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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWATERFIELD FOURTH FILING - MAJOR AMENDMENT / PDP - PDP180009 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 2 - ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE REQUESTland 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 September 5, 2018 Request for Alternative Compliance Thrive Home Builders, (“Thrive”) is the developer of the proposed Waterfield PDP (the “Project”) located on north of Vine Drive and west of Timberline Road. Undeveloped farmland exists on the west, north and east sides of the Project. The Weld and Larimer Canal forms the northern border. Bull Run Apartments exists to the southeast and the Burlington Northern Railroad owns the property south of Vine Drive. Land Use Code Requirements The Project is subject to the following: 3.5.2 Residential Building Standards (E) Residential building Setbacks, Lot Width and Size (A) Purpose . The standards in this Section are intended to promote variety, visual interest and pedestrian-oriented streets in residential development. (B) General Standard . Development Projects containing residential buildings shall place a high priority on building entryways and their relationship to the street. Pedestrian usability shall be prioritized over vehicular usability. Buildings shall include human-scaled elements, architectural articulation, and in Projects containing more than one (1) building, design variation. (E) Residential Building Setbacks, Lot Width and Size. (2) Setback from Nonarterial Streets . The minimum setback of every residential building and of every detached accessory building that is incidental to the residential building shall be fifteen (15) feet from any public street right-of-way other than an arterial street right-of-way, except for those buildings regulated by Section 3.8.30 of this Code, which buildings must comply with the setback regulations set forth in Section 3.8.30. Setbacks from garage doors to the nearest portion of any public sidewalk that intersects with the driveway shall be at least twenty (20) feet. Thrive is requesting approval for an Alternative Compliance Plan that reduces the front yard setback for some of the lots in the Waterfield Project Development Plan (PDP). Thrive is an award winning, nationally known housing developer specializing in cutting-edge, energy efficient, and healthy homes. In other Colorado markets they have been able to deliver this “home of the future” at an affordable/attainable price. The Project provides multiple shared amenity spaces throughout the development providing ample opportunities for active and passive recreation as well as socializing. 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 Thrive’s goals for neighborhood planning match the City’s objectives contained in the Purpose statement for Section 3.5.2 Residential Building Standards. Their neighborhoods provide variety, visual interest, connecting pedestrian walkways, trails and pedestrian- oriented streets. They prefer alley-loaded streets in favor of front loaded suburban style streets and place a high value on creating attractive building entryways that have a clear and logical relationship to the street or green space. Creating well designed transitional spaces that differentiate public versus private outdoor spaces is emphasized throughout the community. Homes include human-scaled elements along with variation in style, color and architectural articulation. The design team has worked hard to balance the Project goals with the City’s Residential Building Standards and in most cases the residences proposed in the Waterfield development comply with existing standards. However, front porches are proposed to encroach into the 15-foot front yard setback in certain instances. The dwelling units themselves never encroach into the setback, only porches and most of those only encroach 18” maximum. Eight-foot wide utility easements are proposed on both sides of each alley. With Alternative Compliance allowing encroachment into front yard setbacks we can avoid encroaching into any utility easements with footings and/or building eaves or the small roofs proposed over back doors. Plan Sheets 4-7 of 30 shows where the encroachments occur. Note that all setback encroachments of 5’-6’ have been eliminated from the plan. The reason it is difficult to meet the standard in each and every case is because the site plan is designed to maximize the development potential of the property by utilizing its dimensional characteristics wisely. Alley-loaded neighborhoods require more land than front loaded neighborhoods. In most cases these alleys need to be 20-feet wide to meet Poudre Fire Authority standards. In Fort Collins the street also needs to be wider to accommodate continuous parking on streets without driveways. The encroachment is needed in order to provide an efficient logical pattern of streets, lots and alleys with each home including a front porch. Without the encroachment there would be a significant loss of buildable lots and reduce Thrive’s ability to provide high quality, sustainable homes in a unique pedestrian- oriented neighborhood. The decision-maker may approve alternative setbacks in the LMN and MMN Districts if they find that the alternative plan is equal to or better than a plan that meets the standard. A discussion of how the plan accomplishes the purpose of the Section and how it complies with the standards set forth in the review criteria is provided below. (a) Alternative Compliance. Upon request by an applicant, the decision maker may approve an alternative setback that may be substituted in whole or in part for a setback that meets the standards of this Section, except that such alternative setback shall not be permitted in the R- L or U-E zone districts. The Waterfield PDP is located within the LMN and MMN zone districts where Alternative Compliance is allowed. 1. Procedure. Alternative compliance setbacks from connector or local streets only, shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with submittal requirements for Project Development Plans. Each plan shall clearly identify and discuss the alternatives proposed and the ways in 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 which the plan will better accomplish the purpose of this Section than would a plan which complies with the standards of this Section. The alternative compliance setbacks from connector or local streets, have been prepared and submitted in accordance with submittal requirements for the Project Development Plan. Plan Sheets 4-7 of 30 illustrate where the proposed encroachments occur. 2. Review Criteria. To approve an alternative plan, the decision maker must first find that the proposed alternative plan accomplishes the purposes of this Section equally well or better than would a plan which complies with the standards of this Section. While the encroachments for porches require approval of an alternative compliance plan, we believe the proposed alternative plan that provides generous porches is superior. In a traditional neighborhood development such as Waterfield, the front porches greatly contribute to a sense of community and place for the residents. We believe the proposed plan is better than a plan that would meet the standard but not have the same amenities. In reviewing the proposed alternative plan, the decision maker shall take into account whether the alternative setback plan complies with the following standards: a. Porches and Entry Features. (i) A front porch with a minimum depth of six (6) feet (as measured from the building facade to the posts, railings and spindles) and a minimum length of eight (8) feet shall be provided on single-family detached dwellings. Proposed porches range in size from 12’ to 24’ feet wide and 6’ to 8’ feet deep. In all cases they exceed the 6 foot x 8 foot minimum standard. The most significant encroachments occur on single-family detached lots where a back yard porch overhang is desired, which would provide shelter for those entering or exiting the home. (ii) A clearly defined building front facing the street with a covered front porch or stoop measuring at least four (4) feet by four (4) feet shall be provided on each ground floor single- family attached dwelling. All dwelling units located on streets have a clearly defined front with a covered porch that significantly exceeds the 4 foot x 4 foot minimum requirement. (iii) The floor elevation of the front porch or stoop shall be a minimum of eighteen (18) inches above grade. The elevation of all front porches is proposed to be 18 inches above grade. b. Off-Street Parking. Off-street parking shall be located behind the dwelling and access to such parking shall be gained from an alley or, if there is no alley, then from the street via a driveway which, up to the rear building line of the house, does not exceed ten (10) feet in width. All dwelling units requesting alternative compliance have alley access and rear loaded garages. In addition, off street parking for guests is available at convenient parking areas located throughout the site. 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 c. Private Open Space. (i) A readily accessible, functional and clearly defined private outdoor space (such as a patio, courtyard or deck) with minimum dimensions of twelve (12) feet by eighteen (18) feet shall be provided for each dwelling unit. Each dwelling unit requesting alternative compliance will have a usable side yard that exceeds the square footage of a 12’ x 18’ outdoor space. In some cases, such as the Alley Loaded Single Family Detached Home, the width of the outdoor space is 10 feet wide rather than 12, however, in those cases the length exceeds 18 feet creating significantly more usable yard space. While the side yard setback for interior lots is 5 feet wide, the developer intends to create enforceable side yard use agreements for most single family lots in the Project so that each homeowner has the right to utilize the 5 foot setback on the adjacent lot as their own private yard. Dwelling units are designed to have a passive side and an active side so that side yard activity doesn’t impact the privacy of the adjacent dwelling. In other words, the creation of the side yard easement allows the homeowner to expand the side yard area available for use, enjoyment, improvement and maintenance. Specifically, the side yard area of a benefitted lot will be expanded to include the side yard easement located on the adjacent lot. (ii) All buildings on the same lot shall be spaced at least sixteen (16) feet apart. There is only one building proposed per lot. d. Front Yard Fences. (i) Front yard fences shall not exceed sixty percent (60%) opacity. Front yard fences shall not exceed sixty percent (60%) opacity. (ii) Front yard fences shall be between two and one-half (2½) feet and three (3) feet in height. Front yard fences are proposed to be between two and one-half (2½) feet and three (3) feet in height. (iii)Front yard fences made of chain link are prohibited. No chain link fences are proposed. (iv) Any privacy fence along an interior side property line shall gradually transition to the height of the front yard fence. Side yard fences will gradually transition to the proposed front yard fence height.