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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWOODWARD TECHNOLOGY CENTER (FORMERLY LINK-N-GREENS) - PDP - PDP130001 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT W/ATTACHMENTS (50)Request for Modification of Standard 4.20(D)(3)(a)(1) – COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL - POUDRE RIVER DISTRICT (C-C-R) Building Height/Mass Link-n-Greens PDP January 14, 2013 Concurrent with the Link-n-Greens PDP, the Applicant requests the following Modification of Standard 4.20(D)(3)(a)(1) – Community Commercial – Poudre River District (C-C-R) Building Height/Mass. While a new allowed use called "Campus Employment" was added to the C-C-R zone district with the Link-n-Greens ODP for this site, the definition of the use does not contain specific standards for building massing and placement. Accordingly, the Applicant requests that the building height limit of one (1) story adjacent to the river buffer as set forth in 4.20(D)(3)(a)(1) of the Fort Collins Land Use Code ("LUC") be modified to allow two (2) stories in order to accommodate the current development plan for the property. Following is an explanation of how the proposed PDP meets the requirements for a modification of standards under LUC 2.8. Current Standard (A) Purpose. The Community Commercial - Poudre River District (C-C-R) is for downtown fringe areas in the Cache la Poudre River corridor with both public street frontage and River frontage. This District provides locations for redevelopment or development of moderate intensity uses that are supportive of Downtown, subject to floodplain restrictions. Such redevelopment or development shall be compatible with the scenic, cultural, natural and historical context of the River and Downtown. A main purpose of the District is to foster a healthy and compatible relationship between the River, the Downtown and surrounding urban uses. Any significant redevelopment shall be designed as part of a master plan for the applicable group of contiguous properties. 4.20(D)(3) Buildings. (a) Massing and placement. 1. Height/Mass. The maximum building height shall be three (3) stories. If multi-story buildings are included in a development, such buildings shall be designed to step down to one (1) story directly abutting the natural area protection buffer. Description of need for Modification of Standard The Link-n-Greens PDP is being established to accommodate a new campus for Woodward. As a large employer, Woodward is designing a master planned campus of office, manufacturing, and testing facilities with nearby services and offices that will complement the campus. The development team has partnered with the City of Fort Collins to develop a comprehensive approach to the restoration and enhancement of the Poudre River habitat adjacent to the Link-N-Greens campus development areas. Multiple city departments engaged in this discussion including Natural Resources, Planning, Floodplain Administration, and Parks. Through these discussions the Applicant has approached both the development of the property and the river restoration in a holistic manner based on the river flow conditions, existing landscape, historic river conditions, and the vision for the future development of the Lincoln Triangle area. Several site planning scenarios were explored for the narrow commercial area designated at the southeast corner of the site. The site planning for the commercial area has been designed to balance and achieve several goals including: - Woodward's desire that its headquarters become a catalyst for quality private and public development and redevelopment in order to enhance the area. - Applying market and planning guidelines to achieve the highest and best use for this parcel to allow the best opportunity to create vibrant, successful mixed-use services for the adjacent Woodward campus and the nearby neighborhoods - Protecting and enhancing views to the Poudre River from the Mulberry corridor gateway into Fort Collins and the Mulberry Bridge - Applying the Performance Standards of 3.4.1(E)(1) and responding to the comprehensive river restoration concepts The commercial area site plan positions commercial uses along Lemay Avenue with two mixed-use office/ commercial buildings to the west adjacent to the river buffer area. Use of vertically mixed use buildings is encouraged in Plan Fort Collins. The use of two 2-story buildings creates a more compact and varied development footprint along the river buffer than would a larger footprint 1-story building of a similar size. As a result, we would like to request a modification of standard 4.20(D)(3)(a)(1) – Community Commercial – Poudre River District (C-C-R) Building Height/Mass to allow two (2) stories rather than one (1) adjacent to the rifer buffer area in order to allow for this more compact and varied development pattern adjacent to the river buffer in the commercial area. Specific findings for the modification request Pursuant to LUC 2.8.2(H), the modification must meet the first standard (not detrimental to the public good), plus one of the four other listed standards. In this case, the proposed modification meets all of the standards; accordingly, the City's approval is requested. • The granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public good. o Granting the proposed modification would not be detrimental to the public good because the proposed development plan meets the other Performance Standards of 3.4.1(E)(1), and brings an overall positive development to this grossly underutilized land located in a key area of Fort Collins. The overall purpose of the increased height is to allow for buildings with smaller footprints, rather than buildings which occupy more of the site. Allowing buildings to be up to two stories rather than one allows for better balancing of the overall height and massing of the required structures on the site for a more aesthetically pleasing overall appearance. • The granting of a modification from the strict application of any standard would, without impairing the intent and purpose of this Land Use Code, substantially alleviate an existing, defined and described problem of city-wide concern or would result in a substantial benefit to the city by reason of the fact that the proposed project would substantially address an important community need specifically and expressly defined and described in the city's Comprehensive Plan or in an adopted policy, ordinance or resolution of the City Council, and the strict application of such a standard would render the project practically infeasible. o Overall, the Woodward campus project will bring significant economic benefits to the City, in terms of retaining and creating quality jobs, prestige and publicity for the City, and locating these jobs near downtown where they will support existing Fort Collins businesses. o In order to enhance the feasibility of the project and diversify the uses on the site, the commercial portion of the development in the southeast corner of the site is a key component. o The increased density created with two stories will help provide positive economic impact to stimulate further quality development in the area. Second level space creates flexibility required to accommodate a broader variety of uses and diversify the project, thus increasing its viability. • By reason of exceptional physical conditions or other extraordinary and exceptional situations, unique to such property, including, but not limited to, physical conditions such as exceptional narrowness, shallowness or topography, or physical conditions which hinder the owner's ability to install a solar energy system, the strict application of the standard sought to be modified would result in unusual and exceptional practical difficulties, or exceptional or undue hardship upon the owner of such property, provided that such difficulties or hardship are not caused by the act or omission of the applicant o The area of the site within which the proposed two story buildings will be located adjacent to the river buffer is narrow could argue that this area is somewhat narrow to accommodate the proposed commercial development, and is further narrowed by the river buffer. Additionally, an existing PRPA power line, which may be relocated as part of the project, will further narrow the area available for development. Woodward will be making significant investments to enhance and stabilize the river embankments while filling-in the floodplain; while this also enhances the development potential of the properyt, it also increases project costs and creates a need to accommodate increased development density. Because Woodward will be dedicating approximately 1/3 of the site to open space, the remaining land is burdened by the purchase price of this land, thereby increasing the land basis by 33%. Adequate development coverage and density is needed to help offset this investment. o Although the relocation of the PRPA power line is technically caused by the applicant as part of the project, the physical constraints on this portion of the property are still somewhat limiting, even without this factor. o Overall, the river buffer in its current state, or as proposed as part of the project, is a further constraint on the property. Allowing the use of sensitively designed two-story buildings to be located on certain parts of the property adjacent to the river buffer balances the City's goals related to preservation and enhancement of the river buffer with its goals for economic development. o The use of two story buildings provides better protection to the habitat area by containing noise, light and pollution from busy Lemay Avenue to the east of the commercial space. • (4) 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. o The proposed modification is nominal and inconsequential in relationship to the overall development plan, and will continue to advance the purposes of the LUC. The master planned campus has been developed based on a comprehensive approach considering the river flow conditions, historic river patterns, and vision for the future development of the Lincoln Triangle area. The plans include more than 30 acres of habitat restoration and open space with wider areas where the river will be allowed to move outside its current bank condition, and with a more narrowed area here where the river moves back to its channel beneath the Mulberry bridge. The use of use of smaller footprint 2-story buildings in this location supports this overall approach and creates a more compact and varied development footprint along the river buffer than would a larger footprint 1-story building of a similar size. When considered from the perspective of the entire 100-acre development plan, the use of these 2-story buildings will not diverge from the standard except in a nominal and inconsequential way. In addition, the plan will continue to advance the purposes of the Land Use Code as contained in Section 1.2.2 including: § encouraging innovations in land development and renewal. § fostering the safe, efficient and economic use of the land, the city’s transportation infrastructure, and other public facilities and services. § improving the design, quality and character of new development. § ensuring that development proposals are sensitive to natural areas and features.