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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJOHNSON FARM - REZONE - 24-00 - CORRESPONDENCE - PLANNING OBJECTIVES,A% +& oil likely to be the most heavily used resources, will be screened with dense plantings in order to offer privacy to adjacent neighbors. Growth Management (GM) PRINCIPLE GM-8: The City will promote compatible infill development in targeted areas within the Community Growth Management Area boundary. The visual and land use compatibility of neighboring parcels was a primary concern in developing the land plan for Spring Creek Farms. All parcels in Spring Creek Farms are therefore to be developed in accordance with a definition of compatibility that states that abutting property shall minimize any have a detrimental impact it may have on another's value, privacy and quality. This O.D.P. for the Spring Creek Farms project is consistent with the philosophies regarding new residential development outlined in the current Comprehensive Master Plan. The Overall Development Plan for Spring Creek farms is both responsive to its individual context and constraints, and is in keeping with the residential philosophies stated in the Fort Collins Comprehensive Master Plan. This mixed -use development will be conveniently located to utilize existing community facilities, will provide a much needed variety of multi -family housing product, and will have a density that is appropriate to the site. Ultimately, this development will provide a comfortable environment for people to live, recreate, and work in a way that reflects positively on the larger community of Fort Collins, consistent with the City's stated goals and objectives. 19 L Policy MMN-3.6 Central Feature or Gathering Place. A Neighborhood Commercial Center will include a comfortable, prominently located square, plaza, or other public gathering place with amenities such as benches, monuments, kiosks, and public art. Other civic and recreation uses could be combined with the public gathering space. The commercial area at Spring Creek Farm is anticipated to serve the daily needs of area residents traveling on East Drake and Timberline Roads, as well as the local neighborhood,,. offering a variety of goods and services allowable within the employment district. The site plan for this area is oriented with the surrounding neighborhoods and land uses in mind, including an effective transition/buffer to the industrial property located north of this site. It is configured to provide easy pedestrian and vehicular access to the same users it serves. The design of any use within the commercial area will be architecturally "finished" to a similar degree. This compatibility will be expressed in terms of similar building materials, color,, massing, scale and design details in accordance with the City's visual goals for commercial properties, and the requirements outlined in Policies MMN 3.3 — 3.6 above. Environment (ENV) PRINCIPLE ENV-1: Continually improve Fort Collins' air quality as the City grows. Policy ENV-L21 Land Use. The City shall support proposals for higher density residential development and mixed land use development in appropriate neighborhoods and districts, if they are designed to enhance the use of alternatives to single -occupant motor vehicle transportation, and if they comply with all other criteria necessary for approval of such proposals. Increasing the residential component of the Spring Creek Farms site will reduce the Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). And therefore, improve the air quality in Fort Collins by locating higher density residential (particularly multi -family and single family attached housing) between the Ridgen Farm commercial area and the future multi -modal corridor planned for the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way to the west. In addition, this request for a higher density residential development complies with other criteria necessary for approval, as outlined in this document. Natural Areas and Open Lands (NOL) PRINCIPLE NOL-3. The City's parks and recreation system will include parks, trails, open lands, natural areas and urban streetscapes. These "green spaces" will balance active and passive recreation opportunities in an interconnected framework that is distributed throughout the urban area. Policy NOL-3.1 Corridors. Trails along streams, drainage ways, and irrigation ditch corridors should be dispersed throughout the city, provide public access, and link neighborhoods, parks, activity centers, commercial centers, and streets where environmentally appropriate and compatible with natural habitat values. Policy NOL-3.2 Urban Public Space. Small pocket parks, public plazas, and sidewalk gathering places should include "street furniture" such as benches, and be incorporated into urban designs for the Downtown District, Community Commercial Districts, Commercial Districts, and Residential Districts throughout the City. Open space areas in Spring Creek Farms will consist of public parkways along the road network, small plazas, pedestrian paths, community entries, and a community park. Many of these open spaces will function primarily as semi -private, neighborhood landscaped areas where children and neighbors can congregate and recreate. The park may include a play area that is handicap accessible, a grassy area for "free -form" games, and a shaded picnic area/gazebo structure. The picnic area and play area, which are 18 District, subject to adjustment for site -specific or pre-existing circumstances such as duplex and detached houses, further from the core and closer to the surrounding lower density neighborhoods. Policy MMN-2.2 Relationships and Transitions at Edges. Non-residential uses and larger buildings of attached and multiple family housing should be encouraged to be near the commercial core, with a transition to smaller buildings, such as duplex and detached houses, further from the core and closer to the surrounding lower density neighborhoods. Policy MMN-2.3 Building Orientation. Buildings will face public sidewalks or other public outdoor spaces that connect to streets, the commercial core and to transit stops. Parking lots must not be the primary focus of buildings. Examples of public outdoor spaces include parks, squares, gardens with walkways, and courtyards. Policy MMN-2.4 Block Pattern. A unifying pattern of streets and blocks, with buildings fronting the streets, will be strongly encouraged as an effective way to integrate housing with other uses to form a coherent, livable transitional area. Such a pattern incorporates attached housing types into the community fabric in a manner similar to detached houses, by facing buildings into attractive neighborhood streets and sidewalks that are part of the community network. This block pattern will maximize other positive housing characteristics, including: - individual identity - easy way -finding for visitors - more and better accessibility and personal mobility - human scale - a defined transition from front to back, thus providing a logical, rear location to incorporate parking and garages, service functions, and outbuildings for storage - the security that comes with visibilityfrom and to public streets the sense of community that comes with dwellings sharing a neighborhood street Policy MMN-2.5 Block Characteristics and Street Layout. While blocks should generally be rectilinear or otherwise distinctly geometric in shape, they may vary in size and shape to avoid a monotonous repetition of a basic grid pattern, onto follow topography. /n order to be conductive to walking block size should be determined by frequent street connections, within a maximum range of about 300 to 700 feet. The Overall Development plan for Spring Creek Farms has been designed to meet the requirements outlined in this section regarding the design of Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhoods. The O.D.P./conceptual site plan for Spring Creek Farms incorporates opportunities for a variety of housing types. These include the traditional single family homes, alley loaded single family homes, row houses, townhouses, flats above garages, carriage houses, apartments, and/or apartments over shops. The projected densities at Spring Creek Farms are in compliance with stated City requirements. Policy MMN-3.3 Urban Design Character. Buildings will be placed to form -active commercial street fronts and other connecting pedestrian spaces. The visual dominance of parking should be reduced by breaking large lots into smaller blocks of parking, forming interior -block locations for parking, locating employee parking in less -used areas, maximizing on -street. parking, and using angled parking stalls. Parking lots should include generous shade tree planting and walkways that directly connect origins and destinations. Signs should be coordinated to reinforce unique identity and character. Policy MMN-3.4 Block Pattern. The pattern of streets and blocks in the surrounding neighborhood will be strongly encouraged to carry directly into and through a Neighborhood Commercial Center as a simple and sure way to achieve the urban design character described in MDN-3.3 (above) and integrate the Center with surrounding neighborhood. Policy MMN-3.5 Building Height. Two to three-story buildings are encouraged to reinforce the Neighborhood Commercial Center as a focal point of activity and increase the potential for mixing uses, such as locating dwellings or offices over shops. One-story buildings will be permitted. 17 \ v Y serve the residents of Spring Creek Farms. This location also provides opportunity for -access to transit and may include a variety of uses to serve the neighborhood and surrounding area. The neighborhood center may incorporate acommunity facility, a recreation facility, a service center, offices, a clinic, or a gallery. The entire community has been arranged to encourage pedestrian movement from place to place. Rounda- bouts, a park, and other community gathering spots are strategically located throughout the new neighborhood. Gaining access to these spots is safe and simple for pedestrians and bikes. SUB CATEGORY — New Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhoods (MMN) PRINCIPLE MMN-1: Housing in new Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhoods will have an overall minimum average density of twelve (12) dwelling units per acre, achieved with a mix of housing types. Policy MMN-1.2 Housing Types and Lot Sizes. Various housing types can fit this transitional, higher activity location, including thefollowing: - small lot single-family houses (lots under 6,000 square feet) - townhouses (attached housing) - accessory dwelling units - multi family housing dwelling units stacked above or mixed with offices or work space These housing types can readily share streets and blocks with other uses, and offer opportunities for low - and medium -cost housing to be mixed with higher -cost housing and non-residential uses.. Policy MAIN--1.3 Non -Residential Uses. Secondary uses can fit this transitional, higher -activity location including the following: - parks and recreation - places of worship and assembly - civic uses - day care (adult and child) - offices and clinics - small businesses with low traffic and visibility needs such as service shops, studios, workshops, bed -and -breakfasts, and uses of similar intensity - Neighborhood -serving retail uses The Overall Development plan for Spring Creek Farms has been designed to meet the requirements outlined in this section regarding the design of Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhoods and Non - Residential Uses. The O.D.P./conceptual site plan for Spring Creek Farms incorporates a variety of housing types. These include the more traditional single family homes, row houses, townhouses, flats above garages, carriage houses, apartments, and/or apartments over shops. The projected densities at Spring Creek Farms are in compliance with stated City requirements. Public spaces are designed to be the focus of daily living at Spring Creek Farms. These public spaces include streets, parks, and a neighborhood center. The neighborhood center may incorporate a community facility, a recreation facility, a service center, offices, a clinic, or a gallery. The entire community has been arranged to encourage pedestrian movement from place to place. Round -a -bouts, a park, and other community gathering spots are strategically located throughout the new neighborhood. Gaining access to these spots is safe and simple for pedestrians and bikes. PRINCIPLE MMN-2: The layout and design of a Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood will form a transition and a link between surrounding neighborhoods and the Neighborhood Commercial Center or Community Commercial District. Policy MMN-2.1 Size. A Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood should extend an average about one - quarter (114) of a mile from the adjacent Neighborhood Commercial Center or Community Commercial 16 accessory dwelling units multi family housing (provided there are compatible in scale and character with other dwellings in the proposed neighborhood, and limited to a maximum offour to eight dwelling units in a building) The Overall Development plan for Spring Creek Farms has been designed to meet the requirements outlined in this section regarding the design of Low Density Mixed -Use Neighborhoods. The O.D.P./conceptual site plan for Spring Creek farms incorporates a variety of housing types. These include options for the more traditional single family homes, row houses, townhouses, flats above garages, carriage houses, apartments, and/or apartments over shops. The projected densities at Spring Creek Farms are in compliance with stated City requirements. PRINCIPLE LMN-2: The size, layout and design of a Low Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood should make it conductive to walking, with all the dwellings sharing the street and sidewalk" system and a Neighborhood Center. Policy LMN-ZI Size of Neighborhood. A typical neighborhood will be an area about one-half (112) mile across, subject to adjustment for site -specific or pre-existing conditions. Policy LMN-2.2 Neighborhood Center. A neighborhood should be planned to include other neighborhood -serving uses and features in addition to residential use. At a minimum, each neighborhood will include a Neighborhood Center that serves as a year-round gathering place accessible to all residents. A Neighborhood Center will be no larger that 7 acres, and will include some of the following: recreation facility; school; children's and adults' day care; place of assembly and worship; small civic facility; neighborhood -serving market, shops, small professional ofces, clinics, or other small businesses. Any such uses should have limited needs for signage and limited traffic attraction into or through the neighborhood. The inclusion of rooms or indoor space for meetings and neighborhood functions is encouraged, as is a square, plaza, pavilion, or other outdoor space accessible to all residents. Policy LMN-2.3 Neighborhood Center Location. A Neighborhood Center should be encouraged to locate near the center of the neighborhood, but will be permitted to be located elsewhere such as on an edge. Policy LMN-2.4 Neighborhood Center Design. A Neighborhood Center should either be designed in collaboration with the residents, or otherwise be custom -designed by its developer to reinforce the positive " identity, character, comfort and convenience of its surrounding neighborhood. Policy LMN-2.5 Neighborhood Center Access. Access for pedestrian and bicycles should be a priority. Policy LMN-2.6 Additional Services and Conveniences. In addition to Neighborhood Centers, non -retail development such as places of worship, day care, recreation facilities, schools, and small civic facilities, may be incorporated into a neighborhood in other locations. " Policy LMN-2.7 Neighborhood Retail Uses. Retail uses will be permitted only in Neighborhood Centers. Retail centers will be separated by at least three-quarters (314) of a mile. Policy LMN-2.8 Access to Transit. Either the Neighborhood Center or another focal point for possible transit stop should be provided in a location that is logical, and has convenient access for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. Policy LMN-2.9 Outdoor Spaces. Small neighborhood parks, squares and other common outdoor spaces will be included within new neighborhoods. These spaces should be attractive settings, highly visible and easily observed from public streets. Public spaces are designed to be the focus of daily living at Spring Creek Farms. These public spaces include streets, parks, and a neighborhood center. The northeast comer of the community has been considered as.the possible location for a neighborhood center. This location will meet distance criteria to 15 commuting on the part of the business owner, thus reducing on the amount of traffic generated outside the neighborhood, and total Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). There are several variations of the "live -work" product. The buildings may appear as row houses or detached buildings. Or they may be incorporated into a mixed -use building where the combination of uses need not be provided in a single shop — living space unit, but rather the first floor offers retail or work space and apartments are provided above. The units may be for sale or for rent. Another variation on the "live - work unit" is an office space/apartment located over a detached garage. The "live -work unit" utilizes an older American building tradition as a means of providing an alternative to what has become the conventional geographic separation of work and home life pattern for most people. The model accommodates a wide range of low -impact commercial/work activities. The Spring Creek Farms plan is designed to maintain a residential neighborhood character. Townhouse -style attached units will be designed to appear as individual townhouses. The option of "live -work units" along the collector road within the Spring Creek Farms development means that there may be commercial space provided for start-up businesses as well as affordable housing opportunities located on a pedestrian street. While the single family lots also incorporated in the Spring Creek Farms plan may be the embodiment of the American Dream for some, other individuals may be looking for a more diverse set of options. The more traditional main street model of living, that includes row houses, town homes, flats above garages, carriage houses, apartments, or apartments over shops may be better suited to fulfill their desires. The inclusion of a "live -work unit" option in Spring Creek Farms allows for more choices to the home owner desiring this "live -work" option. It also reduces the typical disjointed suburban segregation between commercial and residential uses and creates an acceptable model of livability. Spring Creek Farms will be an environment where a mix of housing styles, sizes, and prices allow for the integration of people of all ages and economic means. It will be a place where physical connections make it easy for residents to walk or bike to local services, a place where some residents can work at or close to home. Spring Creek Farms will be an environment where the emphasis is placed on creating a cohesive community by accommodating the full range of the population's needs. We are requesting this "live -work" option as an allowable use within the Spring Creek Farms O.D.P. approval request. PRINCIPLE HSG-2: The City will encourage the creation and expansion of affordable housing opportunities and preservation of existing housing stock. Policy HSG-2.5 Distribution of Affordable Housing. The City will encourage a community -wide distribution of affordable housing in all neighborhoods to promote diverse neighborhoods. As stated earlier, by committing the land use at Spring Creek Farms to a higher residential density, particularly to multi -family and single family attached housing, the City can maintain the affordability and accessibility of housing, thereby improving the balance between multi -family housing opportunities within the City, relative to other land uses supplies. SUB CATEGORY — New Low Density Mixed -Use Neighborhoods (LMN) PRINCIPLE LMN-1: Low density Mixed -Use Neighborhoods will have and overall minimum average density offive(S) dwelling units per acre, achieved with a mix of housing types. Policy LMN-1.2 Mix of Housing Types and Lot Sizes. Builders and developers are encouraged to use their ingenuity to combine and distribute a variety of housing types to make an attractive, marketable neighborhood with housing for a diversity of people. At least two (2) housing types shall be included in any residential project containing more than thirty (30) acres. As the acreage of the residential project increases, so shall the number of housing types increase. This can be achieved in various ways, with a variety of housing types, including thefollowing: small lot single-family houses (lots 6,000 square feet, or less) townhouses (attached housing) 14 Single-family and multi family housing The conceptual plan for Spring Creek Farms incorporates many of the complementary uses outlined above that are required to meet the needs of Employment Districts. In addition to providing a variety of housing options and some commercial uses, the plan also includes a network of streets and sidewalks that are connected to and encourage the use of existing transportation opportunities. Housing (HSG) PRINCIPLE HSG-1: A variety of housing types and densities will be available throughout the urban area for all income levels. Policy HSG-l.l Land Use Patterns. The City will encourage a variety of housing types and densities, including mixed -used developments, that are well -served by public transportation and close to employment centers, services, and amenities. In particular, the City will promote the sitting of higher density housing near public transportation, shopping, and in designated neighborhoods and districts. Policy HSG-1.2 Housing Supply. The City will encourage public and private, for -profit and non-profit sectors to take actions to develop and maintain an adequate supply of single- and multiple family housing, including mobile homes and manufactured housing, that is proportionately balanced to the wages of our labor force. Policy HSG-1.4 Land for Residential Development. The City will permit residential development in all neighborhoods and districts in order to maximize the potential land available for development of housing and thereby positively influence housing affordability. Policy HSG-1.5 Special Needs Housing. The housing needs of all special populations within the community should be met. Residential -care facilities, shelters, group homes, elderly housing, and low- income housing should be dispersed throughout the Fort Collins urban area and the region. Spring Creek Farms is located along two (2) existing Transportation Corridors and near a designated multi - modal transportation corridor. The proposed site plan calls of a mix of detached single family dwelling, single family attached housing, and multi -family housing. The site is in close proximity to Rigden Farms, where a considerable amount of land has been dedicated to commercial/retail uses. By committing the land use at Spring Creek Farms to a higher residential density, particularly to multi -family and single family attached housing, the City can maintain the affordability and accessibility of housing, and a logical and appropriate land use pattern will be maintained. Based on a detailed market analysis completed by Ross Consulting Group, there exists an imbalance of available lands between commercial and multi -family uses. Approval of this Spring Creek Farms proposal will improve the balance of available lands so that multi- family lands will not be depleted at such a fast rate as compared to commercial lands. The Spring Creeks Farms O.D.P./conceptual site plan provides the City of Fort Collins with the opportunity to explore the advantages of a residential development type that has come to be known as `live -work units". This new housing option has evolved over the past ten (10) years as a response to a desire to combine home life and work. It provides individuals with the opportunity to have a small office or business in their home that is directly accessible from the street, located near a commercial area but in a residential environment, that meets the needs of the operator as well as potential patrons, and encourages informal interaction among residents. An area for potential `live -work units" has been identified on the collector street within Spring Creek Farms along primary street corridors. "Live -work units" provide benefits to the larger community as well as the specific individual. The presence of this building type brings vitality to a development. It helps to create a safer environment by producing street activity during the workday. This specialized use can also serve as a buffer between residential neighborhoods and commercial areas. A "live -work unit" eliminates the need for daily 13 current land designation limits the uses on the Spring Creek Farms parcel. The Development/Market Analysis indicates that there are significant land resources available for present and future commercial uses. It also indicates that the resources to support lower density residential and medium density multi -family uses are likely to be depleted within approximately ten (10) years, creating a city-wide shortage of this housing type. In the analysis, which focused on the proposed development site specifically, the findings were much the same. In fact, they indicate that the Spring Creek Farms site would not be likely to succeed as a commercial site for the following reasons: 1. There are many areas in the Harmony, Prospect, and Mulberry Corridors where better opportunities for commercial land uses already exist. 2. The Harmony, Prospect, and Mulberry Corridors have direct connections to Interstate 25. The Spring Creek Farms site does not. 3. The Timberline Corridor has historically developed as a residential location. As a result, the Spring Creek Farms site is not located near a proven commercial center. 4. The Cache la Poudre River limits the local retail market by eliminating most of the potential customer base to the east of the site. 5. Once Rigden Farm, a neighboring development with approved commercial space of 275,000 to 488,000 square feet, is complete it can reasonably be expected to eliminate any notable retail opportunities in the Timberline Corridor for the foreseeable future. Research in the same report revealed that the Spring Creek Farms site would be viable as a residential development for these reasons: 1. Unless. there are significant changes in zoning in the future, the supply of land that is viable in terms of size and location for multi -family housing will grow more and more scarce. 2. The Spring Creek Farms site is the appropriate size to support a variety of housing densities and types, in accordance with City planning objectives. 3. The visibility of existing and proposed land uses, and the anticipated higher traffic volumes along the Timberline Corridor will increase the market for potential renters. 4. The nearby Rigden Farm development will provide attractive and convenient retail opportunities that will be within walking distance of the residents of Spring Creek Farms. It is our belief that the development of the Spring Creek Farms site as a mixed use community is more likely to promote the specific City Plan objectives stated earlier than keeping the site in the employment zone designation. Increased residential development on this site will promote the compact urban form the City of For, Collins desires. This Overall Development Plan will virtually eliminate leapfrog development. Instead, it will bring a significant edge parcel into the market soon after the Ridgen Farm project. Allowing the Spring Creek Farms site to have a greater percentage of residential use will result in more consumers being located directly adjacent to the significant planned commercial development in Rigden Farm. It follows that more consumers will result in more economic support for the approved retail uses in that area. This course of action will allow Spring Creek Farms to provide the land uses most compatible with existing adjacent areas. It will also allow for the future development of a variety of land uses and housing alternatives within the region. SUB CATEGORY — Emplovment Districts (ED) PRINCIPLE ED-1: Employment Districts will be major employment centers in the community. These districts will also include a variety of complementary uses to meet the needs of employees, such as business services, convenience retail, lodging, childcare, recreation, housing and restaurants. By design, they will encourage non -auto travel, car and van pooling, telecommuting and transit use. Their attractive appearance should allow them to locate adjacent to residential neighborhoods and along primary entryways into the community. Convenience Shopping Centers 12 drives and alleys, to provide access to rear -loaded garages, may be included in the individual block designs as well. Any home that has an alley at the rear of the lot it is located will have its garage accessed from the alley. The proposed street pattern creates order and provides a transition from transportation efficiency to a calm, walkable community. The streets of Spring Creek Farms are designed to foster a sense of place. To that end, the streets are designed to end in a visual reference point, a significant feature, or a vista such as a park, public space, or round -a -bout rather than a garage door. In addition, the street and sidewalk design is intended to foster interaction among residents; they have parkway lawns and are fronted by attractive building facades. Shade trees and other landscape amenities will be included in the streetscape, to be detailed on the landscape plan. Street trees will be used in a formal architectural way to reinforce, define, and connect the space created by the lot layout and street formation. A mixture of canopy shade trees will make up the majority of the tree plantings and they will be arranged to establish a partial tree canopy cover. The shade trees will be balanced by the presence of evergreen and decorative flowering species. Existing healthy trees will be preserved whenever possible. Economic Sustainability and Development (ECON) PRINCIPLE ECON-1: The City will pursue a balanced and sustainable economic development program. Policy ECON-1.4 Jobs/Housing Balance. The City will strive to ensure that a reasonable balance exists between housing demand created by growth in lower income jobs and residential development capacity. The City will encourage existing and future major employers locating within the City to develop employer - assisted housing programs for lower income employees. The City should provide technical assistance to employers wishing to obtain information on model programs. The Fort Collins City Plan/Comprehensive Plan identifies several important objectives to which the appropriate placement and balanced allocation of land resources are critical. These objectives include the promotion of compact urban form, mixed -use development, varied and affordable housing options, and a balance between jobs and housing and good air quality. The citywide objectives also address the reduction of Vehicle Miles Traveled, which is tied to good air quality. The O.D.P. for Spring Creek Farms addresses each one of these issues. This parcel is currently zoned "'r" - Transition with an "E" - Employment designation under the City of Fort Collins City Plan which limits the majority of the site to commercial employment related uses. Based on a city-wide and area specific market analysis, the proposed Overall Development Plan for Spring Creek Farms proposes a combination of uses beyond the single "E" - Employment use established by the structure plan in 1997. It is designed to meet and promote the same planning objectives as the City of Fort Collins within the specific parcel of land and in the surrounding areas. The plan for Spring Creek Farms clearly originates in the wish to link the demand for a specific land use with a viable, well conceived, and planned development. Based on a city-wide and area specific market analysis, the proposed Overall Development Plan is the best land use plan for the site, and is the result of the desire to match market needs, based on current and future land uses. Approval of this O.D.P.would help achieve stated citywide planning goals by allowing the proposed land uses and putting in place a plan that meets the objectives. The Overall Development Plan that accompanies this request depicts a site where a balance between commercial, multi -family, SFA, and SFD residential uses combine to effectively meet the needs of the existing market conditions, as identified in the recently completed market analysis by the Ross Consulting Group. In this Development/Market Analysis, a study of the projected land uses for this area indicated that these uses and densities were in keeping with future expected land use demands. As stated earlier, the All residential and non-residential development within Spring Creek Farms will follow design guidelines. The guidelines are not intended to stifle the creativity or originality of any designs, but rather to maintain harmony in the design of the Spring Creek Farms community as it is built out. The variety of housing options, combined with streets carrying light traffic loads and strategically located neighborhood open areas, will allow a small community setting to be established for the overall development. The O.D.P. for Spring Creek Farms is planned to compliment the existing land use patterns and efficiently utilize existing City services/utilities. Spring Creek Farms will connect to and be administered by existing services and utilities. The plan is designed with a clustered density that is appropriate for the particular site as well as the surrounding areas and it encourages connections to the properties, amenities, and services that already surround Spring Creek Farms. Multiple -family housing within Spring Creek Farms will be designed to meet the criteria noted in Policies AN-4. / through AN-4.3 above. Detailed architectural design will be provided with future Project Development Plan submittals. PRINCIPLE AN-5: All new residential buildings should be designed to emphasize the visually interesting features of the buildings, as seen from the public street and sidewalk. The visual impact of garage doors, driveways, and other off-street parking will be minimized and mitigated. Policy AN-5.1 Garages and Driveways. To foster visual interest along a neighborhood street, the street frontage devoted to protruding garage doors and driveway curb crossings will be limited. Generally, garages should be recessed, or if feasible, tucked into side or rear yards, using variety and creativity to avoid a streetscape dominated by the repetition of garage doors. Locating garages further form the street can allow narrower driveway frontage at the curb, leaving more room for an attractive streetscape. Policy AN-5.2 Alleys and Shared Driveways. Alleys and various forms of shared driveways are encouraged in order to improve the visual interest of neighborhood streets by reducing driveway curb cuts and street facing garage doors. Such alleys and driveways can also serve as locations for ancillary buildings, utilities, service functions, and interior -block parking access. Policy AN-5.3 Street Vistas. if possible, the view down a street should be designed to terminate in a visually interesting feature, and not terminate directly in a garage door. Each of these Principles and Policies of neighborhood design will be incorporated into the Spring Creek Farms master plan and will be enhanced and articulated through the detailed neighborhood design process and Project Development Plan submittals. The single-family product types may include alley loaded lots as well as conventional front loaded lots. All front loaded products will meet the garage door setback criteria. Because garage doors have recently become such a dominant feature in house facades, special attention will be focused on the design and placement of the garage in all the Spring Creek Farms homes. Garages will be designed to fully integrate with the floor plan of a house rather than appearing to be an after thought. All home designs shall incorporate methods to diminish the impact of the garage and garages doors and prevent residential streetscapes from being dominated by protruding garage doors. Several building techniques can be employed to achieve the desired effect. This will help to soften the impression of the garage on the streetscape. Varying the location and/or orientation on the garage will further mitigate their impact. All garage restrictions will be clearly defined in the design guidelines, after Spring Creek Farms receives P.D.P. approval from the City of Fort Collins. Garage guidelines will comply with the latest residential design guidelines set forth in the City's Land Use Code. All roads at Spring Creek Farms are intended to be safe and aesthetically pleasing byways for pedestrians as well as cars. A network of residential roads extends throughout the community and provides efficient access between the various individual blocks and other areas of interest. This network interconnects the blocks with the open spaces scattered throughout the community, but discourages through traffic at high speeds, rather the streets are intended to move traffic at safer and more modest speeds: These streets conform to an interconnected hierarchy of narrower pavement widths in order to calm traffic. Shared 10 open space areas in Spring Creek Farms consist of public parkways along the road network, pedestrian paths, community entries, and a central community park. Parkway lawns and small landscape areas are anticipated along the collector and local streets to further enhance community identity and sense of openness for Spring Creek Farms. The open spaces have been strategically placed throughout the community so as to be within short walking distance of as many homes as possible. They are also located to have a strong visual impact from neighborhood entries and local streets. Many of these open spaces will function primarily as semi -private, neighborhood landscaped areas where children and neighbors can congregate and recreate. The park may include a play area that is handicap accessible, a'grassy area for "free -form" games, a shaded picnic area, and/or an arbor/gazebo structure. The park will be surrounded by low volume local streets and defined by the fronts of homes, or will have the sides of homes facing it. The picnic area and play area, which are likely to be the most heavily used resources, will be screened with dense plantings as necessary, in order to offer privacy to adjacent neighbors. PRINCIPLE AN-4: Design policies for residential buildings are intended to emphasize creativity, diversity, and individuality. The following design policies are based on the. premise that truly creative design is responsive to its context and the expressed preferences of citizens, and contributes to a comfortable, interesting community. Policy AN-4.1 Multiple -Family Housing Characteristics. All multiple family buildings should be designed to reflect, to the extent possible, the characteristics and amenities typically associated with single- family detached houses. These characteristics and amenities include orientation of the front door to a neighborhood sidewalk and street, individual identity, private outdoor space, adequate parking and storage, access to sunlight, privacy, and security. Policy AN-4.2 Multiple -Family Building [variation. Multiple -building projects should offer variation among individual buildings, yet stay within a coordinated overall "design theme". Variation among buildings should be achieved by a combination of different footprints, facade treatment, roof forms, entrance features, and in specialized cases, building orientation. Monotonous complexes of identical buildings shall be discourage, although there may be ways to achieve visual interest among substantially identical buildings with a high degree of articulation on each building, combined with variation in massing on the site. Policy AN-4.3 Single -Family Housing Characteristics. Variation in house models in large developments should be encouraged, to avoid a monotonous streetscape, and eliminate the appearance of a standardized subdivision. The residential neighborhoods in Spring Creek Farms will have clearly definable edges. A variety of housing opportunities (size, type, neighborhood density, price, etc.) will be offered. The overall theme and image of the Spring Creek Farms community will be reflected through the architecture, lot and building layout and organization, landscape architecture, and the design and details of all ancillary structures in each neighborhood. By using streets that do not encourage high-speed through -traffic such as round -a -bouts and short through streets, pedestrian -friendly byways will be created in the neighborhoods. Spring Creek Farms fits well with the City's stated desire to promote quality developments. The proposed lot design and layout is responsive to the existing site conditions and surrounding uses. The size and shape of lots allows for a certain amount of creativity, diversity, and individuality not easily found among current residential developments. The intent of the residential design will be to emphasize visual interest and environmental quality within the community and through the residential architecture. Special care will be given to regulating the visual impact of items such as garage doors and porches, ensuring that all homes will be compliant with the City's latest residential design guidelines. The Spring Creek Farms plan is designed to maintain a residential neighborhood character. In "live -work units" the `work' spaces will face directly onto a street with a sidewalk in the traditional main street model. In order to ensure a strong street presence along the sidewalk, a uniform building faqade line will be encouraged. However, townhouse -style attached units will be designed to appear as individual townhouses. 9 separation between the park and the vehicle traffic in the neighborhood. Site furnishings will include benches and a gazebo. SUB CATEGORY — All New Neighborhoods (AN) PRINCIPLE AN-l: New neighborhoods will be integral parts of the broader community structure. Policy AN-1.1 Relationship to Residential Districts. A new neighborhood will be considered as part of a Residential District. In a Residential District, Low Density Mixed -Use Neighborhoods will be located around a Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood which has a Neighborhood Commercial Center or Community Commercial District as its core. This provides nearby access to most things a resident or household needs on an everyday basis. Policy AN-1.2 Street Networks. Neighborhood streets and sidewalks will form an interconnected network, including automobile, bicycle and pedestrian routes within a neighborhood and between neighborhoods, knitting neighborhoods together and not forming barriers between them. Dead ends and cul-de-sacs should be avoided or minimized. Multiple streets and sidewalks will connect into and out of a neighborhood. Streets will converge upon or lead directly to the shared facilities in the neighborhood. Policy AN-1.3 Traffic Calming. For a network to provide a desirable residential environment, it must be designed to discourage excessive speeding and cut -through traffic. Street widths and corner curb radii should be as narrow as possible, while still providing safe access for emergency and service vehicles. Frequent, controlled intersections, raised and textured crosswalks, and various other specialized measures may be used to slow and channel traffic without unduly hampering convenient, direct access and mobility. The Overall Development Plan for Spring Creek Farm is designed to reflect the new, neighborhood requirements as outlined in Policy An-L 1. The plan incorporates both low and medium density housing and a small commercial center, with easy access to existing transportation opportunities. The plan includes a neighborhood street system that is in compliance with stated traffic calming principals. The interior streets are intentionally designed to have a lane style. This will serve to provide visual interest to the streetscape, reduce neighborhood traffic speeds, and reinforce the sense of the small neighborhood scale sought for this community. These goals are also achieved through the use of traffic calming devices such as round -a -bouts, which control traffic flow and speed, and raised and/or patterned pedestrian crosswalks. The interior street layout has also been designed to ensure that Fire apparatus can enter, exit, and maneuver within the neighborhood. The entry landscapes of Spring Creek Farms development will feature shade trees, attractive landscaping, fencing, and some form of distinctive community identification monumentation. Pedestrians will be able to move conveniently along the perimeter of the site as well as through the site and out onto East Drake Road or Timberline Road and access the multi -modal transportation corridor along the community's western boundary. The internal road is designed to safely and comfortably accommodate pedestrians and vehicles under the City's design standards. The street light fixtures will be designed for pedestrian scale, while providing adequate lighting for safety and community identification purposes. PRINCIPLE AN-l: A wide range of open lands, such as small parks, squares, greens, play fields, natural areas, orchards, and gardens, greenways, and other outdoor spaces should be integrated into neighborhoods. Policy AN-2.1 Neighborhood Parks and Outdoor Spaces. Each neighborhood should have small parks or other outdoor spaces located within walking distance of all homes. Outdoor spaces should be designed in conjunction with streets and walkways, to be a formative, purposeful part of land development, and not merely residual areas left over from site planning for other purposes. They should be mostly surrounded by streets or house fronts, to maintain safety and visibility. 8 building massing, and relationships to streets and sidewalks will contribute to a distinctive local district, corridor, or neighborhood. The commercial area at Spring Creek Farm is anticipated to serve the daily needs of area residents traveling on East Drake and Timberline Roads, as well as the local neighborhood, offering a variety of goods and services. The site plan for this area is oriented with the surrounding neighborhoods and land uses in mind. It is configured to provide easy pedestrian and vehicular access to the same users it serves. The design of any use within the commercial area will be architecturally "finished" to a similar degree. This compatibility will be expressed in terms of similar building materials, color, massing, and scale and design details in accordance with the City's visual goals for commercial properties. There will also be a common landscape concept and a master circulation plan that compliments the overall theme of the Spring Creek Farms community. Established landscape and parking lot standards for commercial areas will be utilized. Parking lot screening will be required. SUB CATEGORY — Residential Districts (RD) Policy RD-1.2 Pattern of Streets and Blocks. Multiple connecting streets in a Residential District should knit the neighborhoods together, not form barriers. Streets, bikeways and walkways must form a unifying network that provides convenient routes to destinations within the district without forcing trips onto arterial streets. Connecting streets should lead directly to or converge upon Neighborhood Commercial Centers or a Community Commercial District. Policy RD-1.3 Street Design. Prominent connecting streets in a Residential District should be enhanced by forming circles, squares, medians, or other special places to recall history, give identity, and calm traffic. Tree -lined streets and boulevards, with inviting, landscaped walkways, parkways and medians, will add to the image of these districts as safe and comfortable places to live. The street and block design and pattern at Spring Creek Farms responds to the directives of Policies RD- 1.2 and RD- 1.3 listed above. Spring Creeks Farms has been organized to create an environment in which connections to various areas and uses within the development are clear and comfortable for pedestrians and bikes, as well as cars. There is no need to use arterial streets to access destinations such as the Neighborhood Center within the community. The streets within Spring Creek Farms knit the site together and also provide convenient connections to the various modes of transportation located adjacent to the property, including the City's Multi -Modal Transportation Corridor situated along the western edge of this community. The streets are used to form a centrally located park within Spring Creek Farms. Shade trees and other landscape amenities will be an integral part of the streetscape, and are to be detailed on the future landscape plan. Street trees will be used in a formal architectural way to reinforce, define, and connect the space created by the lot layout and street formation. A mixture of canopy shade trees will make up the majority of the tree plantings and they will be arranged to establish a partial tree canopy cover. The shade trees will be balanced by the presence of evergreen and decorative flowering species specifically selected to flourish in Colorado's climate. Existing healthy trees will be preserved whenever possible. Policy RD-5.2 Parks. Several types of parks should be planned. a. Small Neighborhood Parks (about I to 2 acres): Small parks and outdoor spaces should be provided within walking distance (about 113 mile) of most residences to provide both informal recreation opportunities and neighborhood gathering places. These parks should typically consist of unprogrammed multi -use grassy areas, walking paths, plazas, picnic tables, benches, gardens, and other features for all ages to enjoy. The Overall Development Plan for Spring Creek Farms includes a one (1) acre park, centrally located and easily accessible from any area on the site. This park is essentially an unprogrammed multi -use grass field. A path will encircle the park and the center of the park will be slightly depressed in order to enforce the 7 Policy CAD-1.4 Street Tree Design. Street trees should be used in a formal architectural fashion to reinforce, define and connect the spaces and corridors created by buildings and other features along a street. Canopy shade trees shall constitute the majority of tree plantings, and a mixture of tree types shall be included, arranged to establish partial urban tree canopy over. Existing trees shall be preserved to the maximum extent feasible. The Overall Development Plan for Spring Creek Farms indicates one (1) access point for public vehicles off of East Drake Road, and three (3) access points along Timberline Road, meeting the City's access/intersection criteria. Spring Creek Farms will be designed with an interconnected, hierarchical street system that is integrated with the surrounding community as demonstrated on the Overall Development Plan. Turn lanes into Spring Creek Farms will be provided to maximize traffic safety and as required by City standards. The proposed Spring Creek Farms project will be served by East Drake Road and Timberline Road, existing minor and major arterial roads, and will not require the construction of any new roads other than the interior roads that will serve the new development. These new streets will be functional, safe, and visually appealing, and have been planned to meet City design standards to maximize visual appeal, functionality, and accessibility. The plan includes a neighborhood street system that is in compliance with stated traffic calming principals. The interior streets are intentionally designed; to have a lane style. Well -landscaped and lighted street corridors will be a key component of the community identity. This will serve to provide visual interest to the streetscape, reduce neighborhood traffic speeds, and reinforce the sense of the small neighborhood feel sought for this community. These goals are also achieved through the use of traffic calming devices such as round -a -bouts, which control traffic flow and speed, and raised and/or patterned pedestrian crosswalks. The interior street layout has also been designed to ensure that Fire apparatus can enter, exit, and maneuver within the neighborhood. All streets within Spring Creek Farms will meet city design standards. Shade trees and other landscape amenities will be an integral part of the streetscape, to be detailed on the landscape plan. Street trees will be used in a formal architectural way to reinforce, define, and connect the space created by the lot layout and street formation. A mixture of canopy shade trees will make up the majority of the tree plantings and they will be arranged to establish a partial tree canopy cover. The shade trees will be balanced by the presence of evergreen and decorative flowering species specifically selected to flourish in Colorado's climate. Existing healthy trees will be preserved whenever possible. Streetscape tree design will reinforce the structure of the Spring Creek Farms plan and define connections between spaces and places within the community. PRINCIPLE CAD-2: Public spaces, such as plazas, civic buildings, outdoor spaces, parks, and gateway landscapes should be designed to be functional, accessible, attractive, safe and comfortable. Policy CAD-2.2 Public Space Design. Mixed -use commercial and civic design proposals should incorporate one or several design components related to the public outdoor space including pedestrian circulation, transit facilities, plazas, pocket parks, sitting areas, children's play areas and public art. The proposed site plan for Spring Creek Farms incorporates a large centralized park that will include a combination of an active play area and passive landscaped open space designed for all aspects of the public realm. The plan also provides multiple opportunities for designated smaller outdoor areas as public spaces, in addition to the landscaped corridors established in the pedestrian circulation system. PRINCIPLE CAD-3: Commercial developments create a powerful impression of the city, both individually and taken together as a whole. While corporate franchises and chain stores will remain vital and recognizable, commercial developments will be designed to contribute to Fort Collins' distinct visual quality and uniqueness. Policy CAD-3.2 Compatibility with Surrounding Development. Proposed commercial buildings must contribute to the positive character of the area. Building materials, architectural details, color range, 6 Policy TC-4.5 Inftll and Redevelopment. The city will encourage infll and redevelopment in corridors that complement and support the efficiency of the Transportation Corridor. Spring Creek Farms offers the City of Fort Collins the opportunity to approve an excellent example of integrated planning. The site location and proposed product mix at Spring Creek Farms is very much in keeping with the City's stated desire to locate new development so as to take advantage of existing or planned transit services. People who live and/or work in Spring Creek Farms will be able to make use of the existing Transportation Corridors, East Drake Road and Timberline Road, and/or the multi -modal transportation system. This infill development certainly supports the City's desires with regard to the utilization of public transportation and integrated planning. Policy TC-5.1 Integrated Transportation Systems. A network of Enhanced Travel Corridors will connect to other Transportation Corridors and to regional facilities in cooperation with neighboring and regional transportation systems. Policy TC-5.3 Facility Design. Facility design will support pedestrians, transit, and bicycles, and will be matched to appropriately support the surrounding development to create a substantially focused pedestrian scale urban design. Policy TC-5.4 Pedestrian/Transit Interface. Enhanced Travel Corridors shall have the highest level of service with respect to the interface of pedestrian and transit. A fundamental consideration in the design of an Enhanced Travel Corridor will be to make the environment of the corridor and access to transit — safe, secure, and convenient for pedestrians. Part of the concept for Spring Creek Farms is the improvement of existing pedestrian connections around and into the site. Spring Creek Farms is uniquely located to take advantage of existing transportation options as well as the commercial development that is planned around the site. The existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities could be improved to generate more use and the existing transportation corridors would certainly benefit from some enhancement efforts. Both types of improvements would help create a better Pedestrian/Transit interface as described in Policy TC-5.4 above. As the application/approval process progresses, the Municipal Transit Authority will be contacted in order to integrate viable public transportation stops into the overall community design. Community Appearance and Design (CAD) PRINCIPLE CAD-1: Each addition to the street system will be designed with consideration to the visual character and the experience of the citizens who will use the street system and the adjacent property. Together, the layout of the street network and the street themselves will contribute to the character, form and scale of the city. Policy CAD-1.1 Street Design Standards. All new public streets must conform to City street standards. Alternative street designs may be approved by the City where they are needed to accommodate unique situations, such as important landscape features or distinctive characteristics of a neighborhood or district, provided that they meet necessary safety, accessibility and maintenance requirements. Policy CAD-1.1 Street Layout. New streets will make development an integrated extension of the community. The street pattern will be simple, interconnected and direct, avoiding circuitous routes. Multiple routes should be provided between key destinations. Streets should be located to consider physical features, and to create views and prominent locations for civic landmarks such as parks, plazas and schools. Policy CAD-1.3 Streetscape Design. All new streets will be functional, safe and visually appealing. Shade trees, landscaped medians and parkways, public art, and other amenities will be included in the Streetscape. 5 Transportation Corridors in the Fort Collins City Plan. The O.D.P./conceptual site plan was designed in accordance with the City's block standards, providing a pedestrian scale to the entire community. The plan includes a pedestrian circulation system that is integrated within the neighborhood and surrounding development and open spaces and a neighborhood street system that is in compliance with, stated traffic calming principals. The interior streets are intentionally designed to have a lane style. This will serve to provide visual interest to the streetscape, reduce neighborhood traffic speeds, and reinforce the sense of the small neighborhood feel sought for this community. These goals are also achieved through the use of traffic calming devices such as round -a -bouts, which control traffic flow and speed, and raised and/or patterned pedestrian crosswalks. The interior street layout has also been designed to ensure that Fire apparatus can enter, exit, and maneuver within the neighborhood. PRINCIPLE T-6: Street crossings will be developed to be safe, comfortable, and attractive PRINCIPLE T-7: The City will encourage the development of comfortable and attractive pedestrian facilities and settings to create and interesting pedestrian network. PRINCIPLE T-8: The City shall develop secure pedestrian settings by developing a well -lit inhabited pedestrian network and by mitigating the impacts of vehicles. Spring Creek Farms will incorporate a variety of design elements that provide traffic calming and allow for safe and convenient pedestrian travel. Details for crossings, lighting, signalization, areas for seating and outdoor art will be determined and provided for with subsequent project development plan submittals. Part of the concept for Spring Creek Farms is the improvement of existing pedestrian connections around and into the site. Spring Creek Farms is uniquely located to take advantage of existing transportation options as well as the commercial development that is planned around the site. The existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities could be improved to generate more use and the existing transportation corridors would certainly benefit from some enhancement efforts. Both types of improvements would help create a better Pedestrian/Transit interface. , SUB CATEGORY — Transportation Corridor (TC) PRINCIPLE TC-3: The essential element in a Transportation Corridor is the pedestrian/transit interface. Convenience, access, safety, and aesthetics should be of priority when designing for pedestrian access. Policy TC-3.1 Pedestrian Plan. The safety and security of the pedestrian will be a fundamental consideration in the design of a Transportation Corridor. The five principles of the City's adopted Pedestrian Plan — directness, continuity, street crossings, visual interest and amenity, and security - as well as he the standards, policies and regulations of the Plan, will be implemented in Transportation Corridor. While the plan has been organized to encourage pedestrian travel within Spring Creek Farms, it is especially concerned with encouraging travel to the existing public transportation opportunities that surround the site, especially the planned Multi -Modal Transportation Corridor. The plan of Spring Creek Farms is sensitive to needs of pedestrians and bicyclist, moving inside the development, and their need to safely reach the public transportation options available to them just outside the proposed community. Sidewalks are located on every street and there are multiple points where a pedestrian can exit the neighborhood and make their way directly, and conveniently to the existing Transportation Corridors. Policy TC-4.1 Integrated Planning. The important relationship between land use and transportation will be reflected in policy decisions, management strategies, and investments that are coordinated, complementary and support the City Structure Plan. 4 Pedestrian walks are planned throughout Spring Creek Farms. Local streets will complete an efficient road system and transit stops will be located as required for convenient use by residents and multiple links from Spring Creek Farms to the multi -modal transportation corridor will exist. PRINCIPLE T-4: Bicycling will serve as a viable alternative to automobile use for all trip purposes. Policy 4.1 Bicycle Facilities. The City will encourage bicycling for transportation through an urban growth pattern that places major activity centers and neighborhood destinations within a comfortable bicycling distance, that assures safe and convenient access by bicycle, and that reduces the prominence of motorized transportation in neighborhoods and other pedestrian and bicyclist -oriented districts. 'Facility design will also plan for: a. Continuous bicycle facilities that establish system continuity and consistency city-wide. Facility design will be incorporated into development and street construction projects -linking to adjacent facilities. b. Bicycle access should be improved to major activity centers, schools and neighborhoods, and barriers removed in these areas to improve circulation. Facility development, safety and convenience should be established throughout these destinations. Level of service standards for bicyclists should be higher within these areas. The plan for Spring Creek Farms will include a bicycle transportation system that will be well integrated with the city-wide system. Appropriate details for safety, lane widths, and other design treatments will be incorporated into the Spring Creek Farms Master Plan during subsequent project development plan submittals. PRINCIPLE T-5: The City will acknowledge pedestrian travel as a viable transportation mode and elevate it in importance to be in balance with all other modes. Direct pedestrian connections will be provided and encouraged from place of residence to transit, schools, activity centers, work and public facilities. Policy T-5 .1 Land Use. The City will promote a mix of land uses and activities that will maximize the potential for pedestrian mobility throughout the community. Policy T-5.2 Connections: Pedestrian connections will be clearly visible and accessible, incorporating markings, -signage, lighting and paving materials. Other important pedestrian considerations include: a. Building entries as viewed from the street should be clearly marked. Buildings should be sited in ways to make their entries or intended uses clear to and convenient for pedestrians. b. . The location and pattern of streets, buildings and open spaces must facilitate• direct pedestrian access. Commercial buildings should provide direct access from street corners to improve access to bus stop facilities. Shopping areas should provide for pedestrian and bicycle connections to adjoining neighborhoods. c. Creating barriers which separate commercial developments front residential areas and transit should be avoided. Lot patterns should provide safe and direct pedestrian connections from residential areas to schools, parks, transit, employment centers, and other neighborhood uses. The O.D.P./conceptual site plan for Spring Creek Farms has been very carefully planned to encourage pedestrian circulation throughout the development and to adjacent uses. The plan is designed with densities that are appropriate for the particular site as well as the surrounding areas and the plan encourages connections to the properties, amenities, and services that already surround Spring Creek Farms. The proposed streets in and out of Spring Creek Farms provide direct access for vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians via detached sidewalks within a parkway/tree lawn travel environment. The proposed streets also provide direct access to East Drake Road and Timberline Road, which have been identified as 3 PRINCIPLE L U-l: The city will maintain and enhance its character and sense of place as defined by, its neighborhoods, districts, corridors, and edges. Policy LU-2.1 City -Wide Structure. The city will adopt a city-wide structure of neighborhoods, districts, corridors, and edges as means of creating identifiable places and achieving the goals of compact development that is well -served by all modes of travel. Policy LU Z2 Urban Designs. The design review process, supplemented by design standards and guidelines, will be used to promote new construction and redevelopment that contribute positively to the type of neighborhoods, districts, corridors, and edges described herein while emphasizing the special identity of each area. Spring Creek Farms fits within the larger context of Fort Collins, Colorado as a neighborhood linked to existing community facilities, employment opportunities, and public amenities. Spring Creek Farms is ideally located to take advantage of existing transportation, meet current housing needs, and contribute to the preservation of the City's integrity/existing assets while providing logical connections to the separate uses that surround the property. Spring Creek Farms will be designed as an easily identifiable neighborhood with a strong sense of place. The pattern of streets, arrangement and relationship of land use and housing types and placement of key open space elements all influence the image and identity of the community. Strict attention to quality urban design and landscape architecture will be emphasized with formalized landscape treatments and monumentation along streetscapes and the neighborhood park, open spaces, and the neighborhood center. Transportation (T) PRINCIPLE T-1: The physical organization of the city will be supported by a framework of transportation alternatives that maximizes access and mobility throughout the city, while reducing dependence upon the private automobile. Policy T-1.1 Land Use Patterns. The city will implement land use patterns, parking policies, and demand management plans that support effective transit, and efficient roadway system, and alternative transportation modes. Appropriate residential densities and non-residential land uses should be within walking distance of transit stops, permitting public transit to become a viable alternative to the automobile. {� Policy T-1.2 Multi -Model Streets. Street corridors will provide for safe and convenient use of all modes of Aj j 9V u� travel, including motor vehicles, transit, bicycles, and pedestrians. lv� lQ/t Aaµyi �V Policy T-1.3 Street Design Criteria. The City will establish street design criteria to support transit, ride- ,� V VLG sharing and non -motorized modes of transportation, which minimize conflicts between transportation �OV modes, are compatible with surrounding land uses, and meet the needs of the users. The proposed site plan for Spring Creek Farms carefully integrates several residential densities with non- residential employment uses in an area that benefits from existing transit options. East Drake Road and Timberline Road have been identified as Transportation Corridors in the City Plan. The site plan for Spring Creek Farms calls for a mixture of residential and non-residential uses to be located within easy walking distance of the established transportation corridors. The site plan for Spring Creek Farms is organized on the premise that the placated for multi -model system and existing land use patterns will be used and supported by this new development. In addition, transit in a variety of forms, with appropriate residential densities and land uses have been arranged in Spring Creek Farms to encourage walking and the use of alternatives to the automobile. The proposed streets in and out of Spring Creek Farms provide direct access to both roads for vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians via detached sidewalks. East Drake Road, a minor arterial collector and Timberline Road, a major arterial, will be accessed via a collector and/or connector streets that are planned in compliance with the City of Fort Collins Master Streets Plan. 9 Statement of Planning Obi ectives/Principies and Policies SPRING CREEK FARMS — OVERALL DEVELOPMEMT PLAN: This document will address the Community Wide Principles and Policies of the Fort Collins City Plan in the following order: - Land Use (LU) - Transportation (T) Transportation Corridor (TC) - Community Appearance and Design (CAD) - Residential Districts (RD) - All New Neighborhoods (AN). - Economic Sustainability and Development (ECON) - Employment Districts (ED) - Housing (HSG) - All New Low Density Mixed -Use Neighborhoods (LMN) - All New Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhoods (MMN) - Environment (ENV) Natural Areas and Open Lands (NOL) Growth Management (GM) Because the Overall Development Plan for Spring Creek Farms presents a distinct and diverse place that contains a mixture of use and activities, the plan and this document addresses the four (4) basic kinds of places identified in the City Structure Plan (Neighborhoods, Districts, Corridors, and Edges). In each of the, eight (8) categories and sub -categories listed above, areas of general and/or specific compliance have been identified. Each of the City's four (4) kinds of places is also discussed within the specific framework laid out by the City Principles and Policies. Land Use (LU) PRINCIPLE LU-1: Growth within the city will promote a compact development pattern within a well- defined boundary. Policy LU-1.1 Compact Urban Form. The desired urban form will be achieved by directing future development to mixed -use neighborhoods and districts while reducing the potential for dispersed growth not conductive to pedestrian and transit use and cohesive community development. The proposed land uses, densities, and design included in the rezoning request and O.D.P. for Spring Creek Farms depict a development that is compact and has clearly defined boundaries. The development plan also reflects a desire to compliment contiguous growth and development in Fort Collins. The Spring Creek Farms site is located within an area where mixed uses already exist. Because the area is already well Spring Creek Farms will help in defined, and the proposed development compliments the contiguous uses, �S {ll the creation of a more cohesive neighborhood, that is consistent and complimentary to adjacent land uses. Spring Creek Farms will be developed as a mixed -use neighborhood with a variety of housing types and homes, center, a neighborhood 0 densities including single-family homes, multi -family a neighborhood park, Vt# and open spaces with a variety of pedestrian and bicycle trails and walks, all providing for growth within a desired compact urban form. This development plan represents an infill condition that exemplifies compact urban development. The pattern created by the street layout, the lot arrangement, and the relationship of the building envelopes to open space all influence the image and identity of the neighborhood. Detailed attention to community design in relation to the Fort Collins Land Use Code has been emphasized in the planning of Spring Creek Farms. PLANNING 1 L A N D S C A r E ARCHITECTURE V DEV,L0PMENT CONSULTING urban design associates October 10, 2000 Mr. Cameron Gloss, Director Current Planning Department 281 N. College Avenue Fort Collins, Colorado 80522-0580 RE: Johnson Farm/Spring Creek Farms Dear Mr. Gloss: This letter accompanies the re -submission of a Rezoning, Structure Plan Amendment, and an Overall Development Plan for Johnson Farm/Spring Creek Farms. The items necessary for a complete re -submittal are included in the package that is being turned into Voneen Macklin in Current Planning by 9:00 am today, Tuesday October 10111, 2000. Attached please find a revised copy of the Statement of Planning Objectives/Principles and Policies. As you may recall, the inclusion of "live/work units" at Spring Creek Farms was questioned in our Conceptual Review. It appears that our intent is met under the current Home Occupation Ordinance. Therefore, we have removed all language regarding "live/work units" from our text. We look forward to meeting with you regarding this project at the future traffic design charette. Thank you for your time and consideration. Nuszer-Kopatz Urban Design Associates CK: eom 1129 CHEROKEE STREET T DENVER T CO T 80204 T 303/534.3881 T FAX 303/534.3884 mainbox@nuszer-kopatz.com