HomeMy WebLinkAboutFISCHER PROPERTIES - FDP230010 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PROJECT NARRATIVE
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RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521
Fischer Properties
Final Development Plan | Project Narrative
03.15.2023
Past Meeting Dates
Preliminary Design Review Meeting: 08.04.20221
Neighborhood Meeting Date: 02.07.2022
Type 1 Hearing Date: 01.09.2023
PDR project name: 1215 Shields St Multi Family & Single Family Development
Existing Ownership
All of the subject properties part of this proposal are under the same ownership of
Fort Collins local Mr. Erik Fischer. Mr Fischer, spent his childhood growing up up
on one of the eastern parcels and his sister pastures her horses on the western-
most parcel of the site to this day. The Fischer’s have an immense connection to
the site and Mr. Fischer is committed to realizing the redevelopment that he
began five years ago.
Proposed Ownership
The nine (9) single-family detached lots, poposed on the western side of the site,
are intended to be sold at market rate to separate buyers or home builder. The
buyer(s) will be responsible for building individual, compatible, homes per the Fort
Collins Land Use Code Section 4.4. It is the intent of Mr. Fischer to continue
ownership of the multifamily component of the development, although ownership
in name will be transferred to 1215 S. Shields, LLC. Mr Fischer is exploring
management options for the product.
Overview and Background
The applicant, is proposing to utilize the two existing zoning districts: Low Density
Residential and Neighborhood Conservation, Buffer District - to develop nine (9)
single-family detached lots and a multifamily building comprised of 77 apartments.
In total, the 86 dwelling units are proposed to be sold at market rate.
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RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521
The 5.39-acre development will be within the allowable density and height requirements
of each respective zoning district on the property. As with many infill projects, the
proposed development will be replat to align with the design intent and guidance
prescribed in the Land Use Code. The site is parked to match the conditions set by
the 2020 rezone of 1185 and 1201 Westward Drive. No modifications are
anticipated with this project. The project site has gone through the historic
preservation review process and has been determined as ineligible for landmark
designation. A PDF of the determination is provided with the PDP submittal
materials.
Current Site Conditions
The existing site is roughly 5.39 acres and consists of seven separate parcels
located directly West of S Shields Street, directly South of Westward Drive, directly
East of Del Mar Street, and North of Springfield Drive. The western 1.93-acre is
zoned as Low Density Residential (R-L) and is presently used as horse pasture. The
eastern 3.46 acres consist of six (6) parcels that are zoned Neighborhood
Conservation, Buffer District (N-C-B). Colorado State University is adjacent east of
the site, across the arterial road South Shields Street. Mature tree canopy exists
along South Shields Street.
Site Access and Circulation
For the multifamily component of the development, primary vehicular access to
the site will come from Westward Drive, a local street that connects to the arterial
South Shields Street. The applicant is working with the neighbor to the south of
the multifmaily project to provide an emergency access easement that will provide
secondary access via Springfield Drive. Vehicular access to the nine (9) single-
family detached lots will be achieved via a local street. This proposed public drive
will be perpendicular to Del Mar Street and will align with the existing Lakewood
Drive.
As a condition tied to the rezone of two existing lots owned by the applicant (a
2020 rezone from R-L to N-C-B), one off-street vehicular parking space is
provided per bedroom on the multifamily portion of the site. This condition is met
through a compact parking lot design that provides 122 parking spaces for 122
MINIMAL RISK. PAINLESS PROCESS. BEAUTIFUL SPACES.
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RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521
bedrooms. Please note that this standard is higher than what is required by the
Fort Collins Land Use Code, specifically, for the forty-five (45) two-bedroom units
that would normally require 1.75 parking spaces per dwelling unit. The intent of
this is to reduce any perceived negative impact to on-street parking along
Westward Drive, after the proposed development is constructed.
Pedestrian access will be achieved through multiple sidewalk connections from
Westward Drive, S Shields Street, and Del Mar Street. Additionally, a sidewalk
connection is made from the single-family detached portion of the project and the
multifamily component.
Site Design
The site design for Fischer Properties has included the invisioning of a compact,
efficient development that maximixes the opportunities the site can provide to
future residents and the existing neighborhood. Proposed single-family resdiental
lot are compatible with the exisitg neighborhood and zoning district, while
completing the existing layout alluded to by the adjacent street network. The
proposed multifamily building follows the contextual setback of Shields Street
while providing a transition from the high intentisty road to Low Density
Residential (R-L).
The Fischer Properties development will utilize the amenity and open space areas
to provide a vibrant addition to the exisitng neighborhood. Potential
programming for the amenity areas include efficient gathering spaces, BBQ, fire
pit, and outdoor games. Connectivity to the adjacent street are provided so
pedstrians can easily have North/ South and East/ West connections. Open space
areas are to be planted heavily with trees, shrubs, ornamental and native grasses
to increase the biodiversity and aesthetic quality of the development.
Bike parking facilities will be dispersed thoughout the site. Enclosed bike parking
areas are provided on the south side of the multifamily building in three separate
locations. Surface bike parking is equally spaced throughout the multifamily
component of the project.
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RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521
Architectural Design
The project includes a total of 77 units containing studio, 1 bed, and 2 bed units.
The project was developed in order to be more compatible with the surrounding
buildings where the larger 3-story mass is on the east side of the project site with
the scale, massing, and height being reduced as the project moves to the west
towards the single family residences allowing for aesthetic cooperation. The
eastern portion of the site contains the 3-story, larger mass building relating to the
larger, taller buildings of the those directly east on the CSU campus.
Rather than a single building mass, the building design contains three (3)
dominant massing components to reduce the visual impact on the residences to
the west of the site. The western portion of the project site contains a 2-story
building intended to begin its relationship with the single-family residences to the
west.
The building wings are oriented to the north and south allowing for sun exposure
and light drive from the south into the exterior courtyards separating the various
wings. This separation also creates a breakdown of scale of the overall building
where only the gable ends of the building are prominent on the south.
The design utilizes a variety of scalar components on the elevation to enhance its
compatibility standards with the single-family neighborhood setting to the west
and across Westward. Those elements include, but are not limited to, various
roofs containing cupolas to provide scaled components reducing the length of the
long roofs; projected balcony/deck features set against the larger gable ends to
reduce the visual impact and reduce the scale; recesses at the balcony/decks
along the façade to provide articulation and shadow against the building.
The project uses multiple and varied window sizes and configurations as an
additional scalar approach to the building design. A variety of larger windows are
placed as focal points on the building façade while smaller ones are used to
punctuate select areas of the building façade. This approach is similar to the
development of the many of the single-family homes surrounding the project site.
MINIMAL RISK. PAINLESS PROCESS. BEAUTIFUL SPACES.
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RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521
A variety of quality materials are employed such as manufactured limestone at the
base of the building and at the balconies and decks as well as cedar soffits that
provide a visual warmth. Additionally, other various exterior materials are used to
provide additional scale breakdowns similarly to the residences to the north, west,
and south of the project. The project uses stone, stucco, horizontal lap siding and
vertical board and batten. These materials are configured and developed into
specific compositions to provide further visual breakdowns to the overall scale
against the backdrop of the building.
Compatibility
Careful consideration was given to the neighborhood context of the project,
dating back to the rezone of 1185 and 1201 Westward Drive. The intent of the
Neighborhood Conservation, Buffer District (N-C-B) is to provide a transition
between residential neighborhoods and more intensive high traffic zones that
have been given the designation in accordance with an adopted subarea plan.
Having the multifamily building sited appropriately to Shields allows for a higher
density product to buffer the noise of the arterial road while easing intensity as the
development transitions in the Low Density Residential (R-L) district. The
multifamily building is also setback 60’-0” to comply with the historic contextual
setback of Shields Street.
As discussed above in Architectural Design section, the proposed multifamily
building transitions in height (East to West) from three stories to one-story to two-
stories as the building approaches the existing neighborhood. Other architectural
design measures were used to take inspiration from the existing neighborhood by
incorporating adjacent building materials, roof forms, and variance.
A traffic study was conducted as part of the PDP requirements. Conclusions of that
traffic impact study show that all intersections involved with the proposed
development will continue to operate successfully without adding infrastructure
such as turn lanes, signals, etc. The proposed development is feasible from a traffic
engineering standpoint and local traffic generated as part of the development will
be compatible with the neighborhood.
MINIMAL RISK. PAINLESS PROCESS. BEAUTIFUL SPACES.
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RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521
Stormwater and Wastewater Strategy
Careful consideration has been made to handle stomwater on site. Low impact
Design (LID) features such as rain gardens are used in multiple locations to
provide sotrmwater detention. These locations include between the single-family
detached housing and multifamily, as well as within the 60’ setback of Shields
Street and the multifamily building. Additionally, some stormwater detention
chambers are provided under the multifamily parking in order to slow stomwater
flow leaving the site to public stormwater facilities along Shields.
An existing sanitary sewer flows South to North and bisects the properties near the
zoning boundary line. Perpendicular connnections are made to this sewer in order
to service the multifamily building and proposed residential lots. Water service is
to be provided through connections with existing lines within right-of-way (ROW)
along Westward Drive and Del Mar Street.
Neighborhood Meeting Discussion Points
A Neighborhood Meeting was held on February 7th, 2022. Some of the main
concerns discussed by attendees were parking, sustainability requirements, and
development guidelines of the single-family detached products within the area
zones as Low Density Residential (R-L).
Regarding parking discussions, the neighbors brought a variety of questions to the
table inquiring about parking requirements and how a surface lot will look from
the outside looking in. As described previously, a condition of the rezone of 1185
and 1201 Westward Drive from Low Density Residential (R-L) was to supply one
off-street parking space per bedroom. The proposed site plan is compliant with
code requirements and parked according to the conditions of the rezone. In our
discussions at the Neighborhood Meeting, the design team informed neighbors of
the expense that underground parking causes and how costs don’t offset the
expense until a 5+ story height is achieved. As the design of the development
progresses, the design team will look at fencing options that pair with landscape
screening to ensure adjacent neighbors are screened from the multifamily lot’s
surface parking.
MINIMAL RISK. PAINLESS PROCESS. BEAUTIFUL SPACES.
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RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521
Another subject that was brought up at the Neighborhood Meeting was
sustainability within the development. Energy efficiency was a topic of
conversation, and while the multifamily building is proposed to meet all codes
related to the most recent building code efficiencies, LEED accreditation is not
expected to be achieved with the development. Questions of the sizing of “natural
areas” and stormwater detention were asked. A cul-de-sac is a preferred method
of access to the single-family lots due to fire truck turnaround requirements and
block sizing limiting the number of access points connecting east towards Shields.
Native plantings will be incorporated to the extent feasible. Additionally, the
proposed site plan is compliant with stormwater best management practices and
the Land Use Code related to open space. Lastly, the project providing market
rate housing, and affordable housing will not be provided with this
redevelopment.
Finally, the last prevalent topic stemming from the Neighborhood Meeting
involved development standards and guidelines for the Low Density Residential
(R-L) district. Even though the existing single-family lots are notably wider than
that of the proposed single-family lots, the proposal is in compliance with the
district bulk standards.
Previous Development Projects Associated with the PDP
· Fischer Rezone (2020) – Rezoning Request for 1185 & 1201 Westward Drive
· 1215 Shields St Multi-Family & Single-Family Development, PDR210012