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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTHE DISTRICT @ CAMPUS WEST - PDP - PDP120003 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PLANNING OBJECTIVESland planning g landscape architecture g urban design g entitlement Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com 1. Planning Objectives 2. City Plan Principles and Policies 3. Modification Request for Building Setback 4. Request for 4-Bedroom Units 5. Building Height Review Narrative Shadow Analysis Contextual Building Height Exhibit 6. Neighborhood Meeting Notes 7. Response to PDR Comments land planning g landscape architecture g urban design g entitlement Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com January 25, 2012 Planning Objectives The District at Campus West Project Development Plan The District at Campus West is intended to be a student housing apartment project consisting of 193 units with 674 individually rented bedrooms. The site is located on approximately 3.32 acres of land west of Colorado State University, in the 700 block of West Plum Street. The site is located in the West Central Neighborhood Plan area. The Plan developed in 1999 incorporates policies and plans to direct development in the three square mile area west and south of the CSU campus. The District is proposed to be located in the Campus West/Community Commercial Area and is zoned C-C Community Commercial. The Community Commercial District is designed to provide a combination of retail, office, services, cultural facilities, civic uses and higher density housing. Several one-story, single-family rental houses built in the mid 1950's currently exist on the site. The intent is to remove the houses and replace them with a well-designed, multi-family project catering to CSU students. The project extends from Aster Street on the east side to City Park Avenue on the west side. Moving along Plum Street from west to east, the project consist of Building 1, a 5-story residential building that steps down to 4 stories on the north side, followed by Building 2, a 4-story parking structure faced with 3-story townhome-type units along the street facing facades, followed by Building 3, a 5-story residential building. Sunstone Condominiums are located to the north separated from the proposed District project by a linear parking lot. The site is bordered by multi-family housing on the east, Cambridge House Apartments, other multi-family buildings and single-family residences to the south and multi-family housing to the west. Two existing dead-end streets, Columbine and Daisy will be vacated and removed with the development of this project. Bluebell Street will remain and connect through to Baystone Drive. Plum Street is classified as a collector street on the City’s Master Street plan. It has two travel lanes, striped bicycle lanes and parking is prohibited. It lacks adequate right-of-way width to The District at Campus West Planning Objectives Page 2 of 4 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com incorporate detached sidewalks. Currently sidewalks are attached and very narrow if they exist at all, forcing the student population to walk in the street as they head to campus. This project will dedicate additional right-of-way and construct wide, detached sidewalks creating a safe, convenient and attractive streetscape that will promote walking and increase bicycle safety on the street by greatly reducing pedestrian conflicts over what exists today. The spaces between the curb and the buildings are integrated into the streetscape to create visually exciting and functional urban spaces. These urban spaces and adjacent courtyards include special paving, a variety of seating opportunities, lighting, trees and ornamental plant materials, bike parking and internet access. The foundation planters along most of the building frontages incorporate a storm water function in addition to being attractive landscape features. The bio-retention planters will detain storm water before it drains to the storm water outfall. This allows for water to be released at the historic rate, allows pollutants to settle out and enables plant material to take advantage of the storm water reducing the need for artificial irrigation. The Applicant will work with City staff to insure that the planters meet necessary safety, accessibility, and maintenance requirements. The 4-story parking garage will park 495 cars and 332 bicycles (282 more than required by the LUC). A centrally located transit stop is planned near the southwest corner of the parking garage with a covered waiting area and bench seating. Since the property is in the TOD overlay district, no minimum residential parking is required; however, adequate parking is essential from a leasing standpoint. The site location is within easy bike and walking distance of the CSU Campus, the Mason Street BRT and other activity centers. The proposed modern architecture is urban in scale and design. The design of the buildings also incorporates many sustainable components and is targeting Silver LEED designation. Buildings 1 and 3 have flat roofs with cornices making their overall height compatible with adjacent 3-story structures that have pitched roofs. The buildings have an attractive street appeal owing to upscale architectural articulation and detailing as well as the rhythm associated with two south facing courtyards and the pool complex. The courtyards include a variety of site amenities, such as seat walls, outdoor furniture, shade, special lighting, fire pits, generous landscaping and internet access. Each courtyard is unique offering a variety of places to sit, socialize, study or simply enjoy the outdoors. The clubhouse facility located in Building 1 is set off by an eye-catching overhead canopy. In addition to the outdoor pool the clubhouse will include a recreation room with pool tables, TV's, and other games; fitness center; a computer lab; and study rooms for group study sessions. The parking garage is faced with 3-story townhome units along street facing facades so the utilitarian aspect of the garage is not visible along the public street. On the north side where it is visible, it is buffered by existing trees and additional trees are proposed to be planted. The District at Campus West Planning Objectives Page 3 of 4 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com A neighborhood meeting was held on August 31, 2011. Concerns voiced by attendees included: management of the project, building height and shadowing, increased traffic, noise and property values. In response to concerns voiced by City staff in early discussions and in response to neighborhood concerns, the applicant has prepared a traffic study to look at impacts to the neighborhood and has made design changes in response to concerns about building height, density and shadowing. The following points illustrate how the District is addressing neighborhood concerns: • At the time of Preliminary Design Review the project was proposing 215 units and 732 bedrooms and included a 6-story parking structure. • At the time of the Neighborhood Meeting the parking structure had been reduced to 5 stories. • After the neighborhood meeting, the scale of the project was reduced down to 193 units and 674 bedrooms. Original plans to incorporate land on the south side of Plum Street into the project were abandoned. The parking structure was scaled down to 4 stories in height and the larger of the two residential buildings drops to 4 stories on the north side to reduce the shadow impact. • Outdoor activities such as the pool, and barbeque areas are located within the courtyards, so that the sights and sounds associated with the outdoor activity is effectively buffered by the buildings and does not impact the neighbors. The courtyards and the pool complex all face south to the street and away from adjacent residences. • The Traffic Impact Study concludes that after the project is constructed; all key intersections will continue to operate at acceptable levels of service. It also concludes that the site is outstanding in terms of opportunity to utilize alternative modes of transportation. • The District’s policy is to incentivize certain, key, management and security personnel to live on site. The property manager, may or may not live on site, but will live close enough to be responsive and effective. The project is requesting a Modification to the building setback along public streets and is requesting 4-bedroon units. Those requests along with a Special Height Review Analysis and Statement of City Plan Principles and Policies achieved by the proposed plan are attached. The District proposes to be located in the Targeted Infill and Redevelopment Area, as defined by City Plan and is supported by many City Plan Principals and Policies aimed at residential development. The District at Campus West will be achieving many of the City’s specific objectives in regard to infill development. • The District replaces a dilapidated student rental housing stock with safe, modern, and energy efficient units. • The District offers significant improvement to the currently deficient multi-modal transportation corridor along West Plum Street, by widening the right-of-way and incorporating generous detached sidewalks. The District at Campus West Planning Objectives Page 4 of 4 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com • The District will concentrate higher density housing in a location that can be served by high frequency transit and that can support higher levels of activity. • The District will enable students to access the campus, jobs, and services with fewer and shorter auto trips. • The District will promote the revitalization of the Campus West commercial area, an existing, underutilized commercial area near campus. • The District will provide reinvestment in an area where infrastructure already exists. • The District will increase economic activity in an area that will benefit existing businesses and, will help provide stimulus for more redevelopment in the area. The District at Campus West will provide a high density, unique housing type designed to offer students the ability to live just off campus in an exciting urban environment, designed with their needs in mind. The rental apartments are designed to be safe, convenient, energy efficient, comfortable and affordable for the average student. We believe the proposed student housing project will be a very positive addition to the community, providing needed student housing in a great location close to campus and generally away from single family neighborhoods. The Applicant and design team appreciate your attention to this project and look forward to your comments. land planning g landscape architecture g urban design g entitlement Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com January 25, 2012 The District at Campus West Project Development Plan (PDP) is supported by the following Principles and Policies found in City Plan Fort Collins Adopted February 15, 2011 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Principle EH 4: The City will encourage the redevelopment of strategic areas within the community as defined in the Community and Neighborhood Livability and Neighborhood Principles and Policies. Policy EH 4.1 –Prioritize Targeted Redevelopment Areas Create and utilize strategies and plans, as described in the Community and Neighborhood Livability and Neighborhood chapter’s Infill and Redevelopment section, to support redevelopment areas and prevent areas from becoming blighted. The Targeted Infill and Redevelopment Areas (depicted on Figure LIV 1 in the Community and Neighborhood Livability chapter) shall be a priority for future development, capital investment, and public incentives. Policy EH 4.2 – Reduce Barriers to Infill Development and Redevelopment Develop new policies and modify current policies, procedures, and practices to reduce and resolve barriers to Infill development and redevelopment. Emphasize new policies and modifications to existing policies that support a sustainable, flexible, and predictable approach to infill development and redevelopment. The District at Campus West is proposed to locate within the Targeted Infill and Redevelopment Areas (depicted on Figure LIV 1 in the Community and Neighborhood Livability chapter). The area currently consists predominantly of single-family rental houses that are in poor condition and not being properly maintained. The quality of the existing housing is substandard in most cases. Pedestrian linkages are poorly defined or nonexistent altogether. Redevelopment of this property will remove the current blighted conditions and replace it with new, high quality, attractive student-oriented The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 2 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com housing close to campus. In addition to alleviating visual blight in the area, the student population that will be living in The District at Campus West will provide an economic boost to the adjacent Campus West commercial district. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES Policy ENV 8.6 – Prevent Pollution Promote prevention of air pollution at its source as the highest priority approach in reducing air pollution emissions. Principle ENV 9: The City will reduce total mobile source emissions by focusing on both technology (e.g., tailpipe emissions) and behavior (e.g., driving patterns). The District at Campus West PDP will provide housing for 674 students located within easy bike and walking distance of the CSU Campus, the Mason Street BRT and other activity centers. The site is an ideal location for student housing because it will encourage students to use alternative modes of travel and help reduce vehicle miles traveled. Development of high-density student housing at this location will help the City reach their goals of encouraging alternative modes of travel. Policy ENV 17.4 – Construction Waste Reduction Encourage activities that help divert debris from construction-related activities. Explore the feasibility of requiring any City-subsidized projects to employ reduction and solid waste diversion practices that reduce the volume of material sent from city construction sites to landfills for disposal. The District at Campus West is pursuing LEED Certification. Construction waste reduction is one of many sustainable building practices that will be evaluated during the design and construction processes. COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD LIVABILITY PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES The principles and policies in this section carry forward the City Plan vision for a community with a compact land use pattern within a well-defined boundary, adequate public facilities, and development paying its share of costs of necessary public facilities and services. GROWTH MANAGEMENT Principle LIV 1: City development will be contained by well-defined boundaries that will be managed using various tools including utilization of a Growth Management Area, community coordination, and Intergovernmental Agreements. Principle LIV 3: The City will coordinate facilities and services with the timing and location of development and ensure that development only occurs where it can be adequately served. The District at Campus West PDP is located within the City’s Growth Management Area where it can be adequately served by streets, utilities and urban services. Furthermore, The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 3 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com the property is located within the Targeted Infill and Redevelopment Areas, which the City has determined to be a priority for future development, capital investment, and public incentives. Principle LIV 4: Development will provide and pay its share of the cost of providing needed public facilities and services concurrent with development. The developers of The District at Campus West will be paying City fees that ensure that the development pays its share of the cost of public improvements. INFILL AND REDEVELOPMENT City Structure Plan Map Principles and Policies for Districts and Neighborhoods, as applicable. Principle LIV 5: The City will promote redevelopment and infill in areas identified on the Targeted Infill and Redevelopment Areas Map. Policy LIV 5.1 – Encourage Targeted Redevelopment and Infill Encourage redevelopment and infill in Activity Centers and Targeted Infill and Redevelopment Areas identified on the Targeted Infill and Redevelopment Areas Map (See Figure LIV 1). The purpose of these areas is to: • Promote the revitalization of existing, underutilized commercial and industrial areas. • Concentrate higher density housing and mixed-use development in locations that are currently or will be served by high frequency transit in the future and that can support higher levels of activity. • Channel development where it will be beneficial and can best improve access to jobs, housing, and services with fewer and shorter auto trips. • Promote reinvestment in areas where infrastructure already exists. • Increase economic activity in the area to benefit existing residents and businesses and, where necessary, provide the stimulus to redevelop. By locating in a Targeted Infill and Redevelopment Area, The District at Campus West will be achieving many of the City’s specific objectives in regard to infill development. • The District will promote the revitalization of the Campus West commercial area, an existing, underutilized commercial area near campus. • The District will concentrate higher density housing in a location that can be served by high frequency transit and that can support higher levels of activity. • The District will enable students to access the campus, jobs, and services with fewer and shorter auto trips. • The District will provide reinvestment in an area where infrastructure already exists. • The District will increase economic activity in an area that will benefit existing businesses and, will help provide stimulus for more redevelopment in the area. Policy LIV 5.4 – Contribute to Public Amenities. Explore options for private development to help contribute to the additional public amenities needed in areas where infill and redevelopment occurs. Public amenities will be key to transforming outdated areas into distinct places with identifiable character and more marketable frontage that promotes redevelopment. Needed amenities The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 4 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com usually include pedestrian improvements like streetscapes, plazas, special walkways, and lighting; access improvements like new secondary streets; and landscaping and signage for identity and wayfinding. Options for helping developers with these amenities include tax increment financing, improvement districts, and context-sensitive design and engineering standards for streets and development. Principle LIV 6: Infill and redevelopment within residential areas will be compatible with the established character of the neighborhood. In areas where the desired character of the neighborhood is not established, or is not consistent with the vision of City Plan, infill and redevelopment projects will set an enhanced standard of quality. The District at Campus West will help transform the area along Plum Street into a distinct place with identifiable character and more marketable frontage that will promote redevelopment. Needed amenities will include pedestrian improvements like streetscapes, plazas, special walkways, and lighting; access improvements like new pedestrian connections; and landscaping and signage for identity and wayfinding. HOUSING Principle LIV 7: A variety of housing types and densities for all income levels shall be available throughout the Growth Management Area. Policy LIV 7.1 – Encourage Variety in Housing Types and Locations Encourage a variety of housing types and densities, including mixed-used developments that are well- served by public transportation and close to employment centers, shopping, services, and amenities. Policy LIV 7.2 – Develop an Adequate Supply of Housing 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. Policy LIV 7.4 – Maximize Land for Residential Development Permit residential development in most neighborhoods and districts in order to maximize the potential land available for development of housing and thereby positively influence housing affordability. Policy LIV 7.6 – Basic Access Support the construction of housing units with practical features that provide basic access and functionality for people of all ages and widely varying mobility and ambulatory–related abilities. Policy LIV 7.7 – Accommodate the Student Population Plan for and incorporate new housing for the student population on campuses and in areas near educational campuses and/or that are well-served by public transportation. The District at Campus West will provide a high density, unique housing type designed to offer students the ability to live just off campus in an exciting urban environment, designed with their needs in mind. The rental apartments are designed to be safe, convenient, comfortable and affordable for the average student. Four accessible living units will be provided for handicapped students. There will be adequate parking facilities for bikes and cars as well as a centrally located transit stop. The location is convenient to campus as well as a variety of goods and services available at the adjacent Campus west commercial area. The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 5 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com The clubhouse facility will include an outdoor pool, a recreation room with pool tables, TV's, and other games; fitness center, a theater room, a computer lab, and study rooms for group study sessions. In addition students living at The District are just one block from the CSU athletic fields and Moby Gymnasium and are also just a few blocks from City Park, which includes 172 acres of open space with sport fields, a lake, natural areas, a swimming pool, playground, and a golf course. Principle LIV 8: The City will encourage the creation and expansion of affordable housing opportunities and preservation of the existing affordable housing supply. Policy LIV 8.4 – Retain Existing Affordable Housing Retain affordable housing options in existing neighborhoods so that long-term residents can “age in place” and to meet the housing needs of various household types. The District at Campus West addresses the need for affordability in several ways: • Locating high-density housing for students where they can access the campus, shopping, employment and recreational opportunities without using an automobile is a key component of reducing living expenses. The District at Campus West will allow 674 students to live in a location where they can easily get along without owning a car. This is not only highly desirable from an environmental perspective but also makes going to college more affordable to students on a budget. • High-density multi-family housing helps to achieve affordability because land costs and infrastructure costs are spread over more units. • The District will provide energy efficient 4-bedroom units that lower the student’s utility costs making the living unit more affordable. Policy LIV 9.1 – Increase Efficiency and Resource Conservation Reduce net energy and water use of new and existing housing units in order to conserve natural resources, and minimize environmental impacts. • The District will provide four-bedroom units which are more efficient in terms of material usage and are also more energy efficient. Data obtained from Conservice, a nationwide utility billing service that analyzes information from many properties and thousands of units indicates that electricity usage is on average 21.25% more efficient when comparing a 4-bedroom unit to two 2- bedroom units. In other words the same four people use less electricity when housed in a 4-bedroom unit vs. being split up into two 2-bedroom units. Likewise, natural gas is estimated to be 55.13% more efficient. • Additionally, less construction materials translates into less environmental impact from a construction standpoint. • The landscape plan proposed for the District is intended to provide an attractive and sustainable landscape for many years to come. Plants are selected for hardiness, low water consumption and ease of maintenance. Xeriscape The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 6 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com principles regarding plant material selection, soil amendments, mulches and irrigation will be incorporated throughout. • The District will be pursuing LEED Certification. In order to get the certification the project will be required to incorporate numerous green building practices and incorporate water saving fixtures. COMMUNITY APPEARANCE AND DESIGN STREETSCAPES Principle LIV 10: The city’s streetscapes will be designed with consideration to the visual character and the experience of users and adjacent properties. Together, the layout of the street network and the streets themselves will contribute to the character, form, and scale of the city. Policy LIV 10.1 – Design Safe, Functional, and Visually Appealing Streets Ensure all new public streets are designed in accordance with the City street standards and design all new streets to be functional, safe, and visually appealing, with flexibility to serve the context and purpose of the street corridor. Provide a layout that is simple, interconnected, and direct, avoiding circuitous routes. Include elements such as shade trees, landscaped medians and parkways, public art, lighting, and other amenities in the streetscape. Approve alternative street designs where they are needed to accommodate unique situations, such as “green” stormwater functions, important landscape features, or distinctive characteristics of a neighborhood or district, provided that they meet necessary safety, accessibility, and maintenance requirements. (Also see the Transportation chapter.) The streetscape along the existing public streets adjacent to the project site are designed in accordance with the City street standards, allowing for a parkway, street trees, lighting and a public sidewalk located within the public right-of-way. The layout is simple, interconnected, and direct. The spaces between the public right-of-way and the buildings are integrated into the streetscape to create visually exciting and functional urban spaces. These urban spaces and adjacent courtyards include special paving, a variety of seating opportunities, lighting, trees and ornamental plant materials, bike parking and internet access. The foundation planters along most of the building frontages incorporate a storm water function in addition to being attractive landscape features. The planters will detain storm water before it drains out to the storm water outfall. This allows for water to be released at the historic rate, allows pollutants to settle out and enables plant material to take advantage of the storm water reducing the need for artificial irrigation. The Applicant has worked with City staff to ensure that the planters meet necessary safety, accessibility, and maintenance requirements. Policy LIV 10.2 – Incorporate Street Trees Utilize street trees to reinforce, define and connect the spaces and corridors created by buildings and other features along a street. Preserve existing trees to the maximum extent feasible. Use canopy shade trees for the majority of tree plantings, including a mixture of tree types, arranged to establish urban tree canopy cover. The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 7 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com Street trees are used to reinforce, define and connect the spaces and corridors created by buildings and other features along a street. Existing trees have been preserved where possible and trees that have been removed have been mitigated by planting trees that are larger than required on the site in locations where they will be both functional and attractive. Policy LIV 10.3 – Tailor Street Lighting While most of the lighting for The District at Campus West will be provided by the public streetlights along the adjacent streets, the developer proposes to add pedestrian scale lighting where it is needed to provide good visibility and security during the evening and nighttime. This low-level pedestrian scale lighting will be located in the courtyards, plaza spaces and at the proposed transit stop. The lighting will be designed to achieve the desired illumination level and preserve “dark sky” views at nighttime, avoiding sharp contrasts between bright spots and shadows, spillover glare, and emphasis of the light source. Fixtures will be selected to enhance the street environment by establishing a consistent style with height, design, color, and finishes. Policy LIV 10.4 – Incorporate Street Art Encourage the incorporation of artistic elements, such as sculpture, into the streetscape design Site amenities such as railings, planters, wall signs and tree guards will add a unique artistic touch that will give the District at Campus West street frontage a unique and attractive visual character. Principle LIV12: Security and crime prevention will be important factors in urban design. Policy LIV 12.1 – Design for Crime Prevention and Security Policy LIV 12.2 – Utilize Security Lighting and Landscaping All of the buildings at The District are oriented to public streets. This orientation heightens visibility that not only helps with police surveillance, but will increase observation by residents who feel a sense of ownership in the community. The landscape is designed to avoid hidden areas near building entrances, and the transit stop. The parking garage is an open-air facility. The interior is well lit and the structure is designed to avoid “hiding” spaces. The elevator is located to encourage students to primarily use the Plum Street access point, which is a safer egress since it is located along a busy public street. LANDSCAPE DESIGN Principle LIV 14: Require quality and ecologically sound landscape design practices for all public and private development projects throughout the community. The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 8 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com Policy LIV 14.1 – Encourage Unique Landscape Features Policy LIV 14.2 – Promote Functional Landscape Policy LIV 14.3 – Design Low Maintenance Landscapes Plant material will be selected based on water requirements, hardiness and ease of maintenance. Plants will consist of trees that the City forester approves, evergreen and deciduous shrubs and high performing grasses and perennials that require only seasonal maintenance. Turf areas are minimized. Xeriscape principles of utilizing soil amendments, mulches and efficient irrigation will be followed to ensure that the landscape is both attractive and sustainable. The foundation planters along most of the building frontages incorporate a storm water function in addition to being attractive landscape features. The planters will detain storm water before it drains out to the storm water outfall. This allows for water to be released at the historic rate, allows pollutants to settle out and enables plant material to take advantage of the storm water reducing the need for artificial irrigation. The Applicant has worked with City staff to ensure that the planters meet necessary safety, accessibility, and maintenance requirements. NOISE POLLUTION MITIGATION Principle LIV 18: The City shall reduce noise disturbances and pollution through enforceable, measurable, and realistic noise standards, and careful consideration of potential noise impacts. The pool area and courtyards are oriented to Plum Street and away from adjacent neighborhood residential projects. In addition The District’s management policies are designed to eliminate noise problems before they happen. Pool hours are limited and there are a restricted number of people that can be in the area at one time. The number of guest that residents can have at one time is also restricted. In addition to these policies, the project is patrolled by on-site surveillance people on a regular basis. APPLYING THE CITY STRUCTURE PLAN MAP Principle LIV 19: The City Structure Plan Map establishes the desired development pattern for the City, serving as a blueprint for the community’s desired future. Policy LIV 19.1 – Land Use Designations - Utilize the City Structure Plan Map to set forth a basic framework, representing a guide for future land use and transportation decisions. The District at Campus West is consistent with the goals and objectives of the City’s Structure Plan. The high-density student housing project will replace existing substandard housing and urban blight conditions with a compact urban development pattern that achieves the following objectives: The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 9 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com • Locates high-density residential housing adjacent to activity centers (CSU campus and Campus West Commercial area) so residents can work, shop and recreate close to home. • Contributes to an interconnected transit system. With a transit stop centrally located within the project students can conveniently access other activity centers in the community including the Mason Street BRT. • Encourages alternative modes of travel. With so many activities located within easy walking and biking distance, students will drive their cars less because it will be less expensive and more convenient to walk or bike. The end result will be fewer daily trips and overall reduced carbon emissions. • Contributes to the success of a transit-oriented activity center. Locating a large- scale, high-density student housing project adjacent to the Campus West Commercial area contributes to the success of both. Students will be attracted to The District because of the convenience of living so close to a diversified commercial area and the commercial area will benefit from the expanded student market. Principle LIV 20: Subarea and corridor planning efforts will be developed and updated as needed, tailoring City Plan’s citywide perspective to a more focused area of the community, such as individual neighborhoods, districts, corridors, and edges. The West Central Neighborhood Plan developed in 1999 incorporates policies and plans to direct development in the three square mile area west and south of the CSU campus. The District is proposed to be located in the Campus West/Community Commercial Area and is zoned C-C Community Commercial. The Community Commercial District is designed to provide a combination of retail, office, services, cultural facilities, civic uses and higher density housing. The District at Campus West Project Development Plan (PDP) is supported by the following policies found in the West Central Neighborhood Plan. Policy F3 New multi-family structures must be designed and managed in such a way that reduces conflicts with single-family neighborhood character and lessen infrastructure impacts on single-family neighborhoods. Policy F7 The City should encourage the development of additional student housing by Colorado State University on, or adjacent to, the Main Campus. Policy H2 Bicycle and pedestrian improvements should be made to encourage the use of alternative modes of travel within and to/from the neighborhoods. Policy J1 Adequate parking should be required in all development and redevelopment projects. The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 10 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com Policy J2 Parking areas should be designed to consider the aesthetic impacts on the visual quality of the neighborhoods. PRINCIPLE LIV 21: New neighborhoods will be integral parts of the broader community structure, connected through shared facilities such as streets, schools, parks, transit stops, trails, civic facilities, and a Neighborhood Commercial Center or Community Commercial District. Policy LIV 21.2 – Establish an Interconnected Street and Pedestrian Network Policy LIV 21.2 – Design Walkable Blocks Policy LIV 21.3 – Calm Traffic Policy LIV 21.4 – Provide Access to Transit The District at Campus West is designed to become an integral part of the Campus West neighborhood. Design characteristics that contribute to this integration include: • The District is oriented to existing public streets and reinforces the historic block pattern in the neighborhood. • Improvements to street sidewalks – Currently the streets adjacent to the project site have a rollover curb section at the edge of the street, which is inadequate to provide safe pedestrian movement. Students living in the area are forced to walk in the street on their route to the CSU campus or to the Campus west Commercial area. The District will provide wide detached pedestrian ways along the West Plum Street, Aster Street, Bluebell Street, and City Park Avenue. These pedestrian ways will not only be convenient and safe, but will also be fun, attractive urban places that contribute to the character of the neighborhood. • Adding a transit stop on West Plum Street in the heart of The District project will encourage transit use by residents of the District as well as other students living in the immediate vicinity. The transit stop will be easily accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists. • A pedestrian connection through the fence at the north end on the west side of the parking structure is planned. • Existing bike lanes along Plum Street are adequate to provide safe and convenient bicycle movement through the neighborhood. Neighborhood Design and Character Principle LIV22: The design of residential neighborhoods should emphasize creativity, diversity, and individuality, be responsive to its context, and contribute to a comfortable, interesting community. Policy LIV 22.2 – Provide Creative Multi-Family Housing Design Policy LIV 22.3 – Offer Multi-Family Building Variation Policy LIV 22.4 – Orient Buildings to Public Streets or Spaces Policy LIV 22.5 – Create Visually Interesting Streetscapes Policy LIV 22.6 – Enhance Street Design and Image The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 11 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com Most student-oriented multi-family housing projects in Fort Collins fit a suburban model of three-story buildings with 16-24 units in each. The architecture of buildings is identical or very similar. A centrally located clubhouse and pool is typically part of the plan. The buildings and associated surface parking are designed to create an enclave with an inward focus. The District offers a fresh student housing model unique to Fort Collins. The project is designed to be highly urban in character oriented to public streets with an outward focus. The highly articulated street facades of the buildings change their relationship to the street in an undulating pattern of alternating intimate or expansive pedestrian spaces at the ground level. The architecture of the building offers a variety of building materials including brick, stucco, metal and glass in a variety of color and textures that make the modern architecture exciting and appealing. The sizing of windows and doors as well as the articulation of other building design elements are careful to respect the human scale so that even though the buildings are large, they relate to the pedestrian and feel comfortable at the ground level. Building entries are oriented to the neighborhood street sidewalk and south facing courtyards provide access to sunlight and opportunities for social interaction. The pedestrian areas at the ground level offer a variety of seating opportunities, upscale street furniture and unique landscape details that include green wall systems, playful lighting, and multi-purpose rain-garden planters at the building foundation. All these amenities occur within the framework of tree-lined public streets with detached pedestrian sidewalks. The visual impact of the 4-story parking garage is mitigated by integrating three-story townhouse-like living units on the sides of the structure that face public streets. Existing trees visually buffer the north side of the garage. Principle LIV 26: Neighborhood stability should be maintained and enhanced. Most existing residential developments will remain largely unaffected by these City Plan Principles and Policies. Policy LIV 26.1 – Maintain Existing Neighborhoods Policy LIV 26.3 – Promote Compatibility of Uses The District at Campus West is oriented away from single-family neighborhoods and within the Campus West/Community Commercial area designated in the West Central Neighborhood Plan. The District is open to communicating and working with adjacent property owners to improve the safety, convenience, attractiveness and general livability of the immediate neighborhood, which includes a variety of student housing as well as commercial uses. We believe the District will raise property values and inspire other community improvements. Policy LIV 26.4 – Balance Resident Preferences with Communitywide Interests. The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 12 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com In determining the acceptability of changes to parcels of land adjacent to existing residential developments, balance the adjacent residents’ preferences with communitywide interests A neighborhood meeting was held August 31, 2011. Approximately 24 people attended the meeting. Concerns raised by adjacent neighbors included building height, shading, property values, increased traffic, emergency access, parking and density. The Applicant listened to comments from the neighborhood and the design has responded to their concerns. The Community Commercial District does not have a maximum density and the building heights proposed by The District are at or below the maximum building height of 5- stories. The applicant reduced the height of the parking garage down to 4 stories and has stepped the largest building down to 4-stories on the north to reduce the shade impact on the adjacent development. The project is replacing poor quality single-family rental housing with new, higher density, upscale, energy efficient, student housing within walking distance of campus. The Traffic Impact Analysis prepared by ELB Engineering, LLC, indicates that existing infrastructure is adequate to handle the expected increase in traffic volume. The trip generation of the project is expected to be significantly lower than other multi-family projects due to the proximity of the site to CSU. Since the project is located in the Transit Overlay District (TOD), no on-site parking is required. The parking garage will provide 495 vehicular parking spaces, which equate to one parking space for 73% of the residents. In addition, the parking garage will accommodate 296 bicycle parking spaces, with additional bike parking in courtyard spaces for a total of 332. The Land Use Code would require 50 bike spaces. While property values are not considered a design criterion in the Land Use Code, we expect that the street and sidewalk improvements together with the upscale architectural design of the buildings will add tremendous value to the neighborhood over what currently exists. Policy LIV 26.5 – Retain Differences among Neighborhoods Retain the size and pattern of lots and blocks, building style, street design details, street and outdoor lighting, and landscape characteristics in ways unique to a given neighborhood as infill and redevelopment occur. The proposed project keeps the existing street and block pattern intact while adding street trees, upgrading the paving and generally enhancing the pedestrian experience. Policy LIV 30.3 – Improve Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Improve pedestrian and bicycle connections within and to Commercial Districts as infill and redevelopment occur over time. (Also see the Transportation chapter.) • Provide direct access between commercial Districts and adjoining uses. • Clearly identify and distinguish pedestrian and bicycle travel routes from auto traffic through parking areas, across streets, and along building frontages. The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 13 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com • Improve pedestrian/bicycle linkages across arterial streets and along transportation corridors. • Avoid superblocks, dead-end streets, and cul-de-sacs. • Coordinate with impacted neighborhoods to find context-sensitive solutions to address connectivity and neighborhood needs. Currently the sidewalks along Plum Street are either very narrow (2-3 feet) attached walks or they don’t exist at all. Pedestrians are forced to walk on the street competing with bicycles and cars for space. The existing situation is unsafe and a serious community concern since Plum Street is a collector street and a direct route to the CSU campus. The District project will be dedicating right-of-way and incorporating detached sidewalks along all street frontages, greatly improving pedestrian safety and connectivity in the neighborhood. In addition, the applicant is committed to working with the property owner to the north (Sunstone Condominiums) to maintain a safe, convenient cross access between the two properties. Currently there is a break in the fence to allow pedestrians to walk between the Sunstone parking lot and the existing property that the District intends to develop. This access point would occur behind the parking garage in the current site plan. The Applicant would like to move the access to align with an alley/courtyard space west of the parking structure. This connection would require re-striping the parking lot on the Sunstone property, but would create a more effective and secure pedestrian connection point. The Applicant is willing to pay for the re-striping if the adjacent property owner agrees. Policy LIV 30.4 – Reduce Visual Impacts of Parking Policy LIV 30.5 – Parking Structures Do not allow parking structures to dominate the street frontage. Other parking structure considerations include the following: a. Minimize interruptions in pedestrian interest and activity for parking structures fronting primary pedestrian streets with retail or other uses with a high level of walk-in clientele along the ground-level frontage. b. On other streets where a parking structure’s ground level will be occupied by cars, require a landscaped setback to soften the visual impact on the street and sidewalk. c. Use architectural elements to establish human scale at the street level along the frontage of primary pedestrian streets, plazas, and public spaces where practical. d. Incorporate architectural design that is compatible with adjacent buildings. e. Locate auto entrances so as to minimize pedestrian and traffic conflicts. f. Provide a safe and secure environment for both pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Policy LIV 30.6 – Reduce Land Devoted to Surface Parking Lots To support transit use and a more pedestrian-friendly environment, reduce land devoted to surface parking lots as infill and redevelopment occur. Adhere to maximum parking ratios for commercial uses and reduce or eliminate minimum parking requirements for transit-supportive uses. Encourage alternatives such as structured parking, angled or parallel on-street parking, shared parking, and others as appropriate. Structured parking for The District dramatically reduces the amount of land devoted to surface parking, resulting in a more pedestrian friendly and convenient environment for residents. The visual impact of the 4-story parking garage is mitigated by integrating three-story townhouse-like living units on the sides of the structure that face public streets. The architectural facades establish human scale at the street level along the The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 14 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com frontages. The vehicular entrance to the parking garage is located on the side along an alley to reduce pedestrian vehicular conflicts. The parking garage is an open-air facility, with the interior being well lit at night. The structure is designed to avoid “hiding” spaces and the elevator is located to encourage students to primarily use the Plum Street access point, which is a safer egress since it is located along a busy public street. Policy LIV 31.7 – Housing Incorporate a variety of housing options in Commercial Districts as infill and redevelopment occur over time: • Residential units may be incorporated on upper floors of mixed-use buildings at the core of the Commercial District or in freestanding residential buildings along district edges. • Residential housing types along district edges should be compatible with the scale and massing of surrounding neighborhoods. • Incorporate residential amenities such as convenient parking, parks, plazas or other open spaces, gathering places, and recreation facilities to enhance the living experience in the district. • Concentrate high-density residential within one quarter (1/4) mile of existing and planned transit stops to provide ease of access and to promote increased ridership over time. COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS Purpose: Community Commercial Districts are higher intensity, mixed-use activity centers intended to serve as destinations for surrounding neighborhoods and the community. Community Commercial Districts offer a mix of retail, restaurants, offices, small civic uses, and higher density housing. Existing patterns and intensities of development in the City’s Community Commercial Districts vary greatly; therefore, both vertically and horizontally mixed-use development forms will be encouraged. Higher density development is encouraged in Community Commercial Districts to support their role as hubs of the City’s high-frequency transit system and to promote an active, pedestrian-friendly environment. The physical environment will promote walking, bicycling, transit use and ridesharing as well as provide a high quality urban life for residents. Examples of Community Commercial District areas include Campus West and the Foothills Mall. Principle LIV 35: Community Commercial Districts will be communitywide destinations and hubs for a high-frequency transit system. They will be quality mixed-use urban activity centers that offer retail, offices, services, small civic uses, and higher density housing, in an environment that promotes walking, bicycling, transit and ridesharing. Policy LIV 35.1 –Location Community Commercial Districts are located along Enhanced Travel Corridors where they may be more readily served by existing or future transit. Policy LIV 35.2 – Mix of Uses Community Commercial Districts may include a mix of uses, as follows: • Principal uses: Retail, restaurants, offices, and other community services. • Supporting uses: Higher density housing, day care (adult and child), civic and institutional uses, pocket parks and other outdoor gathering spaces, and other supporting uses. Discourage drive-through facilities. Where such facilities are allowed, they should be secondary in emphasis to outdoor spaces for people, and relegated to secondary locations. Policy LIV 35.3 –Scale Encourage higher intensity infill and redevelopment in Community Commercial Districts to remote the creation of active destinations for surrounding neighborhoods and the community and to create concentrations of housing and employment sufficient to support high-frequency transit. Encourage vertical mixed-use; however, limit maximum building height to five (5) to six (6) stories. The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 15 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com Policy LIV 35.4 – Transform through Infill and Redevelopment Support the transformation of existing, underutilized Community Commercial Districts through infill and redevelopment over time to more intense centers of activity that include a mixture of land uses and activities, an enhanced appearance, and access to all transportation modes. (Also see the Infill and Redevelopment section in this chapter.) Policy LIV 35.5 – High-Frequency Transit Many of the city’s Community Commercial Districts are located along Enhanced Travel Corridors and are intended to serve as primary hubs of the city’s high-frequency transit system. Locate transit stops centrally and adjacent to the commercial core of the District. Retail, restaurants, and other active uses should be visible and accessible from the transit stop. Provide for transfers to feeder buses (local bus network) in the design and location of these stops. Provide comfortable waiting areas, appropriate for year-round weather conditions, at all transit stops. Passenger loading zones should be close to the stop, but should not interfere with pedestrian access. CAMPUS DISTRICTS Purpose: Campus Districts include the various campuses of Colorado State University and Front Range Community College, which serve as centers of higher education in the City. In addition to being education, research and employment centers, these Campus Districts also include supporting retail and residential areas either on or adjacent to the campus. The location and surrounding development context of each Campus District varies; therefore, unique urban design and environmental concerns will need to be addressed for each. Principle LIV 37: The campuses of Colorado State University and Front Range Community College will be integrated into the community structure, and treated as prominent community institutions and major destinations served by the City’s multi-modal transportation system. Policy LIV 37.3 –Supporting Uses and Housing Include student-oriented housing, retail, services, and entertainment designed to function as part of the Campus District. Form strong pedestrian and bicycle linkages throughout the district and provide connections to city systems beyond the campus. Policy LIV 37.4 –Campus District Edges Development within Campus Districts should be compatible with surrounding uses and their design characteristics. Mitigate negative impacts on surrounding areas as development occurs. Policy LIV 37.5 –Transit As primary multi-modal destinations within the city, serve all Campus Districts with high-frequency transit service. Transit service should link campuses. Develop transit stops as integral parts of the campus environment that serve as inviting gathering places for pedestrians, using materials of character and quality consistent with the desired image of the campus. Policy LIV 37.6 –Parking Structures Where appropriate (as shown on campus master plans), use parking structures to reduce the areas covered by parking lots, thereby making space available for infill and redevelopment opportunities. The District at Campus West project supported by all of the community and neighborhood livability policies listed above (31-37). The project is located in the Campus West Commercial area, a targeted infill and redevelopment area, specifically called out in City Plan. It will provide higher density housing, in an environment that promotes walking, bicycling, transit and ridesharing. The development is just a block away from the CSU campus, providing safe convenient, attractive, energy efficient and affordable units for CSU students. The proposed project is compatible with surrounding uses and the development will dramatically improve pedestrian connectivity and circulation in the neighborhood. In addition, the visual The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 16 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com quality of the neighborhood will improve with the proposed high quality architecture and upscale streetscape improvements. SAFETY AND WELLNESS PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES Policy SW 1.5 - Maintain Public Safety through Design Provide a sense of security and safety within buildings, parking areas, walkways, alleys, bike lanes, public spaces, and streets through environmental design considerations, such as adequate lighting, visibility, maintained landscaping, and location of facilities. The outdoor courtyard spaces at the District are oriented toward the street to provide good visibility. Both the courtyards and parking garage are designed to eliminate hiding spaces and security lighting will be provided at night. In addition the District will have on-site personnel that will patrol the site on a regular basis. COMMUNITY WELLNESS Policy SW 2.3 - Support Active Transportation Support means of physically active transportation (e.g., bicycling, walking, wheelchairs, etc.) by continuing bike and pedestrian safety education and encouragement programs, providing law enforcement, and maintaining bike lanes, sidewalks, trails, lighting, and facilities for easy and safe use, as outlined in the Pedestrian Plan and Bicycle Plan Policy SW 2.4 – Design for Active Living Promote neighborhood and community design that encourages physical activity by establishing easy access to parks and trails, providing interesting routes that feature art and other visually interesting elements, and locating neighborhoods close to activity centers and services so that physically active modes of transportation are a desirable and convenient choice. Safety and Wellness policies are achieved by the District by virtue of locating high density housing in an area where tenants can walk or ride bikes to a variety of destinations including the CSU campus, the Campus West commercial area, and nearby parks and grocery stores. The District encourages the use of bicycles by providing convenient and secure bike parking spaces within the parking structure and at other locations on the project site. In addition the proposed pedestrian streetscape improvements will encourage other neighborhood residents to use alternative modes as well. TRANSPORTATION PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES Principle T 3: Land use planning decisions, management strategies, and incentives will support and be coordinated with the City's transportation vision. Policy T 3.1 – Pedestrian Mobility Promote a mix of land uses and activities that will maximize the potential for pedestrian mobility throughout the community and minimize the distance traveled. Policy T 3.2 – Bicycle Facilities Encourage bicycling for transportation through an urban development pattern that places major activity centers and neighborhood destinations within a comfortable bicycling distance. Policy T 3.3 – Transit Supportive Design Implement and integrate Transit Supportive Design strategies with respect to new and infill development opportunities along Enhanced Travel Corridors. The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 17 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com Policy T 3.4 – Travel Demand Management Manage development in a manner that minimizes automobile dependence, maximizes choices among other modes of local and regional travel, and encourages the use of telecommunications. The District project will help the City achieve the above land use planning objectives related to transportation. The District is ideally located to encourage alternative modes of travel. The District will be making streetscape improvements that will make walking and biking in the neighborhood safer, more convenient and more pleasant than it is now. A centrally located transit stop will be provided, and the District will be providing 332 bike parking spaces when only 50 are required by the LUC. Policy T 4.4 – Attractive and Safe Neighborhood Streets Neighborhood streets will provide an attractive environment and be safe for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers as well as having a well-designed streetscape, including detached sidewalks, parkways, and well- defined crosswalks. Policy T 4.5 – Infill and Redevelopment Areas Where the established street pattern and design may not conform to current street standards, allow for alternative contextual design. The District will provide an attractive environment designed to be safe for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers. It will provide an upscale urban streetscape, including detached sidewalks, parkways, and well-defined crosswalks. The project is located in City Plan’s targeted infill and redevelopment area. Policy T 10.1 – Transit Stops Integrate transit stops into existing and future business districts and Neighborhood Commercial Centers in a way that makes it easy for transit riders to shop, access local services, and travel to work. Provide transit stops within easy walking distance of most residences and destinations. Design and locate transit stops as an integral part of these origins and destinations and provide adequate lighting, security, pedestrian amenities, wheelchair accessibility, bicycle parking, and weather protection. Policy T 10.5 – Connect Transit to Other Modes Connect public transit to other modes of travel through intersecting routes, shared facilities, schedule timing, and accessories such as bike racks on transit vehicles. A centrally located transit stop is planned. A covered area with seating located at the entry to the parking garage will be provided by the developer. Principle T11: Bicycling will be a safe, easy, and convenient mobility option for all ages and abilities. Policy T 11.1 – Bicycle Facilities Ensure safe and convenient access by bicycle in neighborhoods and other pedestrian and bicyclist- oriented districts. Policy T 11.3 – All Ages and Skill Levels Design a bicycle network that maximizes safety, convenience, and comfort for bicyclists of all ages and skill levels. Principle T 12: The pedestrian network will provide a safe, easy, and convenient mobility option for all ages and abilities. Policy T 12.1 – Connections The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 18 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com Direct pedestrian connections will be provided from places of residence to transit, schools, activity centers, work, and public facilities. Policy T 12.2 – Pedestrian Network Develop a complete pedestrian network in ETCs and Activity Centers. Policy T 12.3 – Pedestrian Plan The adopted pedestrian plan will be considered in the development of all transportation projects. Policy T 12.4 – ADA Compliance Pedestrian facilities will comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Policy T 12.5 – Safe and Secure Develop safe and secure pedestrian settings by developing and maintaining a well-lit, inhabited pedestrian network and by mitigating the impacts of vehicles. Connections will be clearly visible and accessible, incorporating markings, signage, lighting, and paving materials. Policy T 12.6 – Street Crossings Design street crossings at intersections consistent with Fort Collins Traffic Code, Land Use Code, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards with regard to crosswalks, lighting, median refuges, corner sidewalk widening, ramps, signs, signals, and landscaping. Policy T 12.8 – Safety The City will promote development of educational programs and appropriate utilization of traffic enforcement. Principle T 14: The City will be a responsible steward of transportation resources for multiple modes of travel, making it easy to choose transportation options that support a healthy lifestyle. By providing an enhanced streetscape along Plum Street that includes detached sidewalks and parkways, the project will improve the overall quality, safety and convenience for pedestrians of all ages utilizing Plum Street. Street crossings will be constructed with ADA accessible ramps and crosswalks. TRAFFIC FLOW Principle T 25: Transportation infrastructure will ensure the provision of high quality facilities for the movement of goods, people, and information. Policy T 25.1 – Level of Service Standards The City will have current Level of Service standards positioned in alignment with transportation and land use goals. Policy T 25.3 – New and Existing Roadways New roadways will be designed and constructed to ensure an acceptable Level of Service and design standards. Existing roadways will be enhanced as necessary to meet current and future needs and design standards. The Traffic Impact Study prepared by ELB Engineering, LLC indicates that: • Operation at all key intersections will meet City Level of Service (LOS) standards after full build-out of the project. • No new traffic signals or signal modifications will be required with the construction of the project. The District at Campus West City Plan – Principles and Policies Page 19 of 19 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com • Multi-modal LOS standards can be achieved with the project. Policy T 29.1 – Bicycle Safety The City and community will partner to develop educational and enforcement programs that promote safety and encourage respect by and for bicyclists and by bicyclists for traffic laws. Policy T 29.2 – Pedestrian Safety The City and community will partner to develop educational and enforcement programs that promote safety and encourage respect for pedestrians and by pedestrians for traffic laws. Principle T 30: Programs that establish awareness of the environmental and energy use impacts of transportation choices and affect travel choices and behavior will be promoted. Policy T 30.1 – Energy Efficient and Environmentally Sensitive Transportation Develop a program to promote energy efficient and environmentally sensitive transportation choices. The District is located in an area where students can easily walk or ride bikes to the CSU campus, to the Campus West commercial area, and to nearby parks and grocery stores. The District will encourage the use of bicycles by providing convenient and secure bike parking spaces within the parking structure and at other locations on the project site. In addition the District will be providing an on-site air pump and fix-it station for residents. Educating residents in regard to bicycle use and safety will be part of the District’s message to new residents. Promoting energy efficient and environmentally sensitive transportation choices fits right in with the applicant’s goal to attain Silver LEED certification. land planning g landscape architecture g urban design g entitlement Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com January 25, 2012 Modification Request 3.5.2 Residential Building Standards (D) Residential building Setbacks, Lot Width and Size. (2) Setback from Nonarterial Streets. Minimum setback of every residential building and of every detached accessory building that is incidental to the residential building from any public street right-of-way other than an arterial street right-of-way shall be fifteen (15) feet. Reason for the Request West Plum Street in the vicinity of the District at Campus West includes two travel lanes and striped bike lanes within a 40-foot pavement section. The travel lanes and striped bike lanes are adequate for the volume of vehicular and bicycle traffic that exists currently and will also be adequate when the proposed development is in place (see Traffic Impact Analysis prepared by ELB Engineering, LLC. The pedestrian circulation system however, is seriously inadequate. Sidewalks in the area are strips of concrete attached to the curb, only 2-3-feet wide and in some locations sidewalks don’t exist at all, forcing pedestrians to walk in the street. City staff has requested the applicant to dedicate additional right-of-way sufficient to accommodate a 6-foot sidewalk and 5-foot parkway strip within the right-of-way. The applicant agrees that the parkway strip and wider, detached sidewalks are appropriate and intends to provide a consistent parkway and minimum 6-8 foot wide sidewalks along Plum Street and similar streetscapes along City Park, Bluebell and Aster. The applicant is requesting a Modification to the building setback in order to provide a more varied streetscape pattern. The proposed building setback is much greater than 15 feet in many locations, but is less than 15 feet in some locations. The applicant is dedicating between 7 and18 feet of right-of-way along Plum Street. While we agree that the sidewalk should fall within a public right-of-way, dedicating this much right-of-way makes it very hard to keep a consistent 15-foot building setback as well. We are confident that the proposed setbacks and resulting streetscapes will meet the needs of the pedestrian as well as provide an interesting, upscale, urban experience for neighborhood residents who walk along this corridor. The proposed building footprints The District at Campus West Modification Request – Building Setback Page 2 of 5 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com are highly articulated, so the setback varies a great deal as you can see from the following dimensional descriptions. Building 1 at City Park Avenue At the most constricted areas the building is setback 4 feet from the right-of-way. The setback is more at patios and at building indentations, averaging a 7.3-foot setback along the City Park Avenue frontage. In addition to these setback measurements that extend from the building face to the existing right-of-way line, there is a consistent 8.5 feet that includes a 5-foot walk and 3.5-foot parkway along the curb line. Building 1 at Plum Street At the most constricted areas the building is setback 5 feet from the right-of-way. The majority of the façade on Building 1 is setback over 9 feet. The setback is more at entries and extends to beyond 90-feet at the courtyard and beyond 80 feet at the pool complex, averaging a 37-foot setback along the Plum Street frontage. In addition to these setback measurements that extend from the building face to the newly dedicated right-of-way line, there is a consistent 11.5 feet that includes a 6-foot walk* and 5.5-foot parkway along the curb line. Parking Structure (Building 2) with Townhome-like Units at Plum Street The building is setback a consistent 8 feet from the right-of-way. The setback is more at the townhome entries, averaging a 10.2-foot setback along the Plum Street frontage. In addition to these setback measurements that extend from the building face to the newly dedicated right-of-way line, there is a consistent 11.5 feet that includes a 6-foot walk* and 5.5-foot parkway along the curb line. Parking Structure (Building 2) with Townhome-like Units at Bluebell Street At the most constricted area the building is setback 9 feet from the right-of-way. The setback is more at patios and at building indentations, averaging a 10.5-foot setback along the Bluebell Street frontage. In addition to these setback measurements that extend from the building face to the existing right-of-way line, there is a consistent 10 feet that includes a 4.5-foot walk and 5.5-foot parkway along the curb line. Building 3 Bluebell Street At the most constricted areas the building is setback 11 feet from the right-of-way. The setback is more at patios and at building indentations, averaging a 14.6-foot setback along the Bluebell Street frontage. In addition to these setback measurements that extend from the building face to the existing right-of-way line, there is a consistent 10 feet that includes a 4.5-foot walk and 5.5-foot parkway along the curb line. Building 3 Plum Street At the most constricted areas the building is setback 13 feet from the right-of-way. The majority of the façade on Building 3 is setback 17 feet or more and the setback extends to beyond 100-feet at the courtyard, averaging a 26.2-foot setback along the Plum Street frontage. In addition to these setback measurements that extend from the The District at Campus West Modification Request – Building Setback Page 3 of 5 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com building face to the newly dedicated right-of-way line, there is a consistent 11.5 feet that includes a 6-foot walk* and 5.5-foot parkway along the curb line. Building 3 Aster Street At the most constricted areas the building is setback 9.8 feet from the right-of-way. The setback is more at patios and at building indentations, averaging a 15.8-foot setback along the Aster Street frontage. In addition to these setback measurements that extend from the building face to the existing right-of-way line, there is a consistent 11.5 feet that includes a 6-foot walk and 5.5-foot parkway along the curb line. * Sidewalks along Plum Street are consistently 8-feet wide, however, only 6 feet is within the public right-of-way. Justifications The Land Use Code states that the decision-maker may grant a modification of standards only if it finds that the granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public good; and the decision-maker must also find that the Modification meets one of the following four criteria described in the LUC. (1) the plan as submitted will promote the general purpose of the standard for which the modification is requested equally well or better than would a plan which complies with the standard for which a modification is requested; The District is a unique project designed specifically for this challenging site. All design projects require trade-offs to get to the best design fit. In this case, the design team believes that the unique architectural character, created by the building’s articulation and street-facing courtyard spaces is more important, more valuable, and more attractive than a consistent 15-foot setback. The District at Campus West project proposes a safe, convenient, attractive streetscape in place of an inconsistent and seriously inadequate pedestrian system that currently exists in the Plum Street neighborhood. A developer could propose buildings with less building articulation, without street facing courtyards and maintain consistent 15-foot setbacks. We believe the varied streetscape design proposed by the District is not only equal to but much better than a project that may provide a consistent 15-foot setback but not achieve the overall aesthetic and functional values that the proposed streetscape does. A student housing project proposed for this site and approved in 2009 known then as The Retreat at 1200 Plum Street PDP proposed nearly identical building setback distances from the curb line. The Retreat project, however, was not required to dedicate additional right of way. So as lines measured on paper, the “setback” from The District at Campus West Modification Request – Building Setback Page 4 of 5 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com right-of-way was greater, but the physical relationship to the curb, streetscape, etc. is almost identical to what was previously approved (and what the new developer understood to be purchasing). The District is located in the Campus West Commercial area. Commercial Districts often have no setback requirements at all. Commercial, mixed-use and residential buildings are constructed at the property line in commercial districts. We believe the look and feel of the District’s varied setbacks will be appropriate to the new urban scale evolving in the neighborhood. Lastly, it is interesting to note that in the Medium Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood District (MMN) there is no minimum setback from the public right-of-way. Reducing or eliminating the setback requirement encourages streetscapes that are more urban in character, usually including, highly articulated spaces with street furniture, special paving, lighting, planters and a variety of seating opportunities, precisely the kind of streetscape proposed by the District at Campus West. (2) the granting of a modification from the strict application of any standard would, without impairing the intent and purpose of this Land Use Code, substantially alleviate an existing, defined and described problem of city-wide concern or would result in a substantial benefit to the city by reason of the fact that the proposed project would substantially address an important community need specifically and expressly defined and described in the city's Comprehensive Plan or in an adopted policy, ordinance or resolution of the City Council, and the strict application of such a standard would render the project practically infeasible; The proposed project addresses important community needs in three ways: 1. The project is located within City Plan’s “Targeted Redevelopment Areas” and within the Campus West “Targeted Activity Area”. By locating in this neighborhood, the District at Campus West will be achieving many of the City’s specific objectives in regard to infill development. • The District will promote the revitalization of the Campus West commercial area, an existing, underutilized commercial area near campus. • The District will concentrate higher density housing in a location that can be served by high frequency transit and that can support higher levels of activity. • The District will enable students to access the campus, jobs, and services with fewer and shorter auto trips. • The District will provide reinvestment in an area where infrastructure already exists. • The District will increase economic activity in an area that will benefit existing businesses and, will help provide stimulus for more redevelopment in the area. 2. The project will be replacing inadequate, run-down student rentals with safe modern, and energy efficient units. The District at Campus West Modification Request – Building Setback Page 5 of 5 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com 3. An attractive and functional streetscape will be added to this core circulation route, where students are currently forced to walk in the street. (3) by reason of exceptional physical conditions or other extraordinary and exceptional situations, unique to such property, including, but not limited to, physical conditions such as exceptional narrowness, shallowness or topography, or physical conditions which hinder the owner's ability to install a solar energy system, the strict application of the standard sought to be modified would result in unusual and exceptional practical difficulties, or exceptional or undue hardship upon the owner of such property, provided that such difficulties or hardship are not caused by the act or omission of the applicant; The required dedication of 7-18 feet of right-of-way along Plum Street creates a hardship. The hardship is especially acute for Building 2 – the Parking Garage/Townhome-like structure. In order for parking garages to function efficiently, certain prescribed lane widths and parking space dimensions have to be maintained. In order to create the optimal streetscape, the applicant has elected to line the street- facing sides of the parking garage with 3-story, townhome-like units. The result is that the utilitarian aspect of the garage is not visible from the public street. We believe the benefits of this configuration outweigh the fact that the building setback is less than 15 feet along Plum Street and Bluebell Street. (4) the plan as submitted will not diverge from the standards of the Land Use Code that are authorized by this Division to be modified except in a nominal, inconsequential way when considered from the perspective of the entire development plan, and will continue to advance the purposes of the Land Use Code as contained in Section 1.2.2. The right-of-way line is invisible and doesn’t change the visual or functional quality of the streetscape. In most cases the average setback exceeds the minimum requirement of 15 feet. The average setback distance for all streets combined is over 20 feet. land planning g landscape architecture g urban design g entitlement Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com January 25, 2012 District at Campus West Request for 4-bedroom Units The District at Campus West is planned to be a student-oriented apartment complex that will include 193 dwelling units located west of the Colorado State University (CSU) campus adjacent to West Plum Street. The apartment complex is planned to include 28 two-bedroom apartments, 42 three-bedroom apartments and 123 four-bedroom apartments. In the City of Fort Collins, the maximum occupancy allowed per multi-family dwelling unit is three unrelated persons, unless an exception is granted by the decision maker. In order to provide 4-bedroom units intended to be occupied by four unrelated persons, the City’s Land Use Code requires the Applicant to provide a written request as follows: 3.8.16 Occupancy Limits; Increasing the Number of Persons Allowed (E) Increasing the Occupancy Limit. (2) With respect to multiple-family dwellings, the decision maker (depending on the type of review, Type 1 or Type 2) may, upon receipt of a written request from the applicant and upon a finding that all applicable criteria of this Land Use Code have been satisfied, increase the number of unrelated persons who may reside in individual dwelling units. The decision maker shall not increase said number unless satisfied that that the applicant has provided such additional open space, recreational areas, parking areas and public facilities as are necessary to adequately serve the occupants of the development and to protect the adjacent neighborhood. Justification The Applicant has found that 4-bedroom units are a popular lifestyle alternative for many students. It allows four students to share an apartment in a well-managed environment. It is more secure than most single-family home rentals and the 4-bedroom unit costs less per bedroom and therefore offers a more affordable alternative to students on a budget. The tenants that are likely to occupy these units are also the ones likely to occupy single-family rental properties near campus. By providing safe, efficient, and high quality 4-bedroom apartment units The District is helping to relieve the burden on surrounding neighborhoods and is helping to free up affordable rental housing stock to families and employees of CSU. The District at Campus West Request for Four Bedroom Units Page 2 of 4 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com In order to increase the number of unrelated persons who may reside in individual dwelling units, the applicant must show that there is adequate open space, recreation areas, parking and public facilities to serve the occupants of the development. There are no specific criteria in the Land Use Code that addresses how to determine how much is adequate. In the Medium Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood District (MMN), residential projects are required to be close to public parks or include a 10,000 square foot private park, central feature or gathering place. Although this is not a requirement in the Community Commercial District (CC), The District complies with both. The project is less than ½ mile from City Park and just two blocks from CSU athletic fields. The District will offer 16,500 square feet of courtyards and landscaped open space on the 3.34 acre site including a swimming pool and sun deck. The indoor clubhouse facility will provide an additional 7,000 square feet of indoor recreational opportunities. Further justification for 4-bedroom units at this location includes the following: Open Space and Recreational Amenities • The buildings are designed to create an attractive urban-living experience for the student interested in living near CSU where they can easily walk or bike to campus. The buildings are designed to create south-facing exterior courtyards. This has the benefit of getting sun light into more units and also creates outdoor space that is readily accessible to students. The courtyards are oriented to maximize exposure to the sun, so that students can enjoy the outdoors all year long on sunny days. The design of the courtyards includes special paving, generous landscaping, outdoor lighting, internet access, and a variety of seating opportunities. • The project incorporates open space and recreational amenities based on how many students are living in the complex. Four-bedroom units are factored into the equation. The 7,000 square foot clubhouse facility will include an outdoor pool, a recreation room with pool tables, TV's, and other games; expanded fitness center, a theater room, a computer lab, and study rooms for group study sessions. • The streetscape around the edges of the project adds to the urban-lifestyle by providing street trees, special paving, seat walls, planters, street furniture and convenient bike parking. • Students living at The District are just one block from the CSU athletic fields and Moby Gymnasium. • CSU’s newly renovated campus recreation center with swimming pool, gymnasium, climbing wall, fitness center and much more is less than ½ mile to the east. • Students are also just a few blocks from City Park which includes 172 acres of open space with sport fields, a lake, natural areas, a swimming pool, playground, and a golf course. Parking • The project is located within the transit-oriented development (TOD) overlay zone. Multi-family residential projects in the TOD have no minimum parking requirements. The applicant recognizes that many students do own cars even when they don’t need to use them on a regular basis. To insure that students don’t park their vehicles on neighboring properties the applicant proposes to provide parking for 73% of the students that will live in the complex in a centrally located on-site parking structure. The District at Campus West Request for Four Bedroom Units Page 3 of 4 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com • Parking permits will be required, but spaces will not be designated. It is anticipated that parking at the proposed ratio will be more than adequate to serve the needs of students that have cars with ample spaces left for guest parking. • The applicant is interested in doing everything they can to encourage students to be environmentally responsible by promoting alternative means of transportation including walking, biking, transit and ride-sharing programs. The site is served by Transfort and there is a centrally located bus stop proposed in the project. Students can connect to the Mason Street Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) via bike or by using the bus. The BRT provides transportation to Downtown or to destinations and activity centers located in south Fort Collins. Public Facilities • The proposed site is adequately served with standard public infrastructure including water, wastewater, police and fire facilities. The existing street network has adequate capacity to absorb the additional traffic within level of service standards. See Traffic Impact Analysis prepared by ELB Engineering LLC. • The site is adjacent to Campus West commercial shopping area that includes many retail and personnel service shops as well as a variety of restaurants and entertainment venues that cater to the student population. • The site is also close to two grocery stores, being approximately 1 mile from Beaver’s Market at Mountain and Shields Streets and 1.5 miles from Safeway on College Avenue. The CSU campus offers many public facilities that are available for students to use including classroom facilities, auditoriums, medical care facilities, arts and entertainment opportunities as well as a variety of other amenities and services especially designed to serve the student population. Architectural Design • In addition, the 4-bedroom occupancy has positive effects related to architectural design and sustainability. Four-bedroom dwelling units are more efficient in the utilization of space, allowing more flexibility in building height. Sustainability • Locating high-density housing for students where they can access the campus, shopping, employment and recreational opportunities without using an automobile is a key component of being an environmentally responsible community. The District at Campus West will allow 674 students to live in a location where they can easily get along without owning a car. This is not only highly desirable from an environmental perspective but also makes going to college more affordable to students on a budget. The 4-bedroom unit is an essential component that allows higher density to work in this location. • The District encourages the use of bicycles by providing 332 convenient and secure bike parking spaces within the parking structure and in courtyards. In addition to being able to walk or bike to campus, the students will also have easy access to transit with a Transfort bus stop located in the heart of the project. • The four-bedroom units are more efficient in terms of material usage and are also more energy efficient. Data obtained from Conservice, a nationwide utility billing service that analyzes information from many properties and thousands of units indicates that electricity usage is on average 21.25% more efficient when comparing a 4-bedroom unit to two 2- bedroom units. In other words the same four people use less electricity when housed in a 4-bedroom unit vs. being split up into two 2-bedroom units. Likewise, natural gas is estimated to be 55.13% more efficient. • Additionally, less construction materials translates into less environmental impact from a construction standpoint. The District at Campus West Request for Four Bedroom Units Page 4 of 4 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com We believe the 4-bedroom units proposed in this development will serve the students by providing a fun, secure and affordable lifestyle alternative without impacting adjacent neighbors. To the contrary, the 4- bedroom units are necessary to keep building heights lower and more compatible with adjacent properties. Upscale urban courtyards and a large, state-of-the-art clubhouse/recreation facility provide recreational opportunities on-site, while City Park and the CSU campus offer expansive green spaces, sport fields, water bodies and natural areas nearby. More than adequate parking for both cars and bicycles is provided on site and there is a variety of shopping, dining, and entertainment opportunities located in the adjacent Campus West shopping center and on the CSU campus land planning g landscape architecture g urban design g entitlement Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com January 25, 2012 Building Height Review (1) Special Height Review/Modifications. Purpose. The purpose of this Section is to establish a special process to review buildings or structures that exceed forty (40) feet in height. Its intent is to encourage creativity and diversity of architecture and site design within a context of harmonious neighborhood planning and coherent environmental design, to protect access to sunlight, to preserve desirable views and to define and reinforce downtown and designated activity centers. All buildings or structures in excess of forty (40) feet in height shall be subject to special review pursuant to this subsection (G). (a) Review Standards. If any building or structure is proposed to be greater than forty (40) feet in height above grade, the building or structure must meet the following special review criteria: 1. Views. A building or structure shall not substantially alter the opportunity for, and quality of, desirable views from public places, streets and parks within the community. Desirable views are views by the community of the foothills, mountains and/or significant local landmarks (i.e., Long's Peak, Horsetooth Mountain). Techniques to preserve views may include, but are not limited to, reducing building or structure mass, changing the orientation of buildings and increasing open space setbacks. The development of The District at Campus West will change the look of the Plum Street neighborhood but it will not alter the opportunity for or quality of desirable views from public places, streets or parks. There are no significant views to the foothills or to parks or open spaces from this site or adjacent sites that would be changed by the development of this project. 2. Light and Shadow. Buildings or structures greater than forty (40) feet in height shall be designed so as not to have a substantial adverse impact on the distribution of natural and artificial light on adjacent public and private property. Adverse impacts include, but are not limited to, casting shadows on adjacent property sufficient to preclude the functional use of solar energy technology, creating glare such as reflecting sunlight or artificial lighting at night, contributing to the accumulation of snow and ice during the winter on adjacent property, and The District at Campus West Building Height Review Page 2 of 5 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com shading of windows or gardens for more than three (3) months of the year. Techniques to reduce the shadow impacts of a building may include, but are not limited to, repositioning of a structure on the lot, increasing the setbacks, reducing building or structure mass or redesigning a building or structure’s shape. The Community Commercial Zone District encourages taller building heights up to 5 stories and does not increase setbacks to avoid the shading that is unavoidable. The criteria in the LUC General Development Standards that limits shadowing do not apply in this zone district in order to encourage higher density in key commercial areas like Downtown and in the Campus West Commercial area. (LUC 3.2.3 (D) (1) The attached photos were taken December 23rd, 2011 to illustrate the existing condition at the site during the winter. The photos indicate that the existing one-story structures combined with the existing trees, many of which are over 50 feet tall, cast shadows across the existing parking lot and onto the adjacent Sunstone Condominium buildings. The District at Campus West Building Height Review Page 3 of 5 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com While the LUC is supportive of building heights up to 5 stories in the Community Commercial District, the applicant has reduced the height of the parking structure to 4 stories and has dropped the height of Building 1 down to 4 stories on the north side to decrease the shadowing on the adjacent property. This was done in direct response to comments received in the August 31st neighborhood meeting. The District project was The District at Campus West Building Height Review Page 4 of 5 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com scaled back and redesigned so that the shadow caused by the project is not substantially different from the existing condition. The attached shadow analysis depicts the shadows cast by the Buildings 1, 2 and 3 at 9AM, 12 PM and 3PM, the 22nd day of the month in January, March, June, September, November and December. Each month shows the shadows cast by the project when all structures were proposed to be 5-story, followed by a depiction of shadows cast by the project when Building 1 is dropped to 4 stories on the north side and the parking garage is reduced to a 4-story structure as currently proposed by the Applicant. The analysis shows that shadows are cast across the parking lot and onto the adjacent buildings between November and January. By dropping the north side of Building 1 down to 4 stories and by reducing the parking structure to 4 stories, we can reduce the shadowing impact so that shadows cast by the new buildings will only impact the first floor units of the adjacent building and only in December. By January the first floor units have full access to the sun by noon. By reducing the scale of the buildings we are able to stay well within the criteria that require the project to avoid shading of windows for more than three (3) months of the year. The shadowing does not preclude the functional use of solar energy technology for adjacent properties. The next two photos taken December 23rd, 2011 show, the existing houses and tall trees shade the Sunstone Condominium parking lot during the winter. The District project has lowered the height of Building 1 and the parking structure so that the shadow cast by the buildings is not significantly worse than the shadowing that already exists. The District at Campus West Building Height Review Page 5 of 5 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.ripleydesigninc.com 3. Privacy. Buildings or structures greater than forty (40) feet in height shall be designed to avoid infringing on the privacy of adjacent public and private property, particularly adjacent residential areas and public parks. Techniques to improve the level of privacy in a neighborhood may include, but not be limited to, providing landscaping, fencing and open space, and changing building or structure orientation away from adjacent residential development. Existing residential units in the Sunstone Condominium project are separated from units in the new project by a parking lot; therefore, we don’t anticipate that privacy would be an issue. 4. Neighborhood Scale. Buildings or structures greater than forty (40) feet in height shall be compatible with the scale of the neighborhoods in which they are situated in terms of relative height, height to mass, length to mass, and building or structure scale to human scale. The structures proposed for the District are incrementally taller than adjacent buildings in the neighborhood. For example the Sunstone Condominiums located to the north are 3-story structures while Building 1 and 2 of the District project are proposed to be 4 stories in height on the north side. The Sunstone project has pitched roofs while the District proposes flat roofs so the overall height difference is less than it would be if both projects had pitched roofs. A building height exhibit follows the shadow analysis at the end of this narrative. Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6750 970.224.6134 - fax fcgov.com/developmentreview NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING NOTES Applicant has provided updated responses in red where appropriate. (1-25-12) PROJECT: The District at CSU DATE: August 31, 2011 APPLICANT: Derek Anderson and Consultants: Ripley Design Inc. and Northern Engineering PLANNER: Emma McArdle and Steve Olt Questions and Answers: 1) How many bedrooms are proposed in the project vs. the previous project? - 754 bedrooms in The District (Derek Anderson, Residential Housing Development(RHD)) - About 500 bedrooms in the past Retreat at Plum Street project (Nick Haws, Northern Engineering (NE)) At Submittal (1-25-12) there are 193 units with 674 bedrooms. 2) Is this a private development or is it associated with CSU? - It is a private developer that is not associated with CSU. (Derek Anderson, RHD) 3) Who is the developer? - Derek Anderson owner of Residential Housing Development, LLC 4) Does the developer/applicant currently own all of the properties that make up this site? - We own most of the property since March, but not all yet. (Derek Anderson, RHD) 5) How many total properties have you assembled and how many will be used in this project? - 19 properties are included in the site, we own 12 at the time of the neighborhood meeting (Derek Anderson, RHD) 6) Will you demo or donate the existing homes? - We are open to donating the homes, we don’t have an exact plan how we will deal with them at the moment. (Derek Anderson, RHD) 7) A resident that owns a condo in the Sunstone Condos, directly north of this proposed development, is concerned about a 63’ parking structure blocking 1 sunlight to their property. Will the developer consider putting a level of parking below grade? - We can look into the options. (Derek Anderson, RHD) Since the neighborhood meeting the developer has lowered the parking structure to 4 stories. The main structure is 45 feet tall. 8) A resident mentioned their concern about property values being impacted by this proposal. 9) It looks like the City would be vacating 2 streets for this project? Is that correct? - Yes, two streets would be proposed to be vacated (Daisy and Columbine Streets) with this proposal. (Emma McArdle, City of Fort Collins) 10) An owner in the Campus West Condos is concerned about the 5 story building and the traffic and noise associated with this size development. - The applicant’s traffic engineer was present (Eric Bracke), he described the traffic impacts this project is anticipated to have on the area: i. The proposal will increase approximately 1,000 trips a day over the current approximate 2,000 daily trips. ii. Plum Street is a collector, which is designed for 5,000 daily trips; therefore the increase would be acceptable from a traffic engineering standpoint. 11) How is it decided that you can get an enhanced crosswalk? This resident has requested enhancing a cross walk in her neighborhood with no luck. - The City’s Traffic Engineer and Transportation Planning would participate in review of a development proposal like this one. (Eric Bracke) - If residents have questions about changing existing intersections to having enhanced crosswalks, contacting the City’s Traffic Engineer would be a first step. Joe Olson is the City’s Traffic Engineer; he can be reached at 224-6062. (Emma McArdle, City) 12) What would the applicant/developer do if a pool party, like the recent party at Ram’s Point, were to happen at their development? - We have every interest in protecting our asset and for other student housing project’s we run we have live-on security and management. If something like the recent party were to happen on one of our properties, the management and security staff would be let go immediately. (Derek Anderson, RHG) 13) Will the pool area be lit? Even when it is closed? - Yes the pool will be lit, primarily with lights inside the pool. The pool will have secured access that is only accessible to the residents via a door buzzer system. (Derek Anderson, RHG) - The City requires lighting plans be included in the information provided to staff for review. Areas like entryways and gathering areas need to be lit 2 for safely purposes, but lighting needs to be down directional and not spill from the site according to our standards. (Emma McArdle, City) 14) What does the door buzzer system sound like? - It would buzz if a door was left open. The buzzer sound is not something that could be heard off of the site though. (Derek Anderson, RHG) 15) Would you consider adult property managers living on-site? - Yes, we do not allow student property managers. Security people will definitely live on-site. Regarding management living on-site, we are interested but it will depend on finding qualified management that is willing to live on-site. (Derek Anderson, RHG) 16) How many of your properties actually have live on-site managers? - 3 of 6 (Derek Anderson, RHG) 17) What is the project schedule? - If all goes as hoped, we want to deliver for late summer 2013, which means building by spring of 2012. (Derek Anderson, RHG) 18) Can you show how the traffic will enter and exit the parking structure and where could traffic back-up? Will there be a back-up of traffic on Plum Street? - Traffic enters the parking structure on Bluebell Street, the structure entry is set inside the structure far enough to help avoid too much back-up that would reach Plum Street. (Derek Anderson, RHG) At Submittal (1-25-12) there is one vehicular entrance to the parking garage off of the alley between Buildings 1 and 2. 19) What is the height of the structures? - One structure is 5 stories (the centrally located building south of Plum Street), which is approximately 64’ tall. - The other residential buildings are 4 stories and proposed at 54’ tall. - The parking structure is proposed as 6 tiers and 53’ tall. (Derek Anderson, RHG) Building 1 is 67’-1” to the top of the tower elements, the main building is 61’-1” and the 4-story portion on the north side drops to 48’-8”. Building 2, the 4-story parking garage is 41’-8”, with a 57’-8” tower element on the southwest corner. Building3 is 67’-1” to the top of the tower elements, the main building is 61’-1”. 20) An owner in the Sunstone Condos expresses his concern about the shade these structures will produce over his property from October to March. This will add to their snow removal costs in the parking lot. A 60’ building is overwhelming and will hurt our property values. 3 Building 1 has been lowered to 4 stories on the north and the parking garage has also been lowered to 4 stories in order to reduce the shadow impact. A shadow analysis has been submitted. 21) This is too dense and does not satisfy block standards. Could you put a street along the north side of Building 2? - A street behind Building 2 would not be preferred from the City as it would create an intersection too close to Plum Street, this would be a less than 200’ separation between streets. Old town blocks are range from 400’ to 600’ wide. (Steve Olt, City) - There is a local street connection standard that would apply to this project on the Plum Street side, if it were not for the existing development to the north making any connection this project made to the north a dead end. Therefore, this standard does not apply according to the Land Use Code. (Information not provided at the meeting, staff provides this as additional information to the neighborhood.) (Emma McArdle, City) 22) When will the Traffic Impact Study (TIS) be available and can residents have a copy? - The TIS will be available for the formal submittal of a project development plan. (Derek Anderson, RHG) - Any information submitted to the City is public record and available for anyone to review. (Emma McArdle, City) - Eric Bracke described how the traffic is evaluated in the TIS. Intersections are rated on an A – F scale (A – best, F – worst). Three intersections were reviewed in the TIS (Plum and Shields, Bluebell and Plum and City Park Avenue and Plum) they currently are rated As. The additional traffic load maintained the intersections working at an A or B level, which is acceptable to the City’s Traffic Engineer. In fact, these ratings are better than most intersections are rated in the City. 23) How is the street (Right-of-Way (ROW)) vacation done and how can that affect the development if some property owners oppose it? - ROW vacations require all adjacent property owners be in favor of the ROW vacation and once the ROW is vacated the adjacent property owner’s would then be the owners of the old ROW to the center line. In the scenario the applicant is proposing, they would own all the properties adjacent to the subject ROW (Daisy and Columbine Street). The ROW vacation becomes a timing concern as it needs to occur after a plat is recorded, stating the applicant is the owner, and before a development plan is approved on the site. (Emma McArdle, City) 24) How is emergency access provided to these buildings? - From the streets around the project as well as in two emergency access easements that are required by Poudre Fire Authority adjacent to Buildings 3 and 4 (in the Scott Avenue ROW) and between the parking garage and Building 2. (Emma McArdle, City) 4 - Poudre Fire Authority participates in the Development Review Process and will review all plans submitted for any development application. (Emma McArdle, City) 25) Are any sound studies done for the mechanical units on the roofs of these buildings? In Denver they must be 50 decibels or lower. - No, none have been done on past projects. (Derek Anderson, RHG) - A sound study is not required by this City for this type of project. (Emma McArdle, City) 26) Will this project be LEED Certified? - Yes, that is our intent. (Derek Anderson, RHG) 27) A resident reminds the City that “no required parking” does not mean that no parking can be provided due to protection of the existing neighborhood and creating no adverse impact. - That is correct, though there technically is no required amount of parking in this area, due to the project site being located in the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) overlay zone, there is a compatibility standard that addresses not adversely impacting the surrounding neighborhood. (Emma McArdle, City) - Although the site is located in the TOD, the applicants are proposing a parking ratio that would meet and exceed the required amount of parking spaces as it would be required if it were not located in the TOD. We are proposing more than 600 parking spaces even though we do not think the students will need their cars except to go off campus since this project is a block away from CSU. (Derek Anderson, RHG) At Submittal (1-25-12) we are proposing 495 parking spaces, enough for 73% of the residents. In addition the project provides 332 bicycle parking spaces. 28) Students do not behave the way you think they do. They will be driving at all times of the day and night to campus and elsewhere. 29) Where is trash collection located and when will it be picked up? - We are still working on those details. We have contacted Gallegos trash service to find out what our options are. (Derek Anderson, RHG) Trash collection areas are proposed on the east side of Building 1 and on the east side of Building 3. 30) Move-in and move-out times are always really problematic. Are you willing to have extra trash service during those times to prevent students from using nearby dumpsters? - Yes. (Derek Anderson, RHG) 31) Does the TOD negate the need to provide amenities for the 4 bedroom units? - No, the criteria of the Land Use Code regarding dwellings with 4 or more bedrooms will apply to this project. This standard asks projects including 5 4 bedroom units provide additional open space, recreational areas, parking areas and public facilities. (Emma McArdle, City) 32) What is the density of this development? - 46 dwelling units per acres. (Derek Anderson, RHG) - There is no density limitation in this zone district, but it is called out in the Land Use Code as a high-density zone district. (Emma McArdle, City) At Submittal (1-25-12) the gross density is 43.08 and the net density is 57.78. 33) Is the shadow analysis still done at the shortest and longest days of the year? - Yes, because the buildings are over 40’ tall the applicant is required to prepare and submit a shadow analysis according to the Land Use Code (LUC). However, the section reviewing the shadows in the code does not apply to this zone district or the Downtown zone district, as they have been called out as being “high density” zones according to the LUC. (Emma McArdle, City) 34) Just because it is allowed, because you can, why does this development have to be so big? Since the neighborhood meeting the overall size and scale of the project has been reduced. 35) Have you looked at other areas for this development? - Yes, we have looked around the City and this location is our preferred site. (Derek Anderson, RHG) 36) This development is really going to affect our quality of life and our property values. 37) The letter advertized “multi-family,” but you are proposing student housing? How can you mitigate the impacts on the surrounding neighborhood? - We are in the process of getting all the necessary studies done and want to do what we can to be good neighbors. (Derek Anderson, RHG) 38) Can you have a second neighborhood meeting after the project is submitted and you have more completed information about the development? - The applicant is open to the idea, but did not say yes, or no. (Derek Anderson, RHG) A second neighborhood meeting is planned after the project is submitted and first round comments are received. 39) When the Land Use Code was adopted it seems that the intent was not for this massive type of development. (Neighbor) 40) Who would the neighbors address comments and concerns to at the City? - Emma McArdle, I will be the project planner for this project if it is formally submitted. (Emma McArdle, City) Ted Shepard has replaced Emma McArdle as the planner for this project. 6 41) How does this process work? When this project goes to the public hearing and citizens have the opportunity to express comments and concerns, what effect do we have? - Interested neighbors can provide me written comments before the public hearing that will be provided to the decision maker (administrative hearing officer) or come to the public hearing and express their opinions about the project. (Emma McArdle, City) 42) Who is the decision maker for at Type 1 hearing? - The decision maker is an administrative hearing officer, usually a staff member of the Community Development and Neighborhood Services Department or an outside hearing officer if the project seems to be controversial. (Emma McArdle, City) 43) Does the City care about how many cars are generated by this development and will be on these streets? - Yes, this is why a Traffic Impact Study will be required to be submitted with this project. The City’s Traffic Engineer will review the TIS. (Emma McArdle, City) 44) How does the fire department get down the streets? - There is no parking on Plum and emergency access easements cannot be obstructed in the event of a fire. Emergency Access Easements are required to be 20’ wide and are generally part of the public and private street network. Poudre Fire Authority will review this project as it goes through Development Review. (Emma McArdle, City) 45) The bike box at Plum and Shields does not work at this time. - This is the first bike box the City has tried and the City will be reviewing how it functions. (Eric Bracke) 46) Is there a study that can be done to evaluate the impacts this project will have on additional snow accumulating behind the buildings? - Not that City staff or the applicants were aware of. 47) Is there any consideration for making this development a mixed-use project? - Yes, this is something we are interested in investigating. It will depend on viability. The spaces on the corners of the parking structure are proposed to be converted/finished as retail if and when the market is viable for that use. (Derek Anderson, RHG) - City staff has recommended this to the applicant also. (Emma McArdle, City) 48) The Land Use Code state that in this zone district (CC – Community Commercial) that secondary uses shall demonstrate how they contribute to the overall mix of land uses within the surrounding area. 7 - This CC area currently has a pretty good mix of commercial and residential use with Elizabeth Street located just a block away. This is something that staff will look at in our review of the project, but we do not see why this project would not contribute to the overall mix of the area. (Emma McArdle, City) Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6750 970.224.6134 - fax fcgov.com 1 Staff Review Letter Generated: 9/6/2011 at 4:51 pm January 25, 2012 Mr. Ted Shepard City of Fort Collins Planning Department 281 North College Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80521 Dear Ted, Responses to City staff comments for The District at Campus West (formerly District at CSU) PDR follow: Department: Current Planning Contact: Emma McArdle, 970-221-6206, emcardle@fcgov.com Topic: General Number: 2 Issue Originated: 08/30/2011 08/30/2011: The drive aisle into the parking structure seems awkward, I think showing context will help as well as some design work to make this not just a drive aisle, but primarily a pedestrian area, which now it does not look like. Design detail has been added to the alley that provides vehicular access to the parking garage. Special paving is planned to define the area as primarily a pedestrian space that vehicles use occasionally. The drive path to the garage is reflected in the pavement design, and the west side of the parking garage will incorporate a green-wall system to add interest to the area as well as enhance the garage architecture. While the majority of the space needs to be paved and clear of obstructions for fire access, there will be planting at the edges and string light on the north half of alley. A pedestrian connection to the adjacent property is planned at the north end. Number: 3 Issue Originated: 08/30/2011 08/30/2011: Please provide a context plan in formal submittal, approximately 150' from site. A context plan is provided. Number: 4 Issue Originated: 08/30/2011 08/30/2011: ROW needs to be at rear of walk. This will impact setback modification requests as we've already discussed. Front setback alternative compliance is not applicable for this project, the criteria is for single family not this type of project. Right-of-way is proposed to be dedicated as requested. A Modification Request for Building Setback is included in the Submittal. Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6750 970.224.6134 - fax fcgov.com 1 Staff Review Letter Generated: 9/6/2011 at 4:51 pm Number: 5 Issue Originated: 08/31/2011 08/31/2011: Modifications will be needed for side and rear setbacks. The project now meets setback requirements for rear yard. Side yard setback doesn’t apply. A Modification Request for Building Setback along street frontages is included in the Submittal. Number: 6 Issue Originated: 08/31/2011 08/31/2011: The building have flipped orientation with the courtyards facing the back. This is not staff's preference from a safety and interaction stand point. Flipping them toward the front provides a front open area for residents off the street as opposed to off the rear. The pool complex and the courtyards have been re-oriented to face south. Number: 7 Issue Originated: 08/31/2011 08/31/2011: Parking spaces shall meet 3.2.2(L)(3). Acknowledged. Number: 8 Issue Originated: 08/31/2011 08/31/2011: How is trash and recycling handled? There are two trash collection and recycling areas proposed for the project. One is located at the east side of Building 1 and the other is located on the east side of Building 3. Number: 9 Issue Originated: 09/06/2011 09/06/2011: At the PDR meeting there were a few issues that needed further discussion by staff, they included: - 1. Where should edge of ROW be? We believe this is resolved. - 2. How do we handle Scott Ave? No longer part of the project. - 3. Is the parking structure a 5 or 6 stories? Parking garage is now 4 stories. - 4. Section 3.6.3 Local Street Intersections - does the exemption apply here? Staff met on 9/6/11 and made the following determinations: 1. To be consistent, Staff would prefer edge of ROW to be at back of what would be the required walk. We will be looking for a good quality urban design here, which could obviously vary depending on design. What we will be expecting is a 10' - 12' parkway and sidewalk design off of the curb with ROW at the back of walk. Private walk may extend beyond that but a line marking edge of ROW in sidewalk is needed. Staff would prefer a sidewalk and tree grate design to a traditional tree lawn in the parkway to provide a larger usable sidewalk. The ROW is shown at the back of the required sidewalk. In places where hardscape extends beyond the ROW, the ROW line is depicted in the walk. The current design shows street trees in a parkway strip along all street frontages. Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6750 970.224.6134 - fax fcgov.com 1 Staff Review Letter Generated: 9/6/2011 at 4:51 pm 2. (From Marc Frat) Further staff discussion on Tuesday September 6th involved the proposal for Scott Avenue. Scott Avenue will remain as public right-of-way for the purpose of best preserving options of implementing a transportation network that provides cross access from Plum Street to Elizabeth Street. The proposed design for Scott Avenue will need to address PFA requirements for access while at the same time, explore incorporating elements of the design that promotes appropriate urban form from a planning perspective. With the present schematic of the roadway sloping to the east, the design would be counter to the typical construction of a half street roadway should the securing of right-of-way occur with the parcel directly east to create a wider road network. The City would then view that the present schematic design as not likely to be an ¿ultimate¿ improvement for if/when a transportation network from Plum Street to Elizabeth Street is implemented. As a result, with any design of Scott Avenue for this project that is deemed by the City as interim, the City would require that funds be provided for future reconstruction (as well as potentially future design costs) in order to ensure that the ultimate condition for Scott Avenue abutting the property is not required to be paid for by the City in the future. Assuming that the proposed design for Scott Avenue today is determined to be interim, the roadway would not be accepted by the City as a public street and ongoing maintenance responsibilities will remain with the abutting developer. The use of the right-of-way in an interim condition will allow the exploration of options that would not otherwise be normally in a typical public street system (paves, encroachments, etc.) so long as the removal of these items with a future construction of Scott Avenue to the ultimate condition does not result in the site being out of compliance with requirements and/or regulations by way of their removal, whether to an area outside of the right-of-way or their removal all together. A variance request to the design of Scott Avenue would potentially be required for any proposals of Scott Avenue deemed as interim. Scott Avenue is no longer included in the project. 3. The director is not comfortable with the interpretation route previously discussed. A modification will be necessary instead. Staff will be in support of this modification. If this refers to the Interpretation Request regarding the height of the parking garage, it no longer applies, since the garage is now 4 stories in height. 4. The existing development to the north precludes Section 3.6.3 (D), pedestrian connection is still being requested and appears to be provided in the space between the parking structure and building to the west. A pedestrian connection to Sunstone Condominiums through the north fence is proposed at the end of the alley space between the garage and Building 1. This alignment shifts the existing access approximately 100 feet to the west. The applicant is willing to pay for re-striping the Sunstone parking lot to make this new, safer pedestrian connection work. Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6750 970.224.6134 - fax fcgov.com 1 Staff Review Letter Generated: 9/6/2011 at 4:51 pm Topic: Landscape Plans Number: 1 Issue Originated: 08/30/2011 08/30/2011: Landscape Plan needs to comply with the standards of Section 3.2.1. With no landscaping plan I cannot verify this. Scott Avenue is a concern when looking at the site plan though. Will trees be provided on the other side of the attached walk? I would prefer this to primarily be a bike and pedestrian connection and secondly be an emergency access, not the other way around as currently shown. Acknowledged. Department: Engineering Development Review Contact: Marc Virata, 970-221-6567, mvirata@fcgov.com Topic: General Number: 1 Issue Originated: 08/30/2011 08/30/2011: The applicant should refer to the comments generated at conceptual review for the more "general" type of comments. Acknowledged. Number: 2 Issue Originated: 08/30/2011 08/30/2011: For reference, the concept for potential vacations of Daisy Street and Columbine Street outlined in an email from Sheri Langenberger is shown below: The vacation of the City’s interest in these two streets (Daisy Street and Columbine Street) shall be done by Ordinance. The Ordinance will identifying that the City recognizes these streets as row and that based on the developers proposal that was conditionally approved by PZ or administratively (whichever is the appropriate process) the City gives up its interest in these streets with the following conditions: 1. The vacation is not valid until the vacation is recorded and we will want a date certain by which if this is not done. This allows both reading to go to Council, but does not actually vacate the row and the City’s interests until the vacation is recorded, which will not occur until the plat is ready to be filled. 2. The vacation will not be recorded until all the property adjacent to these streets is under a single ownership (the plat will satisfy this). 3. Easements for emergency access and utilities will need to be retained to make sure that the existing houses can be served until they are removed. Timing of items – a. Applicant submits project b. Applicant submits request to vacate row and legal description of the areas being vacated. c. City does vacation routing, research and gets Ordinance written. Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6750 970.224.6134 - fax fcgov.com 1 Staff Review Letter Generated: 9/6/2011 at 4:51 pm d. Depending on the depth of research needed the applicant may need to provide certain research information or contract with the Citys Real Estate Group to have this done. e. The project when ready goes to public hearing (PZ or Administrative Hearing as applicable). A conditional approval will be needed on the project since if approved it will need to be done with the condition that City Council vacates Daisy Street and Columbine Street since as proposed both of these row areas are needed for the development proposal. f. The ordinance shall be taken to City Council only after the project has gone to hearing and the appeal period has been exhausted without an appeal on the project. g. Filing of the vacation documents (ordinance) and the plat will need to be coordinated so that they occur at the same time and in the proper order. The vacation will not be recorded until we know that the plat will be filed and the project becomes vested. Acknowledged. Number: 3 Issue Originated: 08/30/2011 08/30/2011: The applicant should be looking to design the streetscapes such that enhanced paving/pavers, benches, planting pots, bike racks, etc. are located outside of public right-of-way. The proposed placement of these items in right-of-way would require discussion and review of potential encroachment permits that may or may not be ultimately supported. The only such item currently proposed within public right-of-way is enhanced paving/planters. Number: 4 Issue Originated: 08/30/2011 08/30/2011: With the understanding that there is a City importance in the maintaining of the Scott Avenue right-of-way for the future implementation (as part of the Campus West Report) of either a connecting roadway or a bike/ped connection from Plum Street to Elizabeth Street, it would seem to be appropriate to ensure that either the existing improvement to Scott Avenue is determined to meet that future vision, or if not, that financial security be provided to convert the proposed infrastructure (and/or portions of proposed infrastructure that are deemed interim) into the ultimate vision for the area. Scott Avenue is no longer included in the project. Number: 5 Issue Originated: 08/30/2011 08/30/2011: The project should look to have right-of-way dedication that coincides with the proposed back of walk rather than dedicating access easement. The ROW is shown at the back of the LCUASS minimum required sidewalk (or larger). In places where hardscape extends beyond the ROW, the ROW line is depicted in the walk by concrete expansion joint and/or change in enhanced paving/paver pattern. Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6750 970.224.6134 - fax fcgov.com 1 Staff Review Letter Generated: 9/6/2011 at 4:51 pm Number: 6 Issue Originated: 08/31/2011 08/31/2011: The use of attached sidewalks for the public street system will require the review and submittal of a variance request. So long as Planning finds the use of attached sidewalks as an appropriate streetscape, Engineering would not find justification to deny such a variance request. All sidewalks are now proposed to be detached, except where tying back in to attached walks. Department: Environmental Planning Contact: Lindsay Ex, 970-224-6143, lex@fcgov.com Topic: General Number: 1 Issue Originated: 08/31/2011 08/31/2011: No comments. Department: PFA Contact: Carie Dann, 970-219-5337, CDANN@poudre-fire.org Topic: General Number: 1 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: DEVELOPMENT REVIEW FEES Poudre Fire Authority charges a fee for submitted development review plans. Development review plan for this project will be $250. For more information, contact Hayley Spurrier at hspurrier@poudre-fire.org. Acknowledged. Number: 2 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: REQUIRED ACCESS Fire access roads (fire lanes) shall be provided for every facility, building or portion of a building hereafter constructed or moved into or within the PFA’s jurisdiction when any portion of the facility or any portion of an exterior wall of the first story of the building is located more than 150 feet from fire apparatus access as measured by an approved route around the exterior of the building or facility. This fire lane shall be visible by painting and signage, and maintained unobstructed at all times. A fire lane plan shall be submitted for approval prior to installation. In addition to the design criteria already contained in relevant standards and policies, any new fire lane must meet the following general requirements: - Be designed as a flat, hard, all-weather driving surface (asphalt or concrete) capable of supporting fire apparatus weights. Compacted road base shall be used only for temporary fire lanes or at construction sites. - Have appropriate maintenance agreements that are legally binding and enforceable. - Be designated on the plat as an Emergency Access Easement. - Maintain the required minimum width of 20 feet throughout the length of the fire lane (30 feet on at least one long side of the building when the structures is three or more stories in height). If the building is equipped throughout with an approved automatic fire-sprinkler system, the fire code official is authorized to increase the dimension of 150 feet. Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6750 970.224.6134 - fax fcgov.com 1 Staff Review Letter Generated: 9/6/2011 at 4:51 pm PLEASE NOTE: The conceptual site plan shows "Enhanced Emergency Access Plaza" that are "similar to DDA alleys in Fort Collins" and "Possibility of Benches, Pots, Bike Racks, etc." PFA will not approve this concept, due to the size of the structures and related life-safety issues, as well as less-than-ideal access to areas of the structures. Also, an alley is not considered a point of access to structures for firefighting purposes. Scott Avenue and the EAE "spur" must be unobstructed AT ALL TIMES (26 feet minimum unobstructed travel width), whether it's vehicles, planters, bike racks, etc., because this will be our only access to the long sides of these structures. Any private drive or private street shall be required to be platted as an EAE and meet the above requirements. 2006 International Fire Code 503.1.1, 503.2.3, 503.3, 503.4 and Appendix D Acknowledged. Number: 3 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: WATER SUPPLY Fire hydrants, where required, must be the type approved by the water district having jurisdiction and the Fire Department. Hydrant spacing and water flow must meet minimum requirements based on type of occupancy. Minimum flow and spacing requirements include: • Commercial and multi-family residential structures with three or more units, 1,500 gpm at 20 psi residual pressure, spaced not further than 300 feet to the building, on 600-foot centers thereafter • Residential within Urban Growth Area, 1,000 gpm at 20 psi residual pressure, spaced not further than 400 feet to the building, on 800-foot centers thereafter • Residential outside Urban Growth Area, 500 gpm at 20 psi residual pressure, spaced not further than 400 feet to the building, on 800-foot centers thereafter Distance is measured as a hose would lay out from a fire engine, not necessarily in a direct line. A hydrant located across an arterial street cannot be “counted” unless the structure is equipped with an approved, automatic fire-sprinkler system. These requirements may be modified if buildings are equipped with automatic fire sprinkler systems. PLEASE NOTE: There appear to be at least two existing hydrants that are "going away" (northwest of parking structure and north end of what is currently Daisy Street). At least one of these hydrants must be replaced with a new hydrant (area west of Building 2). 2006 International Fire Code 508.1 and Appendix B Acknowledged. Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6750 970.224.6134 - fax fcgov.com 1 Staff Review Letter Generated: 9/6/2011 at 4:51 pm Number: 4 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: FIRE SPRINKLERS The proposed residential structures shall be fire-sprinklered. The parking structure may be required to be fire sprinklered. 2006 International Fire Code Section 903 Acknowledged. Number: 5 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: FIRE STANDPIPE SYSTEM Standpipe systems shall be provided in new buildings and structures in accordance with Section 905 of the 2006 International Fire Code. Approved standpipe systems shall be installed throughout buildings where the floor level of the highest story is located more than 30 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access, or where the floor level of the lowest story is located more than 30 feet below the highest level of fire department vehicle access. The standpipe system shall be capable of supplying at minimum of 100 psi to the top habitable floor; an approved fire pump may be required to achieve this minimum pressure. 2006 International Fire Code Sections 905 and 913 Acknowledged. Number: 6 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: FIRE DEPARTMENT CONNECTION Fire department connections shall be installed remote from the buildings, and located on the street or fire lane side of buildings, fully visible and recognizable from the street or nearest point of fire department vehicle access or as otherwise approved by the fire code official. PLEASE NOTE: Have you considered a single FDC to service both Bldgs 3 and 4? 2006 International Fire Code 912.2 and PFA Fire Prevention Bureau Policy Acknowledged. Number: 7 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: KEY BOXES REQUIRED Poudre Fire Authority requires at least one key box (“Knox Box”) to be mounted in approved location(s) on every new building equipped a required fire-sprinkler system or fire-alarm system. 2006 International Fire Code 506.1; PFA BUREAU POLICY 88-20 Acknowledged. Number: 8 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: FIRE LINE REQUIREMENT Buildings that are required to be fire sprinklered shall have a minimum 6-inch fire line unless hydraulic calculations can support a smaller fire line. NFPA 13 (2007) 23.1.3 Acknowledged. Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6750 970.224.6134 - fax fcgov.com 1 Staff Review Letter Generated: 9/6/2011 at 4:51 pm Number: 9 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: DEAD-END FIRE APPARATUS ACCESS ROADS Dead-end fire apparatus access roads in excess of 150 feet in length shall be provided with an approved area for turning around fire apparatus. 2006 International Fire Code 503.2.5 and Appendix D103.3 and D103.4 Acknowledged. Number: 10 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: TURNING RADII The required turning radii of a fire apparatus access road shall be a minimum of 25 feet inside and 50 feet outside 2006 International Fire Code 503.2.4 and Appendix D103.3 Acknowledged. Number: 11 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: PUBLIC-SAFETY RADIO AMPLIFICATION SYSTEM Where adequate radio coverage cannot be established within a building, public-safety radio amplification systems shall be installed in the following locations: 1. New buildings greater than 50,000 SF in size or addition(s) to an existing building that cause the building to be greater than 50,000 SF. For the purpose of this section, fire walls shall not be used to define separate buildings. 2. All new basements greater than 10,000 SF where the designed occupant load is greater than 50, regardless of the occupancy classification. 3. Existing buildings meeting the criteria of Items 1 and 2 of this section undergoing alterations exceeding 50 percent of the aggregate area of the building. Public-safety radio amplification systems shall be designed and installed in accordance with criteria established by Poudre Fire Authority. PFA Fire Prevention Bureau Administrative Policy 07-01 Acknowledged. Number: 12 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Toxic, corrosive, or reactive materials, or flammable/combustible liquids (as defined in the International Fire Code) if used, stored, or handled on site, must have a Hazardous Materials Impact Analysis (HMIA) completed and supplied to the Planning Department and the Fire Department. (What do you have? How much? How do you prevent it from being a public threat?) PLEASE NOTE: This applies to the chrlorination system for the swimming pool. FCLUC3.4.5 Acknowledged. Department: Technical Services Contact: Jeff County, 970-221-6588, jcounty@fcgov.com Topic: Site Plan Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6750 970.224.6134 - fax fcgov.com 1 Staff Review Letter Generated: 9/6/2011 at 4:51 pm Number: 1 Issue Originated: 08/26/2011 08/26/2011: Please add a legal description of the property. Legal has been added. Department: Water-Wastewater Engineering Contact: Roger Buffington, 970-221-6854, rbuffington@fcgov.com Topic: General Number: 1 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: Conceptual Review comments from 8/1/11 were as follows. -----Existing water mains and sanitary sewers in the area include: 20-inch water main and 8-inch sewer in Plum; 6-inch water main and 6-inch sewer in Aster; 6-inch water main and 8-inch sewer in Blue Bell; 6-inch water main and 6-inch sewer in Columbine; and 6-inch water main and 6-inch sewer in Daisy. -----Each building must have separate water and sewer services. In addition, commercial spaces within the project must have separate water and sewer services. -----Existing water/sewer services to these properties and water/sewer mains in Daisy and Columbine must be used or abandoned at the main. -----Downstream sanitary sewer capacity will be evaluated. More information will be provided when that work is complete. -----A utility coordination meeting is strongly encouraged early in the site layout/design to insure there is adequate space for all underground utilities. -----The water conservation standards for landscape and irrigation will apply. Information on these requirements can be found at: http://www.fcgov.com/standards -----Development fees and water rights will be due at time of building permit. Credit will be given for existing accounts where services are abandoned. Acknowledged. Number: 2 Issue Originated: 08/29/2011 08/29/2011: The Scott Avenue R.O.W. is very narrow. Colorado Department of Health regulations require 10 feet of separation between water mains and sewers. It may be possible to place storm and sanitary closer than 10 feet to provide more separation from water. This will depend on the relative depths of these sewers. Provide preliminary profiles of these sewers to help evaluate the location of the various utilities within this narrow R.O.W. Scott Avenue is no longer included in the project. Department: Zoning Contact: Peter Barnes, 970-416-2355, pbarnes@fcgov.com Topic: General Number: 1 Issue Originated: 08/26/2011 08/26/2011: The applicant has acknowledged Zoning’s conceptual review comments in their response letter. The issues and comments follow: Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6750 970.224.6134 - fax fcgov.com 1 Staff Review Letter Generated: 9/6/2011 at 4:51 pm Number: 2 Issue Originated: 08/26/2011 08/26/2011: The proposed use is subject to a Type 1 review. Acknowledged. Number: 3 Issue Originated: 08/26/2011 08/26/2011: The parking lot layout in the garage must comply with the standards in Sec. 3.2.2(L) of the Land Use Code. Acknowledged. Number: 4 Issue Originated: 08/26/2011 08/26/2011: The applicant is making a formal written request to allow 4 unrelated people to live in the 4 bedroom units as required by Sec. 3.8.16(E)(2) of the LUC. Request for 4 Bedroom Units is included with the Submittal. Number: 6 Issue Originated: 08/26/2011 08/26/2011: The applicant has indicated awareness that since the buildings exceed 40’ in height, the special building height review described in Sec. 3.5.1(G) of the LUC applies. Special Height Review is included in the Submittal. Number: 7 Issue Originated: 08/26/2011 08/26/2011: The appliant has acknowledged that the buildings don’t comply with ROW setback requirements, and that they’ll be seeking a modification. A Modification Request for Building Setback is included in the Submittal. Topic: Site Plan Number: 5 Issue Originated: 08/26/2011 08/26/2011: The applicant has indicated that bike parking will be in the parking structure, in the courtyard areas and near building entrances. Be sure to show locations on the PDP site plan. Bike parking areas are indicated on the site plan, 296 in the garage and 36 in courtyard spaces. If you have any questions regarding these issues or any other issues related to this project, please feel free to contact us. Sincerely, Linda Ripley, Ripley Design Inc. responses in red 970-224-5828 Nick Haws, Northern Engineering responses in blue 970-221-4158