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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWILLOW STREET LOFTS - PDP - 24-04 - REPORTS - PLANNING OBJECTIVESAlong Willow Street the building will be buffered and softened with street trees and landscaping complementary to the building, integrating public sidewalks. Circulation will be by means of public sidewalks along Willow and Pine, and also by means of a public access way along the north end of the property which will run east - west in the vacated alley. This public access way will provide access to the future planned Aztlan Center as well as the United Way parking lot (owned by the City). The common perimeter walkway to the front doors of each townhouse unit provides for attractive pedestrian access and contributes to a sense of neighborhood with residents having the opportunity to cross paths with each other informally as they walk to and from their units. IV. Ownership and Maintenance of Public and Private Space The vacated alley and adjacent area along the south side of the United Way parking lot will be landscaped and maintained as part of the Project, however will provide an east - west public access way to the Aztlan Center and to Pine Street and additional redevelopment uses further to the east. This along with other common landscaping, walkways, parking areas, and so forth will be maintained by the Owners Association. V. Rationale Behind Assumptions and Choices 1. Desirability of Old Town East redevelopment. 2. Desirability of housing in the Old Town East area. 3. Desirability of commercial -retail -office uses in the Old Town East area, and furthermore, desirability that they be complementary, architecturally and otherwise, to adjacent neighborhood uses. 4. Desirability of architecture and design which is sensitive to the "historical Old Town look" along Willow Street and provides streetscape views and views from adjacent properties that are aesthetic and complementary. 5. Importance of this first major commercial -residential project in the Old Town East area, confirming the economic and financial wisdom of redevelopment projects in this area as well as an important precedent for other such future projects. IV. 3. Access There will be excellent access to this project (a) from College and Willow, a signalized intersection, (b) from Linden and Willow and (c) from Timberline, Prospect, Lemay, Riverside, Jefferson and then a one block jog over to Willow. 4. Architectural Character The architectural character of the commercial space fronting on Willow Street will be consistent with the "Old Town historical' design character, and complementary to the adjacent historical Giddings Building. The townhouse - style lofts with front elevations to the west and north will have a traditional urban townhouse look in the genre of Georgetown townhouses and English townhouses, with an emphasis on diversity in character as between adjacent townhouse front facades, in order to add interest and avoid a row -house look. 5. Mixed Use This project involves mixed uses, namely commercial -retail -office space fronting on Willow, however integrated with residential. Furthermore, each residential unit will have an optional main floor plan to permit a main level office space separate from living quarters upstairs so that residents, if they choose, in this unique downtown area can work professionally out of their homes as permitted by zoning. 6. Variety and Visual Interest in Exterior Design In both the residential and commercial portions of the Project, varied roof designs, varied siding materials including the complementary use of brick, stucco, and lapboard siding, together with architectural entry gables. This will provide for an interesting pedestrian streetscape, and variety and visual interest in exterior design. 7. Private Open Space A unique feature of the residential units is an optional rooftop deck. This large deck is not visible from a front elevation view of the townhouses and will provide residents with a large private outdoor open space with river, park, downtown and mountain views. III. Buffering, Landscaping and Circulation WILLOW STREET LOFTS MIXED USE PROJECT STATEMENT OF PLANNING OBJECTIVES June 2004 I. Introduction This project is separate from but related to and complementary to the Bas Bleu Theatre/Giddings Building Renovation Project. Both projects have their genesis in the purchase of the Giddings Building property and relocation of Giddings Machine Shop to a new industrial location. This proposed mixed -use commercial -residential project will have 1700 square feet of commercial/retail space fronting on Willow as well as 20 small townhouse -style residential units. The Willow Lofts Project will features very attractive streetscape elevations and views from adjacent Aztlan Center, parking and United Way areas. This project's building construction and landscaping, will largely screen the west elevation of the Giddings Building along which are located seven`IHVAC units and a fire escape stairway. Most residential units have attached garages with all garage doors screened from view and an interior parking -courtyard area at the rear of the units. This innovative project is not only complementary to the Bas Bleu Theatre/Giddings Building Renovation Project but also represents an important redevelopment step in this East Old Town redevelopment area, creates downtown residential units and is aesthetic in its architecture, design and landscaping when viewed from public spaces and places which surround the project. Ill. City Plan Principles and Policies Achieved 1. Redevelopment This project represents the first major Old Town East mixed -use residential commercial project located in the redevelopment area between central Old Town and the river. 2. Historical The commercial space fronting on Willow will be designed architecturally to represent a "historical Old Town" look as well as be complementary to the adjacent Giddings Building.