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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTHE GROVE AT FORT COLLINS - PDP - 16-10B - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 2 - CORRESPONDENCEThinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 200 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662 g www.vfrdesigninc.com Exhibit A Statement of City Plan Principles and Policies April 6, 2011 City Plan Principles and Policies achieved by the proposed plan. PRINCIPLE LU-1: Growth within the City will promote a compact development pattern within a well-defined boundary. The proposed project utilizes an infill site where existing infrastructure is available. Locating student housing in this location is conducive to pedestrian, bike and transit use. PRINCIPLE T-1: The physical organization of the city will be supported by a framework of transportation alternatives that balances access, mobility, safety, and emergency response throughout the city, while working toward reducing vehicle miles traveled and dependence upon the private automobile. The project is located close to CSU making it convenient for students to walk or ride their bikes to campus. Bicycle lanes are provided along Rolland Moore Drive to accommodate and encourage bicycle use, making it a viable alternative to automobile use. In addition, everyone living in the proposed development will be within walking distance of a transit stop as well as the Mason Street BRT. (See Exhibit B -Alternative Compliance Request for expanded discussion of Alternative Modes.) PRINCIPLE T-2: Mass transit will be an integral part of the City’s overall transportation system. Providing student housing adjacent to a transit stop and within walking and/or biking distance of the Mason Street BRT makes it easy for students to use transit to shop, access local services, and travel to school or work. PRINCIPLE T-4: Bicycling will serve as a practical alternative to automobile use for all trip purposes. The project will encourage bicycling for transportation through an urban growth pattern that places major activity centers and neighborhood destinations within a comfortable bicycling distance that assures safe and convenient access by bicycle. PRINCIPLE T-5: The City will acknowledge pedestrian travel as a practical transportation mode and elevate it in importance to be in The Grove PDP Exhibit A - Statement of Principles and Policies April 6, 2011 Page 2 of 6 balance with all other modes. Direct pedestrian connections will be provided from places of residence to transit, schools, activity centers, work and public facilities. The project provides safe and convenient pedestrian access to public street sidewalks to encourage walking as a healthy, safe, convenient and pleasant transportation alternative. Principle T-6: Street crossings will be developed to be safe, attractive, and easy to navigate. The project provides curb bulges and crosswalks to insure safe crossing of Rolland Moore Drive. Principle T-7: The City will encourage the development of attractive and easy to navigate pedestrian facilities to create an interesting pedestrian network. Along Rolland Moore Drive the project provides an urban streetscape that features detached sidewalks, bike parking, street trees, and curb bulges with rain gardens to enhance storm water quality. PRINCIPLE CAD-1: Each addition to the street system will be designed with consideration to the visual character and the experience of the citizens who will use the street system and the adjacent property. Together, the layout of the street network and the streets themselves will contribute to the character, form and scale of the City. An alternative street design is proposed for Rolland Moore Drive to accommodate safe and attractive pedestrian crossings, accommodate bicyclists and provide additional parking. Street trees are used in a formal architectural fashion to reinforce, define and connect the spaces and corridors created by buildings along the street. PRINCIPLE HSG-1: A variety of housing types and densities will be available throughout the urban area for all income levels. The Grove will provide student housing in a location that is well-served by public transportation and close to campus, employment centers, services, and amenities. PRINCIPLE HSG-3: Neighborhood stability must be maintained and enhanced. By providing student housing in a location close to campus and well buffered from single family neighborhoods, the project helps to eliminate some of the conflicts associated with student rental housing in single family neighborhoods. The Grove PDP Exhibit A - Statement of Principles and Policies April 6, 2011 Page 3 of 6 PRINCIPLE ENV-1: Continually improve Fort Collins’ air quality as the City grows. By locating near campus, the project is helping to preserve our air quality by lowering vehicle miles traveled. PRINCIPLE ENV-4: Drinking water provided by the City’s Water Utility will meet or exceed customer expectations for quality, quantity, and reliability. Water conservation will be strongly encouraged. The project will utilize xeriscape principles throughout the landscape to conserve water. PRINCIPLE ENV-6: Natural habitat/ecosystems (wildlife, wetlands, and riparian areas) will be protected and enhanced within the developed landscape of Fort Collins The project proposes to build rain gardens and bio-swales to improve water quality before releasing storm water to the existing wetlands that border the property to the north. Discharging the water to the wetland areas will help to insure that the wetlands continue to provide habitat for birds and other wildlife in the area. Plantings along the edge of the wetlands help buffer the housing project visually and also provide structural diversity that enhances wildlife habitat. PRINCIPLE ENV-7: Community noise standards will be enforceable, measurable, and realistic. By locating the student housing project well away from single family neighborhoods, noise conflicts sometimes associated with students can be avoided. PRINCIPLE ENV-8: The City will minimize potentially hazardous conditions associated with flooding, recognize and manage for the preservation of floodplain values, adhere to all City mandated codes, policies, and goals, and comply with all State and Federally mandated laws and regulations related to the management of activities in flood prone areas. The proposed site plan respects floodplain boundaries and meets both City and Federal floodplain regulations. Policy ENV-8.6 Watershed Approach to Stormwater Management Policy. The Grove PDP Exhibit A - Statement of Principles and Policies April 6, 2011 Page 4 of 6 The proposed storm water system for the project is designed to minimize the introduction of human caused pollutants. A demonstration rain garden is proposed as part of the system to enhance public understanding of pollution prevention efforts. PRINCIPAL OL-1: Preserve and protect open lands within Fort Collins, the Growth Management Area, and regionally to provide habitat essential to the conservation of plants, animals, and their associated ecosystems. This will benefit the citizens of Fort Collins by providing appropriate opportunities for education, scientific research, nature interpretation, fishing, wildlife observation, hiking, and other appropriate recreation activities. The project proposes to preserve open lands associated with the wetlands to the north and also provides a significant buffer along the Larimer Canal No. 2 increasing its value as a wildlife corridor. PRINCIPLE GM-5: The provision of adequate public facilities and the phasing of infrastructure improvements will be important considerations in the timing and location of development. Policy GM-5.1 Phasing of Development. The proposed student housing project is located where it can be adequately served by critical public facilities and services such as water, sewer, police, transportation, schools, fire, storm water management, and parks, in accordance with adopted levels of service for public facilities and services. Density Mixed-Use Neighborhoods” and “Medium Density Mixed-Use Neighborhoods.” The intent is for residential developments to form neighborhoods that evolve to be part of the broader community, avoiding separate subdivisions or freestanding individual complexes attached to the community mainly by an entrance for auto traffic. Principles and Policies 148 May 4, 2004 Principles and Policies All New Neighborhoods May 4, 2004 149 PRINCIPLE AN-1: New neighborhoods will be integral parts of the broader community structure. The project proposes to provide an interconnected network, including automobile, bicycle and pedestrian routes that will effectively connect students to the broader community structure. Policy AN-1.3 Traffic Calming. The specific design of Rolland Moore Drive employs crosswalks and curb bulges to slow and channel traffic without unduly hampering convenient, direct access and mobility. PRINCIPLE AN-2: A wide range of open lands, such as small parks, The Grove PDP Exhibit A - Statement of Principles and Policies April 6, 2011 Page 5 of 6 squares, greens, play fields, natural areas, orchards and gardens, greenways, and other outdoor spaces should be integrated into neighborhoods. The buildings in the development face the streets so that all entries are close to a public sidewalk making it safe and convenient for students to walk around and through the project. A large central green space is located adjacent to a pool/clubhouse facility, a basketball court, a volley ball court and an outdoor fireplace providing students with a variety of recreational activities away from the neighborhood. PRINCIPLE MMN-1: Housing in new Medium Density Mixed-Use Neighborhoods will have an overall minimum average density of twelve (12) dwelling units per acre, achieved with a mix of housing types. The project proposes 14.31 dwelling units per net acre. PRINCIPLE MMN-2: The layout and design of a Medium Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood will form a transition and a link between surrounding neighborhoods and the Neighborhood Commercial Center, Community Commercial District, Employment District, or Industrial District. The student housing project provides a land use transitional link between commercial development to the east and single family areas located to the west. Policy MMN-3.3 Urban Design Character. Buildings are placed to form active street fronts and connecting pedestrian spaces. PRINCIPLE CAMD-1: Colorado State University and Front Range Community College should be integrated into the community structure and treated as prominent community institutions and major destinations served by the City’s multi-modal transportation system. The Campus Districts should also contain, to the extent practical, an appropriate mix of housing and supporting services. The project is located on land owned by Colorado State University Research Foundation and is located adjacent to CSU’s South Campus and close to the main CSU campus. Policy CAMD-1.6 Transit Stops. A transit stop is conveniently located along Centre Avenue at the existing Rolland Moore Drive stub. Policy ED-1.4 Transitional Land Uses. The Grove PDP Exhibit A - Statement of Principles and Policies April 6, 2011 Page 6 of 6 The student housing project acts as a transitional land use at the edge of the Employment Districts, in an area adjacent to a residential neighborhood. PRINCIPLE WC-1: Water Corridors are natural and man-made waterways and open space – serving the needs for drainage and water conveyance, as well as recreational, educational and environmental uses. The Grove PDP is located adjacent to a Water Corridor as defined in the City Plan Principles and Policies. As suggested in the Principles and Policies documents Water Corridors can be both natural and man-made drainage ways that contain wildlife habitat, act as wildlife movement corridors and provide trails for recreational use where appropriate. The existing wetland/drainage area located to the north of the proposed project and identified as Outlot A on the site plan is an important drainage that receives storm water flows from a variety of sources. Stormwater/drainage Issues Historically the drainage has had water conveyance and maintenance issues due to unclear ownership and maintenance responsibilities and further complicated by the area being within the FEMA Floodway. A Physical Map Revision (PMR) is currently in process with FEMA to revise the floodplain/floodway in this location. Additionally, the City and CSURF are working together to allow the City to clean and maintain the Windtrail Outfall Swale. Both the City and CSURF have every intention of getting the proper easements and agreements in place to transfer maintenance responsibilities of the Windtrail Outfall Swale from the HOA to the City eventually. Physical channel maintenance will occur after the PMR becomes effective. The Grove at Fort Collins proposes to redirect stormwater runoff away from the Windtrail Outfall Swale. In addition, monitoring wells have been installed along the irrigation ditch to more precisely assess seepage and to ensure that the proposed construction north of the canal is safe, stable, and sustainable. Also, CSURF and the Larimer Canal No. 2 Irrigating Company have agreed in concept to relocate the ditch further south on CSURF property. The newly cut and compacted ditch section located further south is expected to lessen seepage, protect numerous large trees, provide a larger and enhanced buffer, and ensure that the Ditch Company can continue to safely and effectively transport water. Wildlife Habitat Issues The Grove project is designed to eliminate to the degree possible all adverse impacts to the wetland drainage identified as Outlot A. Except for a small .01 acre spot, no existing wetlands are filled or physically disrupted. The buffer zone established along the southern edge of Outlot A is larger than required. In addition the buffer zone is planted with native grasses, shrubs and trees that will provide structural diversity and enhance the existing wildlife habitat as well as screen the development from view. A fence will be installed along the interface between the development and Outlot A to keep students and pets away from the buffer zone and the wetland drainage area.