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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIMPALA REDEVELOPMENT - PDP220005 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 2 - MODIFICATION 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 June 8th, 2022 Impala Redevelopment Project Development Plan Modification Request 3.5.2 Residential Building Standards (D) Relationship of Dwellings to Streets and Parking. (1) Orientation to a Connecting Walkway. Every front facade with a primary entrance to a dwelling unit shall face the adjacent street to the extent reasonably feasible. Every front facade with a primary entrance to a dwelling unit shall face a connecting walkway with no primary entrance more than two hundred (200) feet from a street sidewalk. The following exceptions to this standard are permitted: (a) Up to two (2) single-family detached dwellings on an individual lot that has frontage on either a public or private street. (b) A primary entrance may be up to three hundred fifty (350) feet from a street sidewalk if the primary entrance faces and opens directly onto a connecting walkway that qualifies as a major walkway spine. (c) If a multi-family building has more than one (1) front facade, and if one (1) of the front facades faces and opens directly onto a street sidewalk, the primary entrances located on the other front facade(s) need not face a street sidewalk or connecting walkway. Reason for the Request Due to the focus on community-oriented design, and the practical need to have parking near buildings, 2 of the 3 entrances on Building C exceed the 200’ required in section 3.5.2(D)(1) and will need a modification. Justifications The Land Use Code states that 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; and the decision-maker must also find that the Modification meets one of the following four criteria described in the LUC. A. Equally Well or Better LUC 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; 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 We believe the plan meets the general purpose of the standard better than a plan that would comply with the standard. By orienting the building around a central gathering space, the design encourages sense of community and increased safety. The applicant has found this to be a successful strategy on similar projects, e.g. Village on Horsetooth and Village on Redwood. It is also important for the buildings to have easy access to parking. The purpose of the standard as stated in the Land Use Code is: The standards in this Section are intended to promote variety, visual interest and pedestrian - oriented streets in residential development . While Building C does not connect to a street sidewalk, the applicant team has designed a walkway that connects to the street sidewalk with visual interest and a pedestrian orientation. The sidewalk is widened to 7’, and tree islands are provided every 5 – 7 parking, creating a tree- lined walk with an enhanced tree canopy. In addition, landscape boulders are arranged as seating nodes along the walk to promote small social nodes. A second entry passes through an enhanced amenity space and provides opportunities for community interaction. The images below show the area out of compliance and a sketch of the enhanced walk along the parking. 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 enhanced walk shown above provides a pedestrian experience that is equal to and possibly better than a LUCASS standard 4.5’ walk and 6’ parkway. The design of this pedestrian experience allows for a creative solution for compliance with fire aerial apparatus access and provide a unique pedestrian experience, all the while maintaining a community focused site layout. This proposal does not inflict any detriment to the public good. B. Alleviate Defined Problem / Address Community Need LUC 2.8.2(H)(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 substantial 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 resolution of the City Council, and the strict application of such a standard would render the project practically infeasible; or 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 need to increase the amount of affordable housing in Fort Collins is widely recognized and fully documented in the Social Sustainability Gaps Analysis, the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan (2015 – 2019), the Housing Strategic Plan (2021), the Social Sustainability Strategic Plan and the City Plan (2019). “Every year the community is unable to reach its annual affordable housing target required current and future generations to make up the difference”. (Housing Strategic Plan 2021) Within the Context of the Housing Strategic Plan: Please note the following information found in the City’s Housing Strategic Plan (2021). Despite the number of affordable homes added and currently under construction, the inventory still falls short of the goal identified in the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan (2015-2019) and Housing Strategic Plan (2021) - In order to meet an affordable housing stock goal of 10% by 2040, 282 new housing units need to be added every year onward. Of the 26 Prioritized Strategies identified in the in the Housing Strategic Plan, Priority #14 notes that additional incentives for Affordable Housing should be created. This should include building related variances and is considered a “quick win” and a low-cost strategy in leveraging the overall City goals. 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 Within the Context of the City Plan: The City Plan Principles and Policies listed below are clear that the City desires to encourage a variety of housing types and densities and making them attainable. Policy LIV 5.5 Integrate and Distribute Affordable Housing Integrate the distribution of affordable housing as part of individual neighborhoods and the larger community rather than creating larger concentrations of affordable units in isolated areas Policy LIV 6.4 Permanent Supply of Affordable Housing Create an inventory of affordable housing consistent with the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan. Policy LIV 6.5 Aging in Place Retain attainable housing options in existing neighborhoods so that long-term residents can “age in place.” Policy LIV 7.2 – Develop an Adequate Supply of Housing Encourage public and private for- profit and non-profit sectors to take actions to develop and maintain an adequate supply of single- and multiple-family housing, including mobile homes and manufactured housing. Policy LIV 7.4 – Maximize Land for Residential Development Permit residential development in most neighborhoods and districts in order to maximize the potential land available for development of housing and thereby positively influence housing affordability. Principle LIV 8: The City will encourage the creation and expansion of affordable housing opportunities and preservation of the existing affordable housing supply. Policy LIV 8.3 – Offer Incentives Support and encourage the private development of affordable housing by offering incentives, such as special assistance to offset the costs of the City’s impact fees and development requirements, air rights, energy saving features, and reducing local government barriers to the construction of and the rehabilitation of affordable housing units. Policy LIV 8.5 – Integrate and Distribute Affordable Housing Encourage the integration and distribution of affordable housing as part of individual neighborhoods and the larger community rather than creating larger concentrations of affordable units in isolated areas. The Impala Redevelopment proposal can substantially address the important community need described above by providing 62 newly constructed (which includes a net of 49 new units) and 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 24 preserved affordable housing units in a location where residents can feel safe, foster community, access public transit and other important destinations, and relieve educational barriers with Poudre Valley High School partnerships. The addition of the 49 newly developed affordable units would represent approximately one fifth of the targeted annual goal of 282 units to meet 2040 inventory goals. In conclusion: Without the proposed modifications to orientation to a connecting walkway, the project cannot achieve the desired site plan layout, and community-centric design. The site plan layout is closely tied to the number of dwelling units per building and maximum gross floor area modifications also submitted with this proposal. In order to achieve deep affordability levels, the project will need to achieve more efficient cost per-units and will have to secure funding mechanisms for affordable housing that favor projects with more cost-efficient construction and operation, e.g. the development costs (including the cost of the land). If the development costs cannot be used efficiently by constructing more units in one building, the project will be too expensive to construct and the ability to secure funding for the project will not be feasible. In further support of this criterion for approval, the proposed modifications to the Zone District Standards would not impair the purposes of the Land Use Code as set forth in Section 1.2.2 and would, in fact, improve and protect the public health, safety and welfare by: (G) increasing public access to mass transit, sidewalks, trails, bicycle routes and other alternative modes of transportation. (J) improving the design, quality, and character of new development. (M) ensuring that development proposals are sensitive to the character of existing neighborhoods