HomeMy WebLinkAboutFIRST MAINSTREET BANK - PDP - 37-03 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORTFirst MainStreet Bank, PDP - #37-03
June 28, 2004 Administrative Hearing
Page 13
The entire development plan is for 3 separate buildings (one bank and two
office buildings) on a vacant 5.2 acre site located on the east side of
Boardwalk Drive between East Harmony road and Whalers Way. There are
pre -determined access points to the site from Boardwalk Drive and Whalers
Way because of existing access drives to development across these streets
or required separations between drives and streets. Because of the required
location of the drive access into the site from Boardwalk it is infeasible to
place Building A (the bank w/drive-thru) and Building B (future offices) side by
side at the required "build -to" line setback (0 to 15') along Boardwalk Drive.
Therefore, Building B has been located east of Building A, internal to the site.
There is a direct pedestrian connection from main entry of Building B to the
public sidewalk along Boardwalk Drive; however, there is the need for
pedestrians to cross the bank's "exit" drive from its drive-thru facility. This
crossing has been designed to be a constrained 14' wide drive with a 12' wide
raised, enhanced walkway and a significant pedestrian plaza at the northwest
corner of Building B.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the request for modifications of the standard located in
Section 3.5.3(B)(1) - Orientation to a Connecting Walkway and the standard located in
Section 3.5.3(B)(2) - Orientation to Build -to Lines for Streetfront Buildings ("build -to"
line).
Staff recommends approval of the First MainStreet Bank, Project Development Plan -
#37-03.
First MainStreet Bank, PDP - #37-03
June 28, 2004 Administrative Hearing
Page 12
Therefore, staff is recommending that the Administrative Hearing Officer approve
the request for modifications to the standards set forth in Section 3.5.3(B)(1), and
Section 3.5.3(B)(2), based on the criterion set forth in Section 2.8.2(H)(4) of the
LUC.
5. Neighborhood Information Meeting
The First MainStreet Bank, PDP contains proposed land uses that are permitted
in the HC — Harmony Corridor Zoning District subject to an administrative (Type
1) review. The proposed uses are offices and financial services (bank). The LUC
does not require that a neighborhood meeting be held for a Type I development
proposal; however, two City -facilitated neighborhood meetings were held at the
Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church (being in the neighborhood) to discuss this
proposal. They occurred on October 9, 2003 and April 12, 2004. Copies of the
notes taken at these two meetings are attached to the staff report.
FINDINGS OF FACT/CONCLUSIONS
After reviewing the First MainStreet Bank, PDP, staff makes the following findings of
fact and conclusions:
1. The proposed land uses are permitted in the HC — Harmony Corridor District.
2. The PDP, containing defined primary land uses in the Harmony Corridor
District, is in conformance with the policies of the Harmony Corridor Plan and
Harmony Corridor Standards and Guidelines.
3. The Project Development Plan complies with all applicable district standards
of Section 4.21 of the Land Use Code, HC Zoning District.
4. The Project Development Plan complies with the applicable General
Development Standards contained in Article 3 of the Land Use Code, with the
following exceptions:
- The standard located in Section 3.5.3(B)(1) Orientation to a Connecting
Walkway.
- The standard located in Section 3.5.3(B)(2) Orientation to Build -to Lines
for Streetfront Buildings ("build -to" line).
First MainStreet Bank, PDP - #37-03
June 28, 2004 Administrative Hearing
Page 11
(3) by reason of exceptional physical conditions or other extraordinary and
exceptional situations, unique to such property, including, but not limited
to, physical conditions such as exceptional narrowness, shallowness or
topography, or physical conditions which hinder the owner's ability to
install a solar energy system, the strict application of the standard sought
to be modified would result in unusual and exceptional practical difficulties,
or exceptional or undue hardship upon the owner of such property,
provided that such difficulties or hardship are not caused by the act or
omission of the applicant; or
(4) the plan as submitted will not diverge from the standards of the Land Use
Code that are authorized by this Division to be modified except in a
nominal, inconsequential way when considered from the perspective of
the entire development plan, and will continue to advance the purposes of
the Land Use Code as contained in Section 1.2.2.
City Staff Evaluation:
Staff finds that the project as submitted, based on the land use, site layout, and
its contextual compatibility with the surrounding land uses, is not detrimental to
the public good; and, the plan as submitted will not diverge from the standards of
the LUC except in a nominal, inconsequential way when considered from the
perspective of the entire development plan.
The entire development plan is for 3 separate buildings (one bank and two office
buildings) on a vacant 5.2 acre site located on the east side of Boardwalk Drive
between East Harmony road and Whalers Way. There are pre -determined
access points to the site from Boardwalk Drive and Whalers Way because of
existing access drives to development across these streets or required
separations between drives and streets. Because of the required location of the
drive access into the site from Boardwalk it is infeasible to place Building A (the
bank w/drive-thru) and Building B (future offices) side by side at the required
"build -to" line setback (0 to 15') along Boardwalk Drive. Therefore, Building B has
been located east of Building A, internal to the site. There is a direct pedestrian
connection from main entry of Building B to the public sidewalk along Boardwalk
Drive; however, there is the need for pedestrians to cross the bank's "exit" drive
from its drive-thru facility. This crossing has been designed to be a constrained
14' wide drive with a 12' wide raised, enhanced walkway and a significant
pedestrian plaza at the northwest corner of Building B.
First MainStreet Bank, PDP - #37-03
June 28, 2004 Administrative Hearing
Page 10
significantly. There is limited space between the bank and access drive
making it impossible to place a building in that location and still make both
buildings function efficiently.
• The relationship of the bank on the site to parking lot is a necessary
function of the facility. The building entrance needs to be adjacent to the
parking lot for convenient access. The drive -through has to be on the east
side of the building in order to function properly.
• Although direct pedestrian connections are not possible for Building B,
there will be a wide walkway and raised crosswalk where the pedestrian
crosses the drive -through exit lane. This drive has also been narrowed
down to fourteen feet, resulting in a shorter crossing for the pedestrian.
There will also be a plaza located at the northwest corner of the building,
emphasizing visual continuity and pedestrian scale, containing a raised
planter and seat walls.
• By locating the drive -through lane between building B and the berming
along Harmony Road, the lane and car stacking is effectively hidden from
public view.
As specified in Section 2.8.2 Modification Review Procedures, (H) (Standards),
the Administrative Hearing Officer may grant a modification standards only if it
finds the granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public good;
and that:
(1) the plan as submitted 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 a modification is
requested; or
(2) the granting of a modification from the strict application of any standard
would, without impairing the intent and purpose of this Land Use Code,
substantially alleviate an existing, defined and described problem of city-
wide concern or would result in a substantial benefit to the city by reason
of the fact that the proposed project would substantially address an
important community need specifically and expressly defined and
described in the city's Comprehensive Plan, or in an adopted policy,
ordinance or resolution of the City Council, and the strict application of
such a standard would render the project practically infeasible; or
First MainStreet Bank, PDP - #37-03
June 28, 2004 Administrative Hearing
Page 9
"Build -to lines based on a consistent relationship of buildings to the street
sidewalk shall be established by development projects for new
buildings ... in order to form visually continuous, pedestrian -oriented
streetfronts with no vehicle use area between building faces and the
street."
and is further defined as:
"Buildings shall be located no more than fifteen (15) feet from the right-of-
way of adjoining street if the street is smaller than a full arterial or has on -
street parking."
MODIFICATION
Building B is located on the east side of the bank building. The 12,600 square
foot building will contain office uses and is designed to be complimentary in
character with the bank and other buildings on the site. The drive -through lanes
for the bank circulate entirely around Building B. Therefore the building does not
have direct access to the public street sidewalks on either Boardwalk Drive or
Harmony Road. Furthermore, the building is not located within fifteen feet from a
street right-of-way. Due to the 80-foot Harmony Road setback requirement, it is
impossible to meet the build -to line on Harmony Road. In addition, there are
drive -through and functional requirements of the bank, which make the position
of the building better situated in the southwest corner of the project. Since the
private drive access onto Boardwalk is a fixed location, it is impossible to
efficiently place Building B between the bank and the Boardwalk access.
The request is for a modification to the Orientation to a Connecting
Walkway Standard and the Orientation to Build -to Lines for Streetfront
Buildings Standard for Building B.
JUSTIFICATION
A justification for this proposal relating to the Modification Criteria Section
2.8.2(H)(1) is that the proposed plan will serve the standard equally well or better
than would a plan that strictly complies with the standard. We believe that the
proposed project meets this criterion in the following ways:
In order to meet the strict application of the code for the build -to line
standard, Building B would have to be located on Boardwalk Drive. There
are several reasons why this is not feasible or practical. If Building B is
placed on the north side of the bank, the efficiency of the site is reduced
First MainStreet Bank, PDP - #37-03
June 28, 2004 Administrative Hearing
Page 8
The rear of Building B is oriented to the East Harmony Road street
frontage (a State highway, major arterial) and will be set back a
distance of approximately 93' from the street right-of-way. As set forth
in the City's adopted Harmony Corridor Standards and Guidelines, the
building must maintain a minimum 80' separation from the "future"
edge of pavement of Harmony Road. In this case, the proposed
building will be set back 120' from existing (and future) edge of
pavement, separated by berming and landscaping in the required
Harmony Road setback.
See item 4. Request for Modifications of Standards of the Staff Report
(this page) for the Applicant's Request and Staffs Evaluation regarding
modifications of these two standards.
D. Division 3.6, Transportation and Circulation
Section 3.6.4, Transportation Level of Service Requirements
The proposal complies with the requirements set forth in Section 3.6.4(C)
Transportation Impact Study. The applicant provided a Transportation
Impact Study (TIS) to the City with the PDP submittal documentation. The
City's Traffic Engineer has reviewed the TIS and has determined it to be
acceptable.
4. Request for Modifications of Standards
Applicant's Request:
This request is for two modifications for Building B. Both modifications are for the
"Relationship of Buildings to Streets, Walkways and Parking" requirements
as outlined in the Fort Collins Land Use Code.
The first modification being requested is from Section 3.5.3 (13)(1), Orientation
to a Connecting Walkway. This regulation reads that:
`At least one main entrance of any commercial or mixed -use building shall
face and open directly onto a connecting walkway with pedestrian
frontage."
The second request is from Section 3.5.3 (13)(2), Orientation to Build -to Lines
for Streetfront Buildings. This regulation reads that:
First MainStreet Bank, PDP - #37-03
June 28, 2004 Administrative Hearing
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c. The proposal complies with the requirements set forth in Section
3.5.1(E) Building Materials. The building materials will consist of brick
masonry veneer siding, sandstone veneer siding, cementitious wood
siding, cementitious sidewall shingles, with brick and wood trim. The
roofing will be a high profile asphalt shingle material. The colors will all
be earthtone in nature. These materials and colors are present in the
existing buildings in the surrounding area.
2. Section 3.5.3, Mixed -Use, Institutional and Commercial Buildings
The proposal does not satisfy all Relationship of Buildings to Streets,
Walkways and Parking standards, more specifically:
a. Section 3.5.3(B)(1) Orientation to a Connecting Walkway states that:
At least 1 main entrance of any commercial or mixed -use building
shall face and open directly onto a connecting walkway with
pedestrian frontage.
The main entrance to Building B will be at the northwest corner of the
building, facing the internal parking lot. It does open directly onto a
connecting walkway with pedestrian frontage; however, pedestrians
have to cross the 14' wide "exit" drive for the bank drive-thru to access
the public sidewalk along Boardwalk Drive.
b. Section 3.5.3(B)(2) Orientation to Build -to Lines for Streetfront
Buildings states that:
Build -to lines based on a consistent relationship of buildings to the
street sidewalk shall be established by development projects for
new buildings in order to form visually continuous, pedestrian -
oriented streetfronts with no vehicular use area between building
faces and the street.
Building B will be set back from the ROW line for Boardwalk Drive a
distance of 148, with a bank building in between. There will be a
vehicular use drive (the bank's drive-thru "exit" drive) between the
building entry and the public sidewalk along the east side of Boardwalk
Drive. There will be a raised and enhanced pedestrian walk across the
bank's "exit" drive from the building entrance to the public sidewalk.
First MainStreet Bank, PDP - #37-03
June 28, 2004 Administrative Hearing
Page 6
The proposal complies with the design standards, requirements, and
specifications for the services as set forth in this section.
C. Division 3.5, Building Standards
1. Section 3.5.1, Building and Project Compatibility
a. The proposal complies with the requirements set forth in Section
3.5.1(B) Architectural Character. This development is adjacent to an
existing office park to the north, existing single-family residential to the
east, existing commercial and multi -family residential to the west, and
a regional shopping center to the south. The building design and
massing proportions for the 3 buildings reflects a complementary and
compatible style with that of the existing commercial, office, residential,
and retail uses that surround this property.
b. The proposal complies with the requirements set forth in Section
3.5.1(C) Building Size, Height, Bulk, Mass, Scale.
• Building A - the bank building will contain a total of 11,300 square
feet of floor area on two floors. There are a series of hipped and
gabled rooflines, with slopes at a pitch of 1 foot of rise in 2
horizontal feet and 1 foot of rise in 3 horizontal feet. The overall
height of the building is 36'-10", which is about the same height as
or slightly taller than the two-story and three-story buildings on
three sides of this property.
• Building B - this office building will contain a total of 12,600 square
feet of floor area on two floors. There are a series of hipped and
gabled rooflines, with slopes at a pitch of 1 foot of rise in 2
horizontal feet. The overall height of the building is 31'-11", which is
comparable to the height of the two-story and three-story buildings
on three sides of this property.
• Building C - this office building will contain a total of 22,000 square
feet of floor area on two floors. There are a series of hipped and
gabled rooflines, with slopes at a pitch of 1 foot of rise in 3
horizontal feet. The overall height of the building is 31'-6", which is
comparable to the height of the two-story and three-story buildings
on three sides of this property.
First MainStreet Bank, PDP - #37-03
June 28, 2004 Administrative Hearing
Page 5
2. Section 3.2.2, Access, Circulation and Parking
a. The proposal complies with Section 3.2.2(C)(4)(a) in that it provides
adequate, secure, and convenient bicycle parking located near the
entrance to the buildings. There will be three bike parking spaces (with
racks), one near the entrance to each building. The racks will
accommodate 15 bicycle parking spaces, which exceeds the minimum
of 11 spaces required.
b. The proposal complies with Section 3.2.2(C)(5)(a) in that it provides
direct, safe, and continuous walkways and bicycle connections to
major pedestrian and bicycle destinations in the surrounding area.
c. The proposal complies with Sections 3.2.2(D)(1) & (2) in that it
provides for pedestrian and vehicle separation, to the maximum extent
feasible, via direct walkways from the Boardwalk Drive and Whalers
Way street sidewalks to the building entrances and a protected
walkway through the parking lot between the north and the two south
buildings on -site; and, it provides unobstructed vehicular access
between the public streets (Boardwalk Drive and Whalers Way) and
the off-street parking spaces.
d. The proposal complies with Section 3.2.2(K)(2)(a) in that the project
will provide parking at a ratio of 2.83 spaces per 1,000 square feet of
leasable floor area for the proposed office uses and 3.45 spaces per
1,000 square feet of financial service (bank) use. Neither exceeds the
maximum parking allowance of 3.0 spaces per 1,000 square feet of
floor area for office uses or 3.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of floor
area for a financial service use. The bank building will contain 11,300
square feet of floor area and the two office buildings will contain a total
of 34,600 square feet of floor area. There will be 137 parking spaces
on -site, 98 for the office buildings and 39 for the bank building.
e. The proposal complies with Section 3.2.2(K)(5) in that it provides 7
handicapped parking spaces (of the tota► of 137 spaces on -site) with
accessible ramps directly in front of the buildings. The minimum
number of handicapped spaces required would be 5.
B. Division 3.3, Engineering Standards
1. Section 3.3.5, Engineering Design Standards
First MainStreet Bank, PDP - #37-03
June 28, 2004 Administrative Hearing
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3. Article 3 of the Land Use Code — General Development Standards
The Project Development Plan complies with all applicable General Development
Standards, more specifically as follows:
A. Division 3.2, Site Planning and Design Standards
1. Section 3.2.1, Landscaping and Tree Protection
a. The proposal complies with Section 3.2.1(D)(1)(c) in that it provides
"full tree stocking" within 50' of the new buildings, according to the
standards set forth in this section.
b. The proposal complies with Sections 3.2.1(D)(2)(a) & (b) in that
canopy shade (street) trees are provided at a 35' - 40' spacing in the
10' - 20' wide landscape parkway along Boardwalk Drive (where
possible) and 7' behind the attached sidewalk along Whalers Way. The
ultimate curb location along Boardwalk Drive will be approximately 9' to
the east of its location on the current development plans; therefore,
shade trees are being placed behind the sidewalk along the parking lot
for Building A and adjacent to Building C.
c. The proposal complies with Section 3.2.1(D)(3) in that no one species
of the proposed 123 new trees on the development plan will exceed
15% of the total trees on -site.
d. The proposal complies with Section 3.2.1(E)(4)(a) in that trees are
being provided at a ratio of 1 tree per 25 lineal feet along Boardwalk
Drive adjacent to the parking lot.
e. The proposal complies with Section 3.2.1(E)(4)(b) in that the on -site
parking area will be screened from Boardwalk Drive to the west with
deciduous shrub plantings that will block at least 75% of the vehicle
headlights and extend along at least 70% of the street frontage along
the parking area.
f. The proposal complies with Section 3.2.1(E)(5) in that it provides
11.5% interior landscaping in the parking area (containing more than
100 parking spaces), satisfying the minimum requirement of 10%.
First MainStreet Bank, PDP - #37-03
June 28, 2004 Administrative Hearing
Page 3
2. Division 4.21 of the Land Use Code — Harmony Corridor District
The proposed office and financial service (bank) uses are permitted in the HC
Zoning District subject to an administrative review. The proposed uses are
defined as Primary Uses in this district.
The PDP meets the applicable Land Use Standards, more specifically:
1. Section 4.21(D)(1) Harmony Corridor Land Use Standards.
This development proposal complies with the Harmony Corridor land use
and locational standards as adopted by the City and is in conformance
with the policies of the Harmony Corridor Plan.
2. Section 4.21(D)(3) Dimensional Standards.
As set forth in Section 4.21(D)(3)(a), the maximum building height for all
non-residential uses shall be 6 stories. All 3 of the proposed buildings in
the First MainStreet Bank, PDP will be two stories in height, not exceeding
37'.
The PDP meets the applicable Development Standards, more specifically:
1. Section 4.21(E)(1) Harmony Corridor Development Standards.
This development proposal complies with the Harmony Corridor design
standards as adopted by the City and is in conformance with the policies
of the Harmony Corridor Standards and Guidelines.
2. Section 4.21(E)(2) Site Design.
The 3 buildings in the First MainStreet Bank, PDP will be two stories in
height, each containing from 11,000 square feet to 22,000 square feet of
gross leasable floor area. The buildings will be residential in character and
will be set back between 100' and 200' from the single-family residential
neighborhood to the east, with earthen berming and landscaping in the
setback areas. This development will not present a drastic and abrupt
change in scale and height of buildings from those in the surrounding
areas (office park, commercial/retail, shopping center, single-family &
multi -family residential), as set forth in Section 4.21(E)(2)(b).
First MainStreet Bank, PDP - #37-03
June 28, 2004 Administrative Hearing
Page 2
the standard located in Section 3.5.3(B)(2) - Orientation to Build -to Lines
for Streetfront Buildings ("build -to" line). A request for a modification to the
standard has been submitted for consideration; and,
standards located in Division 4.21 Harmony Corridor (HC) of ARTICLE 4 —
DISTRICTS.
Offices and financial services (banks), defined as Primary Uses, are permitted in the HC
— Harmony Corridor Zoning District, subject to an administrative (Type 1) review. The
purpose of the HC District is:
"..... to implement the design concepts and land use vision of the Harmony
Corridor Plan -- that of creating an attractive and complete mixed -use area with a
major employment base."
This proposal complies with the purpose of the HC District as it provides permitted
primary uses in a development plan in an area identified as a "Basic Industrial and Non -
Retail Employment Activity Center" in the Harmony Corridor Plan.
This proposed new development will be on a vacant parcel of land and will tie into and
utilize existing roadways (Boardwalk Drive and Whalers Way), utilities, and services in
the area.
COMMENTS:
Background
The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows:
N: MMN; existing office park (Boardwalk)
S: HC; existing shopping center (Harmony Market)
E: RL; existing single-family residential (Mallards @ The Landings)
W: MMN; existing convenience store, daycare, multi -family residential (7-11,
Little People's Landing, Pier Condominiums)
The property was annexed into the City in September, 1977 as part of the
Landings First Annexation.
The property was platted as Rafferty's P.U.D. in August, 1995. At that time a
development plan for a 6,600 square foot sit-down restaurant, with associated
parking and driveways, on approximately 1/2 of the 5.2 acre site was approved
by the Planning and Zoning Board.
ITEM NO.
~� MEETING DATE 2 O
STAFF
Citv of Fort Collins HEARING OFFICER
STAFF REPORT
PROJECT: First MainStreet Bank, Project Development Plan - #37-03
APPLICANT: VF Ripley Associates, Inc.
c/o Cathy Mathis
401 West Mountain Avenue, Suite 201
Fort Collins, CO. 80521
OWNER: First MainStreet Bank, N.A.
401 Main Street
Longmont, CO. 80501
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
This is a request for bank & office uses on a vacant 5.2 acre parcel of land. The
development will contain 3 two-story buildings, between 31' and 37' in height, with a
total of 45,900 square feet of leasable floor area. The property is located at the
northeast corner of East Harmony Road and Boardwalk Drive. It is in the HC — Harmony
Corridor Zoning District.
RECOMMENDATION: Approval
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This Project Development Plan (PDP) complies with the applicable requirements of the
Land Use Code (LUC), more specifically:
the process located in Division 2.2 - Common Development Review
Procedures for Development Applications of ARTICLE 2 -
ADMINISTRATION;
standards located in Division 3.2 - Site Planning and Design Standards,
Division 3.3 - Engineering Standards, Division 3.5 - Building Standards, and
Division 3.6 - Transportation and Circulation of ARTICLE 3 - GENERAL
DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, with the following exceptions:
the standard located in Section 3.5.3(B)(1) - Orientation to a Connecting
Walkway. A request for a modification to the standard has been submitted
for consideration;
COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 281 N. College Ave. P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 (970) 221-6750
PLANNING DEPARTMENT