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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTHE RETREAT AT FORT COLLINS (FORMERLY REDWOOD STREET MULTI-FAMILY) - PDP - PDP180002 - 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 March 21, 2018 (Revised June 6, 2018) Retreat at Fort Collins Request for Increasing Occupancy Limit The Retreat is planned to be a cottage-style, student-oriented apartment complex that will include 190 dwelling units located on the east side of Redwood Street north of Vine Drive. The apartment complex is planned to include 12 one-bedroom apartments, 5 two-bedroom apartments, 33 three-bedroom apartments, 82 four-bedroom apartments, and 58 five-bedroom apartments. The Applicant has found that both the 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 that is more affordable alternative to students on a budget. In the City of Fort Collins, the maximum occupancy allowed per multi-family dwelling unit is three unrelated persons, unless an exception is granted by the decision maker. In order to provide 4-bedroom and 5-bedroom units intended to be occupied by either four or five 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 Increasing the Occupancy Limit. 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. The Retreat at Fort Collins Request for High Occupancy Bedroom Units Page 2 of 3 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662  www.ripleydesigninc.com Justification In order to increase the number of unrelated persons who may reside in individual dwelling units, the Applicant must provide sufficient evidence that the Retreat has provided sufficient amenities, either public or private, to sustain the activities associated with multi-family residential development, to adequately serve the occupants and to protect the adjacent neighborhood. There are no specific criteria in the Land Use Code that addresses how to determine how much is adequate. Parking and Transportation  Approximately 747 parking spaces are provided through parallel on-street, angled on- street, off-street, and structured parking, while only 534 are required.  The applicant plans to run a private shuttle bus to campus and other locations on a regular basis in order to discourage residents from driving their cars.  The site is served by Transfort and the project will include a bus stop to be located on Redwood Street just south of the existing Redwood Meadows neighborhood. The developer will build the slab and provide the funds required to install the Type III bus shelter provided by the City.  Bicycle parking is provided in the quantities required by the Land Use Code, 444 spaces enclosed in the parking structure and 295 distributed on-site.  The applicant is providing four electric vehicle parking stations. Open Space and Recreational Amenities  Site amenities include a clubhouse-pool complex with study rooms, fitness center, leasing offices, and computer lab, along with grilling stations and social gathering spaces.  The centrally located clubhouse in addition to traditional amenities will also include 1,500 SF of publicly accessible commercial space. A coffee shop and yoga studio are currently being planned as part of the clubhouse.  The project will provide natural areas for residents to enjoy with open space areas totaling approximately 580,000 square feet.  Over 3,500 lineal feet of privately maintained trails will be included in the development.  Over 2,700 lineal feet of regional trail along the Lake Canal is proposed for the future. The Applicant is dedicating a 50-foot wide easement along the canal for this purpose. This extensive system of trails provide opportunities for residents of the project and the surrounding neighborhood to get out, take walks and meet other people living in the project or in the neighborhood.  Periodic doggie stations will be an added benefit and help to insure responsible pet ownership.  The project will preserve and integrate natural areas adjacent to the Lake Canal and south of Suniga Road where they provide wildlife habitat and have other community benefits.  The project provides bike and pedestrian connections to the regional trail. ___________________________________________________________________________________ The Retreat at Fort Collins Request for High Occupancy Bedroom Units Page 3 of 3 Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662  www.ripleydesigninc.com Although not directly addressed in the standard, we believe there are other reasons why 4 and 5 bedroom units are appropriate in this project at this location.  The project is within walking and biking distance to a variety of amenities. Students living in the project will be within a mile of a large variety of gathering places, conveniences and services, including a King Soopers mega store, Jax Mercantile, restaurants, auto service shops, banks, Lyric Cinema, as well as New Belgium and Odell’s breweries. It is also located within a mile of a variety of recreational opportunities including Redwing Marsh open space and nature trails, Greenbrier Park, the proposed Whitewater Park south of Vine Street, as well as the Poudre River and associated bike trail. Old Town and the Downtown CBD also lie within a mile radius of the site and offer many goods and services along with restaurants and entertainment venues  Vehicular and pedestrian connectivity will be improved in the neighborhood as a result of Suniga Road and its associated sidewalk/bike path being extended to the east, adding a sidewalk and street trees on the east side of Redwood Street and adding a sidewalk on the south side of Conifer Street. These gaps in infrastructure that will be provided by the Applicant, not only serve the residents of the Retreat, but the entire neighborhood.  The tenants that are likely to occupy these units are also the ones likely to occupy single-family rental properties in single family neighborhoods throughout our community. By providing safe, efficient, high quality, and high occupancy apartment units, the Retreat will help to relieve the burden on surrounding neighborhoods while simultaneously helping to free up affordable rental housing stock for families and nonstudents.  The extra occupancy units 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 on average 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.  Less construction materials translates into less environmental impact from a construction standpoint.  Extra occupancy units cost less per bedroom to build and therefore offer students a more affordable unit.  The project provides significantly more amenities, trails and open space than mid-rise student housing projects in more urban areas such as Plum Street, West Elizabeth and Lake Street closer to campus with larger student populations. In conclusion, we believe the Applicant has provided sufficient amenities to sustain the activities associated with multi-family residential development, to adequately serve the occupants and to protect the adjacent neighborhood.