HomeMy WebLinkAboutPROSPECT AND COLLEGE HOTEL - STAND ALONE MODIFICATION - MOD180001 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - MODIFICATION REQUESTA
4240 Architecture Inc denver
3507 Ringsby Court Suite 117 Denver Colorado 80216 T 303 292 3388 W 4240architecture.com
19 July 2018 (revised 24 July 2018)
Ted Shepard
Chief Planner
City of Fort Collins
417 W. Magnolia St.
Fort Collins, CO 80521-2646
Subject: College & Prospect Hotel – STAND ALONE MODIFICATION REQUEST
Dear Mr. Shepard:
Based on City feedback received from the Subject Project Conceptual Review meeting, this document is to confirm
our intentions to formally request a Stand Alone Modification process be applied to the College Ave. & Prospect St.
Hotel project as it pertains to Section 4.21 Land Use Standards - The maximum building height shall be four (4)
stories.
APPLICABLE CODES:
Fort Collins Land Use Code:
o 4.21 - General Commercial District (C-G) and Multi-Use Zone
(D) Land Use Standards. The maximum building height shall be four (4) stories.
o 3.8.17(a)(2)(b) Building Height Measured in Stories - “No story of a commercial or residential
building shall have more than twenty-five (25) feet from floor to floor.”
o Division 3.10- Development Standards for the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay
Zone, 3.10.1(B) Purpose “The purpose of this Section is to modify the underlying zone
districts south of Prospect Road to encourage land uses, densities and design that
enhance and support transit stations along the Mason Corridor.”
PROJECT OVERVIEW: Our proposal contemplates the construction of a new 150+/- key hotel located on the
current Chuck-E-Cheese site at Prospect Road and College Avenue in Mid-Town Fort Collins, Colorado. While we
have not yet identified a potential hotel brand to date, we do envision this hotel as a limited service, urban
destination. Recent trends within this lifestyle hotel category create highly desirable public spaces [restaurants, bars,
event spaces, terraces, etc.] that attract guests and the greater public to engage, interact within the hotels
“community living room” experience. This emerging hotel segment is far different from the traditional limited service
hotel, often located along Interstate highways, airports and car dominated, quick and convenient “guest pit stops”.
This hotel proposal embraces and encourages guest and community interactions, walkability and exploring, and
relaxing onsite.
Further current trends find similarly positioned hotels being developed on university campuses or directly adjacent to
campus. University affiliations range from proximity alone to fully owned and operated by institutions with degrees in
hospitality management offered and the hotel property serving as the classroom. Through our preliminary
conversations with CSU, we see a very strong university demand to provide desirable guest rooms within walking
distance of Main Campus, as well as, synergistic programming opportunities between the hotel and university
operators.
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This begs the questions, Why this Site? Why Develop Now?
Why this Site?
Convenient site Access by Car – located at major arterial intersection of College Ave and Prospect Road;
Concurrent City Improvements roadways, streetscapes, infrastructure supports proposed density;
Views to and from – high visibility, great views of City and Front Range;
Walking distance to CSU Main Campus and Stadium and only intersection designated as the gateway to
CSU;
Recent construction of CSU’s New Medical Center anchors significant recent investment in south-eastern
portion of Main Campus and creates a desirable neighbor of comparable scale and quality;
Walking distance to MAX Rapid Transit provides guests with convenient access throughout City;
Walking distance to Spring Creek Trail – we propose to provide our guests with a fleet of rental bicycles ;
Hotel as catalyst for rest of the intersection and adjacent commercial center. We see an opportunity to
create a unique “place” that synergizes with neighbors and establishes an onsite energy and vibrancy,
currently not performing at an urban, “walkable city” level.
Why Develop Now?
Existing City policies and standards encourage increased “mid-rise density” along the MAX corridor;
City adopted Fixed Growth Management Area encourages growing inward and upward vs. horizontal
sprawl;
City’s public policy goals and objectives regarding the revitalization of Mid-Town;
Significant infill opportunity of existing underutilized site. Existing site is largely comprised of a 1950’s era
single use “big box” surrounded by strip parking. This suburban, car dominated land use pattern is quickly
receding as cities find themselves contemplating growth. Allowable site Floor Area Ratio (FAR) supports
higher density, mixed-use and vibrancy coveted in thriving city centers;
Proposed height and mass is “bookended” by large scale neighbors;
The future has arrived in Fort Collins and the hotel room demand is growing;
Proposed lifestyle hotel segment and proposed hotel public uses stimulate neighboring improvements and/
or redevelopment;
Recent completion of CSU’s on-campus stadium and CSU’s on-going expansion of educational
facilities within southeast quadrant of campus.
BUILDING SUMMARY (as proposed):
6-stories, 80’ height at parapet of the highest portion of building occupied floor (75’ @ majority of building)
Area Summary by Floor
o Level 1: 12,770 sq ft (check-in lobby, lounge, F&B, fitness, admin, Back-of-House)
o Level 2: 14,395 sq ft (conference-meeting rooms, 28 guestrooms (keys))
o Level 3: 14,395 sq ft (33 keys)
o Level 4: 14,395 sq ft (33 keys)
o Level 5: 14,395 sq ft (33 keys)
o Level 6: 11,715 sq ft (hotel amenity – bar, event space) (22 keys)
o Total 82,065 sq ft
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149 Guestrooms
Public Spaces (main lobby-lounge, conference event spaces, bar, Food & Beverage, fitness)
125+/- surface parking spaces (average 0.833 spaces/key)
91,700 +/- sq. ft. (2.11 acres) lot
RELATED CODE PROVISIONS:
Adopted City of Fort Collins Growth Management Area Plan;
TOD Overlay District:: Off-street parking shall be located behind, above, within or below street-facing
buildings to the maximum extent feasible. No parking will be allowed between the street and the front or side
of a building;
Flat-roofed buildings shall feature three-dimensional cornice treatment on all walls facing streets or
connecting walkways, or a rail at the top of the wall of a usable rooftop deck, unless the top floor is stepped
back to form a usable roof terrace area;
Buildings shall have a base portion consisting of one (1) or two (2) stories;
Buildings greater than two (2) stories in height shall also be designed so that upper portions of the building
are stepped back from the base
OUTLINE OF OUR REQUEST:
It is our understanding that Fort Collins Land Use Code Section 2.8.1 authorizes the procedure to request a Stand
Alone Modification.
“The decision maker is empowered to grant modifications to the General Development Standards contained in Article
3 and the Land Use Standards and Development Standards contained in Article 4 and any separation or proximity
standards that are established as a specific measurement of distance in the District Permitted Uses contained in
Article 4, either for: (1) overall development plans and/or project development plans which are pending approval at
the time that the request for proposed modification is filed; (2) overall development plans and/or project
development plans which the applicant intends to file, provided that such plans are in fact filed with the
Director as development applications within one (1) year following the determination of the decision maker
on the request for the proposed modification; or (3) development plans approved under prior law and which are
sought to be amended (either as a minor or major amendment) pursuant to Section 2.2.10. This modification of
standards process shall not apply so as to allow any modification of the requirements contained in Division 4.29 of
this Code.”
Section 2.8.2 further establishes the procedures and review criteria for the request.
Per Section 2.8.2 (H) Step 8 (Standards): Applicable, “and the decision maker may grant a modification of
standards only if it finds that the granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public good”
After this finding, it is the burden of the applicant to demonstrate that;
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Per Section 2.8.2 (H)
(1) – “the plan as submitted will promote the general purpose of the standard for which the
modification is requested equally well or better than would a plan which complies with the standard
for which a modification is requested”
JUSTIFICATIONS FOR OUR REQUEST:
1. Proposal is contextually compatible [bulk, height, mass] with and bookended by large scale CSU Medical
Center Building and Summit Student Housing projects and consistent with City policies encouraging mid-
rise density and in-fill development along the MAX corridor (see Exhibits A & B);
2. Proposal capitalizes on concurrent improvements to Prospect Rd. and College Ave.;
3. Proposal capitalizes on strategic site location that encourages pedestrian activation and use multiple transit
modes (see Exhibit C);
4. Applicable standards (3.8.17(a)(2) (b) permit up to 100’ height; however, only 4 stories. Proposal is seeking
6 stories, but would remain under 100’ in height. There is a general acceptance within the Code for a
building with such mass and height, the only modification required is for number of stories. In our view,
Proposal is a contextually compatible architectural expression of allowable height for the highest and best
use of the site. (see Exhibit D);
5. Impacts on shadowing would be less than allowable by Code (100’ allowable max. ht.). (see Exhibit E);
6. Creation of inviting public spaces for guest and community activities (hotel amenities, street fronting,
engaging amenity spaces, etc.) supports community engagement and street vibrancy (see Exhibit F);
7. Reduction of impervious site and creation of additional open space (green spaces, terraces) throughout the
project. Significant water quality improvements per City stormwater criteria will be incorporated as a result of
development. Significant landscaping provided along College Ave. streetscape per City’s Midtown-In-
Motion Plan. (see Exhibits G & H);
8. High quality, regionally appropriate exterior building materials are provided along public frontages to convey
a regional, crafted and articulated façade treatments (transparency at base, separation of building materials
on floors 5+) (see Exhibit I);
9. Architecture is envisioned as a unique, one-of-a-kind, individualized design, not a chain/brand prototype
(see Exhibits J & K);
10. Support from CSU (benefit to CSU’s hospitality management curriculum and event opportunities) (see
Exhibits L & M);
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11. It is estimated that more than 20% of the building area would be dedicated to non-guest room uses
(restaurant-bar, event space, fitness, lobby-lounge area, etc.); however, the Code does not consider those
public uses to be mixed-use of residential vs. commercial. If considered as mixed-use, the Project would
qualify for one additional story. As such, proposal is near compliance with 3.10.5 (F)(1)(a) - Mixed Use
Building criteria.
Not all sites are created equally and a strict application of Code to determine compliance is often difficult. The City of
Fort Collins is progressive in that the Code embraces and encourages site specific solutions and application of Code
to be applied “location specific”. This is acknowledged by the very existence and adopted City process of the Stand
Alone Modification request.
Respectfully, this proposal is requesting the application of this Modification insomuch as “the plan as submitted will
promote the general purpose of the standard for which the modification is requested equally well or better
than would a plan which complies with the standard for which a modification is requested” to allow for
higher site utilization, better design, community asset, catalyst for neighboring development, highly integrated,
walkable destination and a project that will complete the Prospect and College Gateway to CSU.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Lou Bieker
President and Principal
cc: 21201.00 /01.21