HomeMy WebLinkAboutOLD TOWN NORTH, 3RD FILING - PDP - PDP160017 - REPORTS - (5)land planning g landscape architecture g urban design g entitlement
Thinking outside of the box for over two decades.
419 Canyon Ave. Suite 200 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662
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Old Town North Third Filing Planning Objectives:
The site plan:
The Third Filing of Old Town North is a residential development situated on 5.836 acres between Suniga
Road and Osiander Street, zoned Community Commercial North College (C-C-N). The project consists of
twenty-eight single family detached lots along Osiander Street and twenty-four two-family attached lots
along Suniga Road. Vehicular and emergency access will be through a twenty foot public alley aligned
between the single family and two-family attached lots with connections to Osiander Street and Blondel
Street. The project will have a Type 1 Project Development Plan review.
The higher density two-family attached homes and landscape tract provides a buffer to the single family
homes from Suniga Road for the Old Town North neighborhood. The two-family attached buildings have
varied setbacks from the Suniga right-of-way ranging from forty-two to fifty-five feet. This creates a large
landscape buffer between the two-family attached lots and Suniga while also providing a linear park
along the front façade of the development. A community clubhouse and two community garden spaces
provide amenities to not only this development, but the Old Town North community as a whole. The
main pedestrian access is from Suniga through multiple connections to the public sidewalk meandering in
front of the two-family attached units. In addition, there is a midblock emergency access that split up the
single family detached homes on Osiander Street which opens to a more formal green court/ gathering
area.
Fundamentally, this project arranges two dwellings as upper and lower units, fitting the definition of Two
Family Dwelling, but also combines two of the “Two Family Dwellings” into one building. This creates a
“Two-Family Attached” arrangement. City Staff has provided an Administrative Interpretation to find
that the proposed arrangement is a reasonable combination of two permitted uses, two family dwellings
and single family attached dwellings. Each two story building consists of two, fee simple lots that each
contain two dwellings. Each two-family attached lot has an approximately 500 square foot studio unit and
a two car garage on the ground floor. Above the studio and garage there is an approximately 1,000 square
foot, two bedroom unit. The two car garage belongs to the two bedroom unit, while there is off street
parking provided throughout the development for the studios. Access to the upper unit is provided
through internal staircases, while access to the lower unit is provided on the sides of the building. There
are four different unit types that will add variation to Suniga and help break up regimented form through
the alley. All two-family attached buildings face Suniga Road. Addressing for the two-family attached
units is such that each lot gets the main address and the upper unit is “A” and the bottom unit is “B” (ex.
100A Suniga Rd. and 100B Suniga Rd). Address identification and wayfinding signs are provided on both
Suniga Road frontage and alley frontage.
The concept of a two-family attached use is that an owner will be able to buy the studio, garage and two
bedroom unit as one piece of property and then can decide to use one or both of the units. If the owner
decides not to inhabit both units, they can then rent out the unit that they are not inhabiting. By attaching
two, two-family dwellings together the project is able to achieve a higher density which is outlined in the
City Plan as a way to “foster efficient land use, support a mix of housing types, increase efficiency of
public utilities, streets, facilities, and services, and accommodate multiple modes of travel (including
vehicle, bus, bike, and walking).” The City Plan also indicates that “higher density development is
Thinking outside of the box for over two decades.
419 Canyon Ave. Suite 200 g Fort Collins, CO 80521 g tel. 970.224.5828 g fax 970.224.1662
www.ripleydesigninc.com
encouraged in Community Commercial Districts to support their role as hubs of the City’s high-frequency
transit system and to promote an active, pedestrian-friendly environment.”
The twenty-eight single family detached lots are thirty-five feet wide to match the lots across Osiander,
and vary in depth from eighty-five feet to ninety feet. All single family homes are setback fifteen feet and
face Osiander. At a minimum, there are five different housing types to maintain variation on the
streetscape, each with a porch. Single family homes also have a large outdoor patio located on the second
story above the garage. As stated above, vehicular access is from the alley. Five traffic “bump outs” have
been added to the existing Osiander Street to help mitigate the potential conflict of two cars passing each
other. Two of the bump outs utilize existing Baum Street and an alley to the east of Baum Street while the
other three bump outs occur as twenty foot long curb and four food wide curb cuts along the north side of
Osiander.
Architecture:
The architectural intent of the project is to develop unique elements at each two-family attached home
making them clearly identifiable. That said, the overall architectural features are compatible bringing a
synergistic look to the overall project. The eclectic mix of Old Town North’s modern-style homes and
craftsman cottages are reflected in the proposed homes with a mix of gable, shed and flat roofs grounded
by a heavy brick base, as well as stucco massing with areas highlighted by cementitious siding in either
horizontal, vertical or panel systems. The architectural elements are carried through on all four elevations
and work to break down scale massing while highlighting entry features and decks and balconies. The
second floor balconies are depicted at the primary entry point. The exterior elements will be low
maintenance timeless materials that tie to the adjacent context of Old Town North.
Detention and storm water:
The project ties into the NECCO storm system in place along Suniga and utilizes the regional detention
pond to the north of Suniga. It also utilizes an onsite detention pond in order to beat the peak flow within
the public storm system along Suniga.
Utilities:
Similar to the existing Old Town North development, the utilities come from both the-right-of way along
Osiander Street and Suniga Road, as well as from the proposed public alley.
Conclusion:
The Third Filing of Old Town North is a Type 1 PDP with no requests for modifications or
variances to the Land Use Code. The project includes twenty-six single family detached lots,
twenty-four two-family attached lots and a public alley for access. The single family lots along
Osiander Street connect to the existing character of the neighborhood through similar lots sizes
and architecture, while adding at least five new housing types to Old Town North. Suniga is
faced by higher density units and a linear open space with pedestrian connection to create a
buffer and transition to the rest of Old Town North.