HomeMy WebLinkAboutCARGILL EXPANSION - PDP/FDP - FDP130043 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 2 - MODIFICATION REQUESTDecember 18, 2013
Administrative Hearing Officer
c/o City of Fort Collins
Current Planning Department
281 North College Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Re: Cargill Expansion
Please accept this request for a Modification of Standards to Sections 3.5.3(C)(1)(2) and
4.5(E)(2)(b)(e) and (f) of the Land Use Code.
Background
The proposed project is for the Cargill Research facility located at 2540 East Drake Road. The
proposed expansion would be located to the west of the existing facilities. A portion of the 30-
acre property owned by Cargill will be platted with this PDP proposal. All of the existing buildings
and improvements will be placed in Lot 1. The project consists of a new office building, growth
rooms, laboratory, seed storage, 2 new greenhouses and a new shop, which would take up Lots
2 and 3.
Cargill currently operates a research and development center for specialty seeds and oils. The
proposed expansion will contain approximately 16,791 sq. ft. of office space, a 9,386 sq. ft.
growth room, 16,305 sq. ft. or warehouse, shop and seed storage and 22,464 sq. ft. of
greenhouse. The new facilities are intended to condense the existing operations located within
the current campus.
The 4.27-acre site is in the L-M-N zoning district. The area surrounding Cargill contains a mix of
single-family homes, condominiums, a congregate care facility, a school, a neighborhood center
and other office and retail uses. The site is ideal for this type of use as it provides an expansion
to a major employer in Fort Collins. The proposed project is located within walking and biking
distance to schools, churches, and a neighborhood shopping center, thus representing a
reduction in the amount of cars on the streets. There is an existing transit stop on Timberline
Road at Custer Drive.
Main access to the expansion site will utilize a new entrance off of Drake Road located
approximately 600’ west of the existing access, which will be closed and used for emergency
access only. The new drive will be 36’ wide to accommodate delivery trucks and Poudre Fire
Authority requirements for a fire lane. 81 parking spaces will be provided for employees and
visitors on the south, east and west sides of the building. A truck loading dock and trash
enclosure are provided on the north end of the main building.
Cargill Modification of Standards
12-18-13
The modifications are requested in accordance with the review procedures set forth in Section
2.8.2(H) of the Land Use Code as follows:
Modification to Section 3.5.3(C)(1) and (2)(a)(c)
Code Language: Section 3.5.3(C) Relationship of Buildings to Streets, Walkways and Parking
states the following:
(1) Orientation to a Connecting Walkway. At least one (1) main entrance of any commercial or
mixed-use building shall face and open directly onto a connecting walkway with pedestrian
frontage. Any building which has only vehicle bays and/or service doors for intermittent/infrequent
nonpublic access to equipment, storage or similar rooms (e.g., self-serve car washes and
selfserve mini-storage warehouses) shall be exempt from this standard. See Figure 10.
(2) Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings. Build-to lines based on a consistent
relationship of buildings to the street sidewalk shall be established by development projects for
new buildings and, to the extent reasonably feasible, by development projects for additions or
modifications of existing buildings, in order to form visually continuous, pedestrian-oriented
streetfronts with no vehicle use area between building faces and the street.
and
(a) To establish "build-to" lines, buildings shall be located and designed to align or approximately
align with any previously established building/sidewalk relationships that are consistent with this
standard. Accordingly, at least thirty (30) percent of the total length of the building along the
street shall be extended to the build-to line area. If a parcel, lot or tract has multiple streets, then
the building shall be built to at least two (2) of them according to (b) through (d) below, i.e. to a
street corner. If there is a choice of two (2) or more corners, then the building shall be built to the
corner that is projected to have the most pedestrian activity associated with the building.
(c) Buildings shall be located at least ten (10) and no more than twentyfive (25) feet behind the
street right-of-way of an adjoining street that is larger than a two-lane arterial that does not have
on-street parking.
A connecting walkway is defined as:
“Connecting walkway shall mean (1) any street sidewalk, or (2) any walkway that
directly connects a main entrance of a building to the street sidewalk without
requiring pedestrians to walk across parking lots or driveways, around buildings or
around parking lot outlines which are not aligned to a logical route.”
Requested Modification: We request that the proposed building have a vehicle use area between
the building face and the street, to be located more than 25 feet behind the street right-of-way,
and to have the connecting walkway cross a driveway.
Cargill Modification of Standards
12-18-13
Modification Criteria
The request of approval for this modification complies with the standards per Review
Criteria 2.8.2 (H)(1) in the following ways:
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.
Further, We feel that the granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public
good.
Justification
We feel that 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 for the following reasons:
• The intervening drive aisle that separates the southwest corner of the building from Drake
Road allows vehicles to circulate through the site. This aisle is upgraded with scored
concrete and a wide rasied crosswalk, placing the emphasis on the pedestrian. Further
enchancements include boulders, seating areas, upgraded landscaping, and an enhanced
building entry plaza.
• The Cargill campus is a unique development within a zoning district primarily targeted
towards residential development. We feel the intent of this code section is intended for a
more heavily-traveled facility such as a retail or office building that the general public
would access. The only traffic generated by this facility is from employess and the
occaisional out of town visitor.
• The building is tied to the corner with an upgraded primary entrance as an architectural
feature and the aforementioned pedestrian plaza. The office portion of the building fronts
Drake Road with 30% of the south elevation addressing the street to create a strong entry
and presence. The plaza is a significant feature that mitigates the impact of the drive
aisle. The purpose of the connecting walkway is to strengthen the relationship between
the building and the street and the plaza feature accomplishes this purpose equally well
as would a direct connecting walkway with no plaza.
Modification to Section 4.5(E)(2)(b) and (e)
Code Language: Section 4.5(E)(2)(b) and (e) LMN District Development Standards
related to building size and massing for non-residential buildings states the following:
(b) Maximum Size. No building footprint shall exceed a total of twenty thousand (20,000)
square feet, with the exception of schools and places of worship or assembly.
(e) Building Massing. No building permitted by this Section shall have a single
undifferentiated mass with a footprint over ten thousand (10,000) square feet. No building
footprint shall exceed a total of twenty thousand (20,000) square feet.
Cargill Modification of Standards
12-18-13
Requested Modification: We request that the building be permitted to have a 42,482 square foot
building footprint and have a massing of greater than 10,000 sqare feet.
Modification Criteria
The request of approval for this modification complies with the standards per Review
Criteria 2.8.2 (H)(1) and (2) in the following ways:
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.
Further, We feel that the granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public
good.
Justification
We feel that 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 for the following reasons:
• The core issue of this modification revolves around whether or not it would be more
desirable to have one building footprint at 42,482 sq. ft. or two – 20,000 square foot
building footprints that meet the strict application of the Code. The difference between the
proposed alternative plan and a plan that meets the code is that this type of facility could
not exist and function in two separate buildings for the following reasons:
− The facility would be difficult and inefficient to operate and maintain if it was
separated into two buildings as there would be a significant amount of duplication
of common programmed spaces to support the needs of the employees.
− Providing one building for all of the employees promotes collaboration and unique
shared spaces that does not currently exist on the campus.
− Undue operational expenses making the facility financially infeasible.
− Employees need to be in close proximity to where they work in the lab, growth
room, seed storages and surrounding greenhouse areas.
• The proposed alternative plan continues to improve the design, quality and character of
new development by exceeding the building standards set forth in Section 3.5. The use of
high quality building materials, building articulation, projections and recesses ensure
sensitivity to and compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood.
• The proposed alternative plan continues to encourage the development of vacant
properties within established areas. The site is surrounded by existing development - a
mix of single-family homes, condominiums, a congregate care facility, a school, a
neighborhood center and other office and retail uses. A larger footprint is appropriate in
this setting, especially if the building is designed to provided a suitable transition
between the street activity and the adjacent residential development.
Cargill Modification of Standards
12-18-13
• While Cargill is not a corporate franchise, we do feel that this is a unique building to Fort
Collins and will be a good fit with the neighborhood. The new building has been designed
to be sensitive to the surrounding existing development. The office portion of the building
fronts Drake Road with a large portion of the south elevation addressing the street to
create a strong entry and presence. The east wing is defined by a recessed connector
element which further assists in reducing the overall mass of the south elevation. The
north wing also utilizes a similar recessed connector that creates the look of multiple
smaller buildings instead one large building.
Modification to Section 4.5(E)(2)(f)
Code Language: Section 4.5(E)(2)(f) LMN District Development Standards related
to building orientation states the following:
(f) Orientation. Building entrances shall face and open directly onto the adjoining local
street with parking and any service functions located in side or rear yards and incorporated
into the development according to the provisions of this Code.
Requested Modification: We request that a portion of the parking area be located between the
building and the street.
Modification Criteria
The request of approval for this modification complies with the standards per Review
Criteria 2.8.2 (H)(1) in the following ways:
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.
Further, We feel that the granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public
good.
Justification
We feel that 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 for the following reasons:
• The proposed building provides a transition in scale to the residential area by being
located mid-block and by providing a softened edge with the use of landscape and
changes in building materials. The visual impacts of the parking lot have been reduced by
placing the parking predominantly to the sides of the building. All service and trash areas
are located behind the building and screened from public view.
• The visual impacts of the vehicle use area is greatly reduced by the use of extensive,
enchanced landscaping along the frontage of Drake Road, utilizing a combination of
shrubs, grasses and trees that will provide adequate screening.
Cargill Modification of Standards
12-18-13
We look forward to working with you during this process and will be happy to answer any
questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Cathy Mathis, APA
Project Manager, The Birdsall Group