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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHARMONY AND SHIELDS REZONING - 1-06 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORTHarmony and Shields Structure Plan Amendment and Rezoning, #1-06 March 16, 2006 P & Z Meeting Page 7 E. Whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in a logical and orderly development pattern. As it is proposed to be amended, the rezoning is consistent with the development pattern envisioned under the City's Structure Plan. The revised neighborhood center still focuses the commercial service in a way that best supports neighborhoods as the basic building block to the community. 4. Findings of Fact/Conclusion: In evaluating the request to amend the Harmony and Shields Structure Plan minor amendment and rezone, Staff makes the following findings of fact: A. The proposed amendment to the Structure Plan will promote the public welfare and will be consistent with the vision, goals, principles and policies of City Plan and the elements thereof. B. The rezoning satisfies the criteria of Section 2.9.4 of the Land Use Code, assuming that the Structure Plan is amended as proposed. NEIGHBORHOOD INFORMATION MEETING Although quasi-judicial rezone applications are exempt from the neighborhood meeting requirements, the City sponsored a neighborhood meeting on February 27, 2006 at the Harmony branch library located cater corner to the property. Comments raised at the neighborhood meeting ranged from land use and transportation impacts, environmental impacts and potential future land development patterns. A detailed meeting summary has been provided as an attachment. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the Harmony and Shields Structure Plan Amendment and Rezone, #1-06. ATTACHMENTS: Zoning exhibit 8'/2" x 11" plan set Site Vicinity Map Comparison of Existing and Proposed Zoning Patterns Comparison of Existing and Proposed Structure Plan Patterns Applicant's written statement Neighborhood Information meeting summary Harmony and Shields Structure Plan Amendment and Rezoning, #1-06 March 16, 2006 P & Z Meeting Page 6 B. Any amendment to the Zoning Map shall be recommended for approval only if the proposed amendment is warranted by changed conditions within the neighborhood surrounding and including the subject property. The rezoning acknowledges the relocation of the Neighborhood Commercial district due to a need for greater market exposure. The NC and MMN districts on the subject property have not developed to date under the vision of City Plan, in part due to the location of the NC district on the subject property. C. Whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment is compatible with existing and proposed uses surrounding the subject land, and is the appropriate zone district for the land. The amendment will improve the degree of compatibility between potential future commercial and residential uses and surrounding lower density residential areas. The reconfigured Medium Density Mixed Use District provides a larger buffer and transition to immediately abutting residential development to the north and west than the existing location. Rezoning still allows the Neighborhood Commercial district to work in tandem with the Medium Density Mixed Use zone district. The subject property provides both the Neighborhood Commercial Center needed to support surrounding neighborhoods as well as the higher density uses found within the medium density mixed use areas that concentrate housing within easy walking distance of services and that provide a transition to the surrounding lower density residential areas. D. Whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in significantly adverse impacts on the natural environment, including but not limited to, water, air, noise, stormwater management, wildlife, vegetation, wetlands and the natural functioning of the environment. Immediately abutting the property to the west is a stormwater detention/wetland area referred to as the "Dragon's Lair Wetland" owned by the City of Fort Collins. In the year 2000, a volunteer group, Trees, Water and People worked cooperatively with the City of Fort Collins to reconstruct the wetland and further enhance it with native vegetation. There is no evidence that the rezoning will result in significant adverse impacts to the natural environment on- or off -site. At such time that detailed development plans are submitted, the applicant will be required to submit an Ecological Characterization Study, identifying wildlife habitat areas, wetland boundaries, wildlife movement corridors and other natural features and how impacts can be avoided or mitigated through buffer zones and other measures. Harmony and Shields Structure Plan Amendment and Rezoning, #1-06 March 16, 2006 P & Z Meeting Page 5 Staff has reviewed the applicant's request for the Structure Plan Amendment and found it consistent with adopted City Plan principles and policies. Relocation of the Neighborhood Commercial Center and Medium Density Mixed Use Residential areas still allows both districts to function synergistically as envisioned under the Plan. The location of existing and planned future roadways, such as Wake Robin Lane to the west, Westbury Drive to the south, and the future western extension to Troutman Parkway to the north, will allow for direct vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian connections to the center. The size of the Center at 17.9 acres is in keeping with the 15-20 acres targeted for such districts. In many respects, the proposed reconfiguration is an improvement over the present City Structure Plan layout. Commercial uses located closer to the Harmony and Shields corner may provide the visual exposure needed for retailers to be more economically successful. The reconfigured Medium Density Mixed Use District arguably provides an even larger buffer and transition to immediately abutting low -density residential development to the west than the existing location. The applicant has not submitted an amendment to the Open Lands, Parks and Stream Corridors designation that crosses the subject property nor is there a requirement to do so in order for the parcel to be rezoned NC, Neighborhood Commercial. It is acknowledged that the illustration found on the Plan is a very rough approximation of the Mail Creek drainage, and that the natural features "on the ground" do not coincide with the generalized pattern shown on the Structure Plan Map. Future development plans on the site will be subject to the requirements of Section 3.4.1 of the Land Use Code protecting significant habitat and natural features. 3. Request to rezone by reconfiguring the Neighborhood Commercial, NC, and Medium Density Mixed Neighborhood M-M-N, — Section 2.9.4(H): The request to reconfigure the NC and MMN zone districts is considered quasi-judicial (versus legislative) since the parcel is less than 640 acres. There are five standards that may be used in evaluating a request for a quasi-judicial rezoning. These standards, and how the request complies, are summarized below: A. Any amendment to the Zoning Map shall be recommended for approval only if the proposed amendment is consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan; and/or. As stated above under the Structure Plan amendment analysis, staff has concluded that the proposal is consistent with the principles and policies of City Plan, and would be consistent with the Structure Plan if it is amended as proposed. Harmony and Shields Structure Plan Amendment and Rezoning, #1-06 March 16, 2006 P & Z Meeting Page 4 Relevant Principles and Policies of City Plan PRINCIPLE MMN-2: The layout and design of a Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood will form a transition and a link between surrounding neighborhoods and the Neighborhood Commercial Center, Community Commercial District, Employment District, or an Industrial District, subject to adjustment for site -specific or pre-existing circumstances such as a major street, major drainageway, or existing development. Policy MMN-2.1 Size. A Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood should extend an average of about one -quarter mile from the edge of the adjacent Neighborhood Commercial Center, Community Commercial District, Employment District, or an Industrial District, subject to adjustment for site specific or pre-existing circumstances such as a major street, major drainageway, or existing development. PRINCIPLE MMN-3: A Neighborhood Commercial Center will provide uses to meet consumer demands from surrounding Residential Districts for everyday goods and services, and will be pedestrian -oriented places as a focal point for the surrounding neighborhoods. Policy MMN-3.1 Land Uses/Grocery Store Anchor. A grocery store, supermarket, or other type of anchor (e.g., drugstore) should be the primaryfunctional offering of these Centers. A mix of retail, professional office, and other services oriented to serve surrounding neighborhoods are the secondary offerings. The Neighborhood Commercial Center will provide locations for some limited auto -related uses. Policy MMN-3.2 Surrounding Neighborhoods. The Neighborhood Commercial Center should be integrated in the surrounding Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood, contributing to the neighborhood's positive identity and image. Residents should be able to easily get to the Center without the need to use an arterial street. The City Structure Plan illustrates a future that uses neighborhoods as the primary building block to the community. Successful residential districts rely on the ability to support and benefit from a grocery store and other frequent destinations for its residents. These essential services are provided to residential districts in "Neighborhood Commercial Centers" which are denoted on the Structure Plan as either a red "dot" or polygon. Typically, Neighborhood Commercial Centers are 15-20 acres in size. Such centers are intended to serve as a true focal point for surrounding neighborhoods through not only goods and services but the provision of public gathering spaces and other civic amenities. Neighborhood Commercial centers work in tandem with, and are surrounded by, Medium Density Mixed Use zone districts. The subject property provides both the Neighborhood Commercial Center needed to support surrounding neighborhoods as well as the higher density uses found within the medium density mixed use areas that concentrate housing within easy walking distance of services and that provide a transition to the surrounding lower density residential areas. Harmony and Shields Structure Plan Amendment and Rezoning, #1-06 March 16, 2006 P & Z Meeting Page 3 • One-year extension to the Tract C approval for a neighborhood shopping center approval granted by Planning and Zoning Board July 27, 1987. • 1997 City Plan adopted and Neighborhood Center (NC) zone applied to that area between Wake Robin Lane and Troutman Parkway (extended) and the remainder of the property zoned Medium Density Mixed Use Neighborhood (M- M-N ). 2. Structure Plan Minor Amendment The City Structure Plan, an element of the City's comprehensive plan, is a map that sets forth a basic pattern of development, showing how Fort Collins should grow and evolve over the next 20 years. The map breaks down the subject parcel into three land use designations: Neighborhood Center, Medium Density Mixed Use, and Open Lands, Parks, Stream Corridors (see Attached Map). The applicant's request is to reconfigure the City Structure Plan designations such that the Neighborhood Commercial Center and Medium Density Mixed Use designations are "flipped". The resulting pattern would then relocate the south boundary of the Neighborhood Commercial Center approximately 500 feet from the present location and replace some of the former commercially -designated property with the residential designation. The applicant contends that the City Structure Plan is in need of the proposed amendment because the neighborhood commercial center is not economically viable in its current configuration on the Plan. Market analysis from commercial developers, retail tenants and grocery store anchors has indicated that the commercial center would be better served at a more visible location at the corner of the site. Review Criteria For Structure Plan Minor Amendments; Appendix C of City Plan outlines mandatory requirements for public notice, review process and evaluation criteria for minor amendments to City Plan, including Structure Plan map amendments. The Plan text states: "A plan amendment will be approved if the City Council makes specific findings that: The existing City Plan and/or related element thereof is in need of the proposed amendment, and The proposed plan amendment will promote the public welfare and will be consistent with the vision, goals, principles and policies of City Plan and the elements thereof. " Harmony and Shields Structure Plan Amendment and Rezoning, #1-06 March 16, 2006 P & Z Meeting Page 2 COMMENTS Background: A. The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: N: M-M-N Vacant Pine View PUD (expired) R-L, U-E existing single-family residential (Mountain Ridge Farm Subdivision, Skyline Acres); Westfield neighborhood park S: R-L, U-E Existing detached single family residential (Westbury, Ridge, LMN Cottonwood Ridge Subdivisions), Front Range Community College; Harmony branch library E: M-M-N; Existing multi -family residential (Woodlands Condominiums) R-L detached single family residential (Woodlands) W: R-L; Existing detached single family residential (Westbrooke, Regency Park LMN subdivisions); Johnson Elementary, Weber Jr. High School, Dragon's Lair Wetlands; Harmony LDS Church • The property was annexed and zoned on June 3, 1980 as part of a larger parcel of land bounded by Horsetooth, Harmony, Shields and Taft Hill Roads. The initial zoning was conditioned upon the property being developed as a Planned Unit Development (PUD). • The 67 acre Pineview Master Plan and First Phase Preliminary Development Plan was approved by the Planning and Zoning Board on October 26, 1981. The first phase included approval of 326 multi -family units (apartments and condominium units) on 26.9 acres located at the northwest corner of Shields and Harmony Roads. The approved Master Plan included the following programmatic breakdown: Tract A (Phase 1) 326 apartments and condominium units on 26.9 acres Tract B 77 apartment and condominium units on 14 acres Tract C Neighborhood Commercial Center on 16.5 acres with 140,000-150,000 square feet of retail and non-residential uses. Tract D 97 townhouses and condominium units on 8.1 acres Tract E 124 townhouses and condominium units on 10.3 acres • Preliminary PUD plans for 80 apartment units (Tract B), a 157,500 square foot neighborhood shopping center (Tract C), 98 condominium units (Tract D), and 114 condominum units (Tract E), were approved by Planning and Zoning Board on July 25, 1983. ITEM NO. 8 MEETING DATE3/16/06 6a STAFF f amPron (Incc Citv of Fort Collins PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD STAFF REPORT PROJECT: Harmony and Shields Structure Plan Amendment and Rezoning, #1-06 APPLICANT: Michael Markel 5723 Arapahoe Avenue #26 Boulder, CO 80303 OWNER: Darrell Knudson 17731 Irvine Blvd., Suite 202 Tustin, CA 92781 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request to amend the Structure Plan map and rezone a 58 acre parcel located on the west side of S. Shields Street north of Harmony Road. The rezone would essentially reconfigure the pattern of existing zone districts by moving the 17.9 acre area zoned NC, Neighborhood Commercial, presently located in between the proposed Troutman Parkway extension and Wake Robin Lane, approximately 500 feet to the south. The resulting zone districts would include an NC -zoned parcel at the northwest corner of Harmony and Shields with the balance of the site zoned M-M-N, Medium Density Mixed Use Neighborhood. RECOMMENDATION: Approval EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This is a Planning & Zoning Board recommendation to City Council on an amendment to the City Plan Structure Plan map and concurrent request for a corresponding rezoning. The amendment to the Structure Plan is found to be consistent with the vision, goals, principles and policies of City Plan. The rezoning satisfies the criteria of Section 2.9.4 of the Land Use Code. COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 281 N. College Ave. PO. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO80522-0580 (970) 221-6750 PLANNING DEPARTMENT