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Home My WebLink AboutFLATS AT RIGDEN FARM - PDP - PDP140006 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORTAgenda Item 5 Item # 5 Page 1 STAFF REPORT September 11, 2014 Planning and Zoning Board PROJECT NAME FLATS AT RIGDEN FARM, PDP140006 STAFF Noah Beals, Senior City Planner/Zoning PROJECT INFORMATION PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request for approval of a Project Development Plan (PDP) for Flats at Rigden Farm, PDP140006. The project is located on an entire city block bounded by four streets: Limon Drive, Custer Drive, Iowa Drive, and Illinois Drive. The city block is approximately 4.08 acres. Proposed within in the site are six (6) residential buildings containing ninety-four (94) dwelling units and one (1) commercial/retail building containing 9,600 square feet of space. Also included on site is a community green, a dog park, and one hundred and sixty (160) off-street vehicle parking spaces. Bicycle parking and pedestrian connections to the surrounding blocks are provided. The request for approval of the Project Development Plan, is included with a Modification of Standard to the Land Use Code section 3.2.2(K)(1)(a). This Modification of Standard allows the project to reduce the number of required off-street parking spaces by nine (9) spaces. APPLICANT: Jason Sherrill Landmark Homes, LLC 1170 West Ash Suite 100 Windsor, CO 80550 OWNER: Ladco Properties, LLC 4714 Valley Ridge Court Fort Collins CO 80526 RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of Flats at Rigden Farm Project Development Plan, PDP140006, and Modification of Standard to Section 3.2.2(K)(1)(a). Agenda Item 5 Item # 5 Page 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The approval of Flats at Rigden Farm Project Development Plan complies with the applicable requirements of the City of Fort Collins Land Use Code (LUC), more specifically:  The PDP complies with process located in Division 2.2 - Common Development Review Procedures for Development Applications of Article 2 - Administration.  The PDP is in conformance with the Rigden Farm Overall Development Plan approved by the Planning and Zoning Board in April 1999  The PDP complies with relevant standards located in Article 3 - General Development Standards, provided that the Modification of Standard of Section 3.2.2(K)(1)(a) is approved.  The PDP complies with relevant standards located in Division 4.23, Neighborhood Commercial District (N-C) of Article 4 - Districts. COMMENTS: 1. Background: Vicinity Map: Historically the following approvals have been granted to the property:  Timberline Annexation, City Council - July 1997  Rigden Farm Overall Development Plan - April 1999 Agenda Item 5 Item # 5 Page 3  The Center at Ridden Farm, P&Z Board - February 2007  The Center at Ridden Farm Extension, Planning Director - April 2010  The Center at Ridden Farm Extension, Planning Director - July 2011  The Center at Ridden Farm Extension, P&Z Board - August 2012  The Center at Rigden Farm Extension, P&Z Board - August 2013  The Center at Rigden Farm Extension, P&Z Board- August 2014 Today the property is vacant land vegetated by natural grasses and weeds. The site does include minimal improvements of curb and gutter along all four sides and a sidewalk along Custer Drive. Zoning History:  In 1997 upon annexation the Timberline Annexation was zoned Transition (T) zone District.  In 1998 as part of the Rigden Farm/Spring Creek Farm Rezoning the property was rezoned from the T zone district to Neighborhood Commercial (N-C). The N-C zoning has remained intact to the present. The current surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: Direction Zone District Existing Land Use North Neighborhood Commercial (N-C) Vacant land Platted as Rigden Farm Sixteenth Neighborhood Commercial (N-C) Public Right of Way: Limon Drive South Medium Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood (M-M-N) Child Care Center: Bright Horizons Medium Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood (M-M-N) Public Right-of-Way: Custer Drive East Medium Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood (M-M-N) Multi-Family Dwellings: Brooklyn Park Row Houses Medium Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood (M-M-N) Public Right-of-Way: Iowa Drive West Neighborhood Commercial (N-C) Commercial: Shops at Rigden Farm Neighborhood Commercial (N-C) Commercial: Car Wash Neighborhood Commercial (N-C) Vacant Land: Approved Commercial, Shops at Rigden Farm Neighborhood Commercial (N-C) Public Right-of-Way: Illinois Drive Agenda Item 5 Item # 5 Page 4 2. Compliance with Article 4 of the Land Use Code - Neighborhood Commercal (N-C): The project complies with all applicable Article 4 standards as follows: A. Section 4.23(A) and (B) - Permitted Uses The purpose of the Neighborhood Commercial District is to be a mixed-use commercial core. In addition to retail & service uses residential uses are a permitted use in this district. Residential uses are intended to be at a higher density to support the commercial core. B. Section 4.23(D) - Land Use Standards 1) Section 4.23(D)(1) emphasizes the need for similar uses to face each other along city blocks. Along Illinois drive there are three (3) proposed buildings. Two (2) of the buildings are residential and one (1) is a commercial/retail building. These buildings are all 2 stories and are within 10 ft. of the right-of- way with pedestrian access facing the street. This is similar to the uses and buildings on the west side of Illinois part of the Shops at Rigden Farm that range from 22ft to 32ft in height and also are built within zero (0) ft. of the right- of-way with pedestrian access facing the street. 2) Section 4.23(D)(2) classifies “residential” as a secondary use in this zone district. Secondary uses are limited to thirty-percent (30%) of a total development plan. As stated earlier the approved Rigden Farm Overall Development Plan (ODP) outlined the uses in each zone district. Within the Rigden Farm ODP there is thirty-five (35) acres of land zoned N-C. The independent living facility, Rigden Farm Senior Living, occupies approximately 1.86 acres of the N-C zone. This project proposes an additional 3.86 acres of residential use. Therefore the proposed project brings the secondary use total to 5.72 acres, still in compliance with the approximate 10.5 acres or thirty- percent (30%) maximum. C. Section 4.23(E) - Development Standards 1) Section 4.26(E)(1)(a) requires a project to demonstrate how it contributes to the cohesive relationship of the surrounding approved development plans. The proposed project establishes a cohesive relationship through the following ways:  As stated previously, the project is compliance with approved Overall Development Plan. The ODP helps in identifying the appropriate locations and intensity for the uses.  This site is couched in between two types of constructed uses namely multi-family and commercial. o The residential use Brooklyn Park Row Homes is two stories Agenda Item 5 Item # 5 Page 5 with a walk out, or 38.5 ft. in height, and has pedestrian access along the north and south side of its buildings. The proposed project will continue these two pedestrian paths to link to the neighborhood center on the west. o The commercial use consists of buildings that range in 20 ft. to 32 ft. in height. In addition to the pedestrian connections mentioned above, the proposed project will construct a third connection along its north boundary linking the commercial uses on the west to a future development on the east side. o Additionally, this project contains both types of uses commercial and residential uses. By facing the commercial building to the neighboring commercial uses to the west and facing the residential buildings to the east, the project establishes a cohesive relationship to the surrounding development. 2) Section 4.23(E)(1)(b) requires a central feature or gathering place such as a plaza or outdoor open space located within the boundaries of N-C zone district that the project is located in. The proposed project includes an outdoor space that is accessed by the pedestrian paths that connect the residential uses to commercial development to th west. This outdoor space contains open lawns, a small plaza area, and outdoor seating. 3) Section 4.23(E)(1)(c) promotes the integration of public transportation into a development project. This location has included a concrete pad site on the south side of the project along Custer Drive. Transfort has reviewed this proposal and believes it to be the correct location to reach a higher level of ridership along the establish bus routes and easily accessible by pedestrians within the surrounding developments. 4) Section 4.23(E)(2)(c) ensures the pedestrian realm is not overwhelmed by the vehicle use areas, by requiring the block frontages to consist of buildings, plazas, or open space for at least forty-percent (40%) of the block face. Therefore, sixty-percent (60%) or less of the frontage may consist of vehicle use area. The project is in compliance on all four frontages with the following vehicle use area percentages. · North frontage twenty-nine-percent (29%)  South frontage fifty-five-percent (55%)  East frontage eleven-percent (11%)  West frontage thirteen percent (13%) 5) Section 4.23(E)(2)(d) restricts the building heights to a minimum of twenty (20) feet and the maximum of five (5) stories. A residential story is allowed to be Agenda Item 5 Item # 5 Page 6 twelve (12) feet and eight (8) inches tall. Therefore, the zone district allows a residential building to be sixty-three (63) feet in height. The proposed project’s tallest building has a height of 3 stories that reach forty-six (46) feet in height. 3. Compliance with Article 3 of the Land Use Code - General Development Standards: The project complies with all applicable General Development Standards; with the following relevant comments provided that the Modification of Standard Request to section 3.2.2(K)(1)(a) that accompany this project is approved: A. Division 3.2 - Site Planning and Design Standards 1) 3.2.1 Landscaping and Tree Protection: The existing conditions of the site did not include any trees except for those street trees along Custer Drive. Therefore, a tree mitigation plan was not provided with this PDP. The proposed landscape plan design has been reviewed by the City Forester. The landscape plan includes the following:  Retaining the nine (9) street trees along Custer Drive that were previously installed.  Eighty-seven (87) new trees to be planted, twenty-five (25) of these will be street trees. The number of trees and locations are in compliance with the full tree stocking requirement.  Foundation plantings such as shrubbery and planting beds are included around the sides of buildings sides that are highly visible from the public right-of-way, in compliance with the standard. 2) 3.2.2 Access, Circulation and Parking:  In addition to the existing sidewalk along Custer Drive, sidewalks along Illinois, Limon, and Iowa drive are proposed in compliance with applicable standards. Also the pedestrian connection identified in the Rigden Farm ODP is proposed to run approximately mid-block through the site connecting the developments both to the east and west with sidewalks and raised crosswalks.  One Transfort stop will be constructed along the Custer Drive.  This project is required two-hundred and six (206) bicycle parking spaces. There are two-hundred and twenty-three (223) spaces being provided, one-hundred and eighty-eight spaces located in the garages and thirty-five (35) spaces at bike-racks located near the pedestrian entrances of the buildings. Agenda Item 5 Item # 5 Page 7  The vehicle parking locations and building minimize impacts to the other modes of transportation. Off-street parking spaces are located at the rear of the building and interior to the site while all buildings front on to public sidewalk and pedestrian paths.  As required, the sidewalk system provided contributes to the attractiveness of the development and safety of the pedestrian and bicyclist. 3) 3.2.4 Site Lighting:  A photometric site plan was submitted for the project. As proposed, the project complies with the minimum standards of an average of one (1) foot-candle for the parking area. B. Division 3.4 - Environmental, Natural Area, Recreational and Cultural Resource Protection Standards 3.4.1 Natural Habitats and Features:  The Flats at Rigden Farm site does not include any natural areas, habitats, and features within and five hundred (500) feet outside of its boundaries. C. Division 3.5 - Building Standards  This project contains one (1) commercial building that incorporates human scale human scale urban design that provides visual interest through the following: o Located within 9 ft. of the public sidewalk and includes wide extensions of the sidewalk leading to the building entrances o Clear delineation of the first floor through metal awning o Mass is articulated by projection and recesses of portions of the building. o The street facing façade uses three (3) different fenestration patterns and a variety of building materials. D. Division 3.8 - Supplementary Regulations 1) 3.8.30 Multi-Family Dwelling Development Standards  The Flats at Rigden Farm proposes six (6) multi-family residential buildings that achieve a variety in building form, visual interest, access to open space, and pedestrian compatibility through the following: Agenda Item 5 Item # 5 Page 8 o Three (3) buildings with twenty (20) units each, two (2) buildings containing twelve (12) units each, and one (1) building with ten (10) units. o The four (4) buildings that face Brooklyn Park Row Homes are three (3) stories and the two (2) buildings that face the Shops at Rigden are two (2) stories o The long side of all the residential buildings front along sidewalks o Included is approximately eight-thousand (8,000) square feet of Community Area and an additional three-thousand and eight hundred (3,800) square feet of Dog Park. E. Division 3.6 - Transportation and Circulation 1) 3.6.3 Street Pattern and Connectivity Standards:  The project is not proposing any new public streets. 2) 3.6.4 Transportation Level of Service Requirements:  The Traffic Operations Department has reviewed information based on the impacts of vehicle traffic. Their review concluded that this project would be less of an impact than the previously approved project that was not constructed, The Center at Rigden Farm. Therefore, there was no need to create another Transportation Impact Study. 4. Modification of Standards - Division 2.8 There is one (1) request of modification with this project. This request is to the parking requirements for a multi-family use. A. Modification Request The applicant requests a modification of standard to section 3.2.2(K)(1)(a) to allow a decrease of nine (9) off-street parking spaces from the one-hundred and sixty-nine (169) that is required. 1) The Standard:  3.2.2(K)(1)(a) Attached Dwellings: For each two-family and multi-family dwelling there shall be parking spaces provided as indicated by the following table: Agenda Item 5 Item # 5 Page 9 Number of Bedrooms/Dwelling Unit Parking Spaces Per Dwelling Unit * One or less 1.1 Two 1.2 Three 1.4 Four and above 2.1 2) Section 2.8 Code Criteria The request of approval for this modification is based on the Review Criteria for Modification of Standards found in Section 2.8.2 (H) and 2.8.2(H)(4) in the following ways:  The granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public good;  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. 3) Applicant’s Justification The applicant has provided the following justification for the modification request: 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 modification is minor, when considered from the perspective of the entire development plan, which provides consistency with the Land Use Code in terms of enhanced architecture, building articulation and quality materials. • The surrounding existing parking was constructed for the mixed use project that was previously approved. There is actually more on-street parking available on three sides of the site. • The type of population that this project is trying to attract will be empty nesters and seniors who typically either drive less or have fewer cars per household. • The proposed alternative plan ensures sensitivity to the surrounding Agenda Item 5 Item # 5 Page 10 neighborhood by placing most of the parking internal to the site with no garage doors facing the streets. • The proposed alternative plan provides an additional 17 bicycle parking in excess of what is required. 4) Staff Finding for the Modification Staff finds that the request for Modification of Standard to section 3.2.2(K)(1)(a) is justified by the applicable standards in 2.82(H). The granting of the Modification would not be detrimental to the public good and:  The request satisfies criteria 4 (2.8.2(H)(4)) being the request will not diverge from the standard except in a nominal, inconsequential way when considered from the perspective of the entire development plan based on the justification provided by the applicant and in addition:  The project is located across the street from neighborhood services allowing for more opportunity to use alternative modes of transportation.  The project includes a Transfort stop that provides a convenient connection to the existing bus network.  Illinois street was constructed to accommodate the previously approved plan of 93,200 square feet of mixed-use. This street includes diagonal parking spaces instead of the typical parallel spaces allowing for more vehicles to be parked along the street.  The project has a mix of surface parking spaces and garage spaces and every unit will include a garage space. 4. Neighborhood Meeting A neighborhood meeting was held for the proposed project on April 28 th , 2014. The meeting lasted over an hour. The following is a summary of the discussion had that night and responses by the applicant with additional notes on how the submitted proposal has addressed the concern (see attachment for full meeting notes). Comment (Public): I’m sorry but as a resident of the neighborhood we’re being drowned with the number of housing units that have been built. I really object to that I am going to have to go to Target on College because there is no way King Soopers can handle all of the new residents. It’s already difficult to find a parking space in that lot and why are we not looking at something like that? There’s not enough commercial and there’s a traffic problem too. Response (Applicant): There’s demand for housing and the way that the city protects their land use is by using the 30% requirement. We had to prove to the city that this Agenda Item 5 Item # 5 Page 11 project didn’t get us out of compliance with those conditions. At the neighborhood meeting the applicant presented a plan with 100 dwelling units and no commercial space. The current proposed plan has sought to address this concern by reducing the number of units to 94 and including commercial/retail space on-site in a 9,600 sq. ft. building. Comment (Public): Do they have to do a traffic study? Response (City): Yes, they will have to update it and I believe there is a larger ODP for the entire area and I believe this is a part of that process. A concern of traffic came up during the neighborhood meeting. It was pointed out by those in attendance of the meeting that the school causes issues at the beginning and end of the day, the church nearby brings heavy traffic on Sundays, other residential developments further east on Custer Drive have very little available on street parking, and King Soopers can get crowded. As pointed out already in this report the previous approved development for this site provided a Traffic Impact Study. This study was based on the assumption 93,000 square feet of mixed- use. Based on the fact this proposal is mostly residential use, Traffic Operations has concluded that this proposal is less of an impact then the approved mixed-use project. Additionally, initial designs of the project were seeking for a modification to reduce the required off-street parking space by 17 spaces. The project has redesigned and has submitted a request for modification to reduce the requirement by only 9 spaces. In addition to the neighborhood meeting we have received some emails concerning this project. These emails are included as attachments to the staff report. 5. Findings of Fact/Conclusion In evaluating the request for The Flats at Rigden Farm Project Development Plan Staff makes the following findings of fact: In evaluating the request for The Flats at Rigden Farm Project Development Plan Staff makes the following findings of fact: A. The Modification of Standard to section 3.2.2(K)(1)(a) regarding the reduction of nine (9) off street parking space from the required one-hundred and sixty-nine (169) with this PDP would not be detrimental to the public good and the modification meets the applicable requirements of Section 2.8.2(H)(4). The request satisfies criteria 4 (2.8.2(H)(4)) because the project will not diverge from the standard except in a nominal, inconsequential way when considered from the perspective of the entire development plan because of the project’s convenient location near neighborhood services and because the surrounding number of on- street parking spaces is greater than the typical number of on-street parking spaces adjacent to a multi-family development. B. Flats at Rigden Farm PDP complies with the process located in Division 2.2 - Common Development Review Procedures for Development Applications of Agenda Item 5 Item # 5 Page 12 Article 2 - Administration. C. Flats at Rigden Farm PDP is in conformance with the Rigden Farm Overall Development Plan approved by the Planning and Zoning Board on April 1999. D. Flats at Rigden Farm PDP complies with relevant standards located in Article 3 - General Development Standards, provided that Modification of the Standard to sections 3.2.2(K)(1)(a) that is proposed with this project is approved. E. Flats at Rigden Farm PDP complies with relevant standards located in Division 4.23, Neighborhood Commercial District (N-C) of Article 4 - Districts. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of The Flats at Rigden Farm Project Development Plan, PDP140006, and Modification of Standard to Section 3.2.2(K)(1)(a). ATTACHMENTS 1. Site-Landscape Plan (PDF) 2. Elevations (PDF) 3. Lighting Plan (PDF) 4. Plat (PDF) 5. TIS Update (PDF) 6. Flats at Rigden Farm_Neighborhood Meeting Notes (PDF) 7. Janet Michaelis (email & response) (PDF) 8. Sean McGill (email & response #2) (PDF) 9. Planning Objectives (PDF) 10. Amanda Silvestri (email & response) (PDF)