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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTHE STANDARD AT FORT COLLINS - PDP - PDP160035 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 2 - LUC REQUIREMENTSland 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 November 30, 2016 The Standard at Fort Collins Request for Increased Occupancy Limit The Standard is planned to be a student-oriented apartment complex that will include 239 dwelling units located on the southern edge of the Colorado State University (CSU) campus, across from the new stadium, with street frontage along Lake Street and Prospect Road. The apartment complex is planned to include 42 one-bedroom apartments, 29 two-bedroom apartments, 36 three-bedroom apartments, 92 four-bedroom apartments, and 40 five-bedroom apartments. In the City of Fort Collins, the maximum occupancy allowed per multi-family dwelling unit is three unrelated persons, unless the number of individuals allowed to reside together is increased by the decision maker. In order to provide 4-bedroom and 5-bedroom units intended to be occupied by either four (4) or five (5) unrelated persons, the City’s Land Use Code requires the Applicant to provide a written request as follows: 3.8.16 Occupancy Limits; Increasing the Number of Persons Allowed (E) Increasing the Occupancy Limit. (2) With respect to multiple-family dwellings, the decision maker (depending on the type of review, Type 1 or Type 2) may, upon receipt of a written request from the applicant and upon a finding that all applicable criteria of this Land Use Code have been satisfied, increase the number of unrelated persons who may reside in individual dwelling units. The decision maker shall not increase said number unless satisfied that the applicant has provided sufficient additional amenities, either public or private, to sustain the activities associated with multi-family residential development, to adequately serve the occupants of the development and to protect the adjacent neighborhood. Such amenities may include, without limitation, passive open space, buffer yards, on- site management, recreational areas, plazas, courtyards, outdoor cafes, limited mixed-use restaurants, parking areas, sidewalks, bikeways, bus shelters, shuttle services or other facilities and services. Justification From its prior experience building student housing communities across the country, the Applicant has found that both 4-bedroom and 5-bedroom units are a popular lifestyle alternative for many students. It allows the students residing in these units to share an apartment in a well-managed environment. It is more secure than most single-family home rentals and, because higher occupancy units typically rent for The Standard Request for Increased Occupancy Page 2 of 5 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662  www.ripleydesigninc.com less per bedroom, they offer a more affordable alternative to students on a budget. The tenants that are likely to occupy these units are also the ones likely to occupy single-family rental properties near campus. By providing safe, efficient, high quality, and higher occupancy apartment units, The Standard will simultaneously help to relieve the burden on surrounding neighborhoods by freeing up affordable rental housing stock to families, employees of CSU and the greater community. In order to increase the number of unrelated persons who may reside in individual dwelling units, the Applicant must provide sufficient additional amenities to sustain the activities associated with the project, adequately serve the occupants and protect the adjacent neighborhood. Justification for increasing the occupancy of some of the units at The Standard includes the following: Open Space and Amenities:  The Standard provides 24-hour, on-site management services. This allows residents to have noise, maintenance, or safety concerns addressed at any time of day.  The Applicant’s projects incorporate recreational amenities based on the number of students living in the complex, so the needs of all occupants, including the four-bedroom and five-bedroom units, are factored into the equation.  On-site recreational facilities at The Standard will include a ±5,230 square foot rooftop amenity area on Building B with an outdoor pool or a combination of hot tubs, tables and chairs for relaxation, conversation, meals and games, a ±2,750 square foot recreation room with pool tables, seating, and large screen TV's, and an exercise and fitness center. Building B of The Standard will also incorporate ±6,280 square feet on the ground floor for the management/leasing office and amenity space for other student needs such as a study room with computers and printers as well as space for individual or group study sessions.  The Standard will include approximately 11,000 square feet of outdoor open space in three south- facing courtyards at Building A along Prospect Road. These courtyards maximize exposure to sunlight, allow sun light into more units and provide space where the students can enjoy the outdoors all year long. An additional ±3,760 square feet of courtyard area will also be included within the Building B footprint. The courtyards will be designed as functional gathering spaces that include special paving, generous landscaping, outdoor lighting, internet access, and a variety of seating opportunities and activity areas. The proposed courtyard programming provide areas of passive space to study or quietly enjoy the outdoors as well as providing active common areas that allow for social gathering and activities.  The streetscape around the edges of The Standard will add to the urban-lifestyle by providing street trees, special paving, seat walls, planters, street furniture, and convenient bike parking.  An activated north-south alley will connect Lake Street and Prospect Road. This alley will function both as emergency vehicle access, and as a way for students to move safely through and around the site on foot or by bike. The alley will be an attractive and inviting asset to the project; its design features will highlight the vibrant urban feel through the use of pavers, special planting, moveable planters, seating, and pedestrian scale lighting.  Residents can easily access CSU’s Campus Recreation Center and intramural playing fields, located just two blocks north of the project on the CSU Main Campus, either by walking or by biking. The Recreation Center has a pool, gymnasium, climbing wall, and fitness center.  Moby Arena is adjacent to the Campus Recreation Center, just two blocks to the north of The Standard. CSU hosts games, as well as concerts and special events there. The Standard Request for Increased Occupancy Page 3 of 5 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662  www.ripleydesigninc.com  The nearest access point to the Spring Creek Trail is located ½ mile to the south along Shields Street. This multi-use trail provides not only a safe commuting route for students, but also makes nearby parks and open spaces more accessible. The Spring Creek Trail also transports users to other multi-use trail connections in the City’s trail system, to the MAX Bus-Rapid-Transit (BRT), and to the Gardens on Spring Creek.  Students at The Standard will also live within walking and biking distance of Rolland Moore Park, which includes 68 acres of open space, tennis courts, ball fields, basketball courts, volleyball courts and trails and picnic areas for more passive recreation.  CSU’s new football stadium will be to the north, across W. Lake Street from The Standard. The plaza space directly surrounding the stadium will be open to the public at all times serving as gathering space. Football games and special events will be hosted there, and will be conveniently close for students to access. It has recently been announced that the stadium project will also include new practice fields, an Agricultural Heritage Garden, and additional paths and tree identification guides within the existing arboretum located across the street from the proposed project.  Because The Standard’s location provides direct access to sidewalks and trails, all of the off-site recreational opportunities can be reached without having to go through an adjacent residential neighborhood.  On-site staff organize at least two events per month as part of The Standard’s Residence Life program. These activities are focused on one of four key areas: philanthropy, academics, wellness, and community. Transportation  The project is located within the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay Zone. Multi-family residential projects that fall within the TOD and follow a ‘rent-by-the-bedroom’ model need to provide 0.75 parking spaces per bedroom. The Standard will be providing the required number of parking spaces to insure that neither students nor guests park their vehicles on neighboring properties. Parking will be located in an on-site parking structure.  Parking permits will be issued to residents with vehicles, but spaces will not be designated. It is anticipated that parking at the proposed ratio will be more than adequate to serve the needs of students that have cars with ample spaces left for guest parking and the leasing office.  The applicant is dedicated to encouraging students to be environmentally responsible by promoting alternative means of transportation including walking, biking, public transit, and offering electric vehicle parking stations. The site is served by Transfort and there are multiple near-by bus stops along Shields Street and Prospect Road. Students can connect to the MAX (BRT) via bike or by using the bus. The MAX (BRT) provides access to amenities along the Mason Corridor between the Downtown Transit Center and South Transit Center.  The Standard will encourage the use of bicycles by providing 776 convenient and secure bike parking spaces along the alley, in the courtyards, and within the building/parking garage. In addition to being able to walk or bike to and around campus, the students will also have easy access to parks, trails, recreation, services, restaurants, Transfort bus stops and the MAX (BRT) system.  The applicant understands the need to provide residents with convenient transit options and is amendable to pursuing Zipcar or a similar service. The Standard Request for Increased Occupancy Page 4 of 5 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662  www.ripleydesigninc.com Services  The proposed site is adequately served with standard public infrastructure including water, wastewater, police and fire facilities. The existing street network has adequate capacity to absorb the additional traffic within level of service standards. See the Traffic Impact Analysis prepared by Delich Associates.  The site is within one half mile of the Campus West commercial shopping area that includes many retail and personal service shops as well as a variety of restaurants and entertainment venues that are geared towards the student population. Students are also less than a mile from the Prospect and College commercial shopping area, which can also easily be access via the Spring Creek Trail.  The nearest grocery and convenience stores are located close-by. Students are about 1 mile from King Soopers and Whole Foods on South College Avenue, 1.5 miles from King Soopers at the intersection of Elizabeth Street and Taft Hill Road, and a 5 minute walk from the Dollar General and Walgreens on the corner of Shields Street and Prospect Road. The CSU campus also offers a small market place along Lake Street, as well as a variety of other services which cater specifically to the student population.  Again, because The Standard has direct access to sidewalks and trails, the residents will be able to get to off-site services without having to go through an adjacent residential neighborhood. Architectural Design  In addition, the high occupancy has positive effects related to architectural design and sustainability. Four and five bedroom dwelling units are more efficient in the utilization of space, allowing more flexibility in building height. Sustainability  Locating higher-density housing for students where they can access the campus, shopping and recreational opportunities without using an automobile is a key component of being an environmentally responsible community. The Standard will provide 776 bedrooms for students in a location where having a vehicle is not necessary to have access to all necessary amenities. This is highly desirable from an environmental perspective and makes attending college more affordable to students on a budget. The units with increased occupancy are an essential component of The Standard that allows higher density to work in this location.  The West Central Area Plan encourages a diverse mix of bedrooms per unit in order to provide greater flexibility and serve a broader range of tenants. See Policy 1.11. The Standard proposes to provide a mix of 42 one-bedroom apartments, 29 two-bedroom apartments, 36 three-bedroom apartments, 92 four-bedroom apartments, and 40 five-bedroom apartments.  The units with increased occupancy are more efficient in terms of material usage and are also more energy efficient. Data obtained from Conservice, a nationwide utility billing service that analyzes information from many properties and thousands of units, indicates that electricity usage is an average of 21.25% more efficient when comparing a 4-bedroom unit to two 2-bedroom units. In other words, the same four people use less electricity when housed in a 4-bedroom unit vs. being split up into two 2-bedroom units. Likewise, natural gas is estimated to be 55.13% more efficient. This statistic is applicable to both our 4-bedroom and 5-bedroom units. The Standard Request for Increased Occupancy Page 5 of 5 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 100  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662  www.ripleydesigninc.com  Additionally, less construction materials translates into less environmental impact from a construction standpoint. ___________________________________________________________________________________ In summary, the Applicant requests the Planning and Zoning Board to approve 92 dwelling units of The Standard for occupancy by four (4) unrelated individuals, and to approve 40 dwelling units of The Standard for occupancy by five (5) unrelated individuals. We believe the 4-bedroom and 5-bedroom units will serve the students by providing an attractive, secure and affordable lifestyle alternative with sufficient amenities to sustain the activities of the student population without impacting adjacent neighbors. Upscale urban courtyards, a large, state-of-the-art clubhouse/recreation facility and roof-top amenities will provide ample recreational opportunities on-site, while the CSU campus itself as well as surrounding outdoor amenities offer expansive green spaces, sport fields, water bodies and natural areas nearby. Adequate parking for both cars and bicycles is conveniently provided on site. There is a variety of shopping, dining, recreation and entertainment opportunities located within biking and walking distance to satisfy the student living and recreational needs.