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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBEEBE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL - PDP - PDP160022 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 3 - MODIFICATION REQUESTDecember 13, 2016 Ryan Mounce c/o City of Fort Collins Current Planning Department 281 North College Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80524 Re: Beebe Christian School & Seventh Day Adventist Church Please accept this request for a Modification of Standards to Sections 3.5.3(C)(1)(2) and 4.27(D)(2) of the Land Use Code. Background This is a request for approval of a PDP for the proposed Beebe Christian School and Seventh Day Adventist Church to be located on 3.326 acres in the Spring Creek Farms North Subdivision. Major cross streets are Nancy Gray Avenue and Joseph Allen Drive. The project proposes a single-story, 18,175 square foot school facility with fenced outdoor play yards and a 7,834 square foot church. There will be a total of 80 parking spaces for the school and church. The private school will have kids from grades Kindergarten through 8th grade and will contain classrooms, multi-purpose/ gymnasium, offices, a kitchen, meeting rooms and a fellowship hall. The church portion is located on the east end of the building. The proposed access drives line up with the Police Services building to the south. There is an existing sidewalk along Nancy Gray and the project will be constructing the sidewalk along Joseph Allen. The modifications are requested in accordance with the review procedures set forth in Section 2.8.2(H) of the Land Use Code as follows: Modification to Section 3.5.3(C)(1) and (2)(a)(c) Code Language: Section 3.5.3(C) Relationship of Buildings to Streets, Walkways and Parking states the following: (1) Orientation to a Connecting Walkway. At least one (1) main entrance of any commercial or mixed-use building shall face and open directly onto a connecting walkway with pedestrian frontage. Any building which has only vehicle bays and/or service doors for intermittent/infrequent nonpublic access to equipment, storage or similar rooms (e.g., self-serve car washes and selfserve mini-storage warehouses) shall be exempt from this standard. See Figure 10. (2) Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings. Build-to lines based on a consistent relationship of buildings to the street sidewalk shall be established by development projects for Beebe Modification of Standards 12-13-16 new buildings and, to the extent reasonably feasible, by development projects for additions or modifications of existing buildings, in order to form visually continuous, pedestrian-oriented streetfronts with no vehicle use area between building faces and the street. and (a) To establish "build-to" lines, buildings shall be located and designed to align or approximately align with any previously established building/sidewalk relationships that are consistent with this standard. Accordingly, at least thirty (30) percent of the total length of the building along the street shall be extended to the build-to line area. If a parcel, lot or tract has multiple streets, then the building shall be built to at least two (2) of them according to (b) through (d) below, i.e. to a street corner. If there is a choice of two (2) or more corners, then the building shall be built to the corner that is projected to have the most pedestrian activity associated with the building. (b) Buildings shall be located no more than fifteen (15) feet from the right-of-way of an adjoining street if the street is smaller than a full arterial or has on-street parking. A connecting walkway is defined as: “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.” Requested Modification: We request that the proposed building have a vehicle use area between the building face and the street, to be located more than 15 feet behind the street right-of-way, and to have a the connecting walkway cross a driveway. Justification The granting of this modification of standards would not be detrimental to the public good, and the plan as submitted will not diverge from the standards of the Land Use Code that are authorized by this Division to be modified and 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 applicant offers the following in support of its request for modification: • The purpose of the standard for which the modification is sought is to “promote the design of an urban environment that is built to human scale.” The proposed plan in which the building is further from the public street promotes such purpose equally well or better for the following reasons: − The intervening 20’ wide drive aisle that separates the building from Nancy Gray Avenue is narrower than most drives. It also serves two purposes: it allows vehicles to circulate through the site and allows convenient access for people that might be using the accessible parking spaces close to the church entrance. This drive aisle is upgraded a wide rasied scored concrete crosswalk, placing the emphasis on the pedestrian. Beebe Modification of Standards 12-13-16 − The prescriptive 20’ wide Cargill easement that is located along the Nancy Gray frontage prohibits any building being placed closer than 20’, thus a building could never be 15’ from the street right of way as described in the Land Use Code. − The street-facing entrances to the school and church create strong entries and pedestrian presence. The visual impacts of the vehicle use area is greatly reduced by the use of extensive, enchanced landscaping along the frontage of Nancy Gray Avenue, utilizing a combination of shrubs, grasses and trees that will provide adequate screening. − The proposed alternative plan continues to improve the design, quality and character of new development by exceeding the building standards set forth in Section 3.5. The use of high quality building materials, building articulation, projections and recesses ensure sensitivity to and compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood.. − The proposed alternative plan continues to encourage the development of vacant properties within established areas. The site is surrounded by existing development - a mix of single-family homes, a mini storage facility, the Police Services building, fast food, a climbing gym and other office and retail uses. The uses are appropriate in this setting, especially if the building is designed to provided an suitable transition between the street activity and the adjacent development. Finally, the proposed alternative plan is not a detriment to the public good, as it results in the development of a vacant property within an established areas in accordance with the overall City goals outlined in City Plan. Most importantly, it is practically infeasible to meet the standards and the alternative plan accomplishes the purpose and objective of the standard equally well or better. Modification to Section 4.27(D)(2) Code Language: Section 4.27(D)(2) Secondary Uses states the following: All secondary uses shall be integrated both in function and appearance into a larger employment district development plan that emphasizes primary uses. A secondary use shall be subject to administrative review or Planning and Zoning Board review as required for such use in Section 4.27(B). The following permitted uses shall be considered secondary uses in this zone district and together shall occupy no more than twenty-five (25) percent of the total gross area of the development plan. (w) Places of worship or assembly. Requested Modification: The project is requesting to have a plan in which the church use exceeds the 25% maximum of secondary uses in the Spring Creek Farms development. Justification The granting of this modification of standards would not be detrimental to the public good, and the plan as submitted will not diverge from the standards of the Land Use Code that are authorized by this Division to be modified and the plan as submitted will promote the general purpose of the Beebe Modification of Standards 12-13-16 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 applicant offers the following in support of its request for modification: • The purpose of the standard for which the modification is sought is to provide locations for a variety of workplaces including light industrial uses, research and development activities, offices and institutions. This District also is intended to accommodate secondary uses that complement or support the primary workplace uses, such as hotels, restaurants, convenience shopping, child care and housing. The proposed plan in which the church use exceeds the 25% maximum of secondary uses in the Spring Creek Farms development promotes such purpose equally well or better for the following reasons: − The proposed alternative plan continues to improve the design, quality and character of new development by exceeding the building standards set forth in Section 3.5. The use of high quality residential building materials, building articulation, projections and recesses, along with pitched roof elements ensures sensitivity to and compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood. − The school and church are physically attached thus functionality and sharing of spaces are an intregal part of the operations of the building. Most importantly, it is practically infeasible to meet the standards and the alternative plan accomplishes the purpose and objective of the standard equally well or better. − The granting of a Modification by allowing a portion of the 3.3-acre site to be developed as a secondary land use is inconsequential when considered from the perspective of the entire Employment district. The intent of the E zoning in this area was to provide for a transition between the LMN and MMN parcels to the south and the Industrial-zoned parcels to the north. The approved ODP for the property shows 6 acres of E zone and the residential lots that were developed took up roughly one- half of the secondary uses.