HomeMy WebLinkAbout2908 S TIMBERLINE RD MULTI-FAMILY DWELLINGS - PDP210011 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 3 - MODIFICATION REQUEST (3)
244 North College Ave, #130 I Fort Collins, CO 80524
www.norris-design.com
June 2, 2021
City of Fort Collins
Mr. Jason Holland
281 N College Avenue
Fort Collins, Colorado 80524
Re: 29098 Timberline Multi-Family - Modification of Standards Request #2
Dear Jason,
On behalf of the applicant, please consider this letter our formal Modification of Standards request from the following
standards:
• Section 3.8.30.(D)(3) Minimum Building Frontage. Forty (40) percent of each block side or fifty (50)
percent of the block faces of the total block shall consist of either building frontage, plazas or other
functional open space.
• Section 3.8.30.(B)(4) Lot pattern. The lot size and layout pattern shall be designed to allow buildings to
face toward the street.
• Section 3.5.2.(D)(2 ) Street-Facing Facades. Every building containing four (4) or more dwelling units
shall have at least one (1) building entry or doorway facing any adjacent street that is smaller than a full
arterial or has on-street parking.
Per section 2.8.2(H) of the City of Fort Collins Land Use Code, the decision maker may grant a modification of
standards if the medication would not be detrimental to the public good and that any one of the following conditions
are met:
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; or
Response: We don’t believe this condition is applicable in this situation.
2. the granting of a modification from the strict application of any standard would, without impairing the
intent and purpose of this Land Use Code, substantially alleviate an existing, defined and described
problem of city-wide concern or would result in a s ubstantial benefit to the city by reason of the fact that
the proposed project would substantially address an important community need specifically and expressly
defined and described in the city's Comprehensive Plan or in an adopted policy, ordinance or r esolution
of the City Council, and the strict application of such a standard would render the project practically
infeasible; or
Response: Granting this modification request will assist in allowing us to provide workforce
housing and units at an 80% AMI level. The need for these housing options in the City has been
well defined and described with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and the recently adopted Housing
Strategic Plan. This project will help in addressing this important community need. Strict
adherence to these standards, along with the other standards in which modifications have been
requested, negatively impacts the number of available developable units and thus adversely
impacts the feasibility of the project.
244 North College Ave, #130 I Fort Collins, CO 80524
www.norris-design.com
3. by reason of exceptional physical conditions or other extraordinary and exceptional situations, unique to
such property, including, but not limited to, physical conditions such as exceptional narrowness,
shallowness or topography, or physical conditions which hinder the owner's ab ility to install a solar energy
system, the strict application of the standard sought to be modified would result in unusual and -provided
that such difficulties or hardship are not caused by the act or omission of the applicant; or
Response: Meeting these particular code requirements is challenging f or this project, mainly due
to the size, shape, and location of the property and the goal of providing workforce housing and
units at an 80% AMI level. Its long and linear structure lends itself to the design as presented in
the accompanying PDP Application. The adverse impacts of meeting the code as written are as
follows:
• Among the detractors to meeting this requirement is the fact that it would create a long,
mostly unbroken string of building along this long and narrow property , producing a
visually unappealing community.
• The property has only access from one side, the ot her sides are already developed with
no direct connector or made up of the trail/canal corridor. Ensuring good connectivity
and access is importan t, as noted elsewhere in code.
• And finally, the major impact, strict adherence would result in an overall l ower unit count.
As previously stated, the objective of this project is to provide workforce housing and
units at an 80% AMI level, thus the economics of the project are very tight and any loss in
the total unit count greatly impacts the viability of the project and the ability to provide
these needed housing options.
Provided solutions to offset meeting the standards include:
• Enhanced architecture at the ends of the buildings facing the street.
• Direct connections from building entrances to the walk along the private drive as well as
the greater community trail network.
• Including of covered and uncovered bicycle parking at these buildings ends to provide a
common convergence space for residents and activate those areas.
• Clustering of buildings so that view corridors are created and this development doesn’t
completely block views from the neighboring residents.
• Community is providing workforce housing and leasing a minimum 60 units at 80% AMI
level.
4. the plan as submitted will not diverge from the standards of the Land Use Code that are authorized by
this Division to be modified except in a nominal, inconsequential way when considered from the
perspective of the entire development plan, and will continue to advance the purposes of the Land Use
Code as contained in Section 1.2.2.
Response: Within the City’s Comprehensive Plan and the recently adopted Housing Strategic
Plan, Fort Collins has identified a se rious need for these proposed housing types. This
development is working hard towards meeting th ose objectives. This modification request is in
no way reducing the quality of development project or providing future residents with a lesser
living or community experience. This request is responding to constraints imposed by the unique
shape of the project. Approval of these modification requests will permit the implementation of
other elements of code that may have otherwise been challenging as well.
244 North College Ave, #130 I Fort Collins, CO 80524
www.norris-design.com
Finally, the provision also requires that it not be detrimental to the public good. As demonstrated within this letter this
request will not be detrimental to the public good, and in fact is highly beneficial for the Fort Collins community by
providing additional housing stock in deficient sectors. This request is not precedent setting and is only responding
to constraints presented by the challenges presented by the site and the objective of providing affordable and
attainable housing to the Fort Collins community.
We appreciate your review and careful consideration of this request. Please feel free to reach out if you have any
questions by phone, 970-409-3414 or by email, rmcbreen@norris-design.com.
Sincerely,
Norris Design
Ryan F. McBreen
Principal