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Home My WebLink AboutLIBERTY COMMON SCHOOL ADDITION - SITE PLAN ADVISORY REVIEW - 11-02 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT (3)Liberty Common School Addition — Site Plan Advisory Review, #11-02 April 4, 2002 Page 4 C. Extent The existing building includes a total of 46,000 sq.ft. of floor area. The new addition will provide an additional 19,000 sq.ft., for a total of 65,000 sq.ft. The overall building mass, bulk and scale is consistent with the existing development in the area. The perimeter walls of the addition will be approximately 20 feet in height, 5 feet higher than the existing building. This is less that the 30 feet maximum building height included within the Prospect East Overall Development Plan. The new addition will increase the imperious area of the site. This increase will result in an increase in storm drainage runoff, beyond what the system in place is currently capable of handling. In order to accommodate increased runoff, an easement must be granted by the City across the Prospect Ponds Natural Area to the east of the site. This easement dedication is subject to City Council review. The applicant has filed an easement dedication request. However, this request will take several months to process. Until the easement is dedicated, stormwater may only be released from this site at a historic rate. This will require the school to temporarily retain water on the site. An interim stormwater retention system design has been reviewed and accepted by the City of Fort Collins Stormwater Utility. CONCLUSIONS: After reviewing the Liberty Common School, #11-02, staff offers the following conclusions: 1. The use of the Liberty Common School is consistent with the City of Fort Collins Structure Plan. 2. The location of the Liberty Common School Addition is consistent with the City of Fort Collins Structure Plan. 3. The extent and character of the Liberty Common School Addition is consistent with the immediate vicinity. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Planning and Zoning Board approve the Liberty Common School Addition, File #11-02. Liberty Common School Addition — Site Plan Advisory Review, #11-02 April 4, 2002 Page 3 2. Location, Character and Extent: A. Location The Liberty Common School is located within the Prospect East Business Park. This park was approved as a "technology park", with light industrial, manufacturing, research and office uses. A minor amendment was approved in August, 1997, for the charter school, which is a use permitted by administrative review in the Industrial zone district. The building addition is proposed on the southwest portion of the existing building in an area currently used for play fields. The addition will have a setback of 165 feet from Sharp Point Drive. The existing building has an 80 to 140 feet setback from Sharp Point Drive. A setback of approximately 210 feet will be maintained from March Court. B. Character Typically, schools are located near residential areas where children may walk to school or may be driven without choosing arterial streets. Charter schools do not have 'districts' or enrollment areas. Their enrollment area encompasses the Poudre School District. Thus, children are accepted from the throughout the City and adjacent unincorporated areas. The school is located where it can be easily accessed and handle the additional traffic from increase drop-off trips. The building addition has been designed for an efficient installation and quick construction period. The addition must be built and be functional for the 2002-2003 school year which starts at the end of August. Pre -cast concrete panels facilitate an efficient construction schedule. While the addition will be painted to complement the existing building, the addition lacks architectural details that would make it compatible with the existing building. The existing building is faced with large red brick, and includes pattern changes along the top of the walls and at the base. The building includes a fair amount of windows which help to break up the mass of the building. Since the building is located within an existing industrial area, and the large setback from the adjacent public streets, City staff has accepted the applicant's building elevations. Staff has, however, asked for additional foundation plantings and landscaping adjacent to the new addition to help break up the overall mass of the addition. The reminder of the site will not change as a result of the building addition. Liberty Common School Addition — Site Plan Advisory Review, #11-02 April 4, 2002 Page 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This request for review from Liberty Common School is submitted to the Board as a Site Plan Advisory Review pursuant to State Statute Section 31-23-209, which limits the City's review to the location, character and extent of the improvements. The recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Board is forwarded to the Poudre School District Board of Education for their consideration. COMMENTS: Background The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: N: E Offices, Research S: I Light Industrial, Manufacturing E: POL Prospect Ponds Natural Area W: I Light Industrial, The property has been used for the Liberty Common School since August, 1997. 3. Process 1 The City has agreed with the County to process this review under Section 31-23-209, C.R.S., which states: "When the commission (Planning and Zoning Board) has adopted the master plan of the municipality or of one or more major sections or districts thereof, no street, square, park, or other public way, ground or open space, public building or structure, or publicly or privately owned public utility shall be constructed or authorized in the municipality or in such planned section and district until the location, character and extent thereof has been submitted for approval by the commission." Under the statute, if the Planning and Zoning Board disapproves the site plan, such disapproval may be overturned by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Education. DATE: April 4, 2002 PROJECT: Liberty Common School Addition, Site Plan Advisory Review, #11-02 OWNER: LCS Building Corporation 255 East Monroe Avenue, Suite #4 Fort Collins, CO 80525 APPLICANT: The Neenan Co. 2620 East Prospect Road, Suite 100 Fort Collins, CO 80525 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Liberty Common School Addition Site Plan Advisory Review is a request to construct a 19,000 sq.ft. gymnasium and foyer addition to the existing school building. The addition will be constructed with pre -cast concrete panels, painted to complement the existing brick building. The school is located at 1725 Sharp Pointe Drive, within the Prospect Park East Business Park. The property is zoned I — Industrial. Liberty Common School is a charter school within the Poudre Valley School District. RECOMMENDATION: Approval ITEM NO. 4 MEETING DATE 512102_ STAFF Bob Barkeen Citv of Fort Collins PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD STAFF REPORT DATE: May 2, 2002 PROJECT: Liberty Common School Addition, Site Plan Advisory Review, #11-02 OWNER: LCS Building Corporation 255 East Monroe Avenue, Suite #4 Fort Collins, CO 80525 APPLICANT: The Neenan Co. 2620 East Prospect Road, Suite 100 Fort Collins, CO 80525 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Liberty Common School Addition Site Plan Advisory Review is a request to construct a 19,000 sq.ft. gymnasium and foyer addition to the existing school building located at 1725 Sharp Pointe Drive, within the Prospect Park East Business Park. Liberty Common School is a charter school within the Poudre Valley School District. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This item was presented to the Planning and Zoning Board for consideration on April 4, 2002. At this meeting, the board disapproved the application for a Site Plan Advisory Review and requested a hearing before the Poudre School District Board of Education. A request has been made by Liberty Common Charter School to have the Planning and Zoning Board reconsider its disapproval and consider changes to the application. The applicant has agreed to waive their statutory right to a 30-day review period by the City. The previous staff report has been attached to this item. Additional information on the proposed addition is not available at this time, any new information will be presented at the April 26, 2002 Planning and Zoning Board Worksession. COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 281 N. College Ave. P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO80522-0580 (970) 221-6750 PLANNING DEPARTMENT