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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBELLE CLAIRE, 310 S. COLLEGE AVE. - PDP - 26-05 - REPORTS - PLANNING OBJECTIVESPRINCIPLE CAD-2: Public spaces, such as plazas, civic buildings, outdoor spaces, parks, and gateway landscapes should be designed to be functional, accessible, attractive, safe and comfortable. Policy CAD-2.2 Public Space Design This mixed -use building has a well-defined plaza and public sidewalks, providing a place for seating, gathering and public art. PRINCIPLE HSG —1: A variety of housing types and densities will be available throughout the urban area for all income levels. Policy HSG-1.1 Land Use Patterns The downtown location of the Belle Claire development is ideal for encouraging housing near employment, services and other amenities. PRINCIPLE DD-1: The Downtown will provide a balanced mix of land use activities. While encouraging a mix of land uses throughout the Downtown, the predominant land use character of each sub -district will be maintained. Policy DD-1.9 Land Use Policy DD-1.10 Service -Oriented Businesses Policy DD-1.13 Ground Floor Uses Policy DD-1.15 Housing The Belle Claire Mixed -Use Building embraces the objectives of the Downtown District, offering employment in the form of professional offices and retail space located on the first two floors of the structure. High density residential is located above the second floor offices. Further, the development truly illustrates many of the objectives of the 1989 Downtown Plan in terms of land use, building height, pedestrian activity, and streetscape image. Thanks for your time and consideration. I look forward to working with you during the development review process. Sincerely, Cj K Cathy Mathis VF Ripley Associates, Inc. Page 4 of 4 carried throughout the landscape and hardscape to provide consistency and a timeless character. As mentioned, there are several mature trees along the property that will be preserved and protected. Two smaller trees on Olive Street will be removed and relocated by the City Forester. There is one tree on College Avenue that was determined to be undesirable and will be removed. Additional mitigation trees will be planted on the site as per the City Forester's recommendation. It is the developer's intent to make the most of safeguarding measures and pruning methods during construction to assure the safety and preservation of the trees. Principles and Policies achieved by the Belle Claire Mixed -Use proposal include: PRINCIPLE LU-2: The city will maintain and enhance its character and sense of places as defined by its neighborhoods, districts, corridors, edges. Policy LU-2.2 Urban Design This neighborhood will compliment the surrounding land uses and promote a compact development with a unique identity. PRINCIPLE T-1: The physical organization of the city will be supported by a framework of transportation alternatives that maximizes access and mobility throughout the city, while reducing dependence upon the private automobile Policy T-1.1 Land Use Patterns Policy T-1.2 Multi -Modal Streets Policy T-1.3 Street Design Criteria Policy T-1.4 Adequate Facilities PRINCIPLE T-2 Mass transit will be an integral part of the city's overall transportation system. Policy T-2.1 Transit System Policy T-2.2 Transit Stops Policy T-2.3 Transit Route Design The site is located on South College Avenue, one block away from the future Mason Street Transportation Corridor, which is proposed to be an enhanced travel corridor. Transfort bus service is currently available on Remington, right in front of the DMA Plaza building. The proposed development will connect with existing street bicycle lanes as well as provide pedestrian connectivity to transit stops, shopping, schools and employment and other downtown destinations. Page 3 of 4 resulting in the need for steps and ramps. Smaller sidewalks adjacent to the streets allow a pedestrian to have easy access from their car if parked on the public streets. There are several opportunities, either by steps or ramps to access the upper walkways, located adjacent to the building. Both walkway systems allow easy public access in all directions. There is also a 13-foot wide covered walkway along the east side of the building connecting Perkins to Olive Street. All walks lead to the intersection of College and Olive, directing the pedestrian to many downtown destinations. Steps, seat walls, seasonal planters and special paving promote visual interest for the pedestrian in this urban downtown setting. The 14-feet wide space along the building frontages has been designed to allow for the maximum flexibility. If the developer desires to have restaurants and outdoor dining patios, this can be easily accommodated and still leave room for a 7-foot public walkway. In addition, improvements will be made to the outdoor dining area at Perkins, including additional walkway enhancements between Perkins and the Belle Claire building. The curb cut from South College Avenue will be eliminated. Vehicular access to the surface parking and the below -grade parking structure will be from the alley. The below - grade parking will be accessed from a ramp down to a garage door entrance. The surface parking lot contains 25 spaces and will have sandstone walls with wrought iron railings along the perimeter to help screen the area from the public view. Pedestrian entrances into the retail spaces will be from several locations at the ground floor level along College Avenue. Access into the 2nd floor offices will be located at the corner tower entrance. Access to the residential levels will be from a stair tower or the elevator located in the northeast corner of the building. The condominium units are configured in combinations of one and two bedrooms, ranging in size from 740 sq. ft. to 1,900 sq. ft. Each unit will have it's own outdoor balcony. The architectural design for this building was inspired by the developer's many trips to France. The style of this building is country French provincial, with a formal, elegant masonry base and corner feature with tall arched windows inspired by the Old Post Office downtown. The finishes on the proposed building will include two floors of a buff sandstone and reddish brown brick base with sage green metal entry canopy detailing at the main entrances. The residential floors above will be finished in light warm gray stucco finish complimented by a variety of residential features including sage green shutters, open wrought iron balusters and window boxes. The roofing that would cap off the entire building will be dark gray roof shingles. The architectural feature at the corner of College and Olive is capped off with a copper roof and wrought iron roof cresting. The interest of authentic French architecture is maintained with the use of varied roof forms, arched windows, roof dormers, classic columns, and chimney elements. The design objectives of the landscape plan are to provide an attractive streetscape and also to enhance the pedestrian and experience within the site. The urban location and character of the project minimized the quantity and location of plant materials. Rather, architectural details, pre -cast planters, window boxes, seat walls, pedestrian level light fixtures and enhanced paving create the atmosphere of this project. This approach to landscape design is often utilized in downtown areas where pedestrian movement is a priority over large-scale foundation plantings. The high quality finishes from the building are Page 2 of 4 V FlFlI phayASSOCIATES INC Landscape Architecture Urban Design Planning May 24, 2005 Ted Shepard Current Planning Department City of Fort Collins 281 North College Avenue P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80521-0580 RE: Planning Objectives for the Belle Claire Project Development Plan Dear Ted, The Belle Claire PDP is a proposed mixed -use building to be located on an .8-acre site at the southeast corner of South College Avenue and East Olive Street. The property is currently being utilized for the Perkins restaurant parking lot. There is presently one vehicular entrance from South College Avenue, one from East Olive Street and several from the existing alley located along the eastern property line. Five and six foot wide detached sidewalks run parallel along both street frontages. Significant existing vegetation is in the form of several large mature street trees. The property is in the D-Downtown District, Canyon Avenue Subdistrict. This proposal also includes a replat in order to subdivide several existing lots into two lots — one for Belle Claire and one for Perkins. In the short term, the existing Perkins restaurant would remain with some fagade renovation, and outdoor dining patio and plaza improvements. In the long term, the restaurant could be demolished in order to construct a new building. Existing buildings and land uses located adjacent to the lot are as follows: • Perkins restaurant is on the south. • The ADP building is located east of the alley. • The one-story office/retail building is north of this site. • Aggie Travel and a vacant building are located west of College Avenue. • The Armstrong Hotel building is located northwest of the intersection. The building will be six stories or approximately 84 feet tall. The building is placed on or close to the property lines as allowed in the Downtown District, which encourages minimal setbacks. The project will offer 9,255 sq. ft. of retail on the first floor, approximately 14,000 sq. ft. of professional office space on the second floor and four floors of luxury condominiums. Parking for the residences will be available in a below -grade structure underneath the building while surface parking is available on -street or in a lot located on the east side of the building. The site has been designed with the pedestrian in mind by utilizing a series of sidewalks and ramps. Due to the fact that the site lies in a floodplain, the building had to be raised, Phone 970.224.5828 Fax 970.224.1662 401 West Mountain Ave. Suite 201 Fort Collins, CO 80521-2604 vfripley.com