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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOHLENDER FUNERAL CHAPEL - FDP230011 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 3 - MODIFICATION REQUEST July 12, 2023 City of Fort Collins Current Planning Department 281 North College Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80524 Re: Bohlender Funeral Chapel Please accept this modification request for Section 3.2.1 (E)(5) Parking Lot Interior Landscaping Requirements of the Land Use Code. Land Use Code Section 3.2.1 (E)(5) Parking Lot Interior Landscaping. As required in Section 3.2.2(M)(1) Access, Circulation and Parking, six (6) percent of the interior space of all parking lots with less than one hundred (100) spaces, and ten (10) percent of the interior space of all parking lots with one hundred (100) spaces or more shall be landscape areas. All parking lot islands, connecting walkways through parking lots and driveways through or to parking lots shall be landscaped according to the following standards: (b) Maximized Area of Shading. Landscaped islands shall be evenly distributed to the maximum extent feasible. At a minimum, trees shall be planted at a ratio of at least one (1) canopy shade tree per one hundred fifty (150) square feet of internal landscaped area with a landscaped surface of turf, ground cover perennials or mulched shrub plantings. (c) Landscaped Islands. In addition to any pedestrian refuge areas, each landscaped island shall include one (1) or more canopy shade trees, be of length greater than eight (8) feet in its smallest dimension, include at least eighty (80) square feet of ground area per tree to allow for root aeration, and have raised concrete curbs. Background This proposal is for a Major Amendment / Final Development Plan for the relocation of the Bohlender Funeral Chapel from their current downtown location to a vacant building at 3350 Eastbrook Drive. The property is in the Employment (E) Zone District. This building will be an owner-occupied facility. Bohlender Funeral Chapel has been a family owned and operated business in Fort Collins since 1980, and a funeral home in its existing site since 1930. At this time the Bohlender’s intention is to continue to own and operate the funeral home and provide an opportunity for their oldest daughter to become the third generation leading the business. 2 This modification request is in accordance with the review procedures set forth in Section 3.2.1 (E) of the Land Use Code as follows: The Request: The Bohlender Funeral Chapel proposes a modification request to have less than the 6% requirement for the interior parking landscaped area. Interior parking lot landscape calculations are as follows: Total area of interior parking lot = 15,695 sq. ft Required landscape coverage (6% of interior space) = 942 sq.ft Total interior parking lot landscaped area provided = 356 sq.ft Landscaped area deficit = 586 sq. ft. Justification 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 that: (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; or (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 (3) by reason of exceptional physical conditions or other extraordinary and exceptional situations, unique to such property, including, but not limited to, physical conditions such as exceptional narrowness, shallowness or topography, or physical conditions which hinder the owner's ability to install a solar energy system, the strict application of the standard sought to be modified would result in unusual and exceptional practical difficulties, or exceptional or undue hardship upon the owner of such property, provided that such difficulties or hardship are not caused by the act or omission of the applicant; or (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 continue to advance the purposes of the Land Use Code as contained in Section 1.2.2. 3 Justification Criterion · This is an existing parking lot and there are minimal improvements planned for the property. Adding landscape islands in the parking lot adds unnecessary expense to the project. · The existing landscape throughout the site is very mature, thus already providing screening. · There are 14 mitigation trees being planted throughout the property. In addition, the owners are improving the existing outdated and overgrown landscape with xeric shrubs and ornamental grasses that were carefully selected to thrive in the Fort Collins region. This is an improvement to the underutilized site. Review Criteria 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. In reviewing the modification request 1. does not detract from continuity, connectivity and convenient proximity for pedestrians between or among existing or future uses in the vicinity, · The proposed alternative interior landscape ratio does not detract from any pedestrian activity in the area. 2. minimizes the visual and aesthetic impact along the public street by placing parking lots to the rear or along the side of buildings, to the maximum extent feasible, · The parking areas are to the north (side) and east (rear) of the existing building. 3. minimizes the visual and aesthetic impact on the surrounding neighborhood, · The proposed alternative interior landscape ratio has no negative visual impact on the surrounding neighborhood. 4. creates no physical impact on any facilities serving alternative modes of transportation, · There is no impact on any bus routes, bike lanes or any other alternative modes of transportation. 5. creates no detrimental impact on natural areas or features, · There are no natural areas or features within or around the site. 6. maintains handicap parking ratios. · There are 3 ADA spaces, which meets the current Land Use Code.