Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutOLD OAK ESTATES (5227 STRAUSS CABIN RD.) - PDP - 25-07A - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT7. Findings of Fact/Conclusion: In evaluating the request for Old Oak Estates P.D.P., Staff makes the following findings of fact: A. The P.D.P. complies with the Land Use Framework Plan and policies of the Fossil Creek Reservoir Area Plan. B. The land use, single family detached dwellings, is permitted in the Urban Estate zone, subject to administrative review. B. The P.D.P. complies with the land use standards and development standards of the Urban Estate zone district with one exception. C. A Request for Modification of Standard to Section 4.2(D)(1)(b) to allow Lot 6 to contain 94 less square feet than required to meet the 'h acre minimum lot size has been evaluated and that the granting of the Modification would not be detrimental to the public good. D. Further, Staff finds that the lot area for Lot Six, as submitted, will not diverge from the standard except in a nominal and inconsequential way when considered from the perspective of the entire development plan and will continue to advance the purposes of the Land Use Code as stated in Section 1.2.2 since a reduction of 94 square feet will not be perceptible in the field. E. The P.D.P. complies with the applicable General Development Standards of Article Three. F. A neighborhood information meeting is not required for a P.D.P. that is subject to Administrative Review. Staff has been in contact with the abutting owners to the south and is aware of their concerns. Staff finds the relationship between the proposed P.D.P., with'/2 acre lots, and the existing five acre lot to the south does not rise to the level of having significantly different visual character. The two parcels will be separated by a local public street. The street will be 30 feet wide from curb to curb within a 60-foot right-of-way. Staff finds that the review criteria found in Section 3.5.1(G) — Land Use Transition, are not applicable. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of Request for Modification to Section 4.2(D)(1)(b) to allow Lot Six to contain less than 0.5 acre. Staff recommends approval of Old Oak Estates P.D.P., #25-07A. 8 6. Neighborhood Compatibility: A neighborhood meeting is not required for a P.D.P. subject to administrative review. There remains neighborhood opposition, however, due to this parcel being the third in a series of seven large -acreage parcels that front on Strauss Cabin Road to be annexed into the City and zoned to allow a density greater than the existing County lots. Staff has met with Mr. and Mrs. Pat and Carolyn Balliew, the abutting property owners to the south. In addition, the Balliew's have agreed to participate in a professionally moderated mediation with the applicant. The Balliew property remains in unincorporated Larimer County and is zoned FA-1. The'subject parcel and the Balliew parcel are separated by 60-feet of dedicated right-of-way that will be constructed as an extension of Big Dipper Drive. This local street will be constructed with 30 feet of pavement from flowline to flowline. There will be curb and gutter on both sides of the street but the detached sidewalk, parkway and street trees will be installed on the north side only. Until such time as the Balliew property re -develops, the south side of Big Dipper will not feature the detached walk, parkway and street trees. In evaluating neighborhood compatibility, Staff is guided by Section 3.5.1(H) which states: (H) Land Use Transition. When land uses with significantly different visual character are proposed adjacent to each other and where gradual transitions are not possible or not in the best interest of the community, the development plan shall, to the maximum extent feasible, achieve compatibility through compliance with the standards set forth in this Division regarding scale, form, materials and colors and adoption of operational standards including limits on hours of operation, lighting, placement of noise -generating activities and similar restrictions. Staff finds that the development of one-half acre lots next to an existing rural residential lot containing five acres (but separated by a local street) does not constitute two land uses of significantly different visual character. Both parcels are located in the Growth Management Area of the City of Fort Collins. Both parcels are within the Fossil Creek Reservoir Area Plan. Both parcels are designated by the Plan to be zoned Urban Estate upon annexation. In addition, the Fossil Creek Plan envisions compatibility measures to be evaluated when estate lots abut mixed -use neighborhoods where the minimum required density is 5.00 dwelling units per gross acre. The Plan defines estate lots to range in size from 0.5 acre up to five acres or larger. rl with one single family detached dwelling unit is located to the south. In evaluating the proposed P.D.P., Staff finds that: • The proposal is feasible from a traffic engineering standpoint. Only 60 total daily trips will be generated. • The addition of the proposed traffic will have an insignificant impact on the transportation network. • Facilities for pedestrians and bikes will be constructed with the proposed street improvements and tie into existing improvements to the west in Observatory Village. 5. Request for Modification to the Minimum Lot Size of 0.5 Acre: A. Section 4..2(D)(1)(b) The standard at issue, Section 4.2(D)(1)(b) states: "Lot sizes shall be one-half (1/2) acre or large for dwellings that are not clustered in accordance with the standards set forth in this Division." B. Applicant's Request The applicants are requesting that Lot 6 contain 0.498 acre which is 21,686 square feet. A 0.5 acre lot contains 21,780 square feet. Thus Lot Six is 94 square feet less than the required minimum lot size. C. Staff Analysis Staff has evaluated the request in accordance with Section 2.8.2(H)(1-4). The difference between compliance and the Modification is only 94 square feet which would be barely perceptible within the context of the overall lot size of 21,686 square feet. D. Staff Finding Staff finds that the granting of the Request for Modification for Lot 6 to contain only 21,686 square feet versus the required minimum of 21,780 square feet would not be detrimental to the public good. Further, Staff finds that P.D.P., as submitted, will not diverge from the standard except in a nominal and inconsequential way when considered from the perspective of the entire development plan and will continue to advance the purposes of the Land Use Code as stated in Section 1.2.2. ri B. Section 3.5.2(E) — Garage Doors (1) Street -facing garage doors must be recessed behind either the front facade of the ground floor living area portion of the dwelling or a covered porch (measuring at least six [61 feet by eight [8] feet) by at least four (4) feet. Any street -facing garage doors complying with this standard shall not protrude forward from the front facade of the living area portion of the dwelling by more than eight (8) feet. (2) Garage doors may be located on another side of the dwelling ("side- or rear -loaded') provided that the side of the garage facing the front street has windows or other architectural details that mimic the features of the living portion of the dwelling. (3) Garage doors shall not comprise more than fifty (50) percent of the ground floor street -facing linear building frontage. Alleys and comer lots are exempt from this standard." These standards will be enforced at the time of building permit review for each individual lot. In order to promote public awareness, all three standards will be indicated on the Site Plan. C. Section 3.6.3 — Street Pattern and Connectivity Standards "The local street system of any proposed development shall be designed to be safe, efficient, convenient and attractive, considering use by all modes of transportation that will use the system (including, without limitation, cars, trucks, buses, bicycles, pedestrians and emergency vehicles." Big Dipper Drive is classified as a local street. Strauss Cabin Road is classified as a minor arterial street. Both streets will be improved to their respective levels of classification along the frontage of Old Oak Estates. For an Urban Estate project, the proposed street system offers a high degree of connectivity. D. Section 3.6.4 — Transportation Level of Service Requirements "All development plans shall adequately provide vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle facilities necessary to maintain the adopted transportation Level of Service standards for the following modes of travel: motor vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian." Old Oak Estates is located between Strauss Cabin Road, a minor arterial street, and Observatory Village, a 112-acre subdivision zoned L-M-N. A five acre parcel 5 B. Land Use Standards - Density The overall average density is 1.40 dwelling units per net acre which does not exceed the allowable maximum of 2.0 dwellings units per net acre. C. Minimum Lot Size Five of the six lots exceed one-half acre in size which is the required minimum lot size for dwellings that are not clustered in accordance with the standards associated with Site Design for Residential Cluster Development. Lot Six, however, contains only 4.98 acres. A Request for Modification will be discussed in sub -section Five of this Report. D. Dimensional Standards The only applicable dimensional standard at the P.D.P. stage is the minimum lot width of 100 feet. All lots comply with this standard. At the time of a building permit application for a specific house, the other dimensional standards pertaining to minimum front (30 feet), side (20 feet) and rear (25 feet) setbacks will be reviewed. E. Development Standard — Street Connectivity and Design The P.D.P. complies with this standard by extending Big Dipper Drive from its interim terminus at the west property line. This extension will be easterly to intersect with Strauss Cabin Road. Big Dipper was stubbed to the west property line by the development of Observatory Village. This extension will continue east within the previously dedicated right-of-way that is 60 feet in width and located between the subject parcel and the abutting parcel to the south. 4. Compliance with Article Three General Development Standards: A. Section 3.2.1(D)(2)(a) — Street Trees "Planting of street trees shall occur in the adjoining street right-of-way in connection with the development by one or more of the methods described in (a) through (c) below — wherever the sidewalk is separated from the street by a parkway, canopy shade trees shall be planted at thirty-foot to forty -foot spacing." The P.D.P. will protect the existing street trees in the parkway along Strauss Cabin Road and plant new street trees Big Dipper Drive at the prescribed spacing. 4 All seven lots were included in the boundary area of the Fossil Creek Reservoir Area Plan jointly adopted by the City and Larimer County in 1999. The property was annexed and zoned Urban Estate in October of 2007. 2. Fossil Creek Reservoir Area Plan: The parcel is located within the Fossil Creek Area Reservoir Area Plan which was jointly adopted by the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County in 1998. According to the Land Use Framework Plan, the subject parcel is designated as "Estate Residential." In addition, the Plan contains the following policy statements: "2.1.2. Land Use. Estate Residential development will provide the transition from the more intensive development in the north to rural residential in the south." (Page 8.) "2.2.2. Neighborhoods. The land uses and densities proposed in the Plan are consistent with City Plan. The Fossil Creek Reservoir Area is considered a part of the future urban area of Fort Collins. The Plan provides for a mix of urban and estate lots, with a general transition from higher densities near Harmony Road to lower densities near the reservoir." (Page 11.) "FC-LUF-6 Estate Residential. Neighborhoods in this area will consist of single family homes on larger lots than those found in mixed -use residential neighborhoods. The Land use Framework Plan calls for Estate development north and west of the reservoir, providing a gradual transition between urban development and open lands. Estate areas will vary from lots between one-half and one acre in size, to lots of up to five acres or more, with an overall gross density ranges from .5 to 2 units per acre." (Page 17.) Old Oak Estates complies with the Land Use Framework Plan and the policies of the Fossil Creek Reservoir Area Plan by being zoned Urban Estate and proposing a density of 1.40 dwelling units per net acre. 3. Compliance with Article Four — Urban Estate Zone District Standards: A. Land Use The proposed land use, single family detached dwellings, is permitted in the Urban Estate zone district, subject to administrative review.' 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A. The parcel is located within the Fossil Creek Reservoir Area Plan. B. The proposed land use, single family detached dwellings, is permitted in the Urban Estate zone subject to administrative review. C. The P.D.P. complies with the land use standards and development standards of the Urban Estate zone district with one exception. D. The P.D.P. complies with the applicable General Development Standards of Article Three. E. The Request for Modification of Standard to Section 4.2(D)(1)(b) complies with the criterion in Section 2.8.2(H) (4) that the request to slightly reduce the size of one lot is found to be nominal and inconsequential when considered from the perspective of the entire development. COMMENTS: Background: The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: N: U-E; Vacant (Approved but undeveloped Sunrise Ridge 2"d Filing — consisting of seven lots on five acres.) S: FA-1; (County); Existing large -lot, semi -rural single family detached residential with home occupation. E: FA-1; (County); Vacant — Existing Place of Worship and the Fossil Creek Reservoir Inlet Ditch. W: L-M-N; Existing single family detached dwellings (Willowbrook Subdivision — marketed as Observatory Village). Originally part of a large farm, the seven lots that front on Strauss Cabin Road (a section line road) were split off from the original farm approximately 30 years ago as part of the Adler Exemption approved by Larimer County. At the time of Exemption, the 60-foot wide right-of-way along the subject parcel's south property line was dedicated. Thirty feet of this right-of-way are on the subject parcel and 30 feet are on the abutting property to the south. 2 ITEM NO. 1 MEETING DATE STAFF 1AMPAJ442 City of Fort Collins HEARING OFFICER STAFF REPORT PROJECT: Old Oak Estates, P.D.P., #25-07A APPLICANT: Mr. and Mrs. Eric T. and Catherine E. Hutchison c/o Northern Engineering 200 South College Avenue, Suite 100 Fort Collins, CO 80524 OWNER: Mr. and Mrs. Eric T. and Catherine E. Hutchison 5227 Strauss Cabin Road Fort Collins, CO 80528 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a residential development project consisting of six lots. Two lots exceed one acre in size. Four lots are approximately one-half acre in size. Five new lots are designated for new single family detached dwellings. There is an existing home on one lot that would be preserved. The parcel is zoned U-E, Urban Estate. The site contains 4.98 acres and is located at 5227 Strauss Cabin Road, approximately one-half mile south of East Harmony Road on the west side of Strauss Cabin Road. The parcel is bordered by the Willow Brook Subdivision (Observatory Village) on the west and Sunrise Ridge Second Filing on the north. There is a rural residential parcel to the south. The applicant is requesting one Modification of Standard to Section 4.2(D)(1)(b) to allow a slight decrease in the minimum lot size from the required 0.5 acre to 0.498 acre for Lot Six. RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the Modification and Approval of the P.D.P. COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 281 N. College Ave. P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 (970) 221-6750 PLANNING DEPARTMENT