HomeMy WebLinkAboutSCOTT PLAZA - PDP - PDP130032 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PLANNING OBJECTIVESland planning landscape architecture urban design entitlement
Thinking outside of the box for over two decades.
401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 Fort Collins, CO 80521 tel. 970.224.5828 fax 970.224.1662
www.ripleydesigninc.com
September 11, 2012
Planning Objectives
The Scott Plaza Apartments Project Development Plan
(Formerly 1201 W. Plum)
The Scott Plaza Apartments is intended to be a student housing apartment project
consisting of 79 units with 194 total bedrooms. The site is located on approximately
1.17 acres of land west of Colorado State University, in the 1200 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 project 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.
One one-story, single-family rental house built in the mid 1950's and three multifamily
homes/structures currently exist on the site. The intent is to remove the
houses/structures and replace them with a well-designed, mixed-use project catering to
CSU students. The project consists of a four story podium residential building above
parking and retail.
Townsquare Condominiums are located to the west separated from the proposed Scott
Plaza project by a linear greenbelt. The site is bordered by multi-family housing on the
east, Cambridge House Apartments, commercial to the south and a student housing
development currently under construction to the north. A dead-end street, Scott Ave, will
be vacated and revitalized with the development of this project. Instead of the gravel
dead-end road that exists today, this project will construct a woonerf. Directly following
the objectives of the City Plan, this pedestrian spine will focus on traffic calming devices
and emphasizing pedestrian and bicycle movement. The woonerf allows vehicular traffic
but at a much slower speed. Several traffic calming devices will be installed including
textured pavement, landscape plantings, and raised crosswalks. Plum Street is
The Scott Plaza Apartments
Planning Objectives
Page 2 of 3
Thinking outside of the box for over two decades.
401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 Fort Collins, CO 80521 tel. 970.224.5828 fax 970.224.1662
www.ripleydesigninc.com
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
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 plazas includes special paving, a variety of seating opportunities,
lighting, trees and ornamental plant materials, bike parking and free internet access.
The 4-story podium building will park 96 cars and has four (4) moped / motorcycle
spaces. There are 196 enclosed bicycle spaces in the form of lockable closets. There
are an additional twenty two (22) exterior fixed bicycle parking spaces for a total bike
parking ratio of 1.1 spaces per bed. Since the property is in the TOD overlay district,
the minimum residential parking requirement is zero (0). However, adequate access to
parking and transportation is essential from a leasing standpoint and ownership
philosophy. A new parking requirement for the TOD goes into effect on September 13th,
2013. According to that standard this project would require 103 parking spaces or an
equivalent of alternatives. The site location is within easy bike and walking distance of
the CSU Campus, the Mason Street BRT and other activity centers. Along with the
parking spaces provided, one to three Zipcars will be available on this property.
According to zipcar.com fifteen personal vehicles are removed from the streets for every
one zipcar. There are currently three Zipcars available on the CSU campus and have
been very successful. They are rented consistently for at least two weeks out according
to an employee of Zipcar.
The proposed architecture is urban and contemporary in scale and aesthetics. The
building portrays an attractive street appeal with visual interest in architectural
articulation and detailing. Compartmentalized in scale and volumetrically segmented,
the facade is designed to accommodate the pedestrian scale. Within its context, the
building serves as a transitional element from the larger scale institutional buildings to
multifamily and successively single family residential buildings.
The massing of the building is purposefully geared to the human scale, which is
apparent in the colonnade along Plum street, the lower canopy accommodates
pedestrian traffic and the retail storefronts which are set back into the volume of the
building. Architecturally, the building serves to activate public spaces and privatize the
residential units. The building is informative to the user: Points of entry, stairs and
circulation on the main level are designed for intuitive way-finding. The numerous
indoor/outdoor amenities for the residents include a lounge area, hot tubs, pool table,
shuffle board, televisions and plantings. These amenities, which are a unique offering
for spaces to socialize, study, or simply enjoy the weather, are privatized and separated
The Scott Plaza Apartments
Planning Objectives
Page 3 of 3
Thinking outside of the box for over two decades.
401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100 Fort Collins, CO 80521 tel. 970.224.5828 fax 970.224.1662
www.ripleydesigninc.com
from the pedestrian level by their placement on the third floor. The overall design of the
space accommodates the juxtaposed relationship between the building's context and
the building's users.
Included is a 719 sq. ft. commercial and retail component on the north east corner of the
building. Store front windows wrap around the building. The exact retail use will be
determined as the project progresses and a vendor is determined. Possible uses
include an outdoor sports themed “bike-in” and “walk-in” café, recreational equipment
sales and rentals, convenience store, computer sales and repair, or coffee shop.
The Scott Plaza Apartments 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 Scott Plaza Apartments
will be achieving many of the City’s specific objectives in regard to infill development.
It replaces a dilapidated student rental housing stock with safe, modern, and
energy efficient units.
It 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.
It will concentrate higher density housing in a location that can be served by high
frequency transit and that can support higher levels of activity.
It will enable students to access the campus, jobs, and services with fewer and
shorter auto trips.
It will promote the revitalization of the Campus West commercial area, an
existing, underutilized commercial area near campus.
It will provide reinvestment in an area where infrastructure already exists.
It will increase economic activity in an area that will benefit existing businesses
and, will help provide stimulus for more redevelopment in the area.
The Scott Plaza Apartments 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.
Construction will begin in the spring of 2014 with move in August 1st 2015.
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.
Property Owner and Partners:
Jake Taylor / Ted Taylor / Randolph Fitzpatrick
Taylor Fitzpatrick Capital, LLC
7825 E. Gelding St. Suite 102
Scottsdale, AZ 85260