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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLUM & SHIELDS EXTRA OCCUPANCY RENTAL HOUSE - PDP/FDP - FDP130053 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 3 - MODIFICATION REQUESTApril 3, 2014 Jason Holland Current Planning Department 281 North College Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80524 Re: Plum & Shields Greek Housing Please accept this request for a Modification of Standards to Section 3.2.2(J) and Section 3.2.2(L), Table A of the Land Use Code. Background The proposed project is located in the vacant Turning Point building, at the southwest corner of Shields Street and Plum Street. The intent of the project is to utilize the existing building for an extra occupancy rental house with 20 occupants. The infrastructure, utilities, paving, and parking are all in place; however, there will be changes to the parking lot and significant upgrades to the landscaping. New sidewalks, a trash enclosure and bike racks will be added. The project will provide 15 off-street parking spaces. The project will also construct an additional 2’ to the attached concrete sidewalk along the street frontage of Plum Street. There are also plans to remove the existing fence and wall along the north and east sides of the building and replace them with landscaping to create visual interest and a more engaging experience for pedestrians walking to and from campus. The 0.413-acre site is in the C-C zoning district, the TOD Overlay district and in the Campus West Community Commercial District Planning Study Report. According to the Purpose Statement contained within Article 4 of the Land Use Code, “The Community Commercial District provides a combination of retail, offices, services, cultural facilities, civic uses and higher density housing…” The area surrounding the site contains a mix of single-family homes, apartment buildings, sorority houses, a church, and retail uses. The proposed project is located within walking and biking distance to CSU and other destinations in the Campus West area. A growing trend in the Campus West area is the redevelopment of older properties as the market becomes stronger for revitalization. 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: Modification to section 3.2.2(J) Code Language: Section 3.2.2(J) Setbacks. Any vehicular use area containing six (6) or more parking spaces or one thousand eight hundred (1,800) or more square feet shall be set back from the street right-of-way and the side and rear yard lot line (except a lot line between buildings or uses with collective parking) consistent with the provisions of this Section, according Plum & Shields Modification of Standards 2 to the following table: Minimum average of entire landscaped setback area (feet) Minimum width of setback at any point (feet) Along an arterial street 15 5 Along a nonarterial street 10 5 Along a lot line 5 5 Requested Modification: The project is attempting to utilize an existing building and site to the maximum extent feasible. The property has several fixed physical constraints, including the existing building, the new sidewalk width, parking stall depth and drive aisle width, all of which are at their minimum sizes. Because of these factors, the landscape setback area along the south property line ranges from 0’ to 7.5’. Given the above, we respectfully request that the Plum & Shields Greek Housing project be allowed to have a landscaped setback ranging from 0’ to 7.5’ along the south property line. Justification We feel that the granting of this modification of standards would not be detrimental to the public good, and 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 for the following reasons: • The proposed plan provides a solid privacy fence along roughly ½ of the length of the vehicle use area, thus providing additional screening. • The property is unsightly and the landscaping is in poor shape. The new owners intend to enhance the plantings all throughout the entire site. Currently there is virtually no landscape along the south property line. New plant material will be added in the strip. • The intent of the required 5’ vehicular use area setback is to provide sufficient space for visual screening and to enhance the appearance of the vehicle use area, The proposed landscape area, although smaller than allowed, will provide a softened edge of landscape interior to the parking area while mitigating the visual impact to the property to the south. Plum & Shields Modification of Standards 3 Modification to section 3.2.2(L)Table A Code Language: Section 3.2.2(L),Table A Standard Vehicle Dimensions states that the drive aisle width for two-way traffic be a minimum of 24’. Requested Modification: The project is attempting to utilize an existing building and site to the maximum extent feasible. The site has several fixed physical constraints, including the existing building, the new sidewalk width, parking stall depth and drive aisle width, all of which are at their minimum sizes. Off-street parking is critical for the success of this project, therefore, in addition to 11 head-in spaces, there are 4 parallal parking spaces located along the south side of the parking area. Because of these factors, the two-way drive asile width is 18.6’ instead of 24’. Given the above, we respectfully request that the Plum & Shields Greek Housing project be allowed to have a two-way drive aisle be 18.6’. Justification We feel that the granting of this modification of standards would not be detrimental to the public good, and by reason of exceptional physical conditions or other extraordinary and exceptional situations, unique to such property, including, but not limited to, physical conditions such as exceptional narrowness, shallowness or topography, or physical conditions which hinder the owner's ability to install a solar energy system, the strict application of the standard sought to be modified would result in unusual and exceptional practical difficulties, or exceptional or undue hardship upon the owner of such property, provided that such difficulties or hardship are not caused by the act or omission of the applicant. Below is the justification: • The parking area as modified provides off-street parking, which is desirable. The off-street spaces help reduce on-street parking, therefore providing a benefit to the adjacent neighborhoods. • The intent of the 24’ wide drive aisle width is to allow cars to have ample room to back out of a parking space. We feel that, although not ideal, the benefits of the parking stalls outweigh the inconvenience of having a narrower drive aisle.