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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFORT COLLINS EMERGENCY CENTER, 4858 S. COLLEGE AVE. - PDP - PDP160001 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT W/ATTACHMENTSAgenda Item 3 Item # 3 Page 1 STAFF REPORT May 12, 2016 Planning and Zoning Board PROJECT NAME FORT COLLINS EMERGENCY CENTER STAFF Ryan Mounce, Associate Planner PROJECT INFORMATION PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request for consideration of a Project Development Plan to construct a freestanding emergency room located at 4858 S College Avenue on a 1.15 acre vacant lot in the General Commercial (G-C) zone district. The site will be developed as a 1-story, 8,000 square foot building with 30 parking spaces. Open space will be preserved along the eastern one-third of the lot for drainage and to accommodate a future access circulator road serving businesses along the South College Avenue Frontage Road. APPLICANT: Jerry Davidson Perception Design Group, Inc. 6901 S. Pierce St., Suite 350 Littleton, CO 80128 OWNER: Colorado EC Land, LLC 3620 Whirestone Blvd. East Cedar Park, TX 78613 RECOMMENDATION: Approval EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Staff finds the proposed Fort Collins Emergency Center Project Development Plan complies with all applicable requirements of the City of Fort Collins Land Use Code (LUC), more specifically:  The Project Development Plan complies with process located in Division 2.2 - Common Development Review Procedures for Development Applications of Article 2 - Administration.  The Project Development Plan complies with relevant standards of Article 3 - General Development Standards.  The Project Development Plan complies with relevant standards located in Division 4.21 General Commercial (G-C) of Article 4 - Districts. Agenda Item 3 Item # 3 Page 2 COMMENTS: 1. Background The project site was annexed into the City of Fort Collins in 1981 as part of the Fairway Estates Business Annexation. The site represents the last remaining vacant land along this segment of the College Avenue Frontage Road. Seven narrow lots currently exist on the project site and will be replatted into one lot as a part of this development proposal. The project site also falls within the study area of the South College Avenue US287 Access Control Plan. The access report anticipates the future elimination of the frontage road serving businesses along this stretch of College Avenue. In its place, a circulator road located along the back of each property would provide future access. Near the project vicinity are other commercial and office establishments and residential lots located to the east. Additional details on surrounding project zoning and land-use context can be found in the table below: Direction Zone District Existing Land Uses North General Commercial (G-C) Indoor Recreation, General Office, Veterinary Clinic South General Commercial (G-C) Vehicle Rental, Veterinary Clinic, General Office East Urban Estate (U-E) Large-lot Single Family Detached Residential West General Commercial (G-C) Vacant Land, Vehicle Sales, South Transit Center A zoning vicinity map is presented on the following page: Agenda Item 3 Item # 3 Page 3 Map: Fort Collins Emergency Center Site & Zoning Vicinity Map Agenda Item 3 Item # 3 Page 4 2. Compliance with Article 4 of the Land Use Code - General Commercial (G-C), Division 4.21: The project complies with all applicable Article 4 standards as follows: A. Section 4.21(B)(2) - Permitted Uses A freestanding emergency room combines elements of both a medical clinic and a traditional hospital emergency room. Typical operations will most closely resemble an urgent care facility (medical office), but the emergency center also has the capability to receive patients by ambulance or to perform minor medical surgeries, although such circumstances are expected to be infrequent. Using a conservative approach, staff has processed this development application as a hospital in consideration of the proposal’s hospital-like elements, however infrequent they may occur. Hospitals are a permitted use in the G-C district, subject to Planning & Zoning Board (Type 2) review. B. Section 4.21(D) - Land Use Standards The proposed 1-story building complies with the maximum building height limit in the G-C district of 4-stories. 3. Compliance with Article 3 of the Land Use Code - General Development Standards: The project complies with all applicable General Development Standards as detailed below. A. Section 3.2.1 - Landscaping and Tree Protection The proposed landscaping plan is consistent with the applicable requirements of Land Use Code Division 3.2.1, Landscaping and Tree Protection, with additional explanation for specific subsections below: 3.2.1(D) - Tree Planting Standards A mix of twelve deciduous and evergreen trees will be planted around the building, meeting tree stocking standards. No existing trees are located on-site requiring removal or mitigation. Tree plantings are emphasized around the building and in high-visibility areas and away from the eastern third of the lot where a future circulator road is anticipated. 3.2.1(D)(2) - Street Trees A combination of existing underground gas utilities, build-to line standards for the new structure, and construction of a new detached sidewalk located outside the public right-of-way create the need for an alternative street-tree planting arrangement. Four irregularly-spaced canopy shade trees will be planted behind a newly constructed detached sidewalk serving as street trees. After the anticipated removal of the South College Avenue Frontage Road, a new detached sidewalk and additional street trees will be installed closer to College Avenue. This proposal will also be contributing its local frontage improvement costs towards these ultimate improvements. 3.2.1(E)(2) - Landscape Area Treatment High-visibility areas of the site will be planted with a combination of trees, shrubs, and Agenda Item 3 Item # 3 Page 5 ornamental grasses with rock ground-cover. Landscaping elements are emphasized along the College Avenue frontage and along the parking lot perimeter. The eastern one third of the lot will be kept in a natural state with a native seed mix in the stormwater detention area and where an existing bridle path is located. 3.2.1(E)(4) - Parking Lot Interior Landscaping The required 6% parking lot interior landscaping standard is met with seven landscape islands interspersed throughout the vehicle use areas. In addition, the parking lot is broken-up into three distinct sections to reduce the effect of a large, contiguous area. 3.2.1(E)(5) - Parking Lot Perimeter Landscaping Within the required parking lot setback areas, regularly-spaced trees and shrubs will be installed to provide screening and block vehicle headlights. Although not located within a required landscape setback area, the eastern edge of the vehicle use area will be heavily landscaped with shrubs to provide an additional layer of screening and visual mitigation for neighbors to the east. The parking spaces and partial driveway on the north side of the site do not feature a landscaped setback consistent with provisions for developments utilizing a shared access and parking. B. Section 3.2.2(C)(4) - Bicycle Facilities Four weather-protected bicycle spaces are to be located near the front entrance under a large building entrance canopy, meeting Land Use Code standards for bicycle parking for a land-use of this size. C. Section 3.2.2(K) - Parking Lots - Required Number of Off-Street Spaces Parking requirements for the project were evaluated against the most similar type of land-use, medical office, as hospital parking requirements are based off the number of beds, and overnight stays are not anticipated as a part of the standalone emergency center. For medical office, parking requirements are 2 spaces per 1,000 square feet (minimum) to 4.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet (maximum). The proposed 8,000 square foot facility is providing 30 spaces, within the required range of 16-36 spaces. D. Section 3.2.4 - Site Lighting Site lighting will provide security illumination for building surrounds and the parking area. All light fixtures will comply with Land Use Code standards and will be fully shielded and down-directional. Light sources will use a lower color temperature range to reduce the perceived harshness of some types of LED lighting. Site lighting is also excluded from the eastern third of the property abutting residential lots to enhance project compatibility and reduce off-site lighting impacts. E. Section 3.2.5 - Trash and Recycling Enclosures A trash and recycling enclosure is located on the north side of the parking area meeting Land Use Code requirements. The enclosure features a separate walk-in access, will be constructed of high- quality materials matching the principal building, and screened with landscaping. F. Section 3.4.1 Natural Habitats and Features A small, unnamed irrigation ditch is located 5-to-10 feet east of the project site on the adjoining property. An ecological characterization study completed for this proposal determined no significant ecological resources were present or likely to be impacted by the proposal due to the Agenda Item 3 Item # 3 Page 6 small size of the ditch, infrequent running water, and its urban location. Although no habitat buffer zone is required, the portion of development site closest to the unnamed ditch will be left in a naturalistic state with native seed plantings. G. Section 3.5.1(C) - Building Size, Height, Bulk, Mass, Scale At one-story tall and 8,000 square feet, the proposed building will be similar in size, height, bulk, mass, and scale to other adjacent buildings. Smaller single-family homes are located to the east, but are separated by an extensive evergreen screen along the eastern property line. The distance between the new building and the nearest home is also approximately 500-feet away. The building design includes varied roof elements, overhangs, a prominent entry-corner, and articulation to further define and break-up the building’s mass, meeting standards for this code section. H. Section 3.5.1(E) - Building Materials High-quality building materials will be used in the building design. Primary building materials include a banded sandstone and brick base with stucco and metal panels above. Metal canopies and glass are utilized to define building entrances. The primary building materials are similar to those used within the nearby commercial context along South College Avenue. I. Section 3.5.1(F) - Building Color Building colors will include a light stonework finish and neutral grays and earth-tones for the metal panels and stucco. These colors and finishes meet code standards facilitating blending with the nearby structures utilizing a similar palette. J. Section 3.5.3(C)(2) - Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings The front face of the proposed building is located 25-feet from the street right of way, consistent with standards that commercial and institutional buildings be located 10-25 feet from the right of way along an arterial street. K. Section 3.5.3(D) - Variation in Massing The building features multiple changes in materials, roof height, and recessing and projecting building elements to achieve a variation in massing meeting this code section. L. Section 3.6.1(E) - Compliance with Access Control Plans The South College Avenue US287 Access Control Plan, last updated in 2002, calls for the removal of the existing frontage road east of College Avenue in front of the development site, and for future business access to take place via a circulator roadway along the rear of the property. This proposal complies with the access control plan by reserving space along the eastern property to accommodate the future circulator and dedicating new access and emergency access easements where the circulator is planned and connecting to the parking lot. M. Section 3.6.4 - Transportation Level of Service Requirements The City’s Traffic Operations department has reviewed and accepted the project’s traffic memo demonstrating that level of service requirements for the area will continue to meet code standards. Agenda Item 3 Item # 3 Page 7 4. Neighborhood Meeting A neighborhood meeting for the project was held on October 15, 2015, and attended by a small group of neighbors and property owners close to the development site. Detailed meeting notes are attached to this staff report and a summary of key topics and concerns are presented below:  Topic / Concern: Potential impacts related to facility operations and design (e.g. ambulance noise, light pollution, screening, traffic and safety of the frontage road intersections).  Ambulance sirens are utilized for safety and very few ambulances are expected to deliver or pick-up patients to this facility. Other noises generated from the facility will have to meet City noise codes.  Due to requirements for the future circulator road and to enhance project compatibility, the eastern third of the lot will be left in a naturalistic state. No activity or site lighting are planned within this area, with the effect of creating a larger buffer area between the new building and the residential lots located to the east.  The project traffic study shows a relatively small increase in traffic generated by the facility and level of service for the area will continue to meet code standards. Based on their experience with other freestanding emergency rooms, the applicants indicated most of their patient visits occur during non- peak hours after 5pm. In addition, the frontage road described as awkward and unsafe during the neighborhood meeting will eventually be eliminated in lieu of the rear circulator roads, which will create a safer environment by moving the intersections further away from College Avenue.  Topic / Concern: Preserving the existing bridle path and concerns about stormwater and drainage.  The existing bridle path and easement will not be altered as part of the project and will be maintained in a similar condition as it currently exists with the replanting of a native seed mix.  Project drainage has been reviewed by City stormwater staff based on current code standards which exceed the standards in place when other nearby projects originally developed. The project will maintain historic drainage patterns for projects to the north that drain through a drainage easement along the eastern property boundary. In addition, the proposed development will be constructing its own onsite water quality and detention facility and minimizing impervious area through the use of permeable pavers. Project drainage will eventually travel across the property to the south where an existing drainage easement exists and flows from this development site were anticipated. 5. Findings of Fact/Conclusion: In evaluating the request for the Fort Collins Emergency Center Project Development Plan, PDP160001, Staff makes the following findings of fact: . The Project Development Plan complies with the applicable procedural and administrative requirements of Article 2 of the Land Use Code. . The Project Development Plan complies with relevant standards located in Article 3 - General Development Standards. . The Project Development Plan complies with relevant standards located in Division 4.21 General Commercial District (G-C) of Article 4 - Districts. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Planning and Zoning Board make a motion to approve the Fort Collins Emergency Center, PDP160001, based on the findings of fact on page 7 of the staff report. Agenda Item 3 Item # 3 Page 8 ATTACHMENTS 1. Statement of Planning Objectives (PDF) 2. Planning Drawing Set (PDF) 3. Utility Drawing Set (PDF) 4. Ecological Characterization Study (PDF) 5. Traffic Study (PDF) 6. Neighborhood Meeting Summary (PDF) 7. Public Comment (PDF)