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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMELDRUM OFFICE BUILDING - PDP - PDP130027 - REPORTS - CORRESPONDENCE-NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING1 NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING INFORMATION PROJECT: 111 S Meldrum St (Blue Ocean Headquarters & Mixed-Use Parking Structure) DATE: August 14, 2013 APPLICANT: Steve Schroyer, Director of Blue Ocean Real Estate PROJECT PLANNER: Seth Lorson, City Planner 5:48pm Citizen: My concern that the sidewalk bends making it difficult for the blind and those in a wheel chair. 6:03pm Citizen Process Overview City Planner Seth Lorson started the meeting and explained the following: Introduction and Agenda of the meeting Guidelines of the meeting Provided an overview of the City’s Development Review Process The project has gone through Conceptual Review. There is a lot of process left. Site Information corner of Meldrum and Oak, Downtown Civic Center sub-district A split review of the two buildings review Type 1 for the Blue Ocean office building and Type 2 for the parking garage/mixed use building Explanation what is part of the official record 6:10pm Applicant Presentation Steve Schroyer Director of Blue Ocean Real Estate: Site location corner of Oak and Meldrum Proposing retail wrapping parking garage and a separate office building Establishing a substantial streetscape also street improvements with cross walks and bulb-outs Some trees to remain along perimeter Office building with steel and old railroad red brick Possible rain garden along the front of the office building On the last project at the neighborhood meeting we received a lot of questions about parking I will keep it informal and if you want to raise your hands I will open it up for questions City: I will answer the question about process Citizen: You will be demoing the Ulrich building? Applicant: Yes, worst case of asbestos I have seen. 2 Citizen: The comments of this meeting will they be recorded? City: They become part of the public record. Citizen: We have two submittals will Planning and Zoning Board get the comments? City: Both the Planning and Zoning Board and the Hearing Officer will get the comments. Citizen: This is considered one project right now? Applicant: This is combined tonight to provide context. Citizen: I am long time residence and live on Oak Street one concern I have there will be an industrial brick face as I walk or ride my bike down the street, more importantly there is an ancient river-rock wall that encapsulates some trees, I appreciate what you are trying to do on Meldrum but you are part of the gateway to I wish you would look at that south-west corner Applicant: We will get that in the notes. Citizen: Are you taking both of these projects to LPC Applicant: I believe they are part on the review submittal? City: I don’t’ think they have to go through the review. Applicant: We do not have a problem to go and meet with them. Citizen: I like what you did with the one house Citizen: Most effective property owners on the other side of the Alley we have been meeting with Steve and thrilled when we heard that Otter Box was involved and the VFLA was involved and little bit of history of the site it was in the county it is zoned NCM some in the neighborhood know what that means the purpose of the zone district is to preserve the compatibility of the neighborhood, the main concern is the parking garage, It looks great along Meldrum but such intense of use such as a parking garage is a concern and the buffering of uses of incompatible uses, we have to look at the land use code and how it deals with the compatibility of uses. Also on the backside of the property with chain link fence garage built to the property line really we don’t see any examples of uses abutting the NCM like this. The question is, how does this particular use relate to the historic elements of the neighborhood? Applicant: because of the land use code we can be built up to property line along the alley similar to your building. We will have change of materials and this zone district does allow up to six stories but we took off the top story. Citizen: The zoning allows 6 stories I thought it only allowed 2 stories City: The zoning is Downtown not NCM. Citizen: When did that zoning change? Applicant: This has been like this. Citizen: Seems suspicious. Applicant: It has been like that since 1996. 3 Citizen: Since 1996? Applicant: As far I know Applicant’s Engineer: There is a parking structure that backs up to NCB. Citizen: I think problem there is the talk in the land use code of sensitivity along transition areas. It seems to me that the buffering and massing is too high with a 6 story building, moving the mass and scale to the Meldrum side and by doing that on the front part you might have just as much square footage and put parking under the office building. Oak street is a major bike and pedestrian path and entrance to garage on Oak will interrupt that. Applicant: We have city codes to follow and curb cuts are only allowed in certain locations. Citizen: Could you not put the parking under the building? Applicant: We test soil and it is too soft. Citizen: could not the Meldrum side be taller? City: What I am hearing is the height changes of the building should be that the short part of the building be along the west side and the tall portion along the east or front of the building. Applicant: We will take a look. Citizen: One more possibility is to keep the project as one and put parking behind the blue ocean building. Applicant: We have two separate ownerships and a grade change. City: I don’t believe this is part of your property (referring to the property at 417 Mountain.) Citizen: For us that live on Oak Street that is our front I wondering if there is way to make it more compatible with the neighborhood? Applicant: We can take a look at that? Citizen: What is the façade along the Oak side? Applicant: It is similar to the picture we are using brick stone and stucco and trees do help screen it. Applicant: This is a public parking garage it is open to the public we are still working with the city and DDA. Citizen: I mention the preservation of the SW corner will that happen? Applicant: I don’t know. I would be happy to meet with you about if the wall can be removed. Citizen: I don’t think that wall can be removed as a child I walked past that wall on the way to school and there used to be a saddle on it and it don’t know if this is a word but I would straddled it. 4 Citizen: What are the charges for the parking garage? Applicant: I don’t’ know at this time. Citizen: Can you point out the entrances to the garage? Applicant: One on each street side not in the alley. Citizen: Who is funding the building of the garage? Applicant: We are designing and building it but working with the City of Fort Collins. Citizen: What parking are you required? Applicant: we are not required to provided parking Citizen: What does the VFLA building feel about that wall? Applicant: They do not have any issues, we do own that building. Citizen: There’s a safety issue with little children and Oak Street is the main route to the library, any way to make Oak street an entrance only to the garage? Applicant: City had comment about that entrance and we are looking at that Citizen: What about kids with big wheels two houses away who do not know about blinking lights? Applicant: We do not want to hit kids and we will take a look at it. Citizen: This is a main thoroughfare for kids. Applicant: We will take look at it, bulbing out helps with the slow speed zone. Oak Street is bad and we think this will help? Citizen: It is not going into the garage that is the problem it is coming out Applicant: Not opposed to the entrance only we will take a look at it. Citizen: There are doors for the residents that abut the alley, I am concerned that the alley becoming a street. Applicant: We are looking at necking down the alley, speed bumps and other things to improve the safety Citizen: Is the alley paved? Applicant: It is rough asphalt Citizen: Will the sidewalks allow patio area bike parking? 5 Applicant: it is wide enough. Citizen: Are there public benches? Applicant: Part of the city requirement does require public spaces on private property so there are public areas. Citizen: How many people working in the building, the high rise? Applicant: About 250 or 300 it would not be a net add of parking spaces. City: If there are no more questions I am going to talk about the items we brought up in conceptual review. We are planning another meeting before they submit. Applicant: This is our first foot forward next submittal will have changes. Citizen: Will be a LEED building? Applicant: We will use principles of LEED but not a LEED building. We will provide bike parking and service bike areas. Citizen: Will it be a policy of Otter box employees not to park in the neighborhood? Applicant: I don’t how we will work that out, but we are working with the city on different parking tools. Citizen: What is the next step? City: Ten days after this meeting they can submit an application for development review. Citizen: is this it for community involvement with the project? City: Only one of these projects are required to do a neighborhood meeting, there are notices sent for the public hearing and the yellow sign indicates when it will be in the process. I recommend getting online and signing up for the weekly development review list serve, and my card and Sarah Burnett’s card are available at the front table, please contact us. Applicant: I will leave my card please contact me with questions City: you will receive letter for the public hearing Citizen: Will there be a summary of the comments of this meeting? City: if you put your email on the sign sheet we will email you a copy. Applicant: Can you by a show of hands who lives in half a block… no hands. How about a block… no hands Citizen: It seems to me this is to enhance Meldrum but you are also socially changing something the court house is there the masonic temple and I appreciate that Seth has his roots in fort Collins and I am very sorry for the people who live the in the building you own on Mountain but perhaps you will put a planter along there. 6 Applicant: We will try. Citizen: One drawing would be helpful, what you would see in the winter time perspective. The last board the west elevation without the trees, from west oak going to the corner. Citizen: She wants to see it with the leaves off. Applicant: we will have to wait till winter Citizen: it just has a grey mass? Applicant: It will be similar to our other building and whatever the city requires. Citizen: What about the lighting on the top. Applicant: Everything will be downcast the city has standards we follow and should be contained on the site. Citizen: Have you thought about green roofs? Applicant: We are looking at that with some trees on top and I will be happy to meet with some of you guys to talk about the project. City: Any more questions… ok Thank you. Adjourn at 7:10.