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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCIVIC CENTER OFFICE BUILDING - PDP - 29-99 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PLANNING OBJECTIVESwest spines in every other aspect. Civic Center Office Building Modification Request - Civic Spine (Mason Street Mid -Block Crossing) Land Use Code Section 4.12(A) - Downtown District (D) "Purpose. The Downtown District is intended to provide a concentration of retail, civic, office and cultural uses in addition to complementary uses such as hotels, entertainment and housing. It is divided into three (3) subdistricts as depicted in Figure 19. The development standards for the Downtown District are intended to encourage a mix of activity in the area while providing for quality development that maintains a sense of history, human scale and pedestrian -oriented character." Land Use Code Section 4.12 (E)(5)(a) - Special Provisions - Civic Center Subdistrict "Civic Spine. All development shall incorporate the concept of the "Civic Spine" as described in the Downtown Civic Center Master Plan, allowing for continuous north -south and east -west pedestrian connections. The civic spine will serve to connect various buildings in order to unify parks and plazas. Modification Request We request a modification for the east -west "Civic Spine" requirement with respect to it's crossing of Mason Street midway between Maple and LaPorte. The east -west spine is intended to connect the Civic Center Office Building (and other buildings to the west) with the proposed transit center on the east side of Mason. We feel that the east -west civic spine is unsafe and should not cross Mason Street for several reasons. First, the proposed east -west civic spine will be located immediately north of the Civic Center Office Building. If you extend that line directly east across Mason Street you will notice that it bisects the Transit Center's existing "Kiss and Ride" (existing bus loading area, future drop-off area). The proposed civic spine location, as it relates to the Transit Center site, would require demolition and redesign of the recently constructed urban design features that site. The general configuration of the Kiss and Ride drop-off area is illustrated on our site plan for your review. Secondly, there is an existing rail road switch box located approximately 150 feet south of Maple Street in the middle of Mason Street. The switch box is protected by concrete curbs which create a "median" in the middle of Mason Street. This configuration creates a situation where many drivers may be looking for opportunities to change lanes, or are changing lanes where the mid -block crossing is proposed. And finally, consider the existing rail road tracks and the drivers who speed up to make the yellow light at LaPorte. The crossing will potentially add one more element of confusion and danger to an area that is becoming more and more congested. We feel that the risks of this mid - block crossing (civic spine)far out weigh its benefits. Alternatively, we feel that the cross -walks located at the northeast and southeast corners of the Civic Center Office Building site provide a pedestrian friendly connection to the Transit Center. A traffic signal exists at the Mason/LaPorte Street intersection to further protect pedestrian crossing in this area. We feel that the proposed alternative, as illustrated on the site plan, achieves a pedestrian -oriented character by providing a safe, understandable, and pedestrian friendly connection to the Transit Center. The Master Plan for the Civic Center Office Building block incorporates the north -south and east- Civic Center Office Building Planning Objectives The City of Fort Collins Office Building is located within the Downtown zone district. This district is " intended to provide a concentration of retail, civic, office, and cultural uses in addition to complementary uses such as hotels, entertainment, and housing." In addition, the facility is located in a sub district referred to as the Civic Center. The Civic Center master plan envisions the civic center being a place with a rich street environment with a clustered area of civic uses. A focus of the civic center master plan is a major north/south corridor that would extend along the west side of the office building. The north/south corridor is a pedestrian oriented environment that is intended to contain a variety of urban amenities to accommodate formal and informal gatherings, lunchtime seating, and a variety of other urban outdoor experiences. The proposed office building and,urban streetscape environment accomplishes theses goals. The proposed building is a 71,515 SF office building that will house several City departments. These uses are classified as Community Facilities under the zone district and are a permitted use. Because of the size of the building it will be subject to review by the Planning and Zoning Board. The proposed use also fits well with the sub district Civic Center classification by providing a number of employees to the area that will provide a concentration of users that will enliven the city core and assist in maintaining economic vitality for the downtown. Section 3.5.3 of the Land Use Code outlines the requirements of the project to promote an urban environment built to human scale with attractive street fronts and other connecting walkways. The code section also encourages buildings to contribute to the uniqueness of the zone district and to vary in massing and scale.. The building and site are being designed to provide to meet all of the above objectives through adding to the high quality character of the downtown area by creating an attractive facade and inviting urban street scene. The building is 3 stories in height and clad in brick and sandstone. While being contemporary in character it still gracefully reflects the earlier historic period of the downtown by using similar materials, window treatments, sandstone accents, and attractive brick detailing. The facade is broken up through a variety of treatments such as a recessed entry, brise soleil canopies over the walks, and articulation in the facade that reflects the same proportions as earlier buildings in the area. The proposed site plan has been designed to be expandable as a concept to integrate with the surrounding block as it builds out. A master plan has been created for the block that establishes proposed building locations and the location and general nature of urban amenities that will form the civic center plaza portion of the block. The master plan is available in the City of Fort Collins Facility Services department. The urban street scene for this project is designed to reflect the character that is gradually building around this area. Paving patterns reflect a similar pattern being used across Mason at the Transit Center. Interlocking brick pavers are alternated with concrete to create an attractive walkway and, at the comer of LaPorte and Mason and the intersection of Maple and Mason small urban plazas have been left open to allow for public art seating. These urban design features fit within the civic center master plan concept of creating an attractive and inviting downtown environment. The buildings also meet the build -to standards and thereby add to the urban street scene by adding readily accessible buildings.