2) To allow selected elements of the project to extend above the 35 degree setback angle from the
intersection of the fourth floor plane and the property line.
Section 2.8.2 (H) of the Land Use Code describes the conditions under which modifications to standards may
be granted. The increased height at the hotel is requested based on the following criteria:
"(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... "
A taller hotel building with a relatively smaller footprint will result in less density at the pedestrian level and
will have less impact on the immediate neighborhood than would a lower, broader building. Moving a major
portion of the building up, off of the street level, allows for more open space and public amenities. The
attached sketches show the relative mass of a building with equal total area to that proposed, but with all of it
concentrated in lower stories.
1805 29' Street
Suite 2054
Boulder, Colorado 80301
phone 303.449.8900 fax 303.449.3886
GA2007\87005.00 Corporex\Correspondence\City\Height Modiftcatlon\Helght Mod Request 08-
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