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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHARMONY 23 - PDP - PDP160031 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - MODIFICATION REQUESTland 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 September 28, 2016 Harmony 23 PDP Modification Request LAND USE CODE - ARTICLE 3 GENERAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS Section 3.5.2. (D) Relationship of Dwellings to Streets and Parking. (1) Orientation to a Connecting Walkway. Every front facade with a primary entrance to a dwelling unit shall face the adjacent street to the extent reasonably feasible. Every front facade with a primary entrance to a dwelling unit shall face a connecting walkway with no primary entrance more than two hundred (200) feet from a street sidewalk. The following exceptions to this standard are permitted: (a) Up to two (2) single-family detached dwellings on an individual lot that has frontage on either a public or private street. (b) A primary entrance may be up to three hundred fifty (350) feet from a street sidewalk if the primary entrance faces and opens directly onto a connecting walkway that qualifies as a major walkway spine. (c) If a multi-family building has more than one (1) front facade, and if one (1) of the front facades faces and opens directly onto a street sidewalk, the primary entrances located on the other front facade(s) need not face a street sidewalk or connecting walkway. (2) Street-Facing Facades. Every building containing four (4) or more dwelling units shall have at least one (1) building entry or doorway facing any adjacent street that is smaller than a full arterial or has on-street parking. Connecting walkway shall mean (1) any street sidewalk, or (2) any walkway that directly connects a main entrance of a building to the street sidewalk without requiring pedestrians to walk across parking lots or driveways, around buildings or around parking lot outlines which are not aligned to a logical route Reason for the Request The majority of the proposed dwelling units meet the connecting walkway standard with access to a public street sidewalk within 200 feet or access to a street-like private drive along a major walkway spine within 350 feet as required by the standard. However, due to the steep topographic conditions along the western edge and the desire to utilize the site efficiently, twenty-eight (28) mixed-use dwelling units are proposed on top of 5-car garages, creating a unique mixed-use building that acts as a retaining wall along the western edge. Residents of these mixed-use dwellings will need to cross a driveway in Harmony 23 PDP Modification Request – Connecting Walkway September 28, 2016 Page 2 of 3 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 order to connect to the pedestrian network that serves the project. These 28 units represent 8% of the total dwelling units on the site. Justifications The Land Use Code states that the decision-maker may grant a modification of standards only if it finds that the granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public good; and the decision-maker must also find that the Modification meets one of the following four criteria described in the LUC. The applicant believes the Modification meets two out of the four criteria. (1) the plan as submitted will promote the general purpose of the standard for which the modification is requested equally well or better than would a plan which complies with the standard for which a modification is requested; The proposed mixed-use buildings with dwelling units located above garages are unique and offer residents a different lifestyle choice within the development. The units are more secluded and offer more privacy than the more traditional 24 and 36-plex apartments located lower on the slope. The units are accessed from stairs located on the side of the garage buildings that lead to the dwelling units above. The apartments have west facing patios adjacent to the open space buffer along the FCRID offering them a pastoral, quiet setting away from the more active recreational areas associated with the pool and clubhouse. The residents are provided with a safe and convenient pedestrian zone adjacent to the driveway that runs parallel to the units and connects them at convenient intervals to the larger pedestrian network of the project. We believe the project with the mixed-use dwelling units is equal to or better than a project that would meet the standard for the following reasons:  The buildings and dwelling units are unique and offer a different lifestyle choice.  The buildings contribute to the architectural interest of the site.  Constructing dwelling units above garages that act as retaining walls utilize the land efficiently and conserve building materials.  The units are provided with safe and convenient pedestrian access. Driveway crossings at convenient intervals are highlighted to remind drivers that pedestrians are present. (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 Harmony 23 PDP Modification Request – Connecting Walkway September 28, 2016 Page 3 of 3 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 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. Considering that only 28 out of 364 or 8% of the dwelling units fall short of meeting the standard, we believe that granting the Modification qualifies as nominal and inconsequential when viewed from the perspective of the entire development plan. The development plan as a whole continues to advance the purposes of the Land Use Code related to pedestrian and bike connections throughout the development and to public street sidewalks. Conclusion In conclusion, we believe the twenty-eight (28) mixed-use dwelling units are valuable additions to the project, and are not detrimental to the public good. By adding an additional housing type these unique units contribute to both the supply and to the diversity of housing types in Fort Collins, both objectives are supported by City Plan Principles and Policies.