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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSILVER OAKS COMMERCIAL PUD - PRELIMINARY - 14-88J - CORRESPONDENCE - STAFF'S PROJECT COMMENTS. CommOty Planning and EnvironmentaPervices Planning Department City of Fort Collins January 27, 1994 Mr. Ric Hattman Gefroh-Hattman, Inc. 145 West Swallow Road Fort Collins, CO 80525 Dear Ric: Staff has reviewed the request for Silver Oaks Commercial Preliminary P.U.D. and offers the following comments: 1. The Public Service Company recommends that all areas outside the building envelopes should be designated as utility easements on the plat. There will need to be close coordination so there is no conflict between gas line and site elements such as sidewalk, access drive, berms, and landscaping. Trees must be kept a minimum of four feet from gas lines. 2. U.S. West cautions that any relocation of existing telephone facilities required by these plans will be paid for by the developer. Utility easements will be required for access to each building. 3. Light and Power will need easements within the project for providing electrical power to each structure. The location of the transformer must be coordinated with. Light and Power. It must not be visible from either arterial street. It may be screened with landscape materials or by an enclosure meeting the specifications of Light and Power. The location of the transformer should not be an after -thought nor must it be placed in the landscaped area adjacent to either Horsetooth Road or Taft Hill Road. 4. The Engineering Department is concerned that a Soils Report was not submitted with the P.U.D. A Soils Report is part of the submittal requirements for Preliminary P.U.D.'s. 5. The Poudre Fire Authority will require that all 5,000 square foot buildings will have to be equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system and utility plans must show the fire lines to the buildings. 6. Please check to make sure that the turning radii in the drive aisle meet the minimum of 20 feet inside and 40 outside. 281 North College Avenue • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 • (303) 221-6750 7. At the time of Final, the applicant must submit a Hazardous Material Impact Analysis for the convenience store operation. 8. The utility plans should indicate the fire hydrant locations. 9. All landscaping within and adjacent to the public right-of-way must be maintained by the owners or by an owner association, including any landscaping that was installed with earlier intersection improvement projects. 10. The site plan should indicate bicycle parking for each building. Bike parking should be permanently anchored racks that are near the front entries but do not conflict with pedestrian sidewalks. 11. Additional sidewalks should be provided to connect the interior of the site to the sidewalk along Taft Hill Road. 12. In order to promote pedestrian connections with the neighborhood, the entry drive off Bronson should be flanked by a sidewalks that connect to the internal walks in front of the c-store and the first office/service/retail building. The developer is encouraged to consider detaching the walk on the east side and planting trees in the resulting parkway strip as this would enhance the pedestrian experience. 13. In addition, the c-store is encouraged to provide an outdoor space that could be used for consumption of food and drink products. With the potential of office employees in the center, there is a base of customers who may enjoy an outdoor space for lunch or coffee breaks. 14. Please provide directional arrows for the carwash. Is there enough stacking for cars without interfering with parking spaces or circulation? 15. The carwash will act as nice buffer for the gas pump area and canopy lighting. However, just south of the carwash, the view into this active area opens up. Staff recommends that additional evergreen material be planted in this area to protect the residents of Rossborough from illumination from headlights and the under canopy lights. If berms could be placed in this area, then the combination of berms and evergreens would be even more effective. 16. Street trees should be added between the sidewalk and curb along Taft Hill Road. These trees should be spaced about every 40 feet but must be kept back from streetlights by a minimum distance of 40 feet. Ornamentals, however, may be planted as long as they remain a minimum of 20 feet from a streetlight. 17. The rear of the convenience store will face the Silver Oaks neighborhood. This wall should be softened with foundation shrubs. 18. There are three berms along the west property line to buffer the future multi -family area. Evergreens should be planted on top of these berms to create a buffer that has more year-round screening. 19. A sidewalk should be added to the north side of the drive aisle between the daycare facility and the southern most multi -family lot. This sidewalk will connect Silver Trail Drive to the internal sidewalk system. 20. Note Number Four should be deleted. Free-standing monument signage will be regulated by the Neighborhood Commercial Sign District. 21. Note Number Six should be deleted. The location of building - mounted signage should be indicated on the architectural elevations. 22. Staff is concerned about the quality and residential character of the c-store and carwash. While the other buildings have steeper roofs with dormer -like elements, the c-store and carwash lack these residential characteristics. It is recommended that the c-store and carwash feature steeper roofs, more windows or some other architectural element that lends a more residential appearance. Also, please indicate the exterior materials on the architectural sheet. 23. The developer is strongly encouraged to consider using brick on the canopy columns. The effect of brick columns is quite dramatic and contributes greatly to promoting a residential character. 24. Staff is concerned about light spillage from under the canopy. In order to mitigate the potential for light pollution, the underside of the canopy should be specified to be painted a muted and non -reflective color. It must not be white. Also, the lights under the canopy must be fully recessed so that there is only one lens surface exposed. Lights that dropped down with all four sides exposed will not be allowed. 25. It would be helpful to indicate the potential location of the detention pond on the site plan so that landscaping and screening elements can be evaluated accordingly. 26. A note should be added to the site plan that all outdoor mechanical equipment shall be screened from view. 27. Carwashes are not a use -by -right in neighborhood convenience shopping centers. Since the proposed carwash is a one -bay, automatic carwash and not a 24-hour self -serve operation, Staff will recommend that the carwash be allowed as a "use of similar character" within the P.U.D. It will remain important, however, that the carwash be residential and character and well landscaped. This concludes Staff comments at this time. In order to remain on schedule for the February 28, 1994 Planning and Zo-ing Board hearing, please note the following deadlines: Plan revisions are due February 10, 1994. P.M.T.'s, 10 prints, renderings are due February 22, 1994. Please feel free to call if there are any questions or concerns about these comments. SinTcerely: Ted Shepard Senior Planner xc: Joe Frank, Chief Planner Kerrie Ashbeck, Civil Engineer