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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVILLAGE ON HORSETOOTH (AFFORDABLE HOUSING) - PDP - PDP160025 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT W/ATTACHMENTS (15)August 17, 2016 Modification Request 3.5.2 Residential Building Standards (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. Reason for the Request Early in the design process it was determined that it was not in the best interest of the existing neighborhood or future residents of the Village on Horsetooth to have Birmingham Drive extend through the site and connect to Horsetooth Road. The 8.3-acre infill site is too small to accommodate a public street without bisecting the site and forcing residents to cross a public street to visit neighbors, go to the clubhouse, access the playground, dog park, community gardens, and other site amenities without crossing a public street. The site plan proposed allows for pedestrian and bike connectivity to both Birmingham Street to the north and to Horsetooth Road on the south. In addition, the connection to Birmingham will also provide access for fire trucks and emergency service providers. The central green is defined by tree-lined walks on both sides, providing the opportunity for neighborhood residents and the residents of the community to conveniently access the public sidewalk located to the north along Birmingham Drive and as well as the public sidewalk and bike lanes on Horsetooth Road. These central green walkways fulfill the function of a major walkway spine; however, the farthest distance to a public street sidewalk is approximately 430 feet rather than 350 feet as required for the major walkway spine. The primary entrances to buildings face the parking area rather than Horsetooth Road or the central green. This allows the most convenient access for building residents and provides the best connectivity to site amenities without sacrificing connectivity to a public sidewalk. Because the design includes the important amenity of an outdoor patio and balcony for each unit, it is preferable to orient these outdoor spaces toward the internal community green space. This design feature helps promote community and safety while also adding valuable architectural interest to the front and rear elevations. In addition, a 5-foot crusher fines path will be provided along the canal on the east side of the site which allows the neighborhood convenient and direct access to the public sidewalk and bike lane on Horsetooth in a location near a bus stop and signalized intersection at Seneca Street. 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. (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; We believe the plan meets the general purpose of the standard better than a plan that would comply with the standard. While it is clear that Birmingham Drive was originally intended to extend to Horsetooth Road, it is now impractical to do so. Existing development now surrounds this 8.3 acre property. The City of Fort Collins specifically purchased this property I 2001 for the Land Bank Program to allow for the future development of affordable housing. A plan that extended Birmingham to Horsetooth Road would divide the property in half with half of the residents and half of the site amenities on one side and half on the other side, requiring residents, including children, to cross a public street unnecessarily to access community facilities located on the other side. The Traffic Study demonstrated this connection would not provide any benefit for traffic operations. The public street would also occupy a swath of property 51-feet wide through the site that would be taken away from available open space. We believe the proposed plan meets the intent of the standard better than a plan that would divide the site with a public street for the following reasons:  The land that would have been used for a street can be incorporated into a central green space defined by buildings and reinforced with walkways shaded by canopy trees.  This plan allows the clubhouse and playground to be centrally located and accessed by residents without crossing a public street.  The plan as proposed encourages neighborhood social interaction better than a project divided with a public street.  Access to all amenities on the site is more convenient and safer (especially for children) without a public street bisecting the site.  Access to public street sidewalk and bike lane on Horsetooth is provided at four locations.  Pedestrian, bike and emergency access is provided at Birmingham Drive. (2) 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; The proposed project is an affordable housing community that will result in a substantial benefit to the City. It is designed to address the critical need for affordable rental housing in the community. The proposed site plan solution supports the objective of providing well-designed, safe, affordable housing in a managed setting. The central green with a clubhouse and playground is key to achieving project goals and objectives. The proposed mixed-income community will serve residents earning between 30% and 60% of Area Median Income (AMI.) Currently, 60% AMI for a family of four is $46,920; and 30% AMI for a family of four is $23,460. The need for affordable housing is defined in City Plan and the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, and the opportunity to provide such housing for 96 households is a significant step towards addressing this important community need and provides a substantial benefit to these individuals and the community as a whole. August 17, 2016 Modification Request 3.8.30 Multi-Family Dwelling Development (C) Access to a Park, Central Feature or Gathering Place. At least ninety (90) percent of the dwellings in all development projects shall be located within one thousand three hundred twenty (1,320) feet (one-quarter [¼] mile) of either a neighborhood park, a privately owned park or a central feature or gathering place that is located either within the project or within adjacent development, which distance shall be measured along street frontage without crossing an arterial street. Such parks, central features or gathering places shall contain one (1) or more of the following uses: (2)Privately owned parks, meeting the following criteria: (b)Location. Such parks shall be highly visible, secure settings formed by the street layout and pattern of lots and easily observed from streets. Rear facades and rear yards of dwellings shall not abut more than two (2) sides or more than fifty (50) percent of the perimeter frontage of the park. Reason for the Request The reason that the proposed site plan does not meet the above standard is largely related to the decision that it was not in the best interest of the existing neighborhood or future residents of the Village on Horsetooth to have Birmingham Drive extend through the site and connect to Horsetooth Road. (See Modification – Orientation to a Connecting Walkway) Without a public street through the property it is difficult to make the privately owned park highly visible from public streets. The entrances to the multi-family buildings are purposely located adjacent to the parking areas, rather than facing the park, to provide convenience for the residents by shortening how far they need to walk from their car to the entrance sometimes with children and groceries. The other side of the building does have doors that exit onto patio spaces of individual residences. Those doors and patios face the park. 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. (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; We believe that granting the Modification will not be detrimental to the public good and is equal to or better than a plan that complies with the standard for the following reasons:  At 30,000 square feet, the privately owned, centrally located, park is over three times as big as the Land Use Code requires. The generous size is due to the fact that Birmingham Drive does not connect through the site to Horsetooth Road.  The park is surrounded by a public, tree-lined walkway that defines the space and provides the visual access that the standard encourages.  The clubhouse with exterior amenities including patio/deck space, shade structures, seating, barbeque and playground are located at the south end of the central park space. The enclosed space makes it ideal for the families that will live in this community. While the space is not highly visible from surrounding streets, it is highly visible to most of the people living in the community and purposely semi-enclosed to make it safer for children.  The park space functions better for the residents than a park bordered by streets because it is safer, more convenient and encourages social interaction between residents as they utilize site amenities such as the clubhouse, mail boxes, playground, and community gardens, without having to cross a street.  The entrances to the multi-family buildings are purposely located adjacent to the parking areas, rather than facing the park, to provide convenience for the residents by shortening how far they need to walk from their car to the entrance sometimes with children and groceries.  The proposed multi-family buildings are visually attractive on all sides utilizing similar architectural detailing and consistent high quality materials on all sides.  The building elevations that face the park include doors that exit onto patio spaces of individual residences. Those doors and patios provide visual interest and create opportunity for social interaction around the park. (2) 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; The proposed project is an affordable housing community that will result in a substantial benefit to the City. It is designed to address the critical need for affordable rental housing in the community. The proposed site plan solution supports the objective of providing well-designed, safe, affordable housing in a managed setting. The central green with a clubhouse and playground is key to achieving project goals and objectives. The proposed mixed-income community will serve residents earning between 30% and 60% of Area Median Income (AMI.) Currently, 60% AMI for a family of four is $46,920; and 30% AMI for a family of four is $23,460. The need for affordable housing is defined in City Plan and the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, and the opportunity to provide such housing for 96 households is a significant step towards addressing this important community need and provides a substantial benefit to these individuals and the community as a whole. August 17, 2016 Modification Request 3.8.30 Multi-Family Dwelling Development (D) Block Requirements All development shall comply with the applicable standards set forth below, unless the decision maker determines that compliance with a specific element of the standard is infeasible due to unusual topographic features, existing development, safety factors or a natural area or feature: (1)Block Structure. Each multi-family project shall be developed as a series of complete blocks bounded by streets (public or private). Natural areas, irrigation ditches, high-voltage power lines, operating railroad tracks and other similar substantial physical features may form up to two (2) sides of a block. Division 4.5 – Low density Mixed-Use Neighborhood District (LMN) (E) Development Standards (1)Streets and Blocks. (a)Street System Block Size . The local street system provided by the development shall provide an interconnected network of streets in a manner that results in blocks of developed land bounded by connecting streets no greater than twelve (12) acres in size. Reason for the Request The reason that the proposed site plan does not meet the above standard is largely related to the decision that it was not in the best interest of the existing neighborhood or future residents of the Village on Horsetooth to have Birmingham Drive extend through the site and connect to Horsetooth Road. (See Modification – Orientation to a Connecting Walkway) Without a public street through the property, the site plan does not comply with the block structure requirement. Even if the street were extended through the property the block standard would not be met due to existing development and the Pleasant Valley and Lake Canal preventing street connections. 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. (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; We believe that granting the Modification will not be detrimental to the public good and is equal to or better than a plan that complies with the standard. The site plan as proposed will accomplish several City Plan design principles and policies that the block standard was designed to accomplish.  The project as proposed does establish an interconnected pedestrian network (Policy LIV 21.2 Design Walkable Blocks). - The project provides multiple pedestrian/bike walks and trails to connect into and out of the neighborhood. Walks on both the east and west sides of the central park connect from Birmingham Drive to Horsetooth Road. In addition there is a crusher fines informal path along the canal. - The crusher fines path on the east extending from Birmingham Drive to Horsetooth Road connects the neighborhood to the existing bus stop and signalized intersection at Seneca Street, creating a safe route to Johnson Elementary School, located .75 miles to the south, for both the residents of this project and the existing neighborhood. (Policy 21.4 Provide Access to Transit)  The proposed pedestrian/bike system creates “walkable blocks” (Policy LIV 21.2 Design Walkable Blocks). The walkway surrounding the central park space creates a convenient walkable block in the heart of the residential project. Numerous other walk connections create additional blocks within the community connecting all residents from their dwellings to their vehicles, bikes, site amenities and to the public street sidewalk system located along Birmingham Drive to the north and along Horsetooth Road to the south. Residents would walk less than 350 feet in either direction to get to a public street sidewalk.  The proposed project without the extension of Birmingham Drive discourages cut- through traffic (Policy LIV 21.3 – Calm Traffic)) and makes this residential community more cohesive and safer than one that met the standard. (2) 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; The proposed project is an affordable housing community that will result in a substantial benefit to the City. It is designed to address the critical need for affordable rental housing in the community. The proposed site plan solution supports the objective of providing well-designed, safe, affordable housing in a managed setting. The central green with a clubhouse and playground is key to achieving project goals and objectives. The proposed mixed-income community will serve residents earning between 30% and 60% of Area Median Income (AMI.) Currently, 60% AMI for a family of four is $46,920; and 30% AMI for a family of four is $23,460. The need for affordable housing is defined in City Plan and the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, and the opportunity to provide such housing for 96 households is a significant step towards addressing this important community need and provides a substantial benefit to these individuals and the community as a whole.