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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMANHATTAN TOWNHOMES - MODIFICATION OF STANDARD - MOD130003 - REPORTS - MODIFICATION REQUESTJanuary 23, 2014 Administrative Hearing Officer c/o City of Fort Collins Current Planning Department 281 North College Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80524 Re: Manhattan Townhomes Please accept this request for a Modification of Standards to Section 4.5(D)(1)(b) of the Land Use Code. Background The Manhattan Project Development Plan was originally approved on January 13, 2005. The request at the time was for 30 new dwelling units located within townhomes and an existing 8- plex building. The PDP was located on two tracts of land totaling 10.42 gross acres. Subsequently, a Major Amendment was approved on October 13, 2005 so the developer could add 3 handicapped accessible dwelling units, changing the total number of units to 41. The Major Amendment was approved with a gross residential density of 3.93 dwelling units per acre. (41 units divided by 10.42 acres). One of the unique situations with the originally approved project was an agreement the City had with the developer to take 80% of the project’s land area to be used for a regional stormwater detention pond. Tract 2 (8.21.acres) is now owned by the City and the detention pond is in place. Additionally, the Manhattan Townhomes approved plan has expired. Therefore, with a resubmittal of the plan for reapproval, the project’s gross acreage cannot include the 8.21 acre detention area because it is no longer under ownership as part of the project. This causes the overall density to be based on Tract 1 only, which is 2.21 acres, and this decrease in gross acres from 10.42 acres to 2.21 acres causes the density to be more than 9 dwelling units per acre, which is the maximum density allowed in the L-M-N zone district. A new developer is interested in the project and would like to move forward with the design as approved. No significant site plan changes, building footprint changes or building height changes are being proposed. However, the number of units decreases to 39. Since the PDP and Major Amendment have both expired, this letter serves as a Modification Request to allow the project to have a density based on 39 units on Tract 1 (2.21 gross acres), which equates to 17.6 d.u./acre. This modification requested is in accordance with the review procedures set forth in Section 2.8.2(H) of the Land Use Code as follows: Manhattan Townhomes Modification of Standards 1-23-14 Modification Code Language: Section 4.5(D)(1)(b) L-M-N District Land Use Standards related to Density states the following: “(b) The maximum density of any development plan taken as a whole shall be nine (9) dwelling units per gross acre of residential land, except that affordable housing projects (whether approved pursuant to overall development plans or project development plans) containing ten (10) acres or less may attain a maximum density, taken as a whole, of twelve (12) dwellings units per gross acre of residential land.” Requested Modification: We request that the Manhattan Townhomes project be allowed to have an overall density of 17.6 dwelling units per acre to accommodate a total of 39 dwellings. 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 per (2.8.2(H)(1) for the following reasons: 1. The proposed alternative plan provides off-street parking is excess of what is required by Code. 2-bedroom units (1.75 spaces per unit) x 39 total units require a minimum of 68 spaces. The proposed plan contains 72 off-street parking spaces. 40 parking spaces are located within the buildings and in freestanding garages. The 32 surface spaces are located behind the buildings. This helps alleviate neighborhood concerns regarding cars parking on the existing adjacent streets. 2. The proposed site layout is designed to be sensitive to the neighborhood. This is accomplished by placing the buildings to the outer/street edge, the parking lot internal to the site and providing ample landscaping and open space. Additionally, the project provides outdoor gathering spaces for the residents. 30% of site is landscaped. There is an 8.21-acre regional detention pond that will never be developed thus forcing the concentration of development on a smaller parcel of remaining land. 3. The primary purpose of lower densities is to assure that multi-family residential buildings located in the L-M-N zoning district are both aesthetic and compatible with other less dense development in the area, particularly single-family. The architecture of the proposed townhomes provides an attractive streetscape for the project as well as unique and different front elevations for each different townhouse. This provides diversity, uniqueness and aesthetics for the individual residents as well as the entire building. This gives the residents a sense of place and a sense of home, which virtually never occurs in a multi-story multi-unit condominium or apartment building. 4. The architecture, as mentioned above, is based on a townhome/brownstone style with elements such as individual covered front entrances, and a combination of two and three story elements. The use of exterior materials is also in keeping with this style with the use of different siding types at various heights. High quality exterior materials were chosen such as synthetic stone and brick veneer, cement fiber horizontal lap siding as well as cement board shingles, for their low long term maintenance, visual appeal and ability to reduce the overall scale of the building. All units of each building have a balcony and a Manhattan Townhomes Modification of Standards 1-23-14 one-car garage. The exterior perimeter and roof line of the buildings are well articulated with numerous projections and steps down in scale at the ends of the building. 5. The project complies with the purpose and intent of the L-M-N zoning district as it is an infill project that provides multi-family dwellings on a property that is surrounded by developed properties containing commercial and residential uses. There is single family residential to the west, single and multi-family to the south, commercial to the north and east. The property is within easy walking distance to a neighborhood park, school, entertainment and commercial uses in the adjacent Mid-Town area. There will be a major trail connection from the neighborhood to the Mason Street Trail and MAX bus system. 6. We feel that the proposed alternative plan ensures sensitivity to the surrounding neighborhood by building an attractive, desirable product in an infill site with a product that the market desires and that the community can be proud of. The construction of the proposed plan will greatly improve a vacant parcel with partially-constructed infrastructure, concrete and brown grass. Although not strictly a criteria for justification, the construction of the project would be a benefit to the neighborhood. We feel that the plan as submitted will not diverge from the standards of the Land Use Code that is authorized by this Division to be modified except in a nominal, inconsequential way when considered from the perspective of the entire development plan per (2.8.2(H)(4). and will continue to advance the purposes of the Land Use Code as contained in Section 1.2.2 for the following reasons: 1. The change in gross acreage from 10.42 acres to 2.21 acres does not result in a change to the development pattern or overall site layout, therefore the resulting gross density is inconsequential. 2. Given the overall context of the surrounding neighborhoods, the proposed density of 17.6 dwelling units per acre is not excessive. Since L-M-N provides transition between R-L and G-C, we feel that the proposed density is appropriate. 3. The proposed alternative plan contains 5, 6, & 8-plex buildings, while the L-M-N district allows up to a 12-plex building. This was intentional by the design team to create a design that is sensitive to the surrounding single family neighborhoods by constructing smaller 5, 6 & 8-plex buildings rather than larger 12-plexes. We feel that the impact to the neighborhood is lessened.