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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHOUSKA AUTOMOTIVE REZONE - REZ150001 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - REZONING RELATED DOCUMENTland planning  landscape architecture  urban design  entitlement Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 419 Canyon Ave. Suite 200  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662  www.ripleydesigninc.com June 23, 2015 Rezoning Request - 1005 Riverside Avenue This is a Rezoning Request for 2.49 acres located at 1005 Riverside Avenue. The property is currently zoned Neighborhood Commercial (NC) District and received this designation in 1997 when City Plan was first adopted and the entire City was given new zoning designations as part of that broad scale planning effort. The property was and is adjacent to Riverside Shopping Center and it was logically assumed at the time that the property would ultimately be developed with retail uses and become part of the shopping center. Now eighteen years later, the property remains vacant despite numerous attempts at developing the property with neighborhood commercial uses. A variety of constraints make it difficult to develop the property:  The site is triangular shape which makes it inefficient for many uses.  The shopping center has an east facing orientation, while this site faces to the north. This makes it difficult to create any kind meaningful connection to the rest of the shopping center.  Access to the property is from Riverside Avenue, where getting adequate turning movements is difficult. Traffic continues to increase along Riverside Avenue and the right-of-way is constrained making it difficult to add a center turn lane. Houska Automotive, a local family owned business since 1952, recently expanded from its location at 899 Riverside. With the addition of the Houska Tire and Oil Service at 901 Riverside in 2013 the Houska property is now adjacent to the subject property at 1005 Riverside Avenue. Dennis Houska would like to expand his automotive center further to include a truck repair service and a tire retread facility on the adjacent property. Since automotive uses of this type are not allowed in the NC District, a rezoning of the property to Limited Commercial (CL) to match the other properties along Riverside Avenue is required. Rezoning Justification Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662  www.ripleydesigninc.com The Land Use Code outlines the procedures and criteria for rezoning: Land Use Code Section 2.9.4 -Text and Map Amendment Review Procedures (G)(2) Mandatory Requirements for Quasi-judicial Zonings or Rezonings. Any amendment to the Zoning Map involving the zoning or rezoning of six hundred forty (640) acres of land or less (a quasi-judicial rezoning) shall be recommended for approval by the Planning and Zoning Board or approved by the City Council only if the proposed amendment is: (a) consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan; and/or The change in zoning is consistent with City Plan and supported by the following Principles and Policies: Economic Health The proposed rezoning will help to create diverse jobs, and support an innovative, entrepreneurial atmosphere by allowing the expansion of an already successful automotive center. Houska Automotive is already a community leader in creating collaboration and partnerships with educational institutions and other organizations, by providing internships and training for students interested in automotive careers. They also provide Women’s Car Clinics twice a year for the general public and also offer a class through Project Self-Sufficiency, a local non- profit agency. Environmental Health Retreading is environmentally friendly and sustainable business that conserves oil and extends the useful life of tires. The synthetic rubber components in a new passenger tire contain seven to eight gallons of oil. Retreading the same tires uses only two to three gallons of oil. The manufacture of a new medium truck tire requires approximately 22 gallons of oil, but it takes only seven gallons to retread. Every year in North America, the use of retreads saves hundreds of millions of gallons of oil. In addition, millions of tires that would end up in tire piles or in landfills continue their useful lives for thousands of more miles. Community and Neighborhood Livability The proposed expansion of the Houska automotive center creates a compact pattern of development; it represents quality infill development, and will add to an already attractive activity center, all conveniently located for neighborhood residents without negatively impacting them. (b) warranted by changed conditions within the neighborhood surrounding and including the subject property. Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662  www.ripleydesigninc.com The growth of the Houska automotive services and related uses together with the opportunity to expand and create additional compatible and related uses within a well defined, attractive center represents a change from what existed in 1997, when the dividing line between NC and CL zone districts was originally established. (3) Additional Considerations for Quasi-Judicial Zonings or Rezonings. In determining whether to recommend approval of any such proposed amendment, the Planning and Zoning Board and City Council may consider the following additional factors: (a) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment is compatible with existing and proposed uses surrounding the subject land and is the appropriate zone district for the land; (b) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in significantly adverse impacts on the natural environment, including, but not limited to, water, air, noise, stormwater management, wildlife, vegetation, wetlands and the natural functioning of the environment; (c) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in a logical and orderly development pattern. The uses proposed for the property to be rezoned represent an expansion of auto- related uses already existing in the Houska Automotive center. Auto repair, servicing, tire sales, oil change service and auto parts sales already exist in the center. The expansion would include truck repair, servicing, a tire retread facility as well as some additional auto-related retail. The rezone would not result in any significant adverse impacts on the natural environment. The proposed uses would meet the City’s standards for water, storm water, and noise and air quality. There are no wetlands, significant vegetation or wildlife habitats on the property. Lastly, the proposed amendment would result in a logical and orderly development pattern with a variety of auto-related uses being grouped together providing operational efficiency as well as superior and convenient customer service.