HomeMy WebLinkAboutTHE OVERLOOK - PDP - PDP160011 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT W/ATTACHMENTS (34)The Overlook PDP Height Analysis
The Overlook is proposing a 4 story mixed use building. The applicant has prepared a height analysis.
Below are the criteria for the height analysis as stated in the Land Use Code Section 3.5.1(G)
1.Light and Shadow. Buildings or structures greater than forty (40) feet in height
shall be designed so as not to have a substantial adverse impact on the
distribution of natural and artificial light on adjacent public and private property.
Adverse impacts include, but are not limited to, casting shadows on adjacent
property sufficient to preclude the functional use of solar energy technology,
creating glare such as reflecting sunlight or artificial lighting at night, contributing to
the accumulation of snow and ice during the winter on adjacent property and
shading of windows or gardens for more than three (3) months of the year.
Techniques to reduce the shadow impacts of a building may include, but are not
limited to, repositioning of a structure on the lot, increasing the setbacks, reducing
building mass or redesigning a building shape.
The attached shadow analysis was done at the following times of the year:
June 21st at 9am, 12pm and 3pm
September 21st at 9am, 12pm and 3pm
December 21st
at 9am, 12pm and 3pm
As can be seen, shadows will affect the properties to the east minimally at 3pm on
September 21st
and will cover most of 3737 Landings Drive Building G only in the
winter afternoons (December 21st
at 3pm). The buildings within the shadow have
their primary windows and entrances on their south side. The parking lot is on the
west side. Even during the short period of shadowing, ambient light will still be
coming through the affected windows providing natural lighting. The affected
buildings will only have shadows cast on them during the late afternoon hours
during the winter months complying with the light and shadow criteria
2. Privacy. Development plans with buildings or structures greater than forty
(40) feet in height shall be designed to address privacy impacts on adjacent
property by providing landscaping, fencing, open space, window size, window
height and window placement, orientation of balconies, and orientation of buildings
away from adjacent residential development, or other effective techniques.
Most if not all building projects have windows and/ or balconies that overlook
adjacent uses. The applicant is proposing to mitigate privacy concerns with the
height of the building through setbacks, site design and landscape, softening
direct views to adjacent properties. The Land Use Code section 3.5.2(E)(A)(2)
states that the minimum rear and side setback for a residential building shall be 5’.
The development is designed so that 84% of the building is 100’ from the adjacent
residential properties and 88’ from the adjacent commercial. Only a small portion
(65’ or 16%) of the building is 29’ from the adjacent residential property line. In
addition, wing two is offset from the between the two multi-family buildings to the
east, further mitigating direct views. The site was designed this way to minimize
the presence of the building along neighboring properties and maximize its
presence along JFK Parkway.
Along the eastern border of the property we are proposing a combination of
fencing and landscape as a visual buffer between the existing multi-family and the
proposed development. The majority of the building is over 100’ fromthe adjacent
properties. For those areas where the adjacent property is within 30,’ we are
proposing upsized evergreen and deciduous trees to mitigate the view corridor to
the new buildings (see cross section on sheet 12 illustrating the buffer and view
corridor) This buffer is meant to mitigate the view line from the existing residential
to the closest adjacent units on the first and second story while softening views to
the third and fourth stories.
In addition we have stepped the building to 3 stories at the portion where the
building is 29’ from the adjacent property line. The fencing and landscape
mitigation is carried along the south side of the property to buffer the 2 and 3 story
multi-family development to the south.
3. Neighborhood Scale. Buildings or structures greater than forty (40) feet in
height shall be compatible with the scale of the neighborhoods in which they are
situated in terms of relative height, height to mass, length to mass and building or
structure scale to human scale.
The Overlook provides a nice transition from the 4 story commercial building to
the west and multi-family and commercial buildings to the east. As stated
above the majority of the building has been placed along JFK Parkway where it
fits with the larger commercial buildings to the west and north west of the site.
In addition, we have stepped the building to 3 stories at the south east corner
where the site meets the neighboring 2 and 3 story multi-family projects. As the
building gets closer to the adjacent 2 and 3 story multi-family developments, the
building is stepped down to 3 stories.