HomeMy WebLinkAboutPROMONTORY - PDP - 32-99 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 3 - MODIFICATION REQUESTvii. Surrounding uses are retail, office, bank, and post office uses to
the west, single family residential to the east, and apartments to the south.
A de facto requirement is that uses on this site provide a transition
between such surrounding uses. This is the case notwithstanding the fact
that zoning allows more intense commercial development on this site than
would be appropriate given the site's transitional nature.
Lastly, I would invite you to consider a thoughtful paradigm suggested to
me by a staff member (thanks), which I think is relevant to this project and
helps us explain and understand it conceptually:
Consider that the five small offices are a mini -office community
separate and autonomous, but with a symbiotic relationship to the
residential community.
The residential community has three buildings (F, A and B) with
reasonable street frontage and which meet the 200-foot street sidewalk
access requirement.
Behind these residential buildings are a common backyard (park -
courtyard), alley access garages and carriage house (E).
And off the "alley" at the rear of project are located two alley houses
(D and C).
We respectfully ask for your favorable consideration and approval of our
requested modifications. Thank you.
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Enclosure
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vi. Transitional office and residential uses complementary to the
adjacent uses - namely retail, office, bank and post office uses to the west,
single-family residential to the east and apartments to the south.
vii. Achievement of excellence in design and construction of
planned office parks, buildings, outdoor spaces and streetscapes.
viii. Introduction of innovative architecture and planning concepts
including: front and back roof step-down design; symbiotic relationship
between mini office and residential communities; park -courtyard concept
merging landscape, hardscape, pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle uses;
interesting building elevations, and aesthetic building frontages.
ix. Achievement of numerous City Plan objectives and purposes as
enumerated in the attached Statement of Objectives and Purposes.
D. The strict application of standard would result in practical difficulties
and undue hardship by reason of exceptional physical conditions and
situations unique to the property as follows:
i. No access to the south because of the different property
ownership (out-of-state) and large east -west irrigation ditch.
ii. No access to the west because of Post Office.
iii. Very difficult storm drainage and detention considerations and
parameters due ditch water levels, detention pond inflow and outflow
elevations, storm water detention requirements, and required grades to
assure positive storm water flows.
iv. Odd parcel configuration approximately the shape of a right
triangle with a 615-foot vertical leg, a 340-foot horizontal leg (base) and a
720-foot hypotenuse (sweeping Boardwalk cure).
v. Only access possible is off the 720-foot hypotenuse (sweeping
Boardwalk cure) with one of the two required access points required to
align with High Pointe entrance.
vi. Street can't be fit on parcel without eliminating two office
buildings (40% reduction) and two residential buildings (34% reduction).
Possible redesign of remaining office and residential buildings to relocate
lost office space and residential units would result in three and four-story
buildings respectively which would be unaesthetic, not good transitional
buildings and would require elevators.
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viii. And while theoretically pedestrian connectivity within the
rp oiect would improve as a result of street sidewalks within the project, in
fact there would be far less pedestrian connectivity within the project
because of the evisceration of the essential design element of the project,
namely the pedestrian -permeable central park -courtyard with merged
landscape, hardscape, pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle uses.
ix. Accordingly modification of the street sidewalk access
requirement from 200 feet to 300 feet for buildings C and D will advance
the public interests and the purposes of the standard better than the
alternative described above which complies with the standard, because
such modification will permit our plan to go forward resulting in greater
pedestrian accessibility and connectivity both within and outside of the
project.
C. The granting of the modification would result in the substantial benefit
to the city by addressing important community needs including:
i. Moderate priced housing.
ii. In -town housing immediately proximate to many workplaces,
including over 100 office and retail businesses within a five-minute walk or
bicycle ride.
iii. Mixed office -residential use project, which allows some owners
and employees of businesses within the project to live immediately
adjacent in the complementary residential portion of the project.
iv. Pedestrian needs are paramount in this project and are
provided for both in terms of a) internal pedestrian connectivity and
permeability (park -courtyard design integrating landscape, hardscape,
pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle uses), and b) connectivity to the street
sidewalk along Boardwalk providing access in particular to parks and
playgrounds to the south and Post Office and retail establishments to the
west.
v. Sense of community and quality of life, however abstract, are
also goals, which will be achieved by this project. They are inherent in and
flow from the essential elements of the project: a) small office park with
aesthetic buildings juxtaposed relative to parking and each other to create
a sense of focus and office community, b) small residential community
comprised of five aesthetic, relatively small scale aesthetic residential
buildings surrounding a park -courtyard which merges landscape,
hardscape, pedestrian and vehicle uses, and c) a symbiotic relationship
between the two.
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private property we do not control, b) this road would go through the
middle of the detention pond and because of grades involved and storm
drainage and engineering requirements no other location on the site will
work for storm water detention, c) probably engineering would request that
such hypothetical connection to Troutman be aligned with the entrance
with Somerset Apartments, however this would involve destroying a grove
of approximately eight very large trees, which is unacceptable, and d)
even if a street went through the detention pond to join Troutman, it would
not meet engineering requirements relating to alignment of opposite
streets).
iv. The effect of such a looping street would be to eliminate two of
the five office buildings, two of the five residential buildings and twenty-
seven parking spaces including nine garages. This would result in 40%
reduction of the office park from five buildings to three buildings, which is
not a sufficient number of small office buildings to create a viable office
park component in a mixed -use office -residential project. And it would
result in a 34% reduction of residential living units from 47 to 31, which is
contrary to City Plan objective of higher density inf ill residential uses.
Furthermore, it would eviscerate the essential design elements in our plan
which are that we have aesthetic residential buildings surrounding a
central park -courtyard, and that this park -courtyard merges landscape,
hardscape, pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle uses; enhances project
aesthetics; creates a sense of community; and contributes to residents'
quality of life.
v. It is possible that the office square footage which would be lost
as a result of this possible looping street could be compensated for by
consolidating office square footage into one 33,000 square foot, three-
story office building. However this would present a "canyon wall"
streetscape from Boardwalk which would be unattractive and furthermore
the mass of this building would be inappropriate for this transitional site.
vi. It is possible that the residential units which would be lost as a
result of this possible looping street, could be compensated for by
consolidating same into the three remaining buildings. However, this
would result in each of these buildings being four -stories tall and the loss
of most of their aesthetic roof step-down design. The aesthetics of these
buildings would be badly compromised; the streetscape from Boardwalk
would be too tall and too massive, we believe; twelve garages would be
lost; and four handicap accessible units would be lost.
vii. This alternative would not fundamentally improve pedestrian
connectivity outside the project, as the major two points of pedestrian
connectivity to and from the project remain the southeast corner of the
project at Boardwalk and the northwest corner of the project at Boardwalk.
A. The granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public
good or impair the intent and purposes of the LUC.
i. Would not be detrimental to existing office uses. In fact granting
of modification will be beneficial to the existing office use to the north by
assuring the quality and character of this project's proposed office
buildings, which will be similar to those in Landings Office Park.
ii. Would not be detrimental to existing retail uses. In fact granting
of modification will benefit existing retail use by providing needed housing
for some retail employees within walking and biking distance of their work.
iii. Would not be detrimental to existing residential uses. In fact
granting of modification will benefit existing residential uses by providing
appropriate transitional uses adjacent to same.
iv. Would not be detrimental to public good in general also for the
reasons described above.
v. Would not impair the intent and purposes of the LUC. In fact
granting modification will achieve the intent and purposes of the LUC as is
outlined in the Statement of Objectives and Purposes, a copy of which is
attached.
complies with the standard.
i. The purpose of the standard was to assure that residential
buildings be planned in a way, which provides residents and guests
reasonable and convenient access to a street sidewalk.
ii. Because of the unusual and difficult shape of this in -fill site no
access is possible from the west or the south. The strip of property to the
south is owned by another party (out-of-state) and has a large ditch
(Larimer County #2) proceeding easterly through it. Accordingly, no
access is possible to the south. The Post Office owns the property to the
west, which denies pedestrian connectivit except at the north
end o our property where connectivity to th west can be and is achieved.
iii. The only alternative, which would permit this plan to comply with
the 200 foot standard, is the alternative of connecting the office park
entrance to the residential project entrance with a looping street through
the project. (It is not possible for such street to proceed from the office
park entrance south across the ditch to Troutman because a) this crosses
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vi. Transitional office and residential uses complementary to the
adjacent uses - retail, office, bank and post office uses to the west, single-
family residential to the east and apartments to the south.
vii. Achievement of excellence in design and construction of
planned office parks, buildings, outdoor spaces and streetscapes.
viii. Introduction of innovative architecture and planning concepts
including: front and back roof step-down design; symbiotic relationship
between mini office and residential communities; park -courtyard concept
merging landscape, hardscape, pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle uses;
interesting building elevations, and aesthetic building frontages.
ix. Achievement of numerous City Plan objectives and purposes as
enumerated in the attached Statement of Objectives and Purposes.
Modification Request #2
It is our strongest wish that the courtyard portion of the residential project
be successful as an aesthetic pedestrian -friendly area integrating
landscape, hardscape, pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle uses. In addition to
other design features, we feel it is imperative to not introduce ugly, white
painted parking stall lines into this scored colored concrete courtyard area
and the environment we are creating. Also we do not want red fire lane
lines to be painted in either the residential courtyard or the office parking
lot.
Accordingly we respectfully request your approval to allow us to use
variations in the parking lot scoring as our method for defining these
parking stalls and signage to designate fire lanes, as was recently
permitted in our similar mixed office -residential project immediately to the
north (Landings Bay).
Modification Request #3
The Residential Building Standards provisions of the LUC require that
"every front facade with a primary entrance to a dwelling unit shall face a
connecting walkway with no primary entrance more than 200 feet from a
street sidewalk." [Section 3. 5. 2 (C) (1)] We hereby request that this
standard be modified and increased to 300 feet with respect to buildings C
and D.
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will better achieve the objective of mixed use in this situation, coupled with
sensitive transition between retail, banking and post office, and existing
residential than would a plan, which was required to comply with the
standard.
ii. The housing use that we propose is complementary to and
supports adjacent workplace uses.
iii. Plan achieves the purpose to promoting excellence in design
and construction of planned office parks, buildings, outdoor spaces, and
streetscapes.
iv. Plan achieves the purpose of continuing the vitality and quality
of life in the adjacent High Pointe residential neighborhood.
C. The granting of the modification would result in substantially
addressing important community needs including:
i. Moderate priced housing.
ii. In -town housing immediately proximate to many workplaces,
including several hundred office and retail businesses within a ten-minute
walk or bicycle ride.
iii. Mixed office -residential use project, which allows some owners
and employees of businesses within the project to live immediately
adjacent in the complementary residential portion of the project.
iv. Pedestrian needs are paramount in this project and are
provided for both in terms of a) internal pedestrian connectivity and
permeability (park -courtyard design integrating landscape, hardscape,
pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle uses), and b) connectivity to the street
sidewalk along Boardwalk providing access in particular to parks and
playgrounds to the south and Post Office and retail establishments to the
west.
v. Sense of community and quality of life, however abstract, are
also goals, which will be achieved by this project. They are inherent in and
flow from the essential elements of the project: a) small office park with
aesthetic buildings juxtaposed relative to parking and each other to create
a sense of focus and community, b) small residential community
comprised of five aesthetic, relatively small scale aesthetic residential
buildings surrounding a park -courtyard which merges landscape,
hardscape, pedestrian and vehicle uses, and c) a symbiotic relationship
between the two.
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iii. Would not be detrimental to existing residential uses. In fact
granting of modification will benefit existing residential uses by providing
appropriate transitional use adjacent to same.
a. By assuring transitional uses, namely small offices and 8-
plex residential between retail, office, bank and post office uses to the
west, existing single-family residential to the east and apartments to the
south.
b. By assuring that no possible incompatible business uses
(strip retail, large multi -story offices, dense multi -story apartments, and
possibly even taverns, warehouses and light industrial) will be
constructed.
iv. Would not be detrimental to public good in general also for the
reasons described above.
v. Would not impair the intent and purposes of the LUC. In fact
granting modification will achieve the intent and purposes of the LUC as is
outlined in the Statement of Objectives and Purposes, a copy of which is
attached.
complies with the standard.
i. The standard proposes that a residential project in the E District
not have more than 25% of the gross project area occupied by residential
uses. The purpose of this standard is to assure that there is the benefit of
mixed use in employment districts without skewing the character of the
district to primarily residential, which would be inappropriate in most
cases.
Our project achieves the purpose of the standard that the use be mixed,
namely business and residential, however in our project residential is
weighted more heavily than office.
This is eminently appropriate for this situation because:
a. This project is not located in the middle of a well -
established area of E District type uses or in an area where mostly primary
E type uses will probably occur or be appropriate in the future.
b. This odd -shaped E District infill property is strategically
positioned between retail, office, bank and post office uses to the west,
single family residential to the east and apartments to the south. Our plan
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Lagunitas Park Place, Inc.
3307 S. College Avenue, Suite 200, Fort Collins, CO 80525
970-226-5000 9 FAX 970-226-5125
February 16, 2000
Planning and Zoning Commission
City of Fort Collins
281 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Re: Park Place/Modification Requests
Dear Planning and Zoning Commission Members:
Introduction
Park Place is a unique transitional project encompassing five small office
buildings and five eight-plex residential buildings. The offices buffer the
residential from adjacent commercial uses and provide supplemental
parking spaces for the residential on an easement basis; however, in all
other respects the residential neighborhood is separate and autonomous
from the office portion of the project. The property's zoning is E District
(employment).
Modification Request #1
The land use standards for E District [Section 4.22 (D) (2)] require that
residential uses shall occupy no more than 25% of the total gross area of
the development plan. We hereby request that the residential uses
(building coverage, parking and drives) proposed for this property be
allowed to occupy approximately 53% of the total gross area of the
development plan for the reasons described below:
A. The granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public
good or impair the intent and purposes of the LUC.
i. Would not be detrimental to existing office uses. In fact granting
of modification will be beneficial to the existing office use to the north by
assuring the quality and character of this project's proposed office
buildings, which will be similar to those in Landings Office Park.
ii. Would not be detrimental to existing retail uses. In fact granting
of modification will benefit existing retail use by providing needed housing
for some retail employees within walking and biking distance of their work.
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