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Home My WebLink AboutTHE SUMMIT ON COLLEGE PARKING GARAGE - MJA/FDP ..... REMAND FROM CITY COUNCIL - FDP130056 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORTITEM NO _________________ HEARING DATE September 4, 2014 _ STAFF Seth Lorson__ ____ REMANDED ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING Planning Services 281 N College Ave – PO Box 580 – Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 fcgov.com/developmentreview/ 970.221.6750 MEMORANDUM PROJECT: The Summit on College Parking Structure FDP #130056 APPLICANT: Walker May Capstone Development Corp. 431 Office Park Drive Birmingham, AL 35223 OWNER: Fort Collins Associates, L.P. 431 Office Park Drive Birmingham, AL 35223 BACKGROUND: The proposed parking structure was reviewed at an administrative hearing on March 3, 2014 and the Hearing Officer issued a decision of approval on March 19, 2014. The decision was appealed to City Council by three appellants. At the appeal hearing on May 20, 2014, Council provided feedback regarding interpretation of the Land Use Code and remanded the project back to the Hearing Officer. Council determined that the Hearing Officer failed to properly interpret Section 3.4.1(I)(2) with regard to impacts on the Spring Creek viewshed, and Section 3.5.1(J) with regard to the number of off- street parking spaces required. Council remanded the decision to the Hearing Officer to consider the possible reduction of the parking structure in terms of number of parking spaces and its height and mass. For more information, attached to this memo are the video of the May 20 appeal hearing and the appeal resolution (2014-063). The applicant is requesting approval of the original submittal (Attachment 5) which City Council has determined does not meet the standards in the Land Use Code. This memo addresses only the additional information submitted in response to City Council’s direction. Staff recommends approval of the Summit Parking Structure as amended by the above-mentioned additional information with conditions outlined in the “recommendation” section of this memo. Summit on College Parking Structure FDP #130056 Remanded Administrative Hearing September 4, 2014 Page 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: In response to the direction from City Council, the applicant provided additional information for consideration at the remand hearing. The additional information removes one story from the parking structure consisting of 345 parking spaces reduced from 440 parking spaces. It is proposed to be built over the top of the existing surface parking lot resulting in a net gain of 251 spaces over existing conditions. The parking structure consists of 3 levels, reduced from 4 levels, including parking on the roof, for an overall height of 2 ½ stories. Additional vertical vegetation has been proposed at the south aspect of the parking garage to help screen and soften visual impacts on the Spring Creek viewshed. The site is located just west of the intersection of South College Avenue and Stuart Street, where Stuart Street dead ends into the railroad tracks and the future MAX Bus Rapid Transit line. The lot is zoned General Commercial (C-G) and is also within the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay Zone. The proposal is processed as a Major Amendment to the approved Choice Center (The Summit on College) Project Development Plan and is subject to review by an Administrative Hearing Officer at a public hearing. The project is requesting a Modification of Standard for a drive aisle width of 15 feet instead of the required 20 feet. LAND USE CODE – REVIEW OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Section 3.4.1(I): (2) Visual Character of Natural Features. Projects shall be designed to minimize the degradation of the visual character of affected natural features within the site and to minimize the obstruction of scenic views to and from the natural features within the site. The above section requires that projects minimize impacts to the visual character of the natural habitat (in this case, Spring Creek) and to minimize obstruction of any scenic views both to and from the natural features within the site. City Council found that the Hearing Officer should consider “…the impact of the major amendment on Spring Creek viewsheds…” Summit on College Parking Structure FDP #130056 Remanded Administrative Hearing September 4, 2014 Page 3 The amended proposal minimizes the obstruction of any scenic views from Spring Creek by reducing the mass of the parking garage from 3 1/2 to 2 1/2 stories along the south elevation. In addition to reducing the mass of the parking garage, the applicants have provided additional vegetative screening along the south wall to soften the appearance of the garage. As with the original proposal, the project proposes to install a multi-structured vegetation buffer that includes 104 trees and shrubs and a native grass seed mix. Finally, the applicant will provide a fee-in-lieu payment to the City of Fort Collins to enhance the planned restoration of Spring Creek, anticipated within the next two years. Renderings have been provided to compare the existing viewshed to the proposed viewshed from Spring Creek (see Attachment 1). Section 3.5.1: (J) Operational/Physical Compatibility Standards. Conditions may be imposed upon the approval of development applications to ensure that new development will be compatible with existing neighborhoods and uses. Such conditions may include, but need not be limited to, restrictions on: (1) hours of operation and deliveries; (2) location on a site of activities that generate potential adverse impacts on adjacent uses such as noise and glare; (3) placement of trash receptacles; (4) location of loading and delivery zones; (5) light intensity and hours of full illumination; (6) placement and illumination of outdoor vending machines; (7) location and number of off-street parking spaces. The above section allows restrictions to be placed on the “location and number of off- street parking spaces”. City Council found that the Hearing Officer should consider “the reduction of the number of parking spaces in the structure to a number closer to the minimum parking requirements as established…for multi-family development in the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay Zone…” (Resolution 2014-063) The referenced parking requirement (Section 3.2.2(K)(1)(a)(1)) requires a minimum of 358 parking spaces for the 665 bedrooms in 220 units in the Summit on College development. The additional information submitted proposes a total of 442 parking spaces which is a 17.4% reduction from the original proposal of 535 parking spaces. Summit on College Parking Structure FDP #130056 Remanded Administrative Hearing September 4, 2014 Page 4 FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSION: In evaluating the request for The Summit on College Parking Structure FDP #130056, as revised with the additional information provided in response to City Council direction, staff makes the following finding of fact and conclusions: A. The request for a modification of standard to permit a reduction in the drive aisle width (Sec. 3.2.2(L)) is not detrimental to the public good and will promote the general purpose of the standard for which the modification is requested equally well or better than would a plan which compiles with said standard because the drive aisle width as proposed is considered wide enough to garner a Level Of Service B by national standards. B. The Major Amendment contains permitted uses and complies with the applicable land development standards of the General Commercial District in Article 4, Division 4.21 of the Land Use Code. Summit Parking Analysis 665 Total Bedrooms Existing Required Outside TOD (required spaces per unit) Required Within TOD (required spaces per unit) Proposed Parking March 3, 2014 Additional Information September 4, 2014 In 220 units Parking 18 27 1.5 19.8 1.1 1-Bd Units 54 94.5 1.75 64.8 1.2 2-Bd Units 53 106 2 74.2 1.4 3-Bd Units 95 285 3 199.5 2.1 4-Bd Units Total Spaces 185 513 358 535 442 % of Bds to Spaces 27.8% 77.1% 53.9% 80.5% 66.50% Summit on College Parking Structure FDP #130056 Remanded Administrative Hearing September 4, 2014 Page 5 C. The Major Amendment complies with the applicable General Development Standards of Article 3 of the Land Use Code with the exception of the requested modification of standard. D. The Major Amendment complies with the applicable procedural and administrative requirements of Article 2 of the Land Use Code. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of The Summit on College Parking Structure FDP #130056, as revised with the additional information provided in response to City Council direction, with the following conditions of approval: 1. The Capstone property is partially located within the FEMA-regulated Spring Creek 100-year high risk floodplain and floodway. The project shall comply with all applicable sections of Chapter 10 of the Fort Collins Municipal Code (Ch. 10 Code). 2. Capstone and its consultants and subconsultants shall execute all components of the action plan for amendment of the Floodplain Use Permit (FPUP) #11048 as outlined in the memorandum from Walker P. May on February 14, 2014. Specifically, all of the 5 bulleted items included in said memo shall be completed and approved prior to the issuance of a FPUP for any site work or building construction. 3. An approved FPUP and no-rise certification must precede any site work, building construction, or building or grading permits. No development work, as defined in Section 10-16 of the Ch. 10 Code, shall commence until the FPUP and no-rise certification are approved by City of Fort Collins Floodplain Administration. The FPUP and no-rise documentation must clearly document compliance with the Floodproofing or venting requirements of Ch. 10 Code if elevation requirements of Section 10-37 cannot be satisfied. Capstone and its consultants and subconsultants shall complete all applicable items included in the City of Fort Collins Floodproofing Guidelines, provided previously by e-mail exchange and available online at http://www.fcgov.com/utilities/img/site_specific/uploads/fp- floodproofing.pdf. 4. A pre-construction FEMA Elevation Certificate shall be provided as part of the no-rise certification materials, and must be approved prior to obtaining any grading or building permits. Summit on College Parking Structure FDP #130056 Remanded Administrative Hearing September 4, 2014 Page 6 5. All no-rise certifications shall be re-certified by the professional engineer of record prior to obtaining a certificate of occupancy on the site. The no-rise re- certification shall include a FEMA Elevation Certificate of as-built conditions, and a certificate of occupancy shall not be issued until the as-built Elevation Certificate is approved by City of Fort Collins Floodplain Administration. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Additional information 2. Additional information provided by Applicant 3. Appeal Resolution 2014-063 4. Video of appeal hearing, May 20, 2014 (DVD) 5. Staff report and attachments, March 5, 2014