HomeMy WebLinkAboutADVANTAGE (RENTAL) CENTER - PDP/FDP - 36-97 - DECISION - FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS & DECISIONSection 3.2.1
The applicant submitted a request for Alternative Compliance that was prepared and
submitted in accordance with the submittal requirements for landscape plans as
defined in the Land Use Code.
Specifically, the alternative compliance plan addresses the requirement of Section
3.2.1(E)(4) which states:
"... Trees shall be provided at a ratio of one (1) tree per twenty-five (25) lineal
feet along a public street and one (1) tree Per forty (40) lineal feet along a side
lot line Parking setback area. (Emphasis added)
The request for alternative compliance submitted by the applicant states the following:
The 5' buffer required on the east end of the parking lot and fire truck turnaround
is actually 10' behind the 6' cedar fence screening the adjacent residential
properties. The fence is located at the west end of the 10' bridal easement
for Fairway Estates. This is consistent with the fence that was recently
relocated at the State Farm site. The 10' easement will have the existing
vegetarian remain. Since the intent of the requirement is to "buffer between
uses" the alternative we propose accomplishes both the buffering and the
requirements of the Fairway Estates HOA to separate their bridal path from
the commercial development on College Ave.
The requirement for trees and plantings within the east easement cannot be
accommodated due to the requirement that the Fort CollinslLoveland Water
and Sanitation district requires that NO plantings be placed in their
easements."
In review of the alternative plan, the Decision Maker took into account the following:
whether the alternative preserves and incorporates existing vegetation in excess of
minimum standards, protects natural areas and features, maximizes tree canopy cover,
enhances neighborhood continuity and connectivity, fosters nonvehicular access, or
demonstrates innovative design and use of plant materials and other landscape
elements.
It is staffs recommendation that the proposed alternative compliance landscape plan
does not accomplish the purposes of Section 3.2.1 better than a plan which complies
with the requirements of this section. Staff recommends that one canopy shade tree be
required to be located adjacent (to the west) of the proposed located of the fence and
that a landscape strip (a minimum of 5' wide) be placed in this location as well. This
does not interfere with the utility easement provided for the Districts nor with the bridal
path dedicated for the Fairway Estates Homeowner's Association.
This property was annexed into the City as part of the Fairway Estates Business
Annexation in 1981.
Compliance with Article IV (the C-Commercial Zone District)
The Project Development Plan is located in the C-Commercial zone district. It complies
with all applicable land use and development standards of this zone district.
Land Use
The proposed land use is a permitted use in the zone district and complies with the
definition of retail establishments as defined in Article V of the Land Use Code.
The Project Development Plan complies with the purpose of the C-Commercial zone
district, which is:
"...intended to be a setting for 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.
While some Commercial District areas may continue to meet the need for auto -
related 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
planning and design that accommodates pedestrians."
As retail establishments are permitted in the C-Commercial zone district, the land use
is appropriate for this location.
Land Use Standards
The proposed height of the structure will not exceed 30' and therefore complies with
the maximum height requirement of four (4) stories as defined in the district standards.
Compliance with Article III - General Development Standards
The Project Development Plan meets all applicable standards in Article 3, General
Development Standards, of the Land Use Code. Of specific note are Section 3.2.1-
Landscaping and Tree Protection, Section 3.2.2 - Access, Circulation and Parking,
Section 3.2.4 - Site Lighting, Section 3.5.1 - Building and Project Compatibility and
Section 3.6.4 - Transportation Level of Service Requirement. Further discussions of
these particular standards follow.
PUBLIC HEARING
After reviewing the Staff Report and recommendation, a public hearing was held on the
subject application at 2:00 PM on April 2, 1998. The hearing was held Conference
Room located at 281 N. College Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado.
HEARING TESTIMONY, WRITTEN COMMENTS AND OTHER EVIDENCE:
The following is a list of those who spoke at the meeting:
From the City: Leanne Harter, City Planner
From the applicant: Bud Firck, W.J. Frick Design Group, P.C.
From the Community: None
Written Comments: Lloyd and Jeannine Thomas
125 Palmer drive
Fort Collins, CO
Community Concerns: 1. Outdoor Lighting
2. Testing of equipment outdoors
3. Loudspeaker system
4. Outdoor equipment storage
City Response: Exterior lighting will be designed not to spill over into
surrounding residential areas.
Applicant Response: All equipment will be kept indoors, there will be no testing of
equipment outdoors nor will there be an outdoor speaker
system.
BACKGROUND
The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows:
N: C-Existing businesses along Frontage Road of South College Avenue
(Albrecht Homes)
S: C-Four vacant lots; State Farm Insurance
W: C-Existing commercial (Rhodes Furniture, proposed Spradley Barr site)
E: R-Residential (County zoning) -Existing single family residential
(Fairway Estates)
Hearing Officer Decision: Denial of alternative compliance request. Approval of
the Project Development Plan with the following
conditions:
1. That the five (6) drainage easement located
immediately west of the proposed fence be
extended south along the fence (beginning at
the north edge of the parking area to the point
in which it meets with the required fire truck
turn -around). This landscape buffer shall be
defined using a concrete curb and planted
according to a design approved by the City
Forester.
2. In addition, one (1) canopy shade tree shall
be placed adjacent to the fence within the 5'
drainage easement area.
3. That the applicant shall place an additional
street tree along the frontage road (a total of
two (2) street canopy trees along the Frontage)
or plant a canopy shade tree in the landscape
island adjacent to the front entrance and have
one (1) street tree along the Frontage Road.
4. That one of the interior parking lot landscaping
islands may be eliminated to compensate for
the loss of a parking space to accommodate
condition #2 above, and the remaining
landscaping island be relocated to the center
of the line of parking spaces adjacent to the
building.
ZONING DISTRICT: C, Commercial
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: Notice of public hearing was made on March 18,
1998, by mailing to property owners within 500 feet of
the subject property.
The public hearing was advertised in the Coloradoan
on March 25, 1998.
City of Fort Collins
Commui,_ _f Planning and Environmental vices
Advance Planning Department
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING OFFICER
TYPE I ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING
FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND DECISION
HEARING OFFICER: Ken Waido, Chief Planner
Advance Planning Department
PROJECT NAME: Advantage Center, Project Development Plan,
Administrative Review
CASE NUMBER: #36-97
APPLICANT: Bud Frick
W.J. Frick Design Group, P.C.
526 South College Avenue
Fort Collins, Colorado 80524
OWNER: Ron Rockvam
2108 Stonecrest Drive
Fort Collins, Colorado 80521
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request for Project Development Plan to
construct a 9,622 square foot commercial/retail
building (for the future relocation of the Advantage
Rental Center) on a 23,155 square foot lot. The
proposed development is located on the east side of
South College Avenue, south of Palmer Drive (4848
South College Avenue.) The property is located in
the C-Commercial zone district.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATION AND DECISION:
Staff recommendation: Denial of alternative compliance request. Approval of
the Project Development Plan with a condition.
281 North College Avenue • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 • (970) 221-6376
FAX (970) 224-6111 • TDD (970) 224-6002 • E-mail: aplanning@ci.fort-collins.co.us
2. In addition, one (1) canopy shade tree shall be placed adjacent to the fence
within the 5' drainage easement area.
3. That the applicant shall place an additional street tree along the frontage road (a
total of two (2) §treet canopy trees along the Frontage) or plant a canopy shade
tree in the landscape island adjacent to the front entrance and have one (1)
street tree along the Frontage Road.
4. That one of the interior parking lot landscaping islands may be eliminated to
compensate for the loss of a parking space to accommodate condition #2 above,
and the remaining landscaping island be relocated to the center of the line of
parking spaces adjacent to the building.
Dated this 3rd day of April, 1998, per authority granted by Sections 1.4.9(E) and 2..1 of
the Land Use Code.
z7e;% G�
Kenneth G. Waido, Chief Planner
Advance Planning Department
In addition, staff received a letter dated March 21, 1998, from Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd
Thomas outlining their concerns related to noise, lighting and building height. (A copy
of the letter is attached.)
Staff believes that all the issues identified by the neighborhood have been addressed.
FINDINGS. CONCLUSIONS AND DECISION
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
After reviewing the staff report and the record of the public hearing, the Hearing Officer
makes the following findings and conclusions:
1. The proposed land use is a permitted use in the C-Commercial zone district as
specified in Section 4.17, subject to Administrative Review.
2. The Project Development Plan complies with the applicable Land Use Standards
and Development Standards of the C-Commercial zone district.
3. The PDP complies with the applicable General Development Standards as
specified in Article III of the Land Use Code, including Section 3.2.1-
Landscaping and Tree Protection, (excluding Section 3.2.1(E)(4) for which an
alternative landscape plan was submitted), Section 3.2.2 - Access, Circulation
and Parking, Section 3.2.4 - Site Lighting, Section 3.5.1 - Building and Project
Compatibility and Section 3.6.4 - Transportation Level of Service Requirement.
4. The alternative compliance plan submitted as an alternative to Section
3.2.1(E)(4) of the Land Use Code is not equal to or better than a plan that would
comply with the requirements of the Code.
5. The Project Development Plan is compatible with the surrounding land uses.
DECISION
Based on the findings and conclusions, the request to approve the Advantage center,
Project development Plan, File #24-97 is APPROVED WITH THE FOLLOWING
CONDITIONS:
1. That the five (S) drainage easement located immediately west of the proposed
fence be extended south along the fence (beginning at the north edge of the
parking area to the point in which it meets with the required fire truck turn-
around). This landscape buffer shall be defined using a concrete curb and
planted according to a design approved by the City Forester.
interface. In addition, the pedestrian crossing from the handicapped parking spaces
within the parking area will be striped.
Section 3.2.4
All exterior lighting will be attached to the building and is proposed to be located in
recesses cans in the soffits and will be down -directional, cut-off lighting.
Section 3.5.1
The Project Development Plan satisfies all applicable Building and Project
Compatibility standards (Section 3.5.1), including the following:
Building orientation.
This proposal complies with Section 3.5.1(D) which states that "primary facades and
entries shall face the adjacent street. Except as allowed in the Industrial zone district, 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 proposed Advantage Center is located adjacent to the Frontage
Road, with a direct pedestrian connection from the main entrance to the sidewalk.
Building materials.
The proposed building materials include synthetic stucco (with both cream and dark
cream for accents on bump -out panels). The roof material proposed to be used is a
standing seam metal roof (green -colored).
Mechanical equipment. There is no proposed roof -top mounted mechanical
equipment nor ground -mounted equipment.
Transportation Level of Service Requirement
Section 3.6.4(C ) requires the submittal, review and approval of a transportation impact
study by the City's Traffic Engineer. The Traffic Engineer has found that it complies
with the requirements of the Land Use Code.
Neighborhood Compatibility
As a Type One review, a neighborhood meeting was not required. Staff felt that an
informational meeting would prove to be beneficial and one was conducted on
September 22, 1997. The concerns mentioned at that meeting included the height of
the building, the provision of the bridal path along the property line, the detail of the
fence to be used, site lighting, traffic and noise.
The location of this landscaped strip would result in the removal of one (1) parking
space and would provide a visual separation between the parking area and the fence,
as well as comply with the requirements of the Land Use Code. In the opinion of the
City Forester, the omission of the canopy shade tree (and the request for the
alternative compliance plan) placed according to the requirements of the Land Use
Code, would not better accomplish the purposes of Section 3.2.1 than would a plan
which complies with the standards of the section.
The proposal complies with all additional applicable standards in Section 3.2.1 of the
Land Use Code.
Section 3.2.2
The proposal satisfies the applicable Access, Circulation and Parking standards
(Section 3.2.2), including the following:
Parking requirements.
General retail uses are limited to a maximum of four parking spaces per 1,000 square
feet of gross leasible area. The Project Development Plan proposes a total of 15
parking spaces; the maximum number of parking spaces allowed for the proposed
development is 38. 5 (9,622 square feet at 4 parking spaces/1,000 square feet).
Therefore, the PDP complies with the requirements of Section 3.2.2(K)(2).
Bicycle parking.
Bicycle parking is provided on site that meets or exceeds the following standard.
"A minimum number of bicycle parking spaces shall be provided, equal in number to
five (5) percent of the total number of automobile parking spaces provided by the
development, but not less than one. " [Section 3.2.2.(4)(a)]
A pad site for the placement of the bicycle rack is located near the entryway to the
building and is large enough to accommodate at least 3 bicycles. (5% of 15 automobile
spaces.)
Street crossings.
The standard states that where a pedestrian would be required to cross drive aisles or
internal roadways, "the pedestrian crossing shall emphasize and place priority on
pedestrian access and safety... The pedestrian crossings must be well -marked using
pavement treatments, signs, striping, signals, lighting, traffic calming techniques,
median refuge areas, and landscaping. " [Section 3.2.2(5)(b)] The site plan indicates
that the pedestrian crossing at the drive aisle off of the Frontage Road is to be striped
in accordance with the Land Use Code to ensure a safe pedestrian/automobile