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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRIGDEN FARM, 8TH FILING, THE SHOPS @ RIGDEN FARM - PDP - 56-98R - DECISION - MINUTES/NOTESPlanning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 15 Vice-chairman Gavaldon asked Planner Olt how the City applied the big box standards to the King Soopers itself with the two attached retail buildings. Planner Olt replied that based on the definition of Large Retail Establishment, the King Soopers and the attached retail stores A and B are one building and are subject to the Large Retail Establishment criteria. Member Carpenter moved for approval of the Rigden Farm, 8ch Filing, The Shops at Rigden Farm (King Soopers) Project Development Plan, File #56- 98R citing the findings of fact and conclusions in the staff report. Member Meyer seconded the motion. Member Craig stated that she commended the applicant for putting in exactly what City Plan called for in the area but she expressed concern about the project truly meeting the big box standards. Planner Olt stated that supermarkets are exempt from the parking distribution standard in the Large Retail Establishment section of the Land Use Code. The fact that all parking is on the south side of the building and is not distributed around, does meet the code because of this exemption. Member Colton stated that if this project actually does meet the big box standards, he would be concerned about the big box section being written properly. He thought the intent was not to have a 66,000 square foot building with only one entrance in the middle. He stated he would like clarification on the multiple entrance standards. Member Carpenter stated that the King Soopers on Harmony only has one entrance and that this project cannot really be held to a different standard. The motion was approved 6-0. Project: Rigden Farm, 10th Filing, Pioneer Charter School, Site Plan Advisory Review Project Description: Request for a two-story, 26,255 square foot charter school building on a 4.27 acre site. The proposed student population will be 360 students in grades 7 though 12. The site includes an entire block, surrounded by Custer Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 14 on it. The issue has not been addressed as to whether or not the center would be required to make that pedestrian connection. Member Carpenter stated that has been a requirement in the past, especially with a school involved. Director Gloss stated that both properties front on Custer Drive which will have a detached public sidewalk along it after completion of this project. It was determined that the sidewalk is already existing. Member Colton stated concern over the Drake and Timberline frontages having no entrances. He stated that the intent of the big box standards was to have multiple entrances and that perhaps this design was not meeting the intent of the standard. Planner Olt replied that the side of the building facing Drake Road is the service and truck entrance. There is a direct public sidewalk connection from Timberline to the grocery store entry. Planner Olt stated that he could not recall any other supermarkets, other than Toddy's, that have multiple entrances. Though the project has an internal entrance into the store, it does provide direct pedestrian connectivity to Timberline Road. Member Colton asked the applicant to address the possibility of putting in another customer entrance. Mr. Anderson stated that the big box on the site will be not only the King Soopers, but also the attached retail buildings. This does allow for multiple entrances. Member Schmidt asked if there were entrances into the back of the retail from the rear parking. Mr. Anderson replied that the building is not a two-sided building. There will not be any cut -through pedestrian traffic. There are emergency and employee access doors at the rear of the building. There is unobstructed pedestrian access from Timberline Road to the King Soopers entrance. Member Colton clarified that the other retail entrances are referred to as "Retail A" and "Retail B" on the site plan. He stated that he didn't consider those entrances to be other entrances into the big box. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 13 entrance. All entrances shall be architecturally prominent, clearly visible from the abutting public street. Where a large retail establishment directly faces more than two abutting public streets, this requirement shall apply to two sides of the building." He added that this project does not face two streets. Member Craig asked about the screening along Drake — Mr. Anderson stated that the screen was 8 feet in height, on the site plan it is 10 feet in height, and Planner Olt mentioned that it is 10 feet in height. Planner Olt replied that he scaled it at 10 feet from the plan. Member Craig stated her concern about the size of the screen as far as scale in going past it. She asked about the possibility of putting in evergreen trees or shrubs along the wall and how they would fit into the existing trees. Planner Olt replied that the trees are between the sidewalk and the masonry screen wall. We could ask the applicant if they would be agreeable to putting some evergreens in there but it may not improve the situation visually. Member Craig asked if the trees are existing or will be planted. Planner Olt replied that they will be planted. Linda Ripley stated that there are 4 trees planned for that area but it is at the most an 8-foot wide strip. In between and under the trees, there are junipers on each end and a broadleaf evergreen that will climb up the wall a bit. Mr. Anderson replied that the masonry screen height is not specifically designated on the plan right now. With this close proximity between the wall and sidewalk, a 10-foot wall may be a little imposing. Mr. Anderson stated that they would commit to an 8-foot wall. Ms. Ripley stated that she was unsure of how high the broadleaf evergreen would grow but she could substitute the species for one that would certainly cover the wall. Member Carpenter asked about the pedestrian walkways between the shopping center and the Pioneer Charter School. Planner Olt stated that there would likely be a sidewalk with future development, there is currently intervening property that does not have a development proposal Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 12 Mr. Stanford replied that trucks currently run up and down Drake and Ziegler quite often and that the roads will handle the traffic. Member Craig expressed concern over the volume of traffic. Mr. Stanford stated that staff cannot tell them not to use that route as other truck traffic has been successfully doing so for years. Mr. Stanford stated that he may have been wrong about Drake being a four -lane road. He asked the applicant's engineer what the current plans are, stating that the road may actually be a three -lane cross section. Ron Bellits (?), the traffic study engineer for the project, stated that west of Timberline Road, Drake Road is a four -lane arterial. East of Timberline Road, Drake Road is classified as a two-lane arterial. It will have a four -lane cross section as it approaches the Timberline intersection but in a few hundred feet to the east, it will narrow down to a three -lane cross section with a center turn lane. Member Craig asked if the Master Street Plan showed Drake as a two-lane at that location. Mr. Bellits replied that it did. It is a two-lane cross section as it wraps all the way around and becomes Ziegler Road up until it hits Horsetooth. At Horsetooth, Ziegler becomes a four -lane cross section again. Member Craig asked what the big box threshold is for leaving a pedestrian gap between buildings. Planner Olt replied that the Land Use Code shows no such requirement in the Large Retail Establishment Section. Member Carpenter asked if the standards required an alternate building entrance to the store. Planner Olt replied that the supermarket only has one entrance but that the attached retail has 5 or 6 separate points of entry. Vice -Chairman Gavaldon stated that the Home Depot on Harmony Road was required to have two points of entry. Planner Olt replied that the code states "All sides of a large retail establishment that directly face an abutting public street shall feature at least one customer Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 11 on the users to abide by traffic laws when using the lanes. The turn meets all standards. Member Craig asked Planner Olt if it was a 25-foot radius. Planner Olt replied that he was unsure. Mr. Anderson replied that it is a 25-foot radius. Planner Olt stated that the future transit stop will be in the southwest corner of the site. Mr. Anderson replied that the stop will be on northbound Timberline between Custer and the right -turn access, in the deceleration lane. Member Craig asked Mr. Stanford if Drake Road heading east would be two lanes and Drake Road heading west would be one lane going into two lanes. Mr. Stanford replied that there are two eastbound lanes of Drake Road east of Timberline. It is proposed to be a four -lane in time and this project is providing funds for that. Westbound Drake on the west side of Timberline is four -lane. Drake and Ziegler will both be improved to four -lane roadways in the future. Member Craig asked what Drake would look like with the build -out of this project. Mr. Stanford replied that it would be four -lane, two lanes in each direction. Linda Ripley, VF Ripley Associates, spoke regarding the landscaping issues. The developer has stated that a xeriscape landscape is desired; that has been provided while also meeting the City standards for a center like this. Xeriscape design includes many principles other that just eliminating blue grass. Shrub areas have been increased and turf areas decreased as much as possible. An irrigation system will put all the trees and shrubs on drip systems and the turf on a pocket system. The turf is only identified as turf at this time, the type has not yet been determined. Some of the fescue mixes that require less water than blue grass do not last as long in a drought situation. Blue grass does not often need as much water as people use on it. Member Craig asked Mr. Stanford about the truck route heading toward Ziegler because that area can not handle truck traffic. She asked what staff had determined when looking at the truck routes. Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 10 trees on the site. There will be an 8 foot masonry screen fence around the loading dock and truck parking areas. The development to the north of Drake Road will be screened from noise as well as visually from that loading area. Mr. Anderson stated that in addition to the existing sidewalks along Timberline, there will be sidewalks surrounding this development. From the King Soopers, there will be two pedestrian access spines, one oriented north -south, and a pedestrian ring internal to the site which passes in front of the King Soopers, in front of the retail and pad sites, and down to the future bank. Architecturally, there is a variety of building materials and elevations to make the buildings more visually appealing. Public Input Woody Hesselbarth, 2827 Chase, gave his testimony to the Board. He expressed excitement about the shopping center being part of the neighborhood. Mr. Hesselbarth stated concern about slowing traffic down coming off two 40 mph streets into the parking lots. He also stated that he would like to see bicycle parking and a bus stop at the site. Mr. Hesselbarth stated concern about the Land Use Code requirement for turf to be planted between the sidewalks and street. He would like to instead see excellent xeriscape projects with drip irrigation to be used as an example. Carl Glaser, 215 Jefferson and a property owner in Rigden Farm, gave his testimony to the Board. He praised the design work on the project. He asked if the Board could waive delays of the project as it would benefit the project as well as the people of Rigden Farm. He urged the Board to approve this project unconditionally and allow it to proceed as soon as possible. Charlie Lanter, 2902 Rigden Parkway and manager of the Master and Residential Homeowners Associations, stated that feedback that he has received indicates that the project can not be approved and built fast enough. Public Input Closed Member Craig asked Ward Stanford, Traffic Operations Department, to address the traffic questions. He stated that the right -in, right -out lane is a little shorter than the full desired length, but it is within the standards. It is not a stop condition, it is a moving condition. It is likely that the turn is a 25-foot radius turn, not a 40- foot radius turn as indicated in the traffic study. This will mitigate speeds. There will not be speed bumps on roadways of that type. There is responsibility placed Planning and Zoning Board Minutes September 4, 2003 Page 9 with respect to how many people will live in each apartment. The partial pavement of the alley should help the traffic problems. The motion was approved 6-0. Project: Rigden Farm, 8th Filing, The Shops at Rigden (King Soopers), Project Development Plan Project Description: Request for a neighborhood service (shopping) center on 10.5 acres. There will be a total of 114,338 square feet of supermarket, retail and commercial uses in 7 buildings. A total of 453 parking spaces will be provided on the shopping center site. The property is located at the southeast corner of East Drake Road and south Timberline Road and is zoned NC, Neighborhood Commercial. Staff Recommendation: Approval Hearing Testimony, Written Comments and Other Evidence: City Planner Steve Olt gave the staff presentation, recommending approval. Planner Olt stated that the site is at the Southeast corner of Timberline Road and East Drake Road. The site takes up about 10 acres in a 23-acre neighborhood center parcel. King Soopers is the base of this project, it is a 66,000 square foot supermarket with 12,000 square feet of attached retail. As part of Phase One, there will also be other retail and a bank building. The entire parking lot, 453 spaces, will also be built in Phase One. The project is in compliance with Section 3 and Section 4.19, being the Neighborhood Commercial Center portion of the Land Use Code. The supermarket is subject to the City's Large Retail Establishment Section of the Code and it does meet the requirements. Architecturally, the supermarket will match the other retail buildings in Phase One. John Kozlowski, a developer of the project, stated that the project has been in the process for about two years. Jeff Anderson, the architect representative for Wyatt and Associates Architects, gave a presentation. Along Drake Road, two curb cuts are designed to get semi trucks in and out of the site. These cuts will preserve the existing cottonwood Council Liaison: Karen Weitkunat Chairperson: Mikal Torgerson Vice Chair: Jerry Gavaldon Staff Liaison: Cameron Gloss Phone: (W) 416-7435 Phone: (H) 484-2034 Chairperson Torgerson called the meeting to order at 6:32 p.m. Roll Call: Schmidt, Colton, Meyer, Carpenter, Craig, and Gavaldon. Staff Present: Gloss, Eckman, Stanford, Jones, Olt, Deines. Director of Current Planning Cameron Gloss reviewed the Consent and Discussion Agendas: Consent Agenda: 1. Minutes of the April 10, 2003 Planning and Zoning Board Hearing. (Continued) 2. #23-03 City of Fort Collins Vehicle Storage and Operations Service Maintenance Facility Rezoning Discussion Agenda: 3. #35-99A 607 Cowan Street Project Development Plan 4. #56-98R Rigden Farm, 8th Filing, The Shops at Rigden (King Soopers) Project Development Plan 5. #56-98U Rigden Farm, 10th Filing, Pioneer Charter School Site Plan Advisory Review 6. #29-03 325 Cherry Street Modification of Standards Planning Director Gloss stated that the August 21, 2003 meeting minutes would be completed in the next week in preparation for a City Council Report regarding the Vine Drive and 1-25 Rezoning. Member Schmidt moved for approval of Consent Item 2. Member Craig seconded the motion. Member Colton stated that he had been concerned about the City of Fort Collins Vehicle Storage and Operations Service Maintenance Facility Rezoning given that the site had originally been zoned Public Open Lands. Doug Moore, with the City Natural Resources Department, informed Member Colton prior to the hearing, that the property had not been purchased with Open Space money as the City does not rezone POL