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Home My WebLink AboutLAKEVIEW - PDP - PDP130026 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 2 - MODIFICATION REQUESTCentury Communities | 8390 E. Crescent Parkway, Suite 650, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 www.centurycommunities.com Modification of Standard Request SUMMARY Century Communities requests a modification of standard for a portion of the following standard in the Fort Collins Land Use Code (the Code), Article 4, Division 4.4(D)(2)(b), in the Low-Density Residential District (R-L). Our proposed modification is shown below: 1. Minimum setback of the front yard shall be twenty (20) feet. Our proposal is to modify the standard to read “Minimum setback of the front yard shall be twenty (20) feet to front-load garage doors and 15’ to a front porch or side-load garage, provided that the street facing elevation of the side-load garage has “residential features,” such as windows, masonry, and/or other features complementary to the front facade.” We propose to meet all other requirements in the R-L zone district and meet all requirements of Residential Building Standards in the Land Use Code. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE Century Communities is a local Colorado homebuilder and has built a strong reputation for building high-quality single-family detached homes and neighborhoods over the past 13 years throughout the Front Range. Our intent is to apply the criteria for front setbacks from Article 3.5.2(d)(2) – Setback from Nonarterial Streets of the Code which allows a front setback of 15’ while maintaining a 20’ setback to front-load garage doors to allow for parking areas in driveways with front-load garages (See Exhibit A). This proposed setback criteria allows for more creative home design, a more varied and visually interesting streetscape, greater variations in the front setbacks of houses, and more opportunity for side load garages. CONTEXT The proposed small 11-acre neighborhood is located on the east portion of the Christ Center Community Church property at the southeast corner of E. Drake Road and S. Lemay Ave. The site is surrounded by existing development on all sides, with single-family detached neighborhoods to the south and east, the church building, access drive, and parking lots to the west, and E. Drake Road to the north. Existing zoning is R-L. We propose 42 single family detached homes with private streets. The project will require an expansion to the existing detention pond on the south edge of the property. The site dimensions are roughly 500’ x 1000’, so there are limited options as to the layout of the neighborhood. 2 PROPOSED SETBACKS Code (R-L zoning) Proposed Minimum Setbacks (front/side/rear) 20’/5’/15’ 15’/5’/15’ Minimum Setback to Front Load Garage 20’ 20’ 15’ Front Setback applies to front porch or a side-load garage, provided the street facing elevation of the side-load garage has “residential features,” such as windows, masonry, and/or other features complementary to the front facade.” COMMUNITY FEATURES Since the inception of the R-L zoning, Residential Building Standards have been adopted in the Land Use Code to ensure quality architectural design. Century Communities will adhere to these standards and will build several other features into the homes and neighborhood, including the following: • Detached sidewalks and street trees • Enhanced front yard landscaping • Usable front porches (porches range in size: 6’ x 9’, 7’ x 10’, 6’ x 18’, 8’ x 45’) • Recessed garage requirement • Side-load garage options • Masonry requirements • Perimeter fencing and masonry columns These architectural and neighborhood quality enhancements all contribute to a quality streetscape, pedestrian realm, and front home elevations, mitigating slightly smaller front setbacks to the homes. HISTORY OF THE STANDARD In discussions with City staff, as part of the 1997 Comprehensive Plan update, the zone district R-L was created as a zoning designation over most existing built-out residential areas to assure residents that their neighborhoods would remain stable in terms of land use, density, and character. Since then, the City has adopted Residential Building Standards to ensure high quality architectural standards, particularly related to the following items: • enhancing the visual character and variety of home models and streetscape; • promoting a strong pedestrian connection between house and street; 3 • enhancing the front elevations of homes and minimizing the dominance of garage doors on the front elevations of homes. This modification of standard request, along with other qualitative features in this proposed community, promotes the spirit of these Residential Building Standards and ensures high quality architectural design. CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL We will demonstrate the proposed modification of standard meets the two following criteria for approval per Article 2, Division 2.8.2(H) and will not be detrimental to the public good in the following manner: (H)(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; or (H)(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. JUSTIFICATION 1. The standard of a 20’ front yard setback was likely intended first and foremost to allow for parking in driveways without blocking the public sidewalk on the street. We do not propose to change the 20’ front setback to a front-load garage door, in which case we will provide a 20’ setback to allow for parking in the driveway. (promotes the general purpose of the standard equally well or better), (nominal, inconsequential change) 2. The proposed standard, in conjunction with providing detached sidewalks with street trees and tree lawns, recessed garages, side-load garages, and enhanced front elevations of homes, promote the ideals of New Urbanism, which include an enhanced pedestrian realm with walkable streets through the use of front porches, detached sidewalks, and a strong connection of house to street. (promotes the general purpose of the standard equally well or better) 3. We propose greater architectural variety when viewed from the perspective of the entire development in that we propose 4 housing models instead of 3 models required by the Code. (promotes the general purpose of the standard equally well or better) 4. The proposed standard will allow the homes to be pushed further toward the street, thereby increasing the depth of the back yards of houses. This will be especially beneficial 4 to the existing neighbors in the adjacent neighborhood that abut the east property line. (promotes the general purpose of the standard equally well or better) 5. Residential Building Standards in Article 3 of the Code (not in place at the inception of the R-L zoning designation) are now in place and applied to all new residential development in the City to help ensure high quality architectural and neighborhood design. The proposed standard meets the current setback criteria in Article 3, which requires a minimum 15’ front setback to the house, provided 20’ is provided between garage doors and the sidewalk. (promotes the general purpose of the standard equally well or better); (nominal, inconsequential change) 6. Front home elevation enhancements, particularly on side-load garages, include windows, masonry, and other details that mitigate a home being set slightly closer to the street. A range of useable porch designs and sizes, builder installed front-yard landscaping, including street trees and tree lawns, also contribute to the enhanced streetscape between the home and street. (promotes the general purpose of the standard equally well or better) 7. The proposed standard will create a more appealing streetscape, with more varied front setbacks between adjacent homes and a more diverse architectural palette and forms on the front elevations of houses. (promotes the general purpose of the standard equally well or better) Thank you for your consideration in this request. Sincerely, Mike Cooper Century Communities Attachment: Exhibit A – Proposed Front Yard Setbacks RANCH HOME (home model 5030, approx. 2,100 sf) 2-STORY HOME (home model 5032, approx. 2,400 sf ) 17' 21' 22' 40' 20' 20' 15' 20' 5' 5' 10' 10' 5' 7' PROPOSED HOMES AND LOTS 60' x 100' MINIMUM LOT SIZE SHOWN 2-STORY HOME (home model 4020, approx. 2,800 sf ) 2-STORY HOME (home model 4520, approx. 3,220 sf) 100' MIN. 60' 15' 15' 15' FRONT SETBACK TO PORCHES OR SIDE-LOAD GARAGES - MAINTAIN 20' SETBACK TO FRONT-LOAD GARAGE (TYP) side load garage 5' 36' LOT LINE BUILDING SETBACK LINE 6' PRIVACY FENCE LEGEND NOTES FRONT PORCH (TYP) recessed garage living area recessed garage living area living area living area side load garage recessed garage SETBACKS FRONT: 15' (PORCH OR SIDE- LOAD GARAGE) FRONT: 20' (TO FRONT LOAD GARAGE) SIDE: 5' REAR: 15' FRONT PORCH FRONT PORCH 20' 15' RECESSED FRONT DOOR EXHIBIT A - PROPOSED FRONT YARD SETBACKS