HomeMy WebLinkAboutCITY OF FORT COLLINS UTILITIES CUSTOMER SERVICES BUILDING - PDP - PDP140005 - DECISION - FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS & DECISION1
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CITY OF FORT COLLINS
TYPE 1 ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING
FINDINGS AND DECISION
HEARING DATE: March 11, 2015
PROJECT NAME: City of Fort Collins Utility Administration Building
CASE NUMBER: PDP #140005
APPLICANT/OWNER: City of Fort Collins
300 Laporte Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80521
HEARING OFFICER: Kendra L. Carberry
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request to approve a Project Development Plan (PDP) for a
39,562 square foot civic building at 222 Laporte Avenue, at the corner of Laporte Avenue and
Howes Street. The building will house the City of Fort Collins Utilities Administration and
Customer Service staff and the Sustainability Service Area. The PDP will relocate the historic
Laboratory Building a/k/a the Butterfly Building to the southeast corner, approximately 105 feet
to the east of its existing location. Three other buildings (208 Howes Street and 212 and 230
Laporte Avenue) have already been demolished to make space for the new building.
SUMMARY OF DECISION: Approved
ZONE DISTRICT: Downtown (D), Civic Center Subdistrict, Transit-
Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay
HEARING: The Hearing Officer opened the hearing at approximately 5:00 p.m. on March 11,
2015, in Conference Room A, 281 North College Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado.
EVIDENCE: During the hearing, the Hearing Officer accepted the following evidence:
(1) Planning Department Staff Report; (2) application, plans, maps and other supporting
documents submitted by the applicant; and (3) an email from Laura Resau dated March 2, 2015,
along with the City's response to that email (the Land Use Code, the Comprehensive Plan and the
formally promulgated polices of the City are all considered part of the record considered by the
Hearing Officer).
TESTIMONY: The following persons testified at the hearing:
From the City: Seth Lorson
From the Applicant: Brian Hergott
From the Public: N/A
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FINDINGS
1. Evidence presented to the Hearing Officer established the fact that the hearing was
properly posted, legal notices mailed and notice published.
2. The PDP complies with the applicable General Development Standards contained in
Article 3 of the Code.
a. The PDP complies with Section 3.2.1, Landscaping and Tree Protection, because
all areas not paved for pedestrian access are landscaped.
b. The PDP complies with Section 3.2.2, Access, Circulation and Parking, because
there is no minimum vehicle parking requirement applicable to this PDP; and the PDP
includes 38 bicycle parking spaces, 20 enclosed and 18 fixed.
c. The PDP complies with Section 3.2.4, Site Lighting, because all lighting is down-
directional with cutoff fixtures, and no foot-candle levels exceed 1/10 measured 20' from
the property lines, except walkway security lighting along the Civic Spine (the Civic
Spine, as a pedestrian/park walkway, must be illuminated at a minimum of 0.5 foot-
candles).
d. The PDP complies with Section 3.4.7, Historic and Cultural Resources, because the
PDP, to the Maximum Extent Feasible, provides for the preservation and adaptive use of
the Laboratory Building in a manner that would not adversely affect its significance or
integrity, and the relocation of the Laboratory Building was approved by the Landmark
Preservation Commission.
e. The PDP complies with Section 3.5.1, Building and Project Compatibility, because
the PDP is located in the center of the Civic Center Subdistrict and surrounded on all sides
by civic buildings between 2 and 5 stories.
f. The PDP complies with Section 3.5.3, Mixed-Use, Institutional and Commercial
Buildings, because: the building is set back 33' from the right-of-way to accommodate a
public plaza with seatwalls, landscaping, a water-quality demonstration pond, and a plaza
that highlights the Laboratory Building; the building is articulated into several modules
differentiated by wall plane and building materials; the windows are recessed in brick
walls with cast stone sills and lintels, providing articulation; the front façade is
asymmetrical with red brick covering the entire height of the west side, but only 2 of the 3
stories on the east side, and both are capped with cornices creating an identifiable top; the
blond brick clearly identifies the building's main entrance; and the base of the building is
identified by the use of local sandstone above the entry and a painted steel canopy.
3. The PDP complies with the applicable standards contained in Article 4 of the Code for the
D zone district.
a. The PDP complies with Section 4.16(B), Permitted Uses, because a community
facility is a permitted use in the D zone district, subject to administrative review.
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b. The PDP complies with Section 4.16(D), Building Standards, because: the
frontage along Laporte Avenue includes an entry plaza with seatwalls, landscaping and an
overall design that complements the Laboratory Building; the building height is 3 stories,
less than the maximum; the building is primarily brick (both new and reused from the
former Creamery Building, which the Laboratory Building served) with accents of cast
stone, sandstone, and aluminum; and the plaza identifies the building as public, with green
space and outdoor common areas for staff.
c. The PDP complies with Section 4.16(F), Special Provisions, Civic Center
Subdistrict, because: the east side of the lot continues the Civic Spine from the south to
the north; the Civic Spine will be colored, stamped concrete, carrying the front plaza
design to the east side; and the Civic Spine also serves as an emergency access; there are
additional pedestrian connections from the Civic Spine to the relocated Laboratory
Building, and from 215 North Mason to the green space and employee terrace through to
Howes Street; local sandstone is incorporated as an accent; the building is in a prominent
location; and the building is architecturally compatible with existing civic buildings and
the Laboratory Building;
DECISION
Based on the foregoing findings, the Hearing Officer hereby enters the following rulings:
1. The PDP is approved as submitted.
DATED this 20th day of March, 2015.
_____________________________________
Kendra L. Carberry
Hearing Officer