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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJEROME STREET STATION - FDP230006 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - MODIFICATION REQUEST (2) 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 Jerome Street Townhomes Modification Request – Street-Facing Facades July 20, 2022 Revised September 14th. 2022 Revised November 18th, 2022 Land Use Code 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. Reason for the Request The Jerome Street Townhome Project Development Plan (PDP) is a residential project that aims at providing a luxury urban townhome product to the Fort Collins market. The development aims to ensure that there is no chance of a monotonous streetscape by providing several different types of pedestrian approaches to dwellings. Units either face a public street, a common green court, or a Major Walkway Spine (MWS) in lieu of a street. Traditionally, alley loaded townhomes front public streets, however more and more people are wanting to live in a home that fronts directly onto nature instead of a vehicle dominated domain, which is promoted by the Purpose of the Residential Building Standards in Section 3.5.2. The reason for this modification request is that Building 12 is located along a Major Walkway Spine (MWS) instead of facing Jerome Street; and Building 1 does not have an entry or door that faces Jerome Street. The intent of this memo is to prove that allowing this dwelling unit to face the Major Walkway Spine instead of the adjacent street (i) is not detrimental to the public good, (ii) promotes the general purpose of the standard equally well or better than a plan which complies with the standard, and (iii) is nominal and inconsequential. 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. 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 No Detriment to the Public Good In the case of Building 12, the building is oriented to the south with the entries to units along a Major Walkway Spine, instead of to the east to face Jerome Street. The single dwelling unit that is impacted by this standard is located within walking distance to the public right-of-way and on-street parking. The building is also separated from the right-of-way by twenty-four to thirty-five feet and is not placed directly adjacent to the public walk which ensures there is no looming effect from the height of the building onto pedestrians. Orienting this building this way also allows for sight lines into the rest of the development along the southern boundary, creating a safer pedestrian environment. Finally, if the building were oriented to face Jerome Street it would be difficult to enable all four units in Building 12 to be ADA accessible from a grading perspective. The MWS along the south of the building is an accessible path and provides access to all four units in Building 12. Regarding Building 1, the main entrances along the long side of the building face Suniga Road, while the short side of the building faces Jerome Street. By orienting the building this way, direct access from each unit is provided to Suniga Road and a strong visual presence is promoted along the arterial. The orientation of the doorway or entry on the end unit of Building 12, and Building 1, does not cause any other standard or code to be violated, nor does it create a condition on site that impacts those of others off-site. Therefore, allowing the entry to face either the MWS or Suniga instead of the adjacent street is not detrimental to the public good. Justification Criteria – Equally Well or Better Than 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; • LUC 3.5.2(A) Purpose – The standards in this Section are intended to promote variety, visual interest and pedestrian-oriented streets in residential development. • LUC 3.5.2(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. 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 Building 12 is designed to be accessed by a type of pedestri an street known as a Major Walkway Spine. There are various other design standards in the Land Use Code the dictate the orientation of building towards public ways. In this condition the MWS is viewed as the public domain for these units instead of the adjacent Jerome Street. The general purpose of the standard which is requested to be modified centers around a visually interesting, pedestrian oriented streets and environments. The MWS provides a more visually interesting and pedestrian oriented environment than Jerome Street with landscape provided on either side of the walkway, including a Natural Habitat Buffer Zone. The MWS is also connects to the Jerome Street public walk, which then turns into a public regional trail which is master planned to head south to the new Whitewater Park. The City’s regional trails act as an arterial thoroughfare for pedestrians and bicycles. The MWS to which Building 12 fronts operates as a frontage road for residences to access the arterial regional trail. It collects pedestrians and bikes at a slower speed as they leave their home, and then allows access to a trail system that can connect the residents throughout town. Finally, the large setback (over thirty-five feet at its widest point) provides ample amount of room for enhanced landscape to create variety and visual interest along Jerome Street, which directly speaks to the Purpose of this standard. For these reasons, allowing a single unit in Building 12 face a MWS instead of Jerome Street promotes the Purpose of the code better than a plan which complies with the code. In the case of Building 1, a strong visual presence and character is created along Suniga Road by aligning the longest façade with the arterial. The side elevation that faces Jerome is visually interesting, and a variety of materials shown, ample glazing, and a setback along the façade itself that helps reinforce the pedestrian scale of the building . It is for these reasons, the need for an entryway or door facing Jerome is negated. The product in the orientation proposed promotes the general -purpose of the standard better than a plan which simply complies. Justification Criteria – Nominal and Inconsequential LUC 2.8.2(H)(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 contin ue to advance the purposes of the Land Use Code as contained in Section 1.2.2. 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 This modification request pertains to 2 dwelling units of the 66 proposed (3%). As demonstrated above, the intent and purpose of the standard is met equally well or better than a plan which complies with the standard and the modification is not a detriment to the public. Therefore, the plan presented only diverges from the standard in a nominal, inconsequential way when considered from the perspective of the entire development. Furthermore, this Project Development Plan continues to advance the purposes of the Land Use Code as contained in Section 1.2.2. as detailed below. (A) ensuring that all growth and development which occurs is consistent with this Code, City Plan and its adopted components, including, but not limited to, the Structure Plan, Principles and Policies and associated sub-area plans. The proposed development is consistent with the standards of the Code unless modified by this application. The proposed use, density and building height fits within the Structure Plan’s Urban Mixed-Use designation. The development promotes numerous City Plan Principles and Policies including (but not limited to): (B) encouraging innovations in land development and renewal. The custom street section proposed as part of the public alley (Pascal Street) is an innovative approach to providing connectivity between College Avenue and Jerome Street while creating a unique pedestrian space which relates the urban character and industrial history of Old Town North. (C) fostering the safe, efficient and economic use of the land, the city's transportation infrastructure, and other public facilities and services. No modifications or design solutions proposed by this development result in unsafe conditions. Allowing buildings to front Major Walkway Spines and alley loaded development in this infill site foster the efficient and economic use of land. Innovative and creative approaches to providing connectivity and transportation infrastructure through this site allow for establishing public facilities where none currently exist. (D) facilitating and ensuring the provision of adequate public facilities and services such as transportation (streets, bicycle routes, sidewalks and mass transit), water , wastewater, storm drainage, fire and emergency services, police, electricity, open space, recreation, and public parks. All public facilities are provided with this development including an innovative solution for a custom street section to provide vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian connectivity through the site. 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 (E) avoiding the inappropriate development of lands and providing for adequate drainage and reduction of flood damage. A CLOMR and LOMR is required as part of this application in order to avoid developing within the floodplain. Drainage facilities are proposed in accordance with the Code and State Regulations. (F) encouraging patterns of land use which decrease trip length of automobile travel and encourage trip consolidation. This project completes a missing segment of the City’s regional trail system along Jerome Street. A hierarchy of pedestrian circulation networks is provided within the development and connections are established to off -site destinations. (G) increasing public access to mass transit, sidewalks, trails, bicycle routes and other alternative modes of transportation. The connection of Pascal Street through to the existing access easement enables access to the public transportation provided along Nort College Avenue. (H) reducing energy consumption and demand. The townhomes strive to reduce energy consumption and demand through various construction technologies and methods. The applicant is currently investigating ways to incorporate PassivHaus technology into the buildings. (I) minimizing the adverse environmental impacts of development. The projects more than the required amount of Natural Habitat Buffer required along the Lake Canal in order to preserve this environmental asset. (J) improving the design, quality and character of new development. The architectural design of the proposed townhomes is intended to be above and beyond what the code requires in terms of quality of materials, design and craftsmanship in order to maintain the high-quality and unique character of Old Town North. (K) fostering a more rational pattern of relationship among residential, business and industrial uses for the mutual benefit of all. Connections made by this development allow people to move between the residential uses found in Old Town North and the commercial and employment opportunities found along North College Avenue. (L) encouraging the development of vacant properties within established areas. This property is currently vacant and will be the final portion of the Old Town North subdivision to be built out. (M) ensuring that development proposals are sensitive to the character of existing neighborhoods. 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 While this property allows for up to five stories, the project is only proposing two stories with a penthouse mezzanine providing rooftop access, which is in line with building heights found throughout Old Town North. (N) ensuring that development proposals are sensitive to natural areas and features. The projects more than the required amount of Natural Habitat Buffer required along the Lake Canal in order to preserve this environmental asset. (O) encouraging a wide variety of housing opportunities at various densities that are well - served by public transportation for people of all ages and abilities. This development expands on the framework set out by the Old Town North Overall Development Plan and provides a housing type and density which was originally envisioned for this area, which is well-served by public transportation.