HomeMy WebLinkAboutHARMONY SAFEWAY, BLOCKBUSTER - FINAL - 33-94C - CORRESPONDENCE - STAFF'S PROJECT COMMENTSshelving, or other structural or non-structural elements that are painted or colored,
in any way as to resemble the logo, sign or corporate identity of the business
contained therein."
18. The bank should feature a walk-up automatic teller machine so pedestrians do not
have to navigate the drive-thru lane. Will there be an interior, secured A.T.M. for
pedestrians? If the pedestrian A.T.M is exterior, then loud, bright colors will not
be allowed. An exterior A.T.M. must feature materials that match the building's
exterior and not be in sharp contrast like the one at Riverside and Lemay.
19. ' Please add the following note to both Site and Landscape Plans:
"All landscaping shall be installed or secured with an irrevocable letter of credit,
performance bond, escrow account or check for 125% of the valuation of the
landscape installation (materials and labor) prior to issuance of a Certificate of
Occupancy."
20. Please correct General Note number four, the correct zoning is H-C, Harmony
Corridor.
21. For both plans, please provide building envelope dimensions and distance to the
nearest property line. Be sure to include the drive-thru canopy.
22. Please indicate the location of all handicap ramps.
23. Please remove the modular bank from the plans and show the parking and drive
aisle layout as it will be after the modular is removed.
24. Please provide directional arrows for the drive-thru bank.
This concludes Staff comments at this time. Please note that enclosed are comment
sheets from both City and outside utility providers. Redlined plans are also enclosed. As
we have discussed, we will be meeting on Monday, April 12, 1999 to discuss these
comments in depth. Please feel free to call our office at 221-6750 if you have any other
questions or concerns.
SinceTrely:
Ted Shepard
Chief Planner
Enc.
These problems must be addressed and resolved through the design process. For
example, glass panels should be raised so they do not extend down to the floor
level. The accent stone should extend across the base of the building instead.
Both evergreen and deciduous trees should be placed strategically to shield
excessive glare. The use of the aforementioned overhangs combined with shrub
beds can soften these two elevations. The number of glass panels can be reduced.
The dividers between the glass panels can be widened and darkened to provide
needed contrast. Staff looks forward to working with the architectural team to
find creative solutions to solve these issues.
12. Given the problems with excessive illumination associated with Blockbuster, the
decorative streetlights should be eliminated at their present locations. If these
streetlights are to match those on the west side of Safeway, then we already know
they are too high and too bright. Further, such fixtures and not down -directional
and cast illumination in all, directions. These fixtures should be reduced in size
and scale to pedestrian bollards and placed along walkways.
13. The west elevation of Blockbuster relies too heavily on smooth -faced concrete
block. At minimum, a horizontal band of accent stone should run continuously
along the lower portion of the structure to provide a measure of relief and quality.
14. Are three doors really necessary along the west elevation? If so, then please
provide door coverings or other architectural treatment to minimize their
appearance. Please specify a color so that these metal doors are softened.
15. The site is located in the Residential Neighborhood Sign District. As such, wall
signage must be shown on the architectural elevations. The intention of this code
provision is to think ahead and allow wall signage to be consistent with the
architectural character. Sign bands should be designated by adding dashed lines
to the elevations and labeling accordingly.
16. With regard to wall signage on the Blockbuster, please be aware that on sign band
will be allowed on the east and south elevations only. Further, only one sign band
per elevation will be allowed. The tendency for this national franchise to double
up on its wall signage per elevation (ie "Blockbuster Video — Blockbuster Video")
will not be allowed in this center in the Harmony Corridor.
17. In keeping with the intent of the Residential Neighborhood Sign District, window
signage, posters, and other promotional materials will not be allowed to be placed
on the glass walls. Consequently, please add the following note to both the cover
sheet and the architectural sheet of both Centennial Bank and Blockbuster Video:
"Wall signage is limited to the sign band locations that are specifically indicated
on this P.U.D. Glass walls shall not be used for signage, posters, promotional
materials, logos, temporary advertising, spanner boards, neon lights, banners or
painted messages. Further, windows shall not reveal the backside of interior
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locations to connect the center, the pad sites and the bus stop. We should know
this in time for our meeting on Monday, April 121n
7. Where parking stalls face perimeter streets, there should be a continuous row of
shrubs to screen the parked cars.
8. Where the drive-thru lane faces McMurry, there should be a hedge or shrub bed to
screen headlights.
9. Please add shrubs on the south side of the trash enclosure.
10. Staff is concerned about the architectural character of the Blockbuster Video. It
does not appear to be up to the same level of quality as the Centennial Bank.
While Centennial Bank features a variety of rooflines and is topped by a sloped
mansard roof, the Blockbuster building is merely a rectangular box with one gable
on the east elevation. It would be inappropriate to have such contrasting buildings
next to each other in the same center along Harmony Road. (Please refer to' note
number eight under development criteria for pad sites.).
Clearly something must be added to this structure to enhance its architectural
appearance.. At minimum, a matching mansard roof should be added to provide a
unifying element with Centennial Bank. A matching gable should be provided on
the west elevation. A sloping canopy or other projecting element should be added
to south elevation to protect the large glass wall from excessive heat gain. This
element should be matched on the north.
Or, better yet, the roof should be a Cape Cod style with dormers indicating a faux
second story. This would match Retail Building C next to Long's Drugs. Or, a
hip roof would provide protective cover over all four elevations. In any event, the
architectural character as presented is unacceptable and needs to be upgraded.
11. Staff is concerned about the large glass exposure on the east and south elevations
of the Blockbuster. Our experience is that individual store managers place blue
and yellow colored shelving up against these walls. In addition, posters and other
promotional material are placed on these glass areas. These actions are a
violation of both the Sign Code and the recorded architectural elevations as
approved by the Planning and Zoning Board. From an enforcement perspective,
these actions are impossible to control and degrade the appearance of the center
over time. Finally, we have observed that interior store lighting is very bright
with heavy reliance on fluorescent lighting and large mirrors causing illumination
to spill out into areas where it is not expected or desired. Along a limited -access
state highway with higher speed limits, this excessive glare is a dangerous
distraction. Corporate needs for uniform identity and maximum highway
exposure will not be tolerated within this center within the Harmony Corridor.
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A. Both buildings should be pulled up to the internal access drive.
B. Buildings should be linked by a sidewalk along this internal drive. Sidewalk
should be a minimum of eight feet wide.. Sidewalk should be direct and
continuous and not take 90 or 45 degree turns around parking stalls or parking lot
islands.
C. Shade trees should be planted along this drive either in a parkway strip, tree grates
in the sidewalk (like our downtown) or immediately behind the walk.
D. On -street, 90 degree, head -in parking facing the buildings should be considered.
E. A direct, north -south sidewalk should be provided on the west side of the
Blockbuster site (east side of the drive aisle) that leads to the plaza between Retail
Buildings B and C. Pedestrians should not have to cross over to the west side of
the drive aisle.
F. A direct north -south sidewalk should be provided connecting Centennial Bank to
Long's Drugs.
The revisions are designed to enhance the pedestrian circulation system within the
center and reduce the appearance of isolated pads surrounded by parking. Please
refer to the attached Interim Design Standards and Guidelines for All Commercial
Development for further clarification of these concepts.
2. Included in the comment package are comments from Engineering. For site
planning purposes, it appears that both the bank and video store will partially
encroach over an "Emergency Access & Utility Easement" with an existing water
service within that easement. A request for a partial vacation of these easements
to remove the conflict should be submitted.
3. See redline comments from Engineering and Water & Wastewater for additional
comments.
4. See redline Drainage Report for comments from the Stormwater Utility.
5. Be sure that there is bicycle parking near the entries to both buildings. Please add
a note to the cover sheets stating:
"Bicycle racks shall be permanently anchored to concrete and placed -near the
main entry. The rack shall not interfere with walkways or landscape areas."
6. Transfort, our bus system, is checking on adding a bus stop for westbound
Harmony Road in the deceleration lane for the private access drive. If it is
determined that a bus stop is desirable, then we need to coordinate sidewalk
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Comn. ity Planning and Environmenta. ervices
Current Planning
City of Fort Collins
April 7, 1999
Mr. Michael Davison
Wyatt and Associates
1865 South Pearl Street
Denver, CO 80210
Dear Michael:
Staff has reviewed the request for both the Centennial Bank and Blockbuster Video, Final
P.U.D., and offers the following comments:
In the larger context of the shopping center as a whole, there are problems with
the basic layout and site plan of both projects. As pad sites to a shopping center,
these two projects are reviewed under the framework of the Interim Design
Standards and Guidelines for All Commercial Development (attached). This
supplement to the Land Development Guidance System was adopted in March of
1996 with the intention of modernizing the L.D.G.S. to emphasize the importance
of non -vehicular connections and amenities. The purpose statement includes the
following two underlying assumptions that commercial developments are to
provide:
"Streets, sidewalks and other connecting outdoor spaces that weave new
development into the community fabric of Fort Collins as completely as
possible."
"Buildings that are oriented to sidewalks or other outdoor spaces for
people, not set back behind parking lots or oriented only to parking lots."
Consequently, Staff believes the two pad sites need major revision in order to comply
with the supplemental criteria. In general, the two pad sites need to be tied into the
shopping center with a stronger street and sidewalk system and not be isolated by parking
lot drive aisles and set back behind parking lots. In fact, the approved Preliminary P.U.D.
(plan set dated January, 1996) illustrates the basic premise of pulling the two buildings up
to a street -like access drive with "on -street' parking. (Also, please refer to notes number
one four under the development criteria for pad sites.) Since no building shall become an
island, the following recommendations are offered:
281 North College Avenue • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 • (970) 221-6750 • FAX (970) 416-2020