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HomeMy WebLinkAboutATRIUM SUITES, 502 W. LAUREL - MODIFICATION OF STANDARD - 7-04B - REPORTS - MODIFICATION REQUESTfamily homes. The scale and density of the proposed project is compatible within this neighborhood, and comparable to adjacent properties. In summary, the proposed project will in many ways enhance its neighborhood, achieve goals outlined in the City Plan, and the plan will promote the general purpose of the standard for which the modification is requested equally well or better than would a plan which complies with the standard for which this modification is being requested. By providing the number of parking spaces required per the Land Use Code, it is anticipated that many of the parking spaces will be empty, and would be land area can provide a more beneficial use in the neighborhood and overall urban fabric. By approving this request for a modification, we are fulfilling the ideals outlined in our City Plan. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. PRINCIPLE T-1: The physical organization of the city will be supported by a framework of transportation alternative that maximizes access and mobility throughout the city, while reducing dependence upon the private automobile. Policy T-1.1 Land Use Patterns. The City will implement land use patterns, parking polices, and demand management plans that support effective transit, an efficient roadways system, and alternative transportation modes. Appropriate residential densities and non-residential and uses should be within walking distance of transit stops, permitting public transit to become a viable alternative to the automobile. PRINCIPLE T-4: Transportation Demand Management will be a critical. component in the city's overall transportation system. Policy T-3.1 Demand Management. The City will promote travel demand reduction measures that reduce automobile trips — such as telecommuting and in -home businesses, electronic communications, variable work weeks, and flextime. PRINCIPLE T-5: The City will acknowledge pedestrian travel as a viable transportation mode and elevate it in importance to be in balance with all other modes. Direct pedestrian connections will be provided and encourage from place of residence to transit, schools, activity centers, work and public facilities. Policy T-5.1 Land Use. The City will promote a mix of land uses and activities that will maximize the potential for pedestrian mobility throughout the community. S. Background Information The proposed project provides a great opportunity to improve the existing neighborhood, and provide much needed student housing within walking distance to the CSU Campus. The proposed project will provide a convenient and high quality housing alternative to students and employees of the University and surrounding businesses. The private residential development of this proposal will be more compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, significantly reduce the amount of traffic, in the neighborhood, and provide a more suitable land use, within a neighborhood that is predominantly student housing. Considering the location is directly adjacent to the CSU campus, the proposed project provides a housing type designed to meet the needs of students; therefore, providing a well -suited use within the neighborhood structure. The project is located in a neighborhood that contains a wide variety of land uses, including the University, restaurants, business, apartment / sorority housing, and single The City Plan identifies the following principals and Policies that support the proposed project. Fort Collins will confront and mitigate the negative impacts of the car on our lives. The vision recognizes the importance of the automobile as a means of transportation, but begins to shift the balance towards a future in which different modes of transportations are used. Our community will have an overall transportation system and urban form that supports a wide choice of efficient ways to travel, thereby reducing the rate of growth in total daily vehicle miles of travel (VMT). Our Master Street Plan and Capital Improvement Program will support the land use goals of the City. New development and redevelopment will be organized and woven into a compact pattern that is conducive to pedestrian, bicycle and public transit travel. All modes of travel will be safe and efficient. And, the importance of our community's air quality, transportation, and land use goals will be balanced. Our community will have a compact land use pattern within a well-defined boundary. Growth within the city will be focused to promote a compact and contiguous development pattern. Growth will be redistributed thought the city, to both new and existing urban areas. Infill and redevelopment will occur in existing urban areas planned for such upgrading. By directing urban development to well-defined, contiguous areas, growth will be accommodated without permitting urban sprawl; open lands and sensitive environmental resources will be protected; and public facilities and services will be delivered efficiently and in a cost-effective manner. PRINCIPLE LU-1: Growth within the city will promote a compact development pattern within a well-defined boundary. Policy LU-1.1 Compact Urban Form. The desired urban from will be achieved by directing future development to missed -use neighborhoods and districts while reducing the potential for dispersed growth not conductive to pedestrian and transit use and cohesive community development. The proposed project will meet several goals outlined in Fort Collins City Plan and the West Side Neighborhood Plan, including the following Principals: • The West Side Neighborhood Plan (WSNP) was adopted in July 1989. The plan identifies this area as a transitional area, with a higher density within the West Side Neighborhood. • The WSNP defines this area as being a buffer between the older single- family residents and the more intense uses of the business district on the west edge, and CSU Campus to the south. • The WSNP identified this specific area as predominantly rental properties, catering to university students, and saw that this area is growing to meet the housing demands of the University, and the scale and density of the area reflect that housing type. • The WSNP recommends the higher density uses, such as the proposed Atrium Suites be located at the edges of the neighborhood, which serve as a buffer to higher use areas, and as a defining edge to the neighborhood. • The WSNP encourages redevelopment within this area of the neighborhood, as the existing single-family homes are being converted to multi -family uses in order to meet demands of student housing. In addition, redevelopment can upgrade older properties in declining conditions that do not meet the criteria for historic preservation. • The WSNP recommends an implementation action to redevelop this area within the neighborhood by suggesting a floor area incentive, in which floor area of residential projects is not counted when calculating density maximums for any zone lot, allowing projects to exceed normal floor area ratios. The primary reason the standard parking rations do not apply to projects like The Atrium Suites is due to their location and demographics of their residents. The project is located at the edge of CSU Campus, and the residents are primarily students attending CSU, and choose to live in these locations because of the proximity, and owning a car is not a necessity. The parking demand for this Based on research, conducted by the applicant, and development team, and the owners personal experience with similar projects in the surrounding neighborhood. The parking spaces provided will be equal to a plan which meets the standard for the following reasons: • Adequate off-street parking will be available for residents of Atrium Suites, as intended by the Land Use Code. In this instance, we feel that there will be less demand than required. • Parking demand for this project is lower due to the location, and in turn the residents access to alternative means of transportation. • Many residents will be attracted to the proposed project because they do not own vehicles. • The Land Use Code and City plan have envisioned this area to redeveloped with a higher density for a variety of reasons. The intent is to eliminate the dependence on the automobile; address the increased demand in housing; and reduce urban sprawl. There are many additional factors within these larger ideas which support the proposed project. The intent of a denser development cannot be realized without reducing the required parking ratios within the urban core. In general, the land area will not support both required parking and higher density. • The site design is intended to screen the parking area, and eliminate a highly visible surface parking area, and emphasizing the building, which faces the street front. • The second and third floors are residential apartment units located on the second and third floor, above the ground level parking; therefore, overall building envelope is determined by the size and configuration of the ground level parking area. • The Building is designed with New Urbanism ideals, with the building addressing the street, bringing entryways at a pedestrian scale, and placing the parking areas as a secondary importance. eas point .,t .. 1 Modification to Standard Request Parking Modification, section 3.2.2(K)(1)(a) Atrium Suites 502 West Laurel Street ,? Design Collraboaath e 1. Request a modification of the standard for required parking spaces for multi -family projects, Land Use Code, Section 3.2.2(K)(1)(a). The standard states: "... for each two-family and multi -family dwelling there shall be parking spaces provided ad indicated by the following: No. Bedrooms Parking spaces per dwelling unit 1 1.5 2 1.75 3 2.0 4 2.5 2. The Atrium Suites Apartments proposes twenty (20) — 2 bedroom units, and four (4) - 3 bedroom units, and thus requires a total of 43 parking spaces. The site can support only 35 parking spaces, deficient by 8 parking spaces. 3. Justification, section 2.8.2(H)(1): The proposed modification of standard promotes the general purpose of the code, equally well or better than would a plan which complies with the standard. 4. The parking demands for this project will be less than that which is prescribed by the Land Use Code. The intent of the Land Use Code's parking requirements is to provide adequate off street parking for the residents of multi -family developments. The parking ratio per unit is established more for projects developed in areas that are located further distances from employment and the cities core districts. The parking numbers are based on the number of residents that will be commuting from the development on a daily phone (9 0)'107.1973 basis. This principal cannot be universally fax ,970) 206.0813 applied to all multi -family projects, and is not e-mail eastpointCafrii.com reflective of the needs generated by the correspondence 3207 Kittery court proposed Atrium Suites. Fort Collins, CO 80526