Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTIMBER LARK SINGLE-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT - PDP210015 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 2 - ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE REQUEST MINIMAL RISK. PAINLESS PROCESS. BEAUTIFUL SPACES. o: 970.224.5828 | w: ripleydesigninc.com RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521 November 3, 2021 Timber Lark Residential Alternative Compliance Request Land Use Code Article 3.5.2(E)(2) Request The applicant requests an alternative compliance to LUC Article 3.5.2(E)(2) to reduce the minimum setback between the residential building and the nonarterial street right-of-way from 15’ to 12’, and to reduce the minimum setback between the garage door and public sidewalk from 20’ to 19’. Land Use Code Citation 3.5.2 Residential Building Standards (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. Introduction The project goals for the Timber Lark community align with City’s objectives contained in the Purpose statement for Land Use Code Article 3.5.2 - Residential Building Standards. The neighborhood provides variety, visual interest, and pedestrian-oriented streets. Variety is achieved through the utilization of four different housing types including single-family detached, two-family MINIMAL RISK. PAINLESS PROCESS. BEAUTIFUL SPACES. o: 970.224.5828 | w: ripleydesigninc.com RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521 front-loaded, two-family alley-loaded, and single-family attached. Among the single-family detached and two -family housing types, there are a total of nine different housing models. Amon g the single-family attached units, there are three different building designs that will promote variety throughout the neighborhood. Each building design varies significantly in terms of the floor plan, exterior materials, roof lines, garage placement, an d porch configuration which will result in a visually aesthetic and diverse neighborhood. During the initial design of the project, the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards (LCUASS) defined residential and connector local street sections as having a minimum 6’ tree-lined parkway and a 4.5’ sidewalk. After the Timber Lark design was established, the LCUASS standards were revised to require a minimum 8.5’ parkway and 5’ sidewalk. This change resulted in a right -of-way dimension that was 6’ wider overall , which in turn resulted in a reduced lot depth of 3’ on each side of the street. Allowing for a 12’ setback rather than a 15’ setback will allow for more usable space in the rear yard of the home, while maintaining the same distance (25’-6”) between the roadway and the face of the building or covered porch as compared to the original LCUASS standards (see Figure 1 and 2 below). Figure 1 - Original Street Section MINIMAL RISK. PAINLESS PROCESS. BEAUTIFUL SPACES. o: 970.224.5828 | w: ripleydesigninc.com RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521 Figure 2 - Revised Street Section The 12’ setback provides adequate space for landscaping in front of the home and creates an intimate pedestrian streetscape which accomplishes the goals outlined in the Purpose statement equal to or better than the original setback standard. In addition, since the single-family attached dwellings with over three attached units fall under the 9’ front setback requirements outlined in LUC Article 3.8.30, having a 12’ front setback for all other dwelling units will allow for a more cohesive streetscape throughout the community. Further, within the Timber Lark community, over 40% of the dwelling units will be alley-loaded products which orient garages out of view from the streetscape and place a high value on creating attractive building entryways that have a clear and logical relationship to the street or green space . Along all alleys, eight-foot utility easements are proposed. With alternative compliance allowing the three-foot reduced setback, encroaching into any utility easements with footings and/or building eaves can be avoided. For front-loaded units, the alternative compliance will provide opportunity for a deeper covered porch in the backyard, allowing future homeowners the ability to fully enjoy their private outdoor space. The reduced setback from 20’ to 19’ between the public sidewalk and the garage door is nominal and will not result in any adverse impacts. The minimum long -term parking stall length per the Land Use Code is 18’, which is less that what is proposed as part of this alternative compliance. MINIMAL RISK. PAINLESS PROCESS. BEAUTIFUL SPACES. o: 970.224.5828 | w: ripleydesigninc.com RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521 The proposed plan is designed to maximize the development potential of the property by utilizing its dimensional characteristics wisely. The alternative compliance is needed in order to provide an efficient logical pattern of streets, lots , and alleys with each home including a front porch. Without the reduced setback there would be a significant loss of buildable lots and reduce the applicant’s ability to provide high quality homes in a desirable pedestrian-oriented neighborhood. The decisio n-maker may approve alternative setbacks in the LMN 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 complies with the standards set forth in the review criteria is pro vided below. Justification (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 Timber Lark PDP is located within the LMN 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 wi th submittal requirements for Project Development Plans. Each plan shall clearly identify and discuss the alternatives proposed and the ways in which the plan will better accomplish the purpose of this Section than would a plan which complies with the stan dards of this Section. The alternative compliance is for setbacks from connector or local streets and has been prepared and submitted in accordance with submittal requirements for the Project Development Plan. As noted above, the 12-foot setback will provide a more intimate, human-scaled streetscape that promotes social interaction while also maintaining the same distance from the home to the street edge to better accomplish the purpose of this Section than a plan that complies with the standards of this Section. 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. MINIMAL RISK. PAINLESS PROCESS. BEAUTIFUL SPACES. o: 970.224.5828 | w: ripleydesigninc.com RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521 In reviewing the proposed alternative plan, the decision maker shall take into account whether the alternative setback plan complies with the following standards . (Note that the Land Use Code does not indicate that all criteria below must be met; rather, that the following criteria shall be considered into the decision). a. Porches and Entry Features. (i) A front porch with a minimum depth of six (6) feet (as m easured 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. For single-family detached dwellings, proposed porches range in size from 6’ to 7’ feet deep and 15' to 21’ feet wide. In all cases they exceed the 6-foot x 8-foot minimum standard. (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 prov ided on each ground floor single-family attached dwelling. All dwelling units located on streets have a clearly defined building entry 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. Many of the front porches will be 18 inches above grade; however, a portion of the single-family attached units will have porches at grade in order to meet accessib ility standards. 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. The Timber Lark PDP proposes that 45% of the dwelling units will be alley-loaded and comply with the above standard. 55% of units are front-loaded and do not meet the standard to the letter. However, the front-loaded units provide 2-3 off street garage parking spaces per unit, which is significantly more off-street parking than what is required MINIMAL RISK. PAINLESS PROCESS. BEAUTIFUL SPACES. o: 970.224.5828 | w: ripleydesigninc.com RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521 per code. This substantially reduces the number of cars that will need to park on the street , prioritizing the pedestrian experience on the streetscape . Based on these reasons, the proposed alternative compliance will result in a design which is equal to or better than the original standard. 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 within the Timber Lark community will have a usable side yard that exceeds the square footage of a 12’ x 18’ outdoor space. In some cases, individual outdoor spaces per dwelling unit far exceeds this minimum requirement, reaching up to 30’ x 55’, creating significantly more usable yard space. (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. This development is not proposing any front yard fences ; therefore, this standard is met. (ii) Front yard fences shall be between two and one-half (2½) feet and three (3) feet in height. This development is not proposing any front yard fences and therefore, this standard is not applicable. (iii) Front yard fences made of chain link are prohibited. No chain link fences are proposed; therefore, this standard is met. MINIMAL RISK. PAINLESS PROCESS. BEAUTIFUL SPACES. o: 970.224.5828 | w: ripleydesigninc.com RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521 (iv) Any privacy fence along an interior side property line shall gradually transition to the height of the front yard fence. No front yard fences are proposed; thus, this standar d is not applicable.