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Home My WebLink AboutCAMBRIDGE HOUSE APARTMENTS - MODIFICATION OF STANDARD - 6-03B - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 2 - MODIFICATION REQUESTP Ly t--t 12 STAN�ARd_..--------_-,�. F{G Rc- Cambridge House n! Option 2 D New Residential building < 12 — 3 bedroom units p< t A 2 Renovated Pool building * �; 6— 2 bedroom units N Parking A: j I 96 standard parking spaces } I 6 handi-cap accessible 73 compact parking spaces (43%) 175 total parking spaces 1{ + Parking B: j 100 standard parking spaces ( 6 handi-cap accessible 68 compact parking spaces (39%) 174 total parking spaces a sr<„Zs 9 j 1 1 I' - 13 I Z w �\ I 2 JConP.ti-T ; I I / Ey —�` I S ST�i>AFzD r. •• �� — F SrniRs � NotzT+-1 4- a l 1 � V 6 N Elm Cambridge House Option 1 New Mixed Use building 12 — 3 bedroom units Commercial space / Tenant amenities Renovated Pool building 6 — 2 bedroom units 4-1 Parking: 96 standard parking spaces 6 handi-cap accessible 68 compact parking spaces } 170 total parking spaces � ' 13 Gor'1P.AG-T 2; �1 rj 41 uses should share parking areas and quantities. A portion of any project's parking requirements should be satisfied by on street parking. b. Parking lots will not dominate the frontage of pedestrian -oriented streets or interrupt pedestrian routs. Lots should be located behind buildings, in side yards, or in the interior of blocks to the greatest extent practicable. c. Large -surface parking lots will be visually and functionally segmented into several smaller lots, if practical. Land devoted to surface parking lots should be reduced, overtime, through redevelopment and /or construction of structured parking facilities. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. With the second solution, the project has a use by right not to include a mixed use component. And the request for a reduced setback will achieve many goals of both the Land Use Code and City Plan. The project will address the street, provide pedestrian access, directly from the street, and screen the parking area behind. With the approval of this modification, the proposed project would achieve goals set forth in the City's Comprehensive plan as well as the Campus West Community Commercial District Report. The project will conform to the intended uses in CC (Community Commercial) zoning district. The plan as presented, orients the building to address to Shields St. while providing screening to the parking area behind. This also provides the opportunity to create a plaza and landscape areas adjacent to the street, creating a more pedestrian oriented environment. The historical use of the existing parking area has proven to be under utilized, and the standard number of parking spaces has not been necessary. The parking lot is private, and therefore can be restricted to residents of the complex. In addition, because of the proximity to campus, a majority of the residents are students, and the residents rely on alternative means of transportation. The location of the project supports a variety of transit options, including City mass transit, bicycles, and walking. The proposed improvements will further encourage this type of use, promoting pedestrian traffic and use of mass transit, as well as achieve goals outlined in the City Plan. As outlined in the City Plan's Principles and Policies for Community Commercial Districts, the following principals can be achieved with this project. Principal CCD-1 "Community Commercial Districts will be community -wide destinations and act as hubs for a high -frequency transit system offering retail, offices, services, small civic uses, and higher density housing. The physical environment will promote walking, bicycling, transit and rideshare, as well as provide a high quality urban life for residents. Vertical mixed -use will be encouraged. " 2. Policy CCD-1.10: "Relationship of Buildings to Public Spaces. Buildings will reinforce and revitalize streets and public spaces, by providing and ordered variety of architectural features that may include entries, windows, bys, an balconies along public ways. Buildings will have human scale in details and massing. While vertical mixed -use is encouraged, maximum building height will be limited to 5 to 6 stories." 3. Policy CCD-1.18: "Parking. Reduced parking standards should be applied to Community Commercial Districts in recognition of their proximity to high frequency transit service and their walkable environment and mix of uses. On street parking should be maximized. Parking structures should be encouraged, including ground floor retail or service uses. All parking must provide for visibility, personal safety and security. Other Parking consideration include the following: a. Shared parking is encouraged for -nearby uses in quantities reflecting staggered peak periods of demand. Retail, office and entertainment landscape islands throughout the parking area, and by making slight modifications to the site design for a more efficient parking lay -out. Option 2 — Request that the proposed building be a residential only building, removing the mixed use.component, to provide additional parking. This alternative can provide the approved 175 parking space requirements, and the Modification request will be to reduce the front setback from the required minimum of 45' to 15' from Shields Street, and increase the allowable number of compact parking spaces from 40% to 43% of the total parking spaces provided. This alternative looks at two variations of the parking areas, as outlined in the following tables: Option A — 175 Parking Spaces: 96 Standard Spaces 73 Compact Spaces (43%) 6 Handi-cap Accessible Spaces Option B - 174 Parking Spaces: 100 Standard Spaces 68 Compact Spaces (40%) 6 Handi-cap Accessible Spaces This modification request submits the two attemative site plan solutions. It is the applicants' preference to proceed with option 1, the mixed -use alternative, as we feel this solution best achieves the goals both for the project and meeting the goals outlined in the Fort Collins City Plan. With either solution, we offer the following support for the Modification of Standards. For option 1, we feel that the reduced number of parking spaces will not be detrimental to the public good, and the proposed project will promote the general purpose of the standard equally well or better than a plan meeting the standard criteria. The existing parking area historically has been under utilized. Due in part by the location, and the demographics of the tenant population, demand for parking is low. A survey taken September, 2003, of the existing residents supports this. At the time of the survey, more that 91 % of the units are occupied. The following data shows the demand for parking: Total number of existing parking spaces = 175 The total cars owned by residents 106 Total number of residents 159 Demand per occupied unit 1.15 spaces / unit Ratio of Cars / tenants .67 cars / tenant Based on the tenant demand at the time of this survey, and factoring need for current vacant units, the project has 57 parking spaces above full capacity. Per the land use code, the new project would demand the following: 12 — 3 bedroom units at 2 spaces / unit = 24 6 — 2 bedroom units at 1.75 spaces / unit = 10.5 Total of 35 spaces required for proposed additions. Using this information, this leaves an additional 22 parking spaces under. utilized. Based on the following data, which is consistent with the parking demand of previous years, the requested number of 170 parking spaces would still provide an additional 17 spaces above the currant demand. eastpoint studio September 15, 2003 Mr. Troy Jones, City Planner City of Fort Collins Current Planning Department 281 N. College Ave Ft. Collins, CO 80521 RE: Cambridge House Apartments Expansions Modification request to parking standards Dear Troy, I am writing on behalf of Cambridge House Apartments, to request a Modification of Standards per Article 2.8 of the Land Use Code. On April 28, 2003 a Conceptual Review meeting with City Staff reviewed a proposal for a new mixed use building and conversion of existing buildings to apartment units to the existing Cambridge House Apartments. The project is located directly west from the CSU Campus and fronts on both Shields St. and Plum St. The current proposal is for a new building fronting on Shields St, and will include 12 — 3 bedroom units, and secondary use with parking on the ground floor. An existing pool building will also be converted to have 6 — 2 bedroom units. This is a second request for Modification of Standards, following the defeat of a previous proposal, on August 21, 2003, to reduce the parking requirements for Cambridge House Apartments to 160 on site parking spaces. With this request for Modification of Standards we are providing 2 alternative solutions to the parking and site constraints for the proposed project. With the first alternative, we were able to increase the number of parking spaces provided from our previous request; yet, we are still unable to achieve the approved 175 space requirements. The second alternative looks at eliminating the mixed use component of the new building to meet the required 175 parking spaces. Option 1 — Request that the required number of parking spaces be reduced to 170 on site parking spaces. This proposal includes a new 5 story Mixed Use building fronting Shields street, with commercial / retail / residential amenities on the ground floor, and 12 — 3 bedroom apartment units on the upper floors, and a remodel of an existing pool building for 6 — 2 bedroom apartment units. This proposal will include a total of 170 on - site parking spaces, 96 Standard spaces, 6 handicap accessible spaces, and 68 compact parking spaces. We were able to increase the number of parking spaces from our previous request by utilizing smaller A Design Collaborative phone (97o) 207.1973 fax (97o) 206.0813 e-mail eastpoint@frii.com correspondence 3207 Kittery Court Fort Collins, CO 80526