HomeMy WebLinkAboutRIGDEN FARM, 6TH FILING - MODIFICATION OF STANDARDS - 56-98Q - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT W/ATTACHMENTSMEMORANDUM
DT: January 31, 2002
TO: Priority Processing Distribution List
FM: Maurice Head, Affordable Housing Planner
RE: Priority Processing and Partial Waiver of Development Plan Fees for
Lakeside at Rigden Farm
Lakeside at Rigden Farm will be owned by the City of Fort Collins Housing Authority to
provide affordable housing in the 61h filing of Rigden Farm. The project will consist of
165 market rate and affordable housing units located at the southwest corner of Drake
Road and Zieglar Road. This project will have a total of 120 affordable units dedicated to
households below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). The breakdown is as follows:
1. 33 Rental Units - 30 @ 50% AMI and 3 @ 30% AMI
2. Carriage Homes — 6 @ 37% AMI
3. Duplex Units - 38 @ 63% AMI
4. Single family Attached — 32 @ 69% AMI
5. Single Family Detached — 11 @79% AMI
6. Single Family Detached — 45 @ 93% AMI
Therefore, Lakeside at Rigden Farm exceeds the 10% affordable housing project
requirement as set forth in City codes and qualifies for Priority Processing. The project
also qualifies for a waiver of about 73% for the Development Plan Fees as an affordable
housing project. The waiver only applies to fees charged by the Current Planning
Department.
Please implement Priority Processing procedures for this project's development review
process. The developer will be submitting an application for review to the Current
Planning Department in the near future.
If you have any questions, please call,me at 221-6342. Thank you.
interest by protecting small children in providing them a protected play yard area.
2. We feel that this plan advances the public's interest significantly by addressing the
following specific community needs outlined in the city's Comprehensive Plan:
PRINCIPLE AN-5: All new residential buildings should be designed to emphasize
the visually interesting features of the building, as seen from the public street and
sidewalk. The visual impact of garage doors, driveways, and other off-street
parking will be minimized and mitigated.
Policy AN-5.1 Garages and Driveways. To foster visual interest along a
neighborhood street, the street frontage devoted to protruding garage doors and
driveway curb crossings will be limited. Generally, garages should be recessed, or
if feasible, tucked into side or rear yards, using variety and creativity to avoid a
streetscape dominated by the repetition of garage doors. Locating garages further
from the street can allow narrower driveway frontage at the curb, leaving more
room for an attractive streetscape. it is recognized that there may be ways a
residential property can be custom -designed to mitigate the view of a protruding
garage opening. The intent of these policies is not to limit such custom -designed
solutions when an individual homeowner has a need or preference for protruding
garage openings.
Policy AN-5.3 Street Vistas. If possible, the view down a street should be
designed to terminate in a visually interesting feature, and not terminate directly in
a garage door.
ADVANCES OR PROTECTS THE PURPOSES OF THE STANDARD
3.5.2 Residential Building Standards
(A) Purpose/Applicability. The following standards are intended to
promote variety, visual interest and pedestrian -oriented streets in
residential development.
Our desire is to complete a workable affordable housing project with detached garage
located to the rear of the property. This clearly promotes variety, visual interest and
pedestrian -oriented streets.
Thank you for your consideration of this request to modify the City of Fort Collins Land
Use Code. If you need any further information or have some questions, please feel
free to call me at 484.1921 or e-mail me at vaughnf @ limselldesign.com
Sincerely,
Jim Sell P�Design, Inc.
L. Vaughn Furness
Project Manager
and Sierra Land Corporation.
We feel that our request for reducing the required side yard setback from 5' to a
minimum of 0' will advance or protect the public interests and purposes of the
standard for which the variance is requested equally well or better than would a plan,
which complies with the standard.
Approving this modification request will allow attached garages on the lots mentioned
above. These 14 lots are 48' wide and were originally planned as single-family
attached lots. However, in further Master Planning this site for affordable housing, we
have had to change these lots to single-family detached lots. The single-family
attached lots allowed for attached accessory buildings, but the proposed single-family
detached lots require a 5' side yard setback and thus the need for requesting this
modification to allow a 0' side yard setback on these 14 single-family detached lots.
This variance is requested for the following reasons:
NOT DETRIMENTAL TO THE PUBLIC GOOD
1. Reducing the side yard setback from 5' to a minimum of 0' would not have a
detrimental impact on the privacy of the surrounding neighbors. The covenants
for Rigden Farm do not allow for high or solid fences along the property
boundaries.
2. Granting this modification request increases the feasibility and viability of this
project. People seeking this type of affordable home and neighborhood also
expect to obtain a minimal amount of yard space. The modification will promote
a more usable back yard space by allowing the garages to be attached to the
adjacent garage.
3. The change in the setback would not impact any current residences since no
houses are on the lots yet. If this modification were granted, potential buyers
would be made aware of the new setback.
ADVANCES OR PROTECTS THE PUBLIC INTERESTS
1. This Affordable Housing project has been completely Master Planned with the
type of residence, type of garage, driveway locations, street trees, and utilities all
integrated into a complete and workable project that will meet the affordable
needs of the Fort Collins Community.
2. The overall Rigden Farm project was intended to and designed to encourage the
option of detached garages and carriage units at the rear of the property.
Because detached garages consume more of the available land, we are
requesting this variance to allow families on these lots to have a bit more yard
space between their house and the detached garage. This advances the public's
January 31, 2002
Mr. Troy W. Jones
City Planner
Current Planning Department
City of Fort Collins
281 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Dear Mr. Jones:
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Sierra Land Corporation is requesting a modification to the following City of Fort
Collins Land Use Code Standard:
3.5.2 Residential Building Standards
(A) Purpose/Applicability. The following standards are intended to promote
variety, visual interest, and pedestrian -oriented streets in residential
development.
(D) Residential Building Setbacks.
(3) Side and Rear Yard Setbacks. The minimum side yard setback for all
residential buildings and for all detached accessory buildings that are
incidental to the residential building shall be five (5) feet from the property
line. If a zero -lot line development plan is proposed, a single six-foot
minimum side yard is required. Rear yard setbacks in residential areas
shall be a minimum of fifteen (15) feet from the rear property line, except
for garages and storage sheds not exceeding eight (8) feet in height,
where the minimum setback shall be zero (0) feet, and for alley -accessed
garages and dwellings for which the minimum setback shall be eight (8)
feet.
MODIFICATION REQUEST
3.5.2(D)(3) Side and Rear Yard Setbacks
This request is modify the Land Use Code 3.5.2(D)(3) Side and Rear Yard Setbacks
by reducing the side yard setback from 5' to a minimum of 0' for all accessory
buildings on adjacent lots 164-165, 170-171, 172-173, 178-179, 180,181, 186-187,
190-191 in the Rigden Farm Project Development Plan Filing -Six LMN Zoning District.
These lots are part of the Master Planned Affordable Housing project known as
Lakeside at Rigden Farm. It is a joint project with the Fort Collin Housing Authority
No Text
Modification of Standards to Rigden Farm, 6th Filing, P.D.P., File #56-98Q
February 21, 2002 P&Z Meeting
Page 4
pedestrian -oriented developments, buildings are typically placed relatively close to the
street and the main entrance is oriented to the street sidewalk or a walkway ... although
parking areas and garages may be provided, they are not given primary emphasis in the
design of the site." Removing the garage doors from the street facing fagade of the
primary house therefore enhances the very nature of a pedestrian -oriented street. Staff
finds that the plan as submitted will protect 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 because the visual interest and
pedestrian -oriented nature of the residential development is not affected by the
modification request. In fact, the pedestrian -oriented nature of the street is enhanced for
all the houses along this entire street because the garages are placed in a detached rear
yard configuration rather than a garage dominated front fagade type of design.
5. FINDINGS OF FACT/CONCLUSION:
A. The requested Modification of Standards, file #56-98Q is subject to review by the
Planning and Zoning Board.
B. Granting the requested modification would not be detrimental to the public good
because the requested reduced setback does not enable any buildings to encroach into
any easements.
C. The granting of modification request will advance the purpose of the standard equally
well or better than would a plan that satisfies the standard because the visual interest
and pedestrian -oriented nature of the residential development is not affected by the
modification request.
6. RECOMMENDATION:
A. Staff recommends approval of the modification request to Section 3.5.2(D)(3) of the
LUC.
Modification of Standards to Rigden Farm, 6th Filing, P.D.P., File #56-98Q
February 21, 2002 P&Z Meeting
Page 3
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
(c) 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.
Any finding made under subparagraph (1), (2) or (3) above shall be supported
by specific findings showing how the plan, as submitted, meets the requirements
and criteria of said subparagraph (1), (2) or (3).
3. APPLICANT'S REQUEST
The applicant has proposed that the modification request meet the requirements of LUC
2.8.2 Modification Review Procedures (H) Step 8 (Standards). Please see the attached
written justification by the applicant.
4. ANALYSIS OF MODIFICATION REQUEST
Section 3.5.2 (D)(3) requires that the side yard setback for all residential buildings be at
least five (5) feet.
The applicant proposes to reduce the minimum side yard setback for garages on lots
164,165, 170, 171, 172, 173, 178, 179, 180, 181, 186, 187, 190, & 191 (a total of 14 lots)
to zero where 5 feet is required, so that two garage buildings on adjacent lots can be
attached to one another.
Staff finds that the granting of modification request #1 would not be detrimental to the
public good because the requested reduced setback does not enable any buildings to
encroach into any easements.
The purpose of the section being varied is stated in section 3.5.2(A) of the LUC, which
states, "The following standards are intended to promote variety, visual interest and
pedestrian -oriented streets in residential development." The general language in City Plan
and the Land Use Code regarding garages indicates that garage doors are perceived to be
generally less visually interesting than the living area of a house or a front porch. In Article
5 of the LUC, within the definition of "pedestrian -oriented development," it states, "in
Modification of Standards to Rigden Farm, 6tn Filing, P.D.P., File #56-98Q
February 21, 2002 P&Z Meeting
Page 2
COMMENTS
1. BACKGROUND
The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows:
N: T — farmland (The Johnson Property),
NE: RC — the big curve on Drake/Ziegler Roads, Rigden Farm's detention/retention
pond, existing wastewater treatment plant, Environmental Learning Center,
E: Larimer County Industrial Zoning — Lafarge gravel mining operations,
S: LMN — portions of the Rigden Farm 6tn filing,
RL — existing Dakota Ridge and Stone Ridgge Residential Developments,
W: LMN — Rigden Farm 1st 2nd 3rd 4tn and 5' filings (under construction), Rigden
Farm 7tn filing (under review), Timberline Church (under construction),
MMN & NC — undeveloped phases of the Rigden Farm Development.
The property is west of Ziegler Road, east of Rigden Parkway, south of Drake Road, and
was annexed into the City as part of the Rigden Farm Annexation in August of 1988.
Rigden Farm, 6tn Filing, P.D.P., Current Planning File 56-98K, received Hearing Officer
approval on December 21, 2001. During final compliance review, some of the lots that had
been approved as "single-family attached" lots were changed to "small lot single-family"
detached lots. The garages for 14 specific lots had always been shown and intended to be
built in a configuration where the garages for two lots are attached to one another (see
diagram), which was permitted when the lots were "single-family attached." Now that the
lots are "small lot single-family" detached, there is a required minimum side yard setback
of 5 feet. This modification is simply to allow the garages to continue to be attached to the
garages on the adjacent lots as originally intended.
2. THE MODIFICATION PROCESS
Section 2.8.2(H) of the LUC specifies that the Planning and Zoning Board may grant a
modification of standards only if it finds that the granting of the modification would not be
detrimental to the public good; and that:
(a) 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
(b) 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
ITEM NO. 2
MEETING DATE 2/21/02
STAFF Troy Jones
City of Fort Collins PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD
STAFF REPORT
PROJECT: Modification of Standards for Rigden Farm, 6t' Filing, P.D.P.,
File #56-98Q
APPLICANT: Vaughn Furness
Jim Sell Design
153 W. Mountain Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80524
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request to modify Section 3.5.2(D)(3) of the LUC to
allow the side yard setback for detached rear yard garages to be zero (0) feet on fourteen
(14) speck lots.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the modification request.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This is a request for modification to Section 3.5.2, Residential
Building Standards (D) Residential Building Setbacks (3) Side and Rear Yard Setbacks —
This section of the Land Use Code requires that the side yard setback for all residential
buildings be at least five (5) feet.
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