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Home My WebLink AboutCOURTYARD COMMONS - PDP - 38-98 - CORRESPONDENCE - MODIFICATION REQUESTSincerely, *enty Enclosure /ep ii. Granting of this modification alleviates a problem of city wide concern, Qo 0 namely the gross insensitivity which could_ occur in the E District if incompatible uses (such as favem;:: arehouse, light industrial)' were constructed immediately adjacent to residential area without the benefit of a sensitive transition. iii. Strict application of the 25% maximum residential standard would make this XXP project financially infeasible and would open the door to inappropriate Mason -Street 'Oo' type warehouse and industrial use =which such uses would be financially feasible but in all othe respects would be totally inappropriate. Accordingly we respectfully request your favorable consideration and approval of our requested modification. Thank you. L nZ��`L°-`wX` eAtXX �� 1 lk ,V�2 a OzC-1�I. 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, outdoors aces, nd 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. bk-,-- 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. trnaevt by-- 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 arantin4 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 7 with be beneficial to the existing office use to the south by assuring the quality and tip character of the adjacent use, namely this project's proposed office buildings which will be identical to those in Landings Office Park. 'µ 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. E>V-- a. By assuring that no incompatible business use permitted by right in the E District (including taverns, warehouses, li ht industrial will be constructed. lkiZm-C�!''NAON ` b. By assuring compatible uses, namely transitional office -residential as proposed in our project. '`L 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 PS10'proposal as submitted will advance the public interests and the purposes of the standard better than a plan that complies with the standard. Ir i.: The standard proposes that a residential project in the E strict 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). \ �, Cp,�4I Standard _%,�/aa� 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, ow 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, �a`uY �•aev 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, CC 80525 • (970) 226-5000 • Fax (970) 226-5125 In conclusion, staff is supportive of the request for a modification of standard 4.22(D)(1) Secondary Uses in the E - Employment Zoning District of the City's Land Use Code based on reasons A and B as stated in the applicant's Modification Request (dated August 10, 1998, attached). Sin erely, Steve Olt Project Planner cc: Bob Blanchard/Current Planning Director Advance Planning VF Ripley Associates Project File Commur' Planning and Environmental f 'vices Current Planning City of Fort Collins September 16, 1998 Jon Prouty, President Lagunitas company 3307 South College avenue, Suite 200 Fort Collins, CO. 80525 Dear Jon, Staff has reviewed your request for the modification to the standard that secondary uses (residential and commercial/retail) comprise no more than 25% of the development plan for the Courtyard Commons PDP, being in the E - Employment Zoning District. During the process of evaluating the requirements and criteria as set forth in Section 2.7.3 - Standards of the Land Use Code, it was determined that granting of a modification of the standard for the proposed Courtyard Commons development plan would: Not be detrimental to the public good nor impair the intent and purposes of this Land Use Code [Section 2.7.3(A)]; and the plan as submitted will advance or protect the public interests and purposes 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 [Section 2.7.3(B)]. Staff does not, however, agree with the applicant's supposition that: the granting of a modification from the strict application of the standard 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 Plan, adopted policy, ordinance or resolution or would substantially alleviate an existing, defined and described problem of City-wide concern, and the strict application of such standard would render the project practically infeasible [Section 2.7.3(C)]. 281 North College Avenue 0 P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 • (970) 221-6750 • FAX (970) 416-2020