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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTRAIL HEAD TRACTS F & G TOWNHOMES - PDP - PDP170035 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PLANNING OBJECTIVES1 Statement of Planning Objectives Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood Project Development Plan Introduction • The proposed site is located along the north side of East Vine Drive between Wagon Trail Road and Campfire Road and is part of the overall Trail Head Subdivision. The property is comprised of two existing tracts of land of the Trail Head Subdivision, Tracts F (5.19 acres) and G (5.54 acres) with the total site area of the proposed development being approximately 10.73 acres in size. The site is currently vacant and has approximately 75 existing trees many of which will be protected during construction and preserved. The Trail Head property is currently annexed to the City of Fort Collins and is Zoned LMN - Low Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood. The proposed use is Attached Single Family Townhomes which is a Permitted Use within the LMN Zoning District. Given the total number of proposed bedrooms within the Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood the PDP application will be considered a Type II Permitted Use which will require Planning and Zoning Board Approval. The Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood proposes a total of 89 Single Family Attached Dwelling Units which represents an Overall Gross Density of 8.3 Dwelling Units per Acre. Tract F proposes 45 Dwelling Units on 5.19 acres at 8.68 DU’s/Ac and Tract G proposes 46 Dwelling Units on 5.54 acres @ 7.94 DU’s/Ac. The City’s Land Use Code for the LMN Zoning District allows any single phase of a Multi-Phased Development, which the Trail Head development is considered, to have a density up to 12 dwelling Units per Acre. The City of Fort Collins Land Use Code Section 4.5 D 1(c) states the following: “The maximum density of any phase in a multiple-phase development plan shall be twelve (12) dwelling units per gross acre of residential land, and the maximum density of any portion of a phase containing a grouping of two (2) or more multi-family structures shall be twelve (12) dwelling units per gross acre of residential land. • The intent of the applicant (Trail Head LLC) is to subdivide the property into a total of 89 individual residential lots. Each homeowner will have Deed of Title for each lot and each property will be sold as a Fee Simple Townhome not as a Condominium. The Home Owners Association (HOA) will own and maintain all of the Tracts within the development and will be responsible for the initial landscape and irrigation installation on each lot as they are constructed and sold. Additionally each of the individual lots and will irrigated by way of the existing “Gray Water” Main line Irrigation System located on site and the HOA will fully maintain the Landscape and Irrigation on each Lot into perpetuity. 2 Development Phasing • The Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood is proposed to be constructed as two separate phases of development and shall include the following: Phase I: Tract G (5.19 Acres) construction is expected to begin at the end of the 2nd quarter of 2018. Phase I shall include the construction of 45 Townhomes, associated private alleys with wet/dry utilities as well as Green Lake Drive curb, gutter, sidewalk, asphalt pavement and all wet/dry utilities from Wagon Trail Road to Greenfields Drive. Phase II: Tract F (5.54 Acres) construction is expected to begin in the 1st quarter of 2020. Phase II shall include the construction of 44 Townhomes, associated private alleys with wet/dry utilities as well as Green Lake Drive curb, gutter, sidewalk, asphalt pavement and all wet/dry utilities from Greenfields Drive to Campfire Drive. Property & Development Ownership • Trail Head LLC is the current owner of Tracts F and G and has been since late July of 2017. The ownership of Tract H which is included in the overall plat is the City of Fort Collins. • Tract H of the Trail Head Second Subdivision is included in the overall plat of the Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood do to a pending land exchange proposed by the City’s Parks department related to the modification of the North boundary of Tract G. If the land exchange is approved by City Council the common north/south boundary of Tracts F and H will be modified as shown on the PDP. Site Planning and Overall Design Concept • The Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood site has been designed to help foster the Goals and Objectives of the City’s Land Use Code. As stated in the City’s Land Use Code developments greater than 20 acres in size are required to provide a Mix of Housing Types in order to promote housing variety and diversity. The overall Trail Head Development currently provides only two distinct housing types, Single Family Detached Homes with front access garages and Single Family Detached Homes with rear alley access garages. The Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood will complete the mix of housing types by providing the third housing type, Attached Single Family Homes with alley access garages. • In preparing the development program for Trail Head Tracts F and G the developer wanted to address the region’s environmental sustainability and housing affordability issues by building smaller houses on a small parcel of infill property. The Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood is a housing style that is based on the idea building “better homes not bigger homes.” Cottage style townhomes are often more acceptable to neighbors than other forms of higher density housing and are a useful transition from lower density single family detached housing. It makes more 3 efficient use of the land thus they can be more affordable and offers better energy efficiency than traditional single family detached housing, while at the same time providing more privacy than other forms of attached housing. The Trail Head Cottage Townhome Development is a collection of small attached single family homes arranged either facing the public pedestrian way or centered on a community park or green courtyard, with garage being access via a private alley and screened from public right-of way view. The Trail Head Cottages gain their efficiency through higher densities than other single family detached homes in the Trail Head community. They will be built on individual lots and will have attached 2 car garages. The advantages of the Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood is that it is a much more the efficient use of land and will make the most the limited amount of space making them ideal for as an urban infill development. The Design Team wanted to complete the overall Trail Head Subdivision in a unified and cohesive fashion, creating a pedestrian friendly environment with public streets that seek to encourage a cohesive and pedestrian focused environment. The overriding design objective was to develop a successful Cottage Community that would be “Pedestrian and Neighborhood Centered”. The Cottage Neighborhood Design Concept relies on homes being pedestrian and green space focused with alley loaded garages that help to subordinate the automobile and enhance the pedestrian and neighborhood experience. Each single-family attached cottage will have a two (2) car attached garages accessed by a 20’ wide private alley which also provide off- street parking for guest. Sustainable Practice & Responsibility: The Trail Head, LLC group is committed to Sustainable Development Practices for the Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood. This is articulated across both the Social and Environmental Sustainability spectrum. One of the primary development goals of the Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood is to build “Right Sized Homes” and not to build in excess. The community is intended to be Home Owner/Family and Pedestrian focused with homes centered on community open space, parks, and safe, sustainable pedestrian corridors. Additionally the site and building design of Trail Head Cottages will be mindful of the use of sustainable building materials and material excess. This is intended to be a neighborhood that minimizes impervious surfaces such as asphalt and concrete pavement while at the same time maximizing usable green open space that is designed to be “Water Wise” and easily maintainable. The extensive open space area of the development will help reduce the “Heat Island” affect often associated with suburban infill development. This significant reduction in hardscape and increased cooling benefits of the extensive open space area will most certainly aid in reducing the overall carbon footprint of the proposed Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood. • Safety: The Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood will benefit on several safety levels by providing the Pedestrian Focused street that when coupled with the 20’ private alleyways create a more cohesive neighborhood with “Safe Streets” and “Safe Pedestrian Spaces” for its residents. First and foremost is Emergency Vehicle Access via the 20’ wide private alley and a 36’ wide 4 Residential Local Street section. Since each home will include a 2 car garage accessed by a 20’ wide private alley, Emergency Access Vehicles and personnel will have adequate maneuverability and operational space in both the front and rear of every home this will actually provide more Emergency Vehicle accessibility than many of the homes within Trail Head. • Parking: The Developers of Trail Head plan on restricting homeowner/resident parking to the 2 car garage provided with each home and will do so via the Home Owner Covenants and Restrictions. Additional Off-street/On-alley surface parking will be provided as well and will be signed for visitors only. Additional public on-street parking will also be provided on each side of the proposed 36’ wide Green Lake Drive Residential Local Street and along the existing adjacent Residential Local Streets of Wagon Trail Road and Campfire Drive and also portions of Greenfields Drive Collector Road if the proposed restriping of Greenfields Drive is approved with this PDP. Landscape and Site Design • Tree Planting Standard – The project will provide streetscaping along all public streets as well as within the privately owned HOA Tracts and landscaping of private lot areas identified within the property and surrounding each of the proposed units. Tree planting as per city standards shall be met in order to add to the urban tree canopy of the immediate area. Tree planting will be interspersed throughout the site, and within LID storm drainage areas as shown on the Landscape Plans. • Landscape Standards – It is the intent for the development’s landscaping to meet or exceed the City’s standards for streetscape, open space and building landscaping. All areas that are landscaped shall be irrigated with a permanent automatic underground irrigation system unless they are intended to be non-irrigated. Any areas identified on the Landscape Plan to be non- irrigated shall be irrigated with a temporary above ground irrigation system and irrigated until such time that proper establishment of seeded areas has been achieved, a minimum of two growing season. • Tree Protection and Replacement – There are currently 73 existing trees within the Trail Head Tracts F and G development area that will need to be protected, relocated and/or removed to accommodate the proposed development and its various site improvements. The Tree Mitigation Plan accurately identify the locations of all existing on-site trees each of which are appropriately labeled to show the applicant’s intent for each tree. • Bicycle Parking – Bike Parking has been provided in each of the Community Park/Open Spaces as shown on the PDP Site and Landscape Plans. 5 • Walkways – Walkways within the development are located and aligned to directly and continuously connect areas of pedestrian origin and destination. Walkways will link Public Street and sidewalks with open space areas. • Direct On-Site Access to Pedestrian and Bicycle Destinations – The on-site pedestrian and bicycle circulation system is designed to provide, and allow for, direct connections to pedestrian and bicycle destinations and open space areas. • Transportation Impact Study – Based on a previously meeting with the City’s Transportation Department it was determined that the proposed development would be required to submit a Transportation Impact Study which has been included with this PDP submittal. • Vehicular Access – Vehicular access to each of the residential unit’s private attached garages shall be provided via a 20’ wide private alley connected to at various locations along Green Lake Drive no direct access to the proposed residential lots will be allowed from Wagon Trail Road, Campfire Drive or Greenfields Drive. The on-site private alleys have been designed to be safe, efficient, convenient and attractive, and have been considered for use by all modes of transportation. • Trash and Recycling – Trash and Recycling containers shall be provided to each home to accommodate the collection, separation, storage and pickup of trash and recyclable materials. Trash and Recycling containers for each residential unit shall be stored inside each of the individual private garages and shall be put outside for pickup and removal on the designated trash collection day. The HOA will coordinate with the greater Trail Head Community HOA in order to designate a Trash Hauling provided that eliminates the need for any additional Trash Service pickup days. • Emergency Vehicle Access – To ensure that emergency vehicles can gain access and maneuver throughout the proposed site, and so that emergency personnel can provide fire protection and emergency services each of the 20’ wide private alleys will be designated as a 20’ wide Emergency Access Easement. • Parking – The parking needs for each of the residential units will be met with an attached 2 car garage. In addition to each 2 car garage both on street parking along Green Lake Drive and off street parking along the 20’ wide private alleys has been provided. All required parking is to be provided on-site. See Sheet 1 of the Project Development Plan for a detailed accounting of vehicle parking proposed for development. 6 Architectural Design • Building and Project Compatibility – Section 3.5.1 of the City’s Land Use Code requires that the physical and operational characteristics of the proposed buildings and their uses be compatible with the context of the surrounding area. The proposed development, we believe can be determined to be compatible based upon the residential uses and the architectural character proposed which will be substantially similar in building scale, form and material composition with the existing residential structures in close proximity to Filing Seventeen. • Architectural Character – The architecture of the Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood will be compatible with and enhance the existing standards of quality of the overall Trail Head Development. The developer proposes 4 different home models contained within 11 different building groups and each building group will display a distinct architectural elevation so as to eliminate any repetition within the overall development. • Building Size, Height, Bulk, Mass and Scale – The proposed residential building size, height, bulk, mass, and scale are intended to be similar and compatible with the existing neighborhood’s character and quality. Residential homes in the Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood will be a combination of one and two story structures. • Building Materials – The Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood will established a distinct architectural theme, building style, materials and colors within the existing neighborhood. Similar building forms, architectural detailing, color and texture, shall be utilized throughout the entire Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood in order to enhance the overall architectural experience of the neighborhood and to insure continuity throughout the entire development. • Building Height – The height of all proposed residential structures shall be consistent with what is allowed by City’s Land Use Code in the LMN Zoning District. Effects of this project on access to sunlight and the effect on desirable views have been considered in the overall site design and it has been determined that there is minimal to no undesirable affects that are anticipated by the proposed height or placement of the residential buildings within the proposed development. Storm Drainage & LID Design • The overall design concept related to site drainage is to convey developed runoff through a series of bio-swales and pre-sedimentation basins which are located throughout the property in order to accomplish the required LID goals as established by the City of Fort Collins. Developed runoff from the site will then be conveyed into two existing detention ponds which were originally designed to meet the detention requirements of a similar project at full build out. 7 • The Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood has been designed in such a way as to exceed the City’s desired LID goals which are to treat 50% or more of the new impervious areas. The Grading and storm drainage design will allow more than 71% of all the new impervious area of the site to passes through an LID Stromwater Quality feature thus reducing impacts to the urban watershed and nearby streams and downstream drainage conveyances systems. The Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood is a model for Low Impact Urban Stormwater Development. Development Schedule • Construction Start: Phase I Summer of 2018; Phase II Winter 2020 • Construction Completion: Winter 2022 Narrative Addressing Concerns Raised at Neighborhood Meeting A Neighborhood Meeting was conducted on August 28, 2017, at the City of Fort Collins Street Department. Approximately thirty six (36) neighbors from the notification area attended the meeting. Questions and concerns were addressed by the applicant’s consultant at this meeting. The most significant issue discussed at this meeting by the neighbors had to do with the existing traffic congestion and future signalization at Timberline Road and East Vine Drive intersection which was expressed by many of the neighbors as a problem which has existed for many years. Clark Mapes, with Planning and Nichole Hahn from Traffic Operations explained to the neighbors that there is a long term plan in place to address this existing traffic issues at this intersection as well as at the Lemay Avenue and East Vine drive intersection in the future and indicated that the Trail Head Cottage Neighborhood Transportation Impact Report will have to address any additional impacts being added to this intersection as a result of the proposed development in the future. The neighborhood also expressed concerns with the density of the development. Ken Merritt with JR Engineering explained that the density allowed in the LMN Zoning District is 12 Du’s/Ac. thus allowing up to 129 possible units to be built on the 10.73 acres of property. It was pointed out during the presentation by Mr. Merritt that the development is only proposed 89 units with an overall density of 8.3 Du’s/Ac. which was well below the density allowed in the LMN Zone District for attached single family housing located within a multi-phase development as stated in the City’s Land Use Code.