HomeMy WebLinkAbout120 CHERRY ST., CHERRY ST. STATION - PDP - 9-05 - REPORTS - BUILDING EXTERIORThe City and DDA have developed a conscious direction for the urban
form through the height limits laid out in the Downtown Strategic Plan.
This document indicates that the buildings immediately to the south may
be developed up to one hundred and fifteen feet in height. The proposed
building with a height of seventy feet provides a natural buffer & transition
between this intensity and the park and river.
7. allowing rooftop building extensions to incorporate HVAC equipment.
The pitched roofs will not only help the building greet the skyline in a
logical way, but they also hide the HVAC equipment for the proposed
residential units.
We respectfully request that the over all allowable height be increased
from three stories to four as provided for in 3.5.1(G)(1)(c) of the land use
code.
Thank you for your consideration on this matter.
Sincerely,
4Mik'Torgaerson
M. Torgerson Architects
1. preserving the character of existing residential neighborhoods;
The proposed project has no adjacency to any existing residential
neighborhoods, but will provide new urban residential lofts which will
complement and enhance the character of downtown.
2. allowing architectural embellishments consistent with architectural
style, such as peaked roof sections, comer turrets, belvederes or cupolas;
The proposed architecture has pitched roofs intended to complement
those on the existing County Justice Center and the new City Office
Buildings in this same area. This architectural embellishment adds about
twelve feet to the overall height of the building, but is important because of
the softening effect it has on the building as a whole. This design
approach also acts to reduce the overall perception of building height and
mass.
3. defining and reinforcing the downtown are as the major focal point in
the community;
It has long been recognized that residential uses are critical to the
success of the downtown businesses. This has been an identified priority
in many City Plan Principles and Policies as well as the Downtown
Strategic Plan and other downtown plans and studies. The Downtown
Development Authority has also identified the addition of residential units
in the downtown as a very high priority. The addition of these residential
units will clearly help define and reinforce the downtown area as the major
focal point in the community.
4. allowing for maximum utilization of activity centers;
The Fort Collins Downtown is not only an important commercial center for
the town, it is also the primary activity center. Placing residential units in
close proximity to this activity center, allows for the maximum utilization of
this resource.
5. protecting access to sunlight,
The proposed project will only affect the sunlight that falls on the City
owned natural grassland next to Martinez Park immediately to the north of
the site. In addition, since the railroad provides for a minimum fifty foot
buffer, this effect is greatly minimized. Therefore, it is our belief that this
design protects access to sunlight.
6. providing conscious direction to the urban form of the city through
careful placement of tall buildings or structures within activity centers,
building or structure mass or redesigning a building or structure's shape.
Since the proposed building is on the extreme north boundary of the
downtown area, the only significant shadows that will be cast by this
project will occur on the Burlington Northern railroad right-of-way, and a
City owned parcel adjacent to Martinez Park. Since the area affected is
currently natural grassland and native trees, and since the City of Fort
Collins has no plans to develop this area into an active use area, it is
expected that the impact of this shadowing would be quite limited.
3. Privacy. Buildings or structures greater than forty (40) feet in height
shall be designed to avoid infringing on the privacy of adjacent public and
private property, particularly adjacent residential areas and public parks.
Techniques to improve the level of privacy in a neighborhood may include,
but not be limited to, providing landscaping, fencing and open space, and
changing building or structure orientation away from adjacent residential
development.
Because the proposed building is adjacent to commercial property to the
East (also owned by the applicants) and commercial property to the south
(the majority of which is also owned by the applicants) and with only City
owned natural grassland to the west and north, it is expected that this
building as proposed will represent no negative impacts to privacy in the
neighborhood.
4. Neighborhood Scale. Buildings or structures greater than forty (40) feet
in height shall be compatible with the scale of the neighborhoods in which
they are situated in terms of relative height, height to mass, length to
mass, and building or structure scale to human scale.
The neighborhood context of the proposed building is quite urban in
nature. The surrounding properties include D-downtown zoned properties
with a maximum height of 11 V to the south, and RDR-river downtown
redevelopment district to the east. In this context, it is our contention that
the building as proposed with a cornice line of fifty five feet, and a
maximum roof peak height of seventy four feet is completely compatible
with the scale of the neighborhood in which it resides.
Therefore, we submit our proposed project to the hearing officer, for
Special Height Review which is to be decided based on the following
criteria:
3.5.1(G)(t)(c) Modification of Height Limits. To provide flexibility in
meeting the height limits contained in Article 4 of this Land Use Code,
such height limits can be either increased or decreased by the decision
maker in the development review process for the following purposes:
below it," and it goes on to say, "No story of a commercial or residential
building shall have more than twenty-five (25) feet from floor to floor."
Given this definition, the building is technically a 4 story building as
proposed. Although it remains well below the seventy five foot maximum
height. A fully code compliant plan, however, could easily be designed
with no rooftop decks while accommodating the proposed program. This
would however result in a significantly increased perceived mass, as the
cornice line would end up much higher than proposed, and would be less
effective in the goal of stepping down the massing of buildings as they
approach the edge of the urban downtown environment. It is for this
reason that we seek an increased overall height as provided for in Section
3.5.1(G)(1)(c).
Section 3.5.1(G)(1)(c) of the Code indicates that "If any building or
structure is proposed to be greater than forty (40) feet in height above
grade, the building or structure must meet the following special review
criteria:
1. Views. A building or structure shall not substantially alter the
opportunity for, and quality of, desirable views from public places, streets
and parks within the community. Desirable views are views by the
community of the foothills, mountains and/or significant local landmarks
(i.e., Long's Peak, Horsetooth Mountain). Techniques to preserve views
may include, but are not limited to, reducing building or structure mass,
changing the orientation of buildings and increasing open space
setbacks"
The proposed structure is located adjacent to the D-downtown district, but
is actually zoned CCR- Community Commercial River Corridor. Because
of this, the property immediately to the south (within the D-Downtown
district) is zoned for a height of 115'. Given this location, and due to the
large coniferous trees currently populating the site, the proposed project
will not substantially alter the opportunity for, and quality of, desirable
views from public places, streets and parks within the community.
2. Light and Shadow. Buildings or structures greater than forty (40) feet in
height shall be designed so as not to have a substantial adverse impact
on the distribution of natural and artificial light on adjacent public and
private property. Adverse impacts include, but are not limited to, casting
shadows on adjacent property sufficient to preclude the functional use of
solar energy technology, creating glare such as reflecting sunlight or
artificial lighting at night, contributing to the accumulation of snow and ice
during the winter on adjacent property, and shading of windows or
gardens for more than three (3) months of the year. Techniques to reduce
the shadow impacts of a building may include, but are not limited to,
repositioning of a structure on the lot, increasing the setbacks, reducing
September 7, 2005
Cameron Gloss
City of Fort Collins
281 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Dear Mr. Gloss:
We propose a mixed use project at 100 Cherry Street. If approved the
building we propose will be built as follows:
The first floor will have an eighteen foot ceiling height with
mezzanines above a portion of this floor. The mezzanine as
proposed will have a finished floor at nine feet above the main
floor, and is 31.89% of the square footage of the floor below.
The second floor of the building would have a seventeen foot
ceiling height and would also have mezzanines over a portion of
this floor. These mezzanines would have a finished floor of nine
feet above the second floor level, and would also be 31.89% of the
square footage of the floor below.
Lastly a third floor of the proposed building would have upper levels
that would also have finished floor levels ten feet above this floor.
It has recently been decided by city staff that this upper level, is not
technically a mezzanine, because it would allow users to walk out
to the flat roof of the floor below and therefore provide rooftop patio
areas. Because of this, the proposed building is viewed by staff as
a four story building. This floor comprises 31.36% of the floor
below it. The building parapet would serve as a natural rail for
these penthouse spaces.
The top of the cornice is fifty five feet above grade. The high point on the
roof pitch would be seventy feet.
Division 4.16(D)(3)(a)l . States "that the maximum building height shall be
three (3) stories. If multi -story buildings are included in a development,
such buildings shall be designed to step down to one (1) story directly
abutting the natural area protection buffer" or based on the standards set
forth in Section 3.5.1(G)(1).
Land Use Code Section 3.8.17(2) Measuring Height By Stories, states "A
balcony or mezzanine shall be counted as a full story when its floor area is
in excess of one-third (113) of the total area of the nearest full floor directly
211 3efferson
fort Collins, CO 80524
910.416.7431
1.888.416.7431
fax: 970.416.7435
Email: mikalaarchifex.com
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