HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOURTYARD COMMONS - PDP - 38-98 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - MODIFICATION REQUESTii. Granting of this modification alleviates a problem of city wide concern,
namely the gross insensitivity which could occur in the E District if incompatible uses
(such as tavern, warehouse, light industrial) were constructed immediately adjacent to
residential areas without the benefit of a sensitive transition.
iii. Strict application of the 25% maximum residential standard would make this
project financially infeasible and would open the door to inappropriate Mason -Street
type warehouse and industrial uses, which such uses would be financially feasible but
in all other respects would be totally inappropriate.
Accordingly we respectfully request your favorable consideration and approval of our
requested modification. Thank you.
Sincerely,
o P uty
resi ent
Enclosure
/ep
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 nor in an area where mostly primary E type uses will probably occur
or be appropriate in the future.
b. This narrow strip of E District infill property is strategically positioned
between big box retail development on the west and residential development on the
east and south. Our plan will better achieve the objective of mixed use in this situation
coupled with sensitive transition between big box retail and 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 Landings residential neighborhood. Based on our neighborhood meetings
and the existing residential character of most of Landings Drive, the achievement of
this purpose should be weighted heavily, we believe.
C. The granting of this modification benefit the city by substantially addressing
important community needs and furthermore by substantially alleviating a problem of
city-wide concern, and in addition strict application of such standard will render the
project financially infeasible.
i. This plan substantially achieves important community needs including:
a. Aesthetic and attractive in -town housing immediately approximate to
work places.
b. Excellent new architectural and planning concepts - step-down
buildings (office -residential -residential -canal and detention pond bank), innovative
and sensitive use of topography, interesting building siting, aesthetic frontages and
unique courtyard concept.
c. Residential neighborhood with a sense of community and sensitivity to
quality of life.
d. Pedestrian needs are paramount in this project. This is the guiding
principle in our unique courtyard design which integrates vehicles, bicycle, pedestrian
needs virtually seamlessly together with hardscaping and landscaping.
Modification Request
A. The grantingi of the modification would not be detrimental to the public good or
impair the intent and purposes of the LUC.
i. Would not detrimental to existing office uses. In fact granting of modification
with be beneficial to the existing office use to the south by assuring the quality and
character of the adjacent use, namely this project's proposed office buildings which
will be identical 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.
a. By assuring that no incompatible business use permitted by right in
the E District (including taverns, warehouses, light industrial) will be constructed.
b. By assuring compatible uses, namely transitional office -residential as
proposed in our project.
c. By locking in Landings Drive as primarily a residential street by
developing this last piece of open property on Landings Drive as residential.
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.
B. And our PUD proposal as submitted will advance the public interests and the
purposes of the standard better than a plan that 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. 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.
August 10, 1998
Planning and Zoning Commission
City of Fort Collins
281 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Re: Courtyard Commons / Modification Request
Dear Planning and Zoning Commission Members:
Introduction
Courtyard Commons is a unique transitional project encompassing five small office
buildings and eight small townhouse -flat residential buildings. The offices buffer the
residential from adjacent commercial uses and provide seventy-eight supplemental
parking spaces for the residential on an easement basis, however, in all other respects
the residential neighborhood is separate and autonomous from the offices portion of
the project. The property's zoning is E District (employment).
Standard
The land use standards for E District require that residential uses shall occupy no
more than 25% of the total gross area of the development plan.
Modification Request Procedure
A. The granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public good or
impair the intent and purposes of the LUC,
B. And plan as submitted will advance the public interests and the purposes of the
standard better than a plan that complies with the standard,
C. Or granting of this modification benefits the city by substantially addressing
important community needs and furthermore by substantially alleviating a problem of
city-wide concern, and in addition strict application of such standard will render the
project financially infeasible.
3307 South College Avenue, Suite 200, Fort Collins, CO 80525 • (970) 226-5000 • Fax (970) 226-5125