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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPALMER DESIGN CENTER - PDP - 47-98 - DECISION - FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS & DECISIONr DECISION Based upon the findings and conclusions, the applicant's request for Project Development Plan Approval for Palmer Design Center #47-98 is approved with the following conditions: 1. The applicant shall comply with all notes and conditions set forth on the applicant's submittal sheets 1 through 4 dated September 16, 1998, as revised November 18, 1998 and as submitted and received by the City. Dated this 6th day of February, 1999, by authority granted by Section 2.1 of the Fort Collins Land Use Code. Steven Klausing, Hearing O er 7 This standard requires that a main entrance shall face a connecting walkway with a direct pedestrian connection to the street without requiring all pedestrians to walk through parking lots or cross driveways. The orientation of the building allows customers and employees to enter and exit the northerly portion of the building from a main entry directly to and from the public sidewalk without having to walk along and through parking lots. Other storefront entries will have direct pedestrian access to the public sidewalk. Customers and employees entering or leaving the storefronts in the south part of the building will cross two narrow, low volume driveways to access public sidewalks. These crossings have enhanced surfaces that define primary pedestrian crossings. The evidence suggests that these elements satisfy the requirements of this standard. FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND DECISION FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION After reviewing the staff report and recommendation, the applicant's submittal, hearing the testimony and considering the record the Hearing Officer makes the following findings and conclusions: 1. The applicant has submitted a Project Development Plan which complies with the requirements of Article 2, Administration of the Land Use Code and the request is appropriately considered as a Type 1 Administrative review. 2. The property is located in the C-Commercial Zone District. The proposed use, retail , commercial and limited office, is permitted in the district and is consistent with the intent of the district. 3. The application meets all the relevant standards of Article 3 General Development Standards, including Section 3.2 Site Planning and Design, Section 3.5 Building Standards. 4. The Project Development Plan complies with the requirements of Article 4 of the Land Use Code. 5. The Project Development Plan is compatible with the surrounding land uses. 3 Section 3 2.1 (F.)(6) Scree The standard requires that the plan screen areas of low visual interest or visually intrusive site elements. The project screens the trash enclosure with plant materials building walls and retaining walls and it will not be visible from East Horsetooth or Mitchell Drive. Section 3 2.2 Access Circulation and Parking The proposal meets the standards of Section 3.2.2 Access, Circulation and Parking. The standard requires that the project provide bicycle parking equivalent to at least 5% of the total number of parking spaces. The project proposes 2 pad sites for bicycle parking near the front entryway of one of the buildings. Sections 3 2 2(C)( )(a)nd (b) Directness and continuity of walkways This section requires that walkways be direct and continuous. The proposal indicates that the walkways are located and aligned to directly and continuously connect areas or points of pedestrian access and destination. The internal sidewalk network includes detached sidewalks along the local and connector streets in addition to walkways through open spaces areas. Primary pedestrian crossings are defined with pavement treatment and or stripping different from that of the vehicular stripping. Section 3.2 2(K)(2)(a) Parking This standard sets forth the maximum number of parking spaces. Applied to this project the maximum number of spaces is 3 per 1000 square feet for general office uses and 4 spaces per 1000 square foot for retail , personal business and service uses. The proposed uses are retail with some secondary office uses. The project proposes 35 parking spaces which is equivalent to 2.9 spaces per 1,000 feet. This number complies with the standard. Section 3.5 1 (E) Building Materials_ The standard requires that building materials shall be either similar to the materials already being used in the neighborhood, or, if dissimilar materials are being proposed , other characteristics such as scale and proportions , form, architectural detailing, color and texture, shall be utilized to ensure that enough similarity exists for the building to be compatible, despite the differences in materials. The proposed building materials are light buff brick siding, off-white synthetic stucco, green sloped metal roofing, green aluminum storefront window frames to match adjacent retail. The evidence is that these materials and colors are consistent with the neighboring uses. Section 3 5 1 (D) Building Orientation 5 M The development standards are set forth at 4.17 of the Land Use Code. The District Standards permit retail establishments subject to administrative review. The C- Commercial District is intended for development, redevelopment and infill of a range of variety of community and regional uses. Office and personal and business services are permitted. The standard provides that some commercial districts will continue to meet the need for automobile and other auto oriented uses, it is the City's intent that the Commercial District emphasize safe and convenient personal mobility in many forms, with planing and design that accommodates pedestrians. This project is a small infill development of retail and some office uses. The design and pedestrian accommodations are in compliance with the intent of the district. The use will be compatible with surrounding uses and the design is compatible with surrounding uses. There are adequate pedestrian and sidewalk accommodations. The evidence is that the project complies with the site design standards by the use of sidewalks and pedestrian areas to the east that link the development with surrounding uses and are visible from the streets and sidewalks. Compliance With Article III General Development Standards The Project Development Plan must meet all applicable standards in Article 3, General Development Standards, of the Land Use Code. The applicant presented evidence of compliance with the standards. The following standards were reviewed in detail and at the hearing. Section 3.2. Site Planning and Design Standards 3 2 1 Landscaping and Tree Protection The applicant has submitted a landscaping plan. Review of the landscaping plan and the testimony of the applicant indicate compliance with the Article 3 requirements, in particular, Section 3.2.1(E)(4)(a), Section 3.2.1(E)(5) and Section 3.2.1(D)(2)(a). Trees are indicated along East Horsetooth and Mitchell. Parking lot perimeter landscaping is indicated as required by the standard. The development contains 35 parking spaces and the parking lot interior landscaping exceeds the 12% minimum landscaping requirement. rd 11 The applicant's submittal materials and the staff report are a part of the record and are incorporated herein by reference. The Hearing Officer takes official notice of the drawings and visual aids used during the hearing. The surrounding zoning and land uses are: N: C; Existing retail uses (The Square Shopping Center) S: C; Existing retail uses (Lighting Center, Palmer Decorating Gallery W: C; Existing financial, office, retail uses (various businesses) E: C; Existing office uses (Continental Plaza) This property was annexed into the city in August 1974 as part of the Horsetooth South, Third Annexation. The site has previously been approved by the Planning and Zoning Board for a 2,300 square foot fast food restaurant with drive up and up to 3,000 square feet of future office as part of the Little Caesars PUD on June 22, 1992. Findings The city planner testified that the proposed use is permitted within the district, that review of the project as a Type 1 Administrative review is appropriate because the request is for approval of a Project Development Plan, that the Project meets the standards of Article 3 General Development Standards and Article 4 District Standards, C-Commercial Zone District. There was no testimony in opposition to the proposal. The project is located in the C-Commercial Zone District and must comply with the zone district plan and standards. This project is located in the C-Commercial Zone. This zone is intended to be a setting for the development , redevelopment and infill of a wide range of community and regional retail uses, offices and personal and business services. Secondarily, it can accommodate a wide range of other uses including creative forms of housing. The proposal complies with the standards of the C-Commercial Zone Districts as it is a small scale retail project, with some office uses. It is a low intensity infill retail development. This small site, (1.27) acres, is located among existing retail office commercial properties on the east side of South College Avenue. The property is bordered on the north by East Horsetooth and on the west by Mitchell Derive. 3 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATION AND DECISION: • 1 I: •1 :: I► : 911 104 1 am me 1:1' •11 1 Approval Approval with conditions C-Commercial Zone The city planner testified that the property was posted, legal notice published, written notices mailed. A neighborhood meeting is not required nor was one held. PUBLIC HEARING The Hearing Officer, by appointment of the Director pursuant to The Fort Collins Land Use Code, opened the hearing on January 28, 1999 at approximately 6:30 p.m. in the conference room located at 281 N. College Ave. Fort Collins CO. The staff report and recommendation and the applicant's submittals were entered into the record. HEARING TESTIMONY, WRITTEN COMMENTS AND OTHER EVIDENCE The following individuals testified at the hearing: From the City: Steve Olt, Senior City Planner Fort Collins, CO For the Applicant: Linda Ripley, VF Ripley Associates 1113 Stoney Hill Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525 2 .., Steven Klausing, Hearing Officer Hearing Officer, Administrative Type 1 PALMER DESIGN CENTER Project Development Plan 947-98 OWNEK Palmer Properties P.O. Box 270094 Fort Collins, CO 80527 VF Ripley Associates, Inc. c/o Linda Ripley 1113 Stoney Hill Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525 This is a request for approval of a Project Development Plan to construct a small scale one story retail building with some office uses. The site is located at the southeast corner of the intersections of East Horsetooth Road and Mitchell Drive. The building is proposed to be 12,094 square feet in size, with associated parking and stormwater facilities on a site 1.68 gross acres (1.27 net acres) in size. The property is located in the C-Commercial Zoning District.