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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTHE HUB ON CAMPUS - PDP - PDP160038 - DECISION - MINUTES/NOTES • • � � � � 1 1 ' • - - � * i 1 , 1 Jeff Schneider, Chair City Council Chambers Jeff Hansen, Vice Chair City Hall West Jennifer Carpenter 300 Laporte Avenue Emily Heinz Fort Collins, Colorado Michael Hobbs Ruth Rollins Cablecast on FCN Channel 14� William Whitley Channel 881 on Comcast The City of Fort Collins will make reasonable accommodations for access to City services, programs, and activities and will make special communication arrangements for persons with disabilities. Please call 221-6515 (TDD 224- 6001)for assistance. Regular Hearing January 18, 2018 Member Schneider called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Roll Call: Carpenter, Hansen, Rollins, Schneider and Whitley Absent: Hobbs, Heinz Staff Present: Gloss, Yatabe, Holland, Kleer, Mounce, Shepard, Frickey, Tuttle, Tatman-Burruss, Wilkinson, Virata, Cosmas and Gerber Agenda Review Chair Schneider provided background on the board's role and what the audience could expect as to the order of business. He described the following procedures: • While the City staff provides comprehensive information about each project under consideration, citizen input is valued and appreciated. • The Board is here to listen to citizen comments. Each citizen may address the Board once for each item. • Decisions on development projects are based on judgment of compliance or non-compliance with city Land Use Code. • Should a citizen wish to address the Board on items other than what is on the agenda, time will be allowed for that as well. • This is a legal hearing, and the Chair will moderate for the usual civility and fairness to ensure that everyone who wishes to speak can be heard. Planning Director Gloss reviewed the items on the Consent and Discussion agendas with no exceptions mentioned. Chair Schneider asked for clarification on several controversial items on the agenda, general consensus was that those items should remain on the consent agenda. Planning &Zoning Board • • January 18, 2018 Page 2 of 9 Public Input on Items Not on the Hearing Agenda: Eric Sutherland, 3520 Golden Currant, requested the Board to carefully consider all irregularities in the development review process before approving the projects being presented tonight. He questioned a recent situation whereby the City Council allowed new evidence to be brought forth during an appeal that ultimately influenced their decision. He expressed some concerns with this and other inconsistencies in the hearing process. No staff follow up was presented on citizen participation. Consent Agenda: 1. Draft Minutes from December 14, 2017, P8Z Hearing 2. Water Treatment Facility Annexation 3. Platte River Power Authority Campus Redevelopment PDP170040 Planning Manager Gloss stated that a correction was made to the zoning on the Water Treatment Facility Annexation, saying there was an incorrect district that was identified. He also noted that there was a Major Amendment change to the Platte River Power Authority Campus Redevelopment. Public Input on Consent Agenda: None noted. Chair Schneider reviewed the items that are on consent and reiterated that those items will not have a separate presentation unless pulled from the consent agenda. Member Carpenter made a motion that the Planning and Zoning Board approve the January 18, 2018, Consent agenda as originally advertised; Member Whitley seconded the motion. Vote: 5:0. Discussion Agenda: 4. The Hub on Campus Fort Collins, PDP160038 5. Johnson Drive Apartments, PDP170034 6. Long Pond Wireless Telecommunications Facility PDP160018 7. Nix Farm Natural Areas Facility Major Amendment Other Business 1. Election of O�cers Project: The Hub on Campus Fort Collins PDP160038 Project Description: This is a request for a Project Development Plan to construct two buildings at 1415 West Elizabeth Street, parcel numbers 9715442002, 9715431005 and 9715431002. The site includes a total of 1.93 acres and is within the Community Commercial (C-C) Zone District and Medium Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood (M-M-N) zone district. The site currently contains existing buildings from the CB Potts business, and these existing buildings and parking areas are proposed to be demolished. Two separate buildings are proposed. The main building fronts on Elizabeth Street and includes five-stories in the Community Commercial (C-C) zone district. The main building proposed is mixed-use and includes 12,404 gross square feet of commercial space on the ground level facing West Elizabeth Street. The second building to the south includes three stories of multi-family dwellings located in the Medium Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood (M-M-N)zone district. The project proposes a total of 142 units of student-oriented housing. Recommendation: Approval Secretary Gerber reported that the Board received a copy of the Mineral State notification given to Coe Bank the item was added 1/17/2018 and updated on 1/18/2018. Traffic analysis letter of operations update. Several citizen emails and letters were also received: Valerie Hunter Goss opposes the project due to height and mass, Renee . • Planning 8�Zoning Board January 18, 2018 Page 3 of 9 Walcup opposes the project due to traffic and parking concerns, Doug Ernest expressed positive feedback but posed questions reflecting concerns about the project largely related to traffic, Rick Fletcher opposed the project due to size and traffic concerns, Vicky Hansen does not oppose the project but had concerns about parking and height, Sally Harris expressed concerns about the height of the project and the impact and influx of students on the neighborhood, and Megan Balleski opposes the project and has provided four (4) supporting documents and one video. Staff and Applicant Presentations 30 minutes Planner Holland provided a brief overview of this recommendation. Sam Coutts, with Ripley Design and representative of Core Spaces (Developer), was joined by Wear Maclom the Architect for Kimberly Horn Civil and Traffic Engineer. Mr. Coutts provided some background on Core Spaces, including their experience as a national student housing developer. He provided slides on previously completed projects, described site location and layout of the Hub project, and gave some site history. This is a Round 4 presentation, it will include a proposed site plan with all recommended changes. Planner Holland provided an overview of the project, including a description of the West Central Area Plan analysis. He discussed transit routes, character areas, context diagrams, buffers provided, building heights, zoning and permitted use, and density standards. He stated that this project meets the shadowing requirements for the three (3)story building, and the five-story building does not impact adjacent properties. Staff is recommending a condition of approval for this project related to the trash enclosure. While some of the staff members have not yet reviewed this additional information, they feel that the general layout and configuration is workable. Staff recommends keeping this condition of approval so they can continue to finalize the project plan. Public Input(3 minutes per person) Vishal Sipan Kapoor, 1005 Ridge West, has concerns about the impacts in relation to the scale of the building and the amount of people in the area. They are concerned that the casting shadow will cause further expense to them in terms of snow plowing and the need for new trees, due to the lack of natural light. They do not feel that the developer is doing enough to mitigate those impacts. They are also conducting their own impact study for comparison. Jessica Kasehene, 1054 Montview Rd., continues to have concerns with the project regarding traffic and community mitigation, stating her belief that concerns for students are taking precedent over the community concern. Board Questions and Deliberation Mr. Coutts responded to the citizen's concern regarding the shadowing issue, showing how the shadows would be cast. He offered to work privately with that property owner to mitigate any future costs related to snow and ice build-up on that parking lot. Mr. Coutts also addressed the landscaping concern, saying that specific shade-tolerant plants have been proposed. He also discussed the proposed community mitigation that would provide student housing without using single-family homes in neighborhoods. Member Rollins inquired about plans for the retail space; Mr. Coutts responded that there are no specific plans yet. Member Whitley asked about the possibility of small mammals living inside the caged rock system and its proposed longevity; Architect Grant Brenderburg, with Malcolm Architects, responded that the gabion wall system is an engineered stone product that has a 50-year warranty. Chair Schneider asked about whether the Land Use Code defines what story a mezzanine would be; Planner I Holland responded that a mezzanine shall not be more than one third of the floor area for the floor directly below it. ' Mr. Coutts added that it is the definition of how to measure building height, rather than a specific provision saying that a story is defined by a certain square footage. Planner Holland stated that it is found in3.8.17 Article V of the Land Use Code, and there is no specific definition of inezzanine. Chair Schneider asked the possibility of code conflicts between the Land Use Code and the International Building Code due to of variances in the definitions; Mr. Coutts agreed that this is possible. Chair Schneider conceded that the plan meets the definition of the Land Use • • Planning 8�Zoning Board January 18, 2018 Page 4 of 9 Code for a five-story building. Chair Schneider also asked about the relative location of the trash chute; Mr. Coutts showed a diagram of that location. Mr. Brenderburg confirmed that the trash chute is not accessible from the mezzanine. Member Rollins inquired about the process for acquiring a parking space; Chad Metazy, with Core Spaces, described the process, saying it would be difficult for outsiders to lease a parking space. Member Rollins also asked about the elevator size pertaining to bicycle movement; Mr. Metazy Illustrated that both elevators could accommodate multiple bikes and occupants at the same time. Member Rollins asked about access to bicycle parking; Mr. Metazy responded that parking is located in multiple locations on almost every floor. Member Rollins asked about the location of the four and five-bedroom units Mr. Metazy responded that the five-bedroom units are all located in the larger building to the north, and the four-bedroom units are located in the building to the south, adding that all of the amenities are located in the large building. Member Hansen inquired about the number of bicycle spaces being proposed, which he believes is a total number of 384. Planner Holland clarified that, when the applicant was submitting their final plans before the hearing there was a discrepancy of one bicycle parking space, and this will be resolved by adding bicycle parking spaces in another area of the project. Mr. Metzy added that there are areas that could be used for up to an additional 88 bike storage spaces. Member Rollins asked what programs does the City have to address spill-over parking or excessive traffic in neighborhoods. Martina Wilkinson, Traffic Operations, responded that all developers contribute to the Transportation Capital Expansion fee program, which is assessed based on regional and community transportation improvements. She added that there is a staff member who is dedicated to working with neighborhoods on traffic mitigation. Neighborhoods that are concerned about spillover parking can also work toward implementing a zone which does not allow that. Chair Schneider asked whether the mitigation plan for the potential shadowing impacts on the parking lot for snow removal should be a condition of approval; Assistant City Attorney Yatabe responded that this could be imposes as a condition, explaining, that the advantage of imposing that as a condition of approval is to make it an offcial part of the PDP, and the City can potentially become involved with that issue at a future time. There was more discussion of the pros and cons of imposing such a condition. Mr. Metazy stated that his company has attempted to reach such an agreement with the neighborhood without success. Vice Chair Hansen asked about parking structure; Mr. Coutts explained that it will be aesthetically contiguous in appearance. Vice Chair Hansen asked about the amount of space that will be available to a third-parly tenant; Mr. Coutts responded that the retail square footage will be purely dedicated to third-party retail, which is 12,000 square feet of the 52,000 total. Vice Chair Hansen also asked about the turn analysis for passenger vehicles; Mr. Coutts responded that multiple turning diagrams were presented. Vice Chair Hansen asked whether the lowest level in the south building is below the grade point; Mr. Coutts confirmed this to be true, saying the first level is 50% recessed in the grade, resulting in full-size windows with plenty of natural light Planner Holland also responded to some of the concerns related to shadow impacts, saying there are two different code standards in the MMN code standard. that ensures that an adjacent proposed building does not cast a shadow onto an adjacent structure. The developer is meeting that specific standard. Regarding the other concern relating to vegetation, Planner Holland stated standards are being met, but he is willing to work individually with concerned neighbors Member Carpenter stated that she believes the Applicant has met the shadowing standards overall, and since it is not a specific requirement in the LUC, they should be allowed to work it out individually. Member Rollins will support the project. Member Hansen asked some follow up questions related to traffic, and Ms. Wilkinson reviewed the conclusions drawn from the Traffic Impact Study. Member Carpenter made a motion that the Planning and Zoning Board approve the Hub on CampusPDP160038, based upon the findings of fact subject to the following condition of approval: the applicant shall provide no later than final plan approval a detailed trash and recycling enclosure design, including truck access and circulation, compactor and or dumpster locations in a matter substantially compliant with the Planning and Zoning Board approval and in accordance with adopted engineering standards and trash and recycling standards in section 3.2.5 of the Land Use Code. This approval is also based on the information analysis and findings of fact and conclusions contained in the staff report included in the agenda materials for the hearing, which are adopted by this Board. Member Rollins � • Planning &Zoning Board January 18, 2018 Page 5 of 9 , seconded. Member Carpenter is in favor of this project, stating her appreciation that this project has no proposed � modifications. Member Hansen agreed, thanking the Applicant for the time and intensity invested. Chair Schneider , also agreed, acknowledging the multiple review iterations that had occurred, saying it will be a benefit to that area I of town. Vote: 5:0. ' Project: Johnson Drive Apartments PDP170034 Project Description: This is a request for a Project Development Plan to construct a five-story mixed-use building ' at the southwest corner of Johnson Drive and Spring Court. The project proposes a total of 192 units of student oriented housing. This includes 44 one-bedroom units, 104 two-bedroom units, 16 three-bedroom units, and 28 four-bedroom units, for a total of 412 bedrooms. A total of 265 off-street parking spaces are proposed within a parking garage located within the first two levels of the building. Amenity and commercial space is provided on the ground level of the building. Outdoor amenity space is also provided within outdoor courtyards located on the third , floor above the parking garage. I The site includes a total of 2.5 acres and is within the General Commercial (GG) Zone District and the Transit- ' Oriented Development(TOD) Overlay Zone. Recommendation: Approval Secretary Gerber confirmed that a citizen email was received from Thomas Scott stating that he generally supports the project but expressed some concern about parking. Staff and Applicant Presentations 30 minutes Planner Holland provided a brief overview of this recommendation. Craig Russell, Planner for Russell + Mills Studios, gave a detailed presentation of this project, showing slides of the overall layout of the area and surrounding neighborhoods and businesses. He reminded the Board of an alternative compliance request that has been reviewed by staff regarding the lighting in the natural area buffer Zone. The compromise is to provide motion sensor lighting along the pedestrian pathway. The Applicant has also requested an increase in occupancy limits. Finally, he offered several new scenarios that have not yet been reviewed by staff. Public Input(3 minutes per person) Eric Sutherland, 3520 Golden Currant, has a concern about the connectivity in terms of pedestrian access to the commercial properties to the South, saying the two alternatives given by the applicant are insu�cient. He also stated that the park was not meant to be an urban canyon and that this project is impinging on the park. Paul Patterson, 2936 Eindborough, requested that his time be doubled as he has a signed request from his wife, who could not be present, to use her time. Chair Schneider allowed four (4) minutes in total. Mr. Patterson requested that this project be denied, saying that no studies have been performed to allow a transit pass for students. He stated that parking provided should be based on the number of leased beds, indicating an issue with spillover parking from the State (they charge for parking). He provided slides to show spillover at different times and days. Cathy Pierce, 1348 Stonehenge, stated her concern for her current tenants with regard to where the staging is going to take place for the construction.