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HomeMy WebLinkAboutKAPPA KAPPA GAMMA ADDITION - BASIC DEVELOPMENT REVIEW - BDR170015 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PLANNING OBJECTIVESStatement of Planning Objectives Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority August 23, 2017 1 Project Overview This proposed Addition to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority house embodies the character and vision of City Plan, as well as the C‐C zone district. Characteristics of the proposed plan include:  A high density housing  Addressing stormwater with onsite detention  Maintain the intact character of the existing historically eligible building  Satisfies community safety needs of the student body residences  Distinctive and attractive image, design, and identity  Public transit is in close proximity  Promotes resource conservation and efficiency in the construction of new addition as well as upgrades to existing house  Landscape buffers are designed with adjacent properties experience in mind.  Landscape design incorporates quality and ecologically sound practices  Provide onsite bike parking with both uncovered, and secure/covered parking (i) Statement of appropriate City Plan Principles and Policies achieved by the proposed plan. Many principles and policies outlined in City Plan are achieved with this project. The most significant are listed here: Environmental Health Policy ENV 4.5 – Support Community Horticulture Energy Policy ENV 6.2 – Remove Barriers to Net Energy Use Reduction Safety Policy ENV 7.2 – Provide Security Stormwater and Flood Management Policy ENV 19.2 – Pursue Low Impact Development Policy ENV 20.4 – Develop Public/Private Partnerships Community and Neighborhood Livability Policy LIV 5.1 – Encourage Targeted Redevelopment and Infill Policy LIV 5.4 – Contribute to Public Amenities Policy LIV 6.1 – Types of Infill and Redevelopment in Residential Areas Policy LIV 6.2 – Seek Compatibility with Neighborhoods Housing Statement of Planning Objectives Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority August 23, 2017 2 Policy LIV 7.1 – Encourage Variety in Housing Types and Locations Policy LIV 7.5 – Address Special Needs Housing Policy LIV 7.7 – Accommodate the Student Population Streetscapes Policy LIV 10.2 – Incorporate Street Trees Security and Crime Prevention Policy LIV 12.2 – Utilize Security Lighting and Landscaping Landscape Design Policy LIV 14.1 – Encourage Unique Landscape Features Policy LIV 14.2 – Promote Functional Landscape Policy LIV 14.3 – Design Low Maintenance Landscapes Historic Preservation Policy LIV 16.6 – Integrate Historic Structures Commercial District Policy LIV 30.4 – Reduce Visual Impacts of Parking Policy LIV 31.2 – Site Layout and Building Orientation Policy LIV 31.7 – Housing Community Commercial District (CCD) Policy LIV 35.3 – Scale Policy LIV 35.4 – Transform through Infill and Redevelopment (ii) Description of proposed open space, wetlands, natural habitats and features, landscaping, circulation, transition areas, and associated buffering on site and in the general vicinity of the project. The proposed addition is positioned on the west side of the existing building, with the expansion of the existing driveway to the south, and a courtyard and open lawn to the north. The outdoor spaces will be used by the residence for study, recreation, planned Greek activities and as a refuge during regular day to day life. The open space to the north of the existing portion of the house will serve as a detention pond, which has been designed as a feature, or a sunken garden, to reflect the uniquely classical character of the house. The existing front lawn will remain as a lawn. The evergreens and street trees will remain in‐place, with the exception of two honeylocust on either side the existing drive off Shields. There are no existing natural habitat features on site. (iii) Statement of proposed ownership and maintenance of public and private open space areas; applicant's intentions with regard to future ownership of all or portions of the project development plan. The developed property and outdoor use spaces will be maintained privately by the property owner. Statement of Planning Objectives Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority August 23, 2017 3 (iv) Estimate of number of employees for business, commercial, and industrial uses. The Sorority house will have 71 beds total (including existing and proposed), this includes students and employees. (v) Description of rationale behind the assumptions and choices made by the applicant. Located within the Community Commercial (C‐C) zone district, this project exemplifies the purpose and standards envisioned for this district in the Land Use Code. The owner and design team used the zone district standards as the key resource in guiding the site and building design. The purpose of the C‐C‐D zone district is stated as follows: Purpose. Community Commercial Districts are higher intensity, mixed-use activity centers intended to serve as destinations for surrounding neighborhoods and the community. Community Commercial Districts offer a mix of retail, restaurants, offices, small civic uses, and higher density housing. Existing patterns and intensities of development in the City’s Community Commercial Districts vary greatly; therefore, both vertically and horizontally mixed-use development forms will be encouraged. Higher density development is 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 physical environment will promote walking, bicycling, transit use and ridesharing as well as provide a high quality urban life for residents. Examples of Community Commercial District areas include Campus West and the Foothills Mall. The Kappa Kappa Gamma Addition meets this purpose by creating a higher density house through a multi‐story addition to an existing institutional use sorority house. The proposed density is compatible with the C‐C district, and the addition of multiple beds will provide more housing options for student who wish to partake in the distinctive Greek lifestyle. The proposed site plan maximizes the open space with parking, circulation, bike storage, on‐site detention, and open lawn for recreation. Existing off‐site connectivity remains intact which links the residence of the Kappa Kappa house with surrounding neighborhood and ‘hub’ uses as well as providing connections to the campus, on‐street bike systems and public transit. The addition is concentrated on the back side of the existing house (west side of lot), to respect and maintain the materials, form, scale, and relation of the existing eligible historical house to its lot and to Shields Street. Key land use and design standards in the C‐C district include: (1) Site Planning. (a) Building Orientation. The configuration of shops in the Community Commercial District shall orient primary ground-floor commercial building entrances to pedestrian- oriented streets, connecting walkways, plazas, parks or similar outdoor spaces, not to interior blocks or parking lots. Anchor tenant retail buildings may have their primary Statement of Planning Objectives Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority August 23, 2017 4 entrances from off-street parking lots; however, on-street entrances are strongly encouraged. The lot size and layout pattern for individual blocks within the Community Commercial District shall support this requirement. The existing primary ground floor building entrance is oriented towards Shields Street, and with the proposed addition, the existing entrance will remain the primary building entrance. Additional sidewalks are proposed connecting to secondary building entrances on the north, west and south sides of the building. (b) Central Feature or Gathering Place. At least one (1) prominent or central location within each geographically distinct Community Commercial District shall include a convenient outdoor open space or plaza with amenities such as benches, monuments, kiosks or public art. This feature and its amenities may be placed on blocks with community facilities. This portion of the city is highly urbanized and almost fully developed. However, this geographically distinct CC zone district includes several private and public open space areas and plazas, including: the new pedestrian underpass at Shields and Elizabeth, Campus West, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Road 34, and several others. Public art exists on West Elizabeth as well as many outdoor dining areas. This project also includes private outdoor open spaces and patios for the occupants. (c) Integration of the Transit Stop. Community Commercial Districts shall be considered primary stops on the regional transit network. Transit stops, to the maximum extent feasible, shall be centrally located and adjacent to the core commercial area. Commercial uses must be directly visible and accessible from the transit stop. Transfers to feeder buses shall be provided for in the design and location of these stops. (See also Section 3.6.5, Transit Facilities Standards.) The Kappa Kappa Gamma houses is served by multiple transit stops within walking distance from the front door. Bus #19 has a stop located on W. Laurel Street, half a block from S. Sields. Buses #3,31,32 have multiple stops on W. Plum Street, including two (2) within 0.1 miles. (2) 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: (a) Block Structure. Each Community Commercial District and each development within this District shall be developed as a series of complete blocks bounded by streets (public or private). (See Figures 17A through 17F at subsection 4.6(E).) 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. Much of this portion of town is fully developed, with the blocks previously laid out. The block where this site sits is surrounded on four (4) sides by street, including: S. Shields Street, W. Plum Street, Bluebell Street, Wagner Drive and Birch Street. Statement of Planning Objectives Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority August 23, 2017 5 (b) Block Size. All blocks shall be limited to a maximum size of seven (7) acres, except that blocks containing supermarkets shall be limited to ten (10) acres in size. This portion of the city is almost fully developed. The block where this site sits is established with roads on multiple sides and is less than seven (7) acres. (c) Minimum Building Frontage. Forty (40) percent of each block side or fifty (50) percent of the total of all block sides shall consist of either building frontage, plazas or other functional open space. The majority of this block on S. Shields Street is already developed with a variety of uses, including building frontage, plazas and open‐spaces. The lot of 729 S. Shields Street is developed with the long elevation of the house’s main entry fronting S. Shields. (d) Building Height. All buildings shall have a minimum height of twenty (20) feet, measured to the dominant roof line of a flat-roofed building, or the mean height between the eave and ridge on a sloped-roof building. In the case of a complex roof with different co-dominant portions, the measurement shall apply to the highest portion. All buildings shall be limited to five (5) stories. The existing building has been found to be historically eligible as a historic landmark. The height of the new addition is respectfully similar to that of the existing building, so as not to diminish the existing buildings historical character. The height of the overall structure is roughly thirty‐ three (33) feet, which is more than twenty‐two (22) feet and less than five (5) stories. (vi) The applicant shall submit as evidence of successful completion of the applicable criteria, the completed documents pursuant to these regulations for each proposed use. The Planning Director may require, or the applicant may choose to submit, evidence that is beyond what is required in that section. Any variance from the criteria shall be described. The submittal includes items required for Basic Development Review submittal as well as other items requested from the Planning staff. (vii) Narrative description of how conflicts between land uses or disturbances to wetlands, natural habitats and features and or wildlife are being avoided to the maximum extent feasible or are mitigated. The Kappa Kappa Gamma property is zoned C‐C‐D. No natural features were identified during the site visit with Forestry prior to initial BDR submittal. The trees that are being impacted as part of this project are being mitigated as laid out in the Land Use Code with the help of Forestry. Statement of Planning Objectives Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority August 23, 2017 6 (viii) Written narrative addressing each concern/issue raised at the neighborhood meeting(s), if a meeting has been held. Neighborhood meeting is not required for BDR (ix) Name of the project as well as any previous name the project may have had during Conceptual Review. Project name on current BDR application – Kappa Kappa Gamma Addition Project name used during the Concept Review– Same