HomeMy WebLinkAbout431 E. LAUREL STREET REPLAT (ROLLINS SUB.) - PDP - 30-10 - CORRESPONDENCE - CITIZEN COMMUNICATION (11)2. The existing application includes the request to allow the construction of an
additional single family home to be built on Lot 2 of the proposed subdivision. As
a condition of subdividing the lots, a deed restriction should be placed on the
proposed Lot 2 preventing the proposed single family home from being converted
to a duplex at a later date.
3. A minimum of four off street parking spaces should be provided for at the south
end of Lot 1 to accommodate the existing tenants of 431 Whedbee Street or
preferably the developer should be held to the number of spaces required under
the parking code applicable to duplexes. There is adequate space at the end of Lot
1 for parking and it would require only that a curb cut be installed on Whedbee
Street. Adequate parking should be a contingency for the redevelopment of the
lot. No Modification of Standard should be granted for the proposed subdivision
with regard to the parking code.
4. The front set back for Lot 2 on Whedbee Street should preferably comply with
existing code that applies to all other houses along Whedbee Street, match that of
the existing dwelling on Lot 1, or be set at some mid point. This will serve to
maintain a more consistent appearance of the block face. Fort Collins has
recently witnessed the impact of such set back modifications with the home built
on the southeast corner of Mountain Avenue and Scott Street. The inconsistency
with the rest of the neighborhood is visibly apparent and unappreciated by the
neighborhood. To minimize the visual impact of a substantial reduction in front
set back, the developer should consider requesting a Modification to reduce the
rear set back to 10 feet. This would also assist the developer in meeting the code
that limits the maximum percentage of floor area to 33% on the back 50% of the
lot, and would minimize the need to build a two story home.
5. Given the above, it is preferred by the neighbors, and should be set as a condition
of the granting of the multiple requests for Modification of Standards, that the
single family residence planned for Lot 2 be no more than one and one half story
with a daylight basement. This would provide more than adequate square footage
for a single family home given the limited size of the lot.
6. A privacy fence should be constructed on the west property line of both Lot 1 and
Lot 2. Not only will this provide privacy to the neighbor to the west, but it will
screen the neighbor from the lights of vehicles pulling into or leaving the off
street parking spaces hopefully provided at the south end of Lot 1. We would
urge the developer to include this as part of an over all landscape plan and, at a
minimum, to a make solid commitment to planned grounds maintenance and
upkeep of the properties.
the church has terminated and there are 2 living units with a total of 4 bedrooms.
With this exists the potential for having an even greater number of total tenants
when there is more than one tenant to a bedroom? To continue avoiding a
violation of the existing parking code, the developer has requested another
Modification of Standard. No off street parking complicates an already congested
parking situation where homeowners, renters, and overflow parkers from
Centenial High compete for parking. Subdividing the lot creates an opportunity
to correct the situation.
4. The house at 431 East Laurel has been a poorly kept college rental with little or
no yard maintenance until the subdivision process was proposed.
SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS
The developers have refused to informally meet for a second time with adjacent
neighbors to jointly develop acceptable resolutions to the issues prior to the Type 1
Review hearing. This leaves adjacent neighbors reticent to support the requested
Modifications of Standard. There should be a quid pro quo in the form of reasonable
accommodations by the developers to the neighborhood for its support of the project.
Reasonable accommodations should include the following as a minimum:
The developer must commit to the size, mass, scope of the project at the Level 1
Review. To date the developer has been unwilling to provide the neighborhood
with a basic rendering of the proposed house or details of size, etc. and how it
integrates into the current block face. If at the hearing such information is not
presented, the key Modification of Standard to subdivide the lot should be denied
by the hearing officer until the developer provides the essential information. This
should include but not be limited to, the approximate square footage, the number
of stories, the footprint, and other such basic descriptors of the project. We wish
to bring to the hearing officer's attention that the existing code and formula
regarding Floor Area Ratio (FAR) does not include basement square footage,
potentially doubling the functional maximum square footage of the proposed
home to as much as 3500 square feet depending on the footprint chosen by the
developer. All this on a 4000 square foot lot. It would not be a hardship for the
developer to limit the size of the home to an above ground square footage
comparable to other houses historically built on similar oriented lots and gain an
increased total square feet by building it on a full day light basement.
CONCERNS REGARDING THE SUBDIVISION
OF
431 EAST LAUREL STREET
The proposed subdivision of 431 East Laurel Street (currently identified as Lot 5, Block
157, Galligan's Subdivision) will require the granting of at least 3 Modification of
Standard in order for the project to be in compliance with existing City building and
zoning codes. This action is unusual and, in itself, is of concern to adjacent neighbors
and others residing in the surrounding Laurel Street School Historic District
neighborhood. A Level I Review before an independent hearing officer has been
required by the City planning process before any Modification of Standards can be
granted to mitigate any potential conflicts of interest.
THE ISSUES
1. The Existing lot at 431 East Laurel Street contains 9004 square feet. Current City
code requires a minimum lot size of 5000 square feet. Subdivision of the.existing
lot will create two lots. Lot 1 of 5000 square feet would contain the existing
duplex and would comply with City code. Lot 2 would contain 4000 square feet
and would not comply with City code. As such, the property cannot be
subdivided as proposed without a Modification of Standard being granted to
create the additional lot with less than the allowed square footage.
2. As proposed, Lot 2 of the proposed subdivision will have a buildable square
footage of 1750 square feet as initially submitted. A determination of the
applicability of the code as it relates to the proposed setback is required to allow
this size building envelope by reducing the set back from the standard 15'
setback. A front yard set back of fifteen feet is required by code. The developer
proposes, to reduce the front set back so that the new home on Lot 2 will set 8'
closer to Whedbee Street than the existing home on Lot 1. The proposed setback
will match the 10.65 foot set back of the church across the alley rather than
matching the traditional set back of the houses along Whedbee Street.
3. The existing house at 431 East Laurel (Lot 1) is currently an over/under duplex
with three bedrooms upstairs and one bedroom downstairs. Until 1998 this was
the rectory for the adjacent church on Whedbee Street. It is still currently
classified as a single family home by the Larimer County Assessor. However,
there is a memo to file from the City Code and Inspections Administrator,
indicating that it was approved as being compliant for duplex use on 11/30/2005
with an escape window being added in 2007. At the time of approval, and even
though there was a requirement under code to have adequate off street parking at
the time, the provision was waived as the developer had leased the rear of the lot
to the church for parking. In the current request for subdivision there is no
designated off street parking planned for this dwelling even though the lease with
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