HomeMy WebLinkAboutNEC LAKE AND SHIELDS - PDP - PDP180012 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - MODIFICATION REQUESTAugust 22, 2018
Administrative Hearing Officer
c/o City of Fort Collins
Current Planning Department
281 North College Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Re: NEC Lake & Shields
Please accept this request for a Modification of Standards to Section 4.10(E)(2)(b) of the Land
Use Code.
Background
This is a request to construct a 10,920 square foot day care center on four lots that formerly
contained single family homes. The lots will be consolidated into one lot with the Plat. The
building and associated play yards will be located in the middle of the site, with a parking lot to
the south. Access to the site will be from an existing parking lot owned by CSU accessed from
Lake Street. This will be a second location for a Sunshine House facility.
Although priority is given to CSU faculty, students and staff, this facility will be open to the Fort
Collins community. Sunshine House operates several locations in Colorado, including their
existing facility on Centre Avenue, Colorado Springs, Loveland and Greeley. The Sunshine
House will operate the new facility designed and built for an enrollment of a maximum of 188 FTE
children. The new center will provide a program of play and learning activities for children ages
six weeks to 12 years. Hours of operation will be from 6:30 am to 6 pm, M-F.
The 1.5-acre site is in the HMN zoning district. Child Care Centers are subject to Administrative
Review.
The area adjacent the project contains student housing, single and multi-family and the CSU
Campus. The site is ideal for this type of use as it provides a service that is in a convenient and
centrally-located location. There is an existing transit stop on Shields directly adjacent to the site.
There are bike lanes in Shields and Lake Streets and the project will be constructing a 10’
detached sidewalk along the Shields Street frontage
The modification requested is in accordance with the review procedures set forth in Section
2.8.2(H) of the Land Use Code as follows:
Modification to Section 4.10(E)(2)(b)
Code Language: Section (2) Site Design states the following:
NEC Lake & Shields Modification of Standards
08.22.18
(b) Parking Lots. Development plans shall be arranged so that any new parking lots
or other vehicle use areas are located in side or rear yards, not in front yards.
Requested Modification: We request that the proposed building have a parking lot located in the
front yard.
Modification Criteria
The request of approval for this modification complies with the standards per Review
Criteria 2.8.2 (H)(1) in the following ways:
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.
Further, We feel that the granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public good.
Justification
We feel that 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 for the following reasons:
• The narrow rectangular shape of the site, coupled with the need to dedicate 8’ of right-of-
way and a 15’ utility easement, makes it infeasible to place the vehicle use area behind
the building. The building is tied to the street with the western play yards and low dry
stack landscape walls.
• The orientation of the building and it’s programming needs work best the primary entrance
facing south with the classrooms all having exits into a play yard. There is a connecting
walkway from the main entrance to the building to the new 10’ sidewalk along Shields.The
purpose of the connecting walkway is to strengthen the relationship between the building
and the street and we feel this accomplishes this purpose equally well
• The visual impacts of the vehicle use area is greatly reduced by the use of extensive,
enhanced landscaping along the frontage of both Shields and Lake Streets, utilizing a
combination of shrubs, grasses and trees that will provide adequate screening.
We look forward to working with you during this process and will be happy to answer any questions
you may have.
Sincerely,
NEC Lake & Shields Modification of Standards
08.22.18
Cathy Mathis, APA
Project Manager, The Birdsall Group