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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFRONT RANGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SOUTH PARKING LOT EXPANSION - SPAR - SPA130004 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PROJECT NARRATIVEchange and engineer the water draining to those ponds. We understand the goal of the grade request was to reduce the visual impact of the parking lot from the east. We believe the natural sloping of the site, the berming proposed on the east side of the project as well as the incorporation of substantial landscaping (shrubs and trees installed as part of the first phase of the project) will address the goal of screening the parking area from the east. Front Range Community College very much appreciates the dedication of the HOA representatives and their efforts to ensure the proposed development of the Church property is done in a manner that compliments their neighborhood. We believe that our proposed project, which has evolved many times over the course of the many meetings with the HOA representatives, conforms with the design criteria, meets the City's requirements for landscaping and storm water management, and will result in a functional and safe parking lot that will serve the staff and students for years to come. Any minor tweaks to the design required by the City or State will be made in a manner that honors our commitment to the design criteria, including setbacks, landscaping etc. Please don't hesitate to call if you have any questions about the submittal documents. We welcome any requests for clarifications and will be happy to meet in person to quickly resolve any ambiguities. We look forward to receiving an approval, hopefully by November 18. Respectfully Derek Brown AVP, Facilities Planning and Management cc Andy Dorsey Bruce Walthers Patti Arroyo Julia Fitzpatrick Boulder County Campus I Larimercampus I westminster Campus I Brighton Center I FRCC Online Learning We are therefore requesting that you approve the project to construct parking on the north portion of the Church property. The parking on the north portion of the Church property will be constructed in two phases; the first phase will see approximately 250 parking spaces built in conformance with the design guidelines and will include grading and landscaping amenities that will screen the parking from the residential property line to the east. These spaces are desired to replace those that will be displaced by the new Integrated Technology Building which will be located on the main campus. The subsequent second phase of parking to occur on the north portion, anticipated to be constructed in 4 to 5 years, will complete the planned parking project by adding 164 spaces and will also be in conformance with the design guildelines. We have worked closely with the City of Fort Collins Community Planning and Development staff via the Site Plan Advisory Review process to ensure that the project meets the desired objectives of the City, including landscaping and set -backs along Sheilds Street, incorporating porous pavers and the appropriate number of trees and islands within the parking lot, as well as ensuring that storm water quality and retention goals are satisfied via the incorporation of storm water ponds within the project boundaries. We have also specifically discussed with City staff the potential of a wildlife corridor along the irrigation ditch. Although the Ecological Characterization Study detennined that the ditch does not meet the definition of a wild life corridor but instead "provides a limited wildlife movement corridor because of landscaped vegetation and intensive human use," our design meets the intent of a corridor by providing suitable setbacks. The proposed design honors a 50 foot average setback on the north side of the ditch, which the City felt would be appropriate to mitigate impacts of the development, particulary because the south side will not be developed at this time. As we discussed in our meeting on October 1 Oth, if FRCC develops the property on the south side of the ditch, we are committed to honoring a 100 foot overall buffer that aligns with the irrigation ditch. We believe our proposed project, and the open field south of the ditch, provides wildlife the opportunities for movement through the area. With regards to lighting levels, our design will minimize light spill -over from the parking lot. The photometrics modeling provided indicates no more than one candle foot of light at the edges of the parking project. For safety reasons we must ensure sufficient light provides a safe environment for students and faculty. As measures to respect the HOA's request to minimize light from the lot, we are committed to installing cut off fixtures (light shields) as well as controls enabling us to turn off the lights in the parking lot when not in use. The cut sheets provided in the submittal package will give you the fixtures specifications proposed for the project. Lastly, the grading of the parking lot has been a discussion point in our meetings with the HOA representatives. The guidelines requested that the parking lot be graded in such a way that there would be a constant elevation throughout the project site. From an engineering and construction perspective, and from our discussions with the City, this is simply not practical. FRCC is committed to ensuring that the property drains properly in accordance with our campus storm water quality plan and City and State design criteria. This parking lot project plan details that the property drain into designated storm water ponds that will be incorporated into the parking lot project. The land has a natural slope upwards from west to east and we will utilize that elevation Boulder County Campus I Larimer Campus I Westminster Campus I Brighton Center I FRCC Online Learning FRONT RANGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 3645 West 112th Avenue Westminster, CO 80031 303.404.5000 Tel www.frontrange.edu 10-18-2013 Members of the Architectural Control Committee Clarendon Hills HOA c/o Faith Property Management 300 East Boardwalk, Building 6B Fort Collins, CO 80525 Dear ACC members, Please find attached, for your consideration and approval, the Front Range Community College, Southwest Parking Lot Expansion project. Per the 1991 deed for the 8.22 acre parcel currently owned by Peak Community Church, your approval of this project is required. Front Range Community College has been working closely with the Clarendon Hills HOA representatives since July discussing our efforts to purchase and develop the Church property. In the early conversations we indicated a desire to construct buildings and parking. As conversations evolved over the next four months it became clear form the HOA representatives that the Clarendon Hills neighborhood would notbe receptive to having FRCC use the property for the purpose of constructing buildings, specifically the new Integrated Technology Building. FRCC listened and altered our plans for the property to only include parking. It became further clear that there was a desire among HOA members that FRCC not pursue development on the south portion of the Church property. We have discontinued discussions of development of the south portion for the time being and the project being presented to you honors that concept. Throughout our discussions, the HOA representatives have provided guidance on new design guidelines which would apply to the parking lot project. We believe that the project submitted honors those guidelines, including; • 100 foot setbacks from the residential property line on the east side of the parking lot. • Substantial landscaping and berming to screen the parking lots • Access only from FRCC's Starflower Drive • Improve the walking path within the area being modified • Manage spill -over of light from the parking lot • Gate off the parking lot when not in use to prohibit access • Respect a corridor that aligns with the drainage ditch to enable wildlife to move through the property Boulder County Campus I Larimercampus I Westminster Campus I Brighton Center I FRCC Online Learning