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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHANSEN ANNEXATION & ZONING - ANX120007 - DECISION - MINUTES/NOTESPlanning & Zoning Board December 20, 2012 Page 6 be developing concepts that will be covered at a neighborhood meeting. They definitely want to allow the surrounding neighborhoods a chance to weigh in. Ripley said right now access is intended to come from Timberline Road and possibly extend to the south. She said this site is cut off from the west by the railroad tracks. Ripley said in the future McWhinney will be working on a small neighborhood center with a specialty grocery store. Chair Smith asked about the reference to the Environmental Impact Study. Ripley said the next phase is an ODP (Overall Development Plan) along with a PDP (Project Development Plan). At that point, an Environmental Characterization Study will be required. Chair Smith asked Ripley to comment on a traffic study. She said she knows the developer hires a traffic engineer to prepare a traffic study. Before he prepares the report, he meets with the City Traffic Engineer to determine what exactly he wants the consultant to analyze --do they have good traffic counts or do they need to acquire new ones. The report is reviewed by city staff. They make certain that all projections are from sources that are appropriate and professional. Chair Smith asked staff to speak to oversizing fees. Lorson said the traffic study looks at the individual vehicle trips generated per day. That is then put into the greater street system to see if it meets the city's level of service criteria. If it fails level of service, additional improvements such as street widening and turn lanes are required. Member Campana said he'd like to offer a little more clarity for the neighbors. Tonight the board is making a recommendation to City Council as to whether or not we should annex this property and what the zoning should be. An ODP (Overall Development Plan) would be a great time for the neighbors to provide feedback. Campana said the ODP lays out the uses and where the major access points will be. At the PDP (Project Development Plan) stage there will be even more detail. As that information becomes available, neighbors' feedback will be sought. Board Questions Member Schmidt asked if a park is required for an MMN proposal of this size. Lorson said the zone district states there should be access to a park or a gathering place within a quarter mile. Member Campana made a motion that the Planning and Zoning Board make a recommendation to City Council to approve the Hansen Farm Annexation and Zoning, # ANX120007 based on the findings included on page 4 of the staff report. Member Kirkpatrick seconded the motion. Chair Smith said at work session he was concerned about the plans for neighborhood centers in this area. He thanked Ms. Ripley for providing the rationale for the proposed zoning. It seems appropriate and meets the objectives of City Plan. He will be supporting the annexation and zoning. Member Campana said at work session he said if he had a magic wand, he'd have Zephyr coming through the NC Zone but he likes what's being proposed better. He said he'll retract his magic wand. The motion passed 6:0 Planning & Zoning Board December 20, 2012 Page 5 Chair Smith staff member Wray about the reference to an error related to NC is limited to 7 acres. What was it supposed to have been? Wray said typically it would be 10-20 acres. Staff is aware of the error and it will be fixed as soon as they can. Wray said he thinks there's an opportunity when the property to the south is annexed. They are very unique properties with ditches and ponds all coming together in that area. As we come forward with future annexations there will be opportunities to consider the best use of the land. Public Input Jillian Harrison, 5260 Weeping Way, said her concerns are access and traffic from the development into Willow Springs and Harmony Crossing to the north. Her street is a cul-de-sac. She heard from city staff that when they created a fully formed cul-de-sac, they would not be putting roads through. She was very surprised to learn from neighbors that may not be the case. She asked that there be another alternative to going through their cul-de-sac. Peter Miller, 5521 Weeping Way, said he's heard little or no mention of the extreme traffic on Timberline. He thinks traffic is exceeding heavy on Timberline. Developers are building a number of apartment complexes north of this particular project. He said Timberline becomes a two-lane road at Battle Creek. He'd like to know how many more people are projected to be living there. He wants to know who will be paying for widening the streets and adding parking lights. He thinks this whole thing needs to be reworked before you create even more traffic. He requests the board reject the plan as currently proposed. Chair noted for the audience that questions will be addressed by staff. Bret Cummock, 5627 Weeping Way, said they obviously don't have any kind of a proposed layout — all they have is a zoning map. They have heard rumors that eventually they want to connect onto their street (Weeping Way). He said they're streets/traffic lights are not designed to handle significant traffic volumes. They are concerned about the safety of their children and pets. If there are going to be any connections. they would urge that proposal be rejected. He thinks this development should stand on its own —making is own connections to Timberline and established streets. Linda Nelson, 5712 Corona, said she wanted to remind the board that the Mormon temple will be going in on the east side of the referenced intersection near the fire station. She said there will be traffic associated with that building. Patrick Harrison, 5620 Weeping Way, said they'd like to suggest the farm land to the south be used to get egress (versus Willows Springs to the north). Chair Smith asked staff to speak to the traffic connection concerns of the neighbors. Lorson said the current traffic volumes on Timberline at this time are 17,000 vehicles per day. He said this is not a land development proposal. From what he understands, all of Willow Springs are cul-de-sacs and are not 'stubbed' out to create continued streets. Lorson said Timberline is classified as a four lane arterial on the Master Street Plan. It will be improved as development comes in. Lorson said when a Project Development Plan is submitted, a Traffic Impact Study (TIS) will be required. The TIS gives city traffic engineers what they need to know to determine what improvements will need to be made. Member Schmidt said (for the benefit of neighbors) that when a development proposal comes in, there would be an opportunity for neighbors to provide feedback. Linda Ripley said they are here tonight requesting annexation and initial zoning. At this stage, they do not have a development plan. She said as they move forward with the proposed development, they will Planning & Zoning Board December 20, 2012 Page 4 Ripley said you could do about the same sized center whether it was on the north or the south but she thinks there are advantages to putting it on the south. They think it allows for a multi -family project (usually the intent of MMN zoning) and it also allows a significant piece of property yet to the north of MMN. It allows them to go from the single family houses in Willow Springs (north) to a denser single- family project, then transition to a multi -family project, and then transition to a commercial center. It's a classic land use transition. They believe it's a better land use pattern. Ripley said City Plan actually stated the maximum size of a neighborhood center should be 7 acres. Since then staff member Pete Wray has indicated that's incorrect. She believes that's true as many of our centers are larger than that. It makes the point that a neighborhood center does not have to be 13- 15 acres to be a bona -fide neighborhood center. She showed a variety of slides with neighborhood centers including Beavers Market (7,000 square feet) and Vitamin Cottage (15,000 square feet). She said the center can be large what what's designated in NC as MMN allows a variety of uses. She said their proposal does a better job of meeting the LUC (Land Use Code) than the Structure Plan initial layout. Kim Perry of McWhinney said she's like to share some of the due diligence they've been doing the past 6-9 months. There have been discussions specifically for that site with retailers and potential tenants. She said they do a lot of retail and commercial development and are in constant contact with retailers and brokers (Sullivan Hayes) who specialize in retail development. Some of the responses have been the major players (such as Safeway and King Soopers) are already located in the Harmony Corridor. They are very concerned about cannibalizing their own stores. They would not build another store within 4 miles of an existing store. Perry said another common theme by the retailers is consumers want to group their trips. The grocery stores located on Harmony really serve that purpose well --there's a critical mass that allows the consumer to group their trips together. The retailers really look at traffic at the sites where they want to locate. The average daily trip counts on Harmony in 2010 were 45,000 cars per day. Compare that to a 2011 Timberline traffic county of 15,000 average daily trips per day. She asked their traffic engineer where future growth would be. The long range plan for Timberline at their site for 2030 including all the projected growth is projected to be 23,000 vehicles per day. So even at full growth, it's'/2 of what Harmony is today. Perry said if you were to draw a circle with a 1-2 miles radius around their site, they're looking for population density to be able to support that site. She pointed the southeast quadrant is filled with natural areas. That will never provide the population/density that would support a larger store. They do think there is a viable neighborhood center that can happen there. They are very committed at some point in time to try to bring that to life. They think there is potential for that for the scale they are showing on the plan. Member Schmidt said she liked the applicant's comments about the uses available in the MMN zone. By moving the district down and having the road separate it, do you see that as feasible to have the commercial on one side and the MMN on the other side. Ripley said they could do other uses in MMN that would be supportive of a neighborhood center but if it's on the other side of a collector street, how well is that going to work. Their intent would more likely be the 16 acres that sit to the north really would be dedicated to multi -family. If it had some type of commercial component, it would probably be a coffee shop —something used directly by the people living there. The center would more likely grow to the south or west — filling up those areas of MMN. It would not necessarily be constrained by the property line. Schmidt said that adjacent property is not being annexed and she had the impression that if that was a different property owner. Ripley said correct. Planning & Zoning Board December 20, 2012 Page 3 existence of these areas was also taken into consideration in evaluating the zoning proposal and its conformance with Structure Plan. Senior Planner Pete Wray provided a policy background for City Plan (1997) and the Fossil Creek Reservoir Area Plan (1998-1999). He said each request for an evaluation of a zoning proposal relative to Structure Plan is evaluated on a case -by -case basis by Long Range and Current Planning staff. After meeting with the applicant, the staff team met to analyze and evaluate the Hansen Farm Annexation and Zoning request and consider how the proposal related to Structure Plan. The reduced size of the Neighborhood Commercial area can still provide neighborhood services for the surrounding residential areas at a scale that is more viable, given the Harmony Road development that has occurred. Staff believes the proposed zoning for the Hansen Farm Annexation is consistent with the intent of Structure Plan and is a minor change that would not warrant an amendment to Structure Plan. Lorson reviewed maps that showed existing grocery and commercial zoning for the area that is border by South College, East Horsetooth, 1-25, and E. County Road 30. Additionally he noted there are 641 residential units under construction and 805 residential units under review. Staff recommends approval of the annexation and recommends that the property be placed in the NC — Neighborhood Commercial (6.33 acres), MMN — Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood (16.69 acres), and LMN — Low Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood (46.40 acres) zone districts. Staff is recommending that this property be included in the Residential Neighborhood Sign District. A map amendment will not be necessary should the Planning and Zoning Board recommend that this property be place on the Residential Neighborhood Sign District Map. Applicant Presentation Linda Ripley of Ripley Design, Inc. said she's here representing McWhinney. She said Kim Perry is also here and she'll be addressing the board. She said the Structure Plan (as mentioned by staff member Pete Wray) is really a broad brush. It's intended to provide a basic framework of land use planning early on to guide future land use designations when properties are annexed. Often times those designations are made long before land owners are aware of what they want to do with their property. City Plan gives us guidance to how to use the Structure Plan — it is a guide for future zoning decisions. It also says specific zoning boundaries will be determined as part of the development review process for annexation that accesses detailed site conditions such as property boundaries, streets right-of-way, drainages, etc. That is what we're doing here with this annexation and zoning. They took a close look at the proposed zoning on the Structure Plan and what happens as it's overlaid onto the Hansen property. She reviewed slides that showed that overlay. She said the Neighborhood Commercial District is intended to be a mixed -use commercial core area anchored by a supermarket or grocery store and a transit stop. The main purpose of this District is to meet consumer demands for frequently needed goods and services, with an emphasis on serving the surrounding residential neighborhoods typically including a Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood. She said in addition to retail and service used, the District may include neighborhood -oriented uses such as schools, employment, day-care, parks, small civic facilities, as well as residential uses. The District is intended to function together with a surrounding Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood, which in turn serves as a transition and a link to larger surrounding low density neighborhoods. The intent is for the component zone districts to form an integral, town -like pattern of development with this District as a center and focal point; and not merely a series of individual development projects in separate zone districts. The scale and design of a Neighborhood Commercial District should reinforce the positive identity, character, comfort, and convenience of the surrounding Low Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood. It encourages two- to three-story buildings to establish the District as a focal point of activity and increase the potential for a vertical mix of uses, such as locating dwellings or offices over shops. Planning & Zoning Board December 20, 2012 Page 2 Project: Hansen Farm Annexation and Zoning, #ANX120007 Project Description: The applicant and property owner have submitted a written petition requesting annexation of 69.42 acres into the City located on the west side of Timberline Road, approximately 1.5 miles south of Harmony Road. The property, formerly a farm, is primarily vacant with the exception of the farmhouse (single-family dwelling) and some out -buildings. It is in the FA1 — Farming Zone District in Larimer County. The requested zoning for this annexation is NC — Neighborhood Commercial (6.33 acres), MMN — Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood (16.69 acres), and LMN — Low Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood (46.40 acres). Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the annexation and recommends that the property be placed in the NC — Neighborhood Commercial (6.33 acres), MMN — Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood (16.69 acres), and LMN — Low Density Mixed - Use Neighborhood (46.4 acres) zone districts. Staff is also recommending that this property be included in the Residential Neighborhood Sign District. A map amendment will not be necessary should the Planning and Zoning Board recommend that this property be place on the Residential Neighborhood Sign District Map. Hearing Testimony, Written Comments and Other Evidence City Planner Seth Lorson said this is a 100% voluntary annexation for a property owned by HTC, LLC (McWhinney) and is located within the Growth Management Area. According to policies and agreements between the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County contained in the Intergovernmental Agreement for the Fort Collins Growth Management Area (GMA), the City will agree to consider annexation of property in the GMA when the property is eligible for annexation according to State statutes. This property gains the required 1/6 contiguity to existing City limits from a common boundary with the Willow Springs Subdivision (2002) to the north, thus satisfying the requirement that no less than one -sixth of the perimeter boundary be contiguous to the existing City boundary. Lorson spoke to some questions raised by the board at their work session on December 14. He said based on the grocery development that has occurred on Harmony Road (King Soopers, Safeway, Sprouts, Super Target), the likelihood of another grocery locating at this site appeared to be diminished. A more logical commercial development at this location would be more in the scale of neighborhood convenience shopping, which is typically 6-10 acres. The proposed zoning request for this annexation is for 6.33 acres of Neighborhood Commercial; 16.69 acres of MMN; and 46.4 acres of LMN whereas the Structure Plan called for 8.4 acres of Neighborhood Commercial, 7.35 acres of MMN; and 53.13 acres of LMN. The Neighborhood Commercial area is about two acres smaller than what is shown on the Structure Plan. It is proposed that it be re -configured and located to the south, farther from the Willow Springs neighborhood. The LMN area will be increased in size. During the development of the Fossil Creek Reservoir Area Plan, staff received input from the Willow Springs neighborhood (to the north and adjacent to the Hansen Farm) expressing concern about the commercial and medium density/mixed-use areas and asking that the LMN area serve as a transition between these more intense areas to the south. The Hansen Farm has several key opportunities/constraints on the property, including the Mail Creek Ditch (along north side); existing tree groves along the north/northwest area of the property; and the existing farm buildings on the site and the Chair Andy Smith called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. Roll Call: Campana, Carpenter, Kirkpatrick, Schmidt, Smith, and Stockover Unexcused Absence: Hatfield Staff Present: Kadrich, Daggett, Lorson, Barnes, Holland, and Sanchez -Sprague Agenda Review CDNS Director Laurie Kadrich reviewed the agenda and noted the Board has requested that item 2 Hansen Farm Annexation and Zoning, # ANX12007 be moved to the Discussion Agenda. Citizen participation: None Chair Smith said the consent agenda items consist of items with no known opposition or concern. He asked if the board, staff, or audience wanted to pull any items from the discussion agenda. No one did. Consent Agenda: 1. Minutes from the November 1 and November 15, 2012 Planning and Zoning Board Hearings 3. Land Use Code (LUC) Amendments Related to Medical Marijuana Businesses Member Schmidt made a motion to approve the consent agenda which consists of the minutes from the November 1, 2012 Special Hearing and the November 15, 2012 Hearing, and the Land Use Code Amendments Related to Medical Marijuana Businesses. Member Kirkpatrick seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6:0. Discussion Agenda: 2. Hansen Farm Annexation and Zoning, #ANX120007 4. Discount Tire at North College Marketplace, Lot 7 Addition of Permitted Use and Project Development Plan, #PDP120024