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HomeMy WebLinkAboutProject Narratives - 07/16/2025MINIMAL RISK. PAINLESS PROCESS. BEAUTIFUL SPACES. o: 970.224.5828 | w: ripleydesigninc.com RIPLEY DESIGN, INC. | 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 200 | Fort Collins, CO 80521 Project Narrative | Touchmark Fort Collins Final Development Plan July 16, 2025 Past Meeting Dates • Preliminary Design Review: 08/21/2024 • Neighborhood Meeting: 09/23/2024 • Planning & Zoning Commission Hearing: 6/25/2025 Applicant: Touchmark Development & Construction Existing Owner: Imago Enterprises, Inc. General Information Touchmark was formed in 1980 to provide homes and services for people 55 and greater. Touchmark has developed, owned, and managed communities focused on this demographic, which includes empty nesters and active adults. The fact that Touchmark is both a developer and operator is fairly unique, and this hands-on involvement in all aspects provides longevity and reassurance to financial institutions, jurisdictions, business partners, residents, families, and neighbors. Their areas of development and operationa l expertise span the full continuum of lifestyle services, including single family, senior apartments, independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, home health and home care agencies, as well as health and fitness clubs, and wellness programs. Community-building is at the heart of Touchmark communities, bringing people together at the central commons building to enjoy the wide range of amenities. Touchmark has a robust Life Enrichment program with daily bus trips to local destinations and on-site amenities, so residents can continue to enjoy living healthy and vibrant lives while living at Touchmark. Touchmark designs communities as self-contained neighborhoods for residents to age-in-place by offering a variety of living spaces, depending on the level of support needed. Residents have the option to live in the main building (similar to an apartment or condo), in a villa (similar to a duplex), or in a cottage (similar to a single- family detached home). Regardless which option they choose, residents enjoy daily access to all the amenities on-site and within the main building with the aid of an on-site shuttle service that loops through the community. Due to the demographic of the residents and the facility having a memory care component, safety and security are of utmost importance to Touchmark. Touchmark’s standard operating procedures require an ornamental perimeter wall (with gates at each entrance) to ensure that residents are safe to walk on-site, without the worry of wandering and off-site traffic interfacing with those who are less equipped to handle those interactions. The gates are open during daytime hours to encourage connectivity with the re st of the neighborhood, but close at night to secure the community. 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 Site Context The subject site is roughly 19.7 acres and consists of one parcel located about 400 feet south of Harmony Road, at the southeast corner of Cinquefoil Ln and (future) Le Fever Dr. There is an existing master -planned detention pond on the eastern side of the site. Otherwise, no buildings or uses currently exist on site. The parcel is located in the Harmony Corridor (HC) Zone District. There is also an Overall Development Plan (ODP) governing the site. The Harmony Technology Park ODP Filing 7 designates Tract K as developing with primary uses on site. As such, this application proposes a Long-Term Care Facility (a primary use) to satisfy this requirement. The applicant proposes to develop the site as a commercial long-term care facility that will include approximately 32 memory care units, 58 assisted living units, and 1 60 independent living units. There will be a main building that contains independent living, assisted living, and memory care units, as well as dining areas, bar, lounge, fitness area, indoor pool and other amenities. In addition to units in the main buildin g, there will be villas and cottages, reminiscent of single-family and duplex homes, located around the perimeter for independent living. Surrounding the site, there is the historic Oliver-Webster-Garrett Farm to the north, multifamily residential neighborhoods to the south, Banner Health hospital to the west, and the Fossil Creek Reservoir Inlet ditch to the east. With the residential and commercial uses around the property, a long-term care facility on this site is a great fit as it serves as a transition from the southern residential neighborhoods to the healthcare/commercial uses to the west. The proposed long -term care facility has a blend of commercial and residential buildings with varying heights to aid in the transition between uses in the area. The site is bounded by Cinquefoil Lane to the west and a partially constructed Le Fever Drive to the south. As part of this project, additional right-of-way on Cinquefoil and Le Fever will be dedicated on the plat and will adhere to the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards (LCUASS). Proposed Site Design, Circulation & Parking The site design has been designed to foster a tight -knit community for residents with accessibility to on-site amenities for everyone as a major design goal. The overall layout of the site is planned to provide higher intensity uses on the inside of the site, with the lower intensity uses on the perimeter. The main building is designed to be the hub where seniors can have dinner with friends at the dining hall, do yoga, swim, check mail etc. The east side of the main building will accommodate an outdoor ame nity area that will include a patio outside of the dining venues, pickleball court/active area, as well as courtyard areas for residents. An emphasis on walkability, connectivity and pedestrian-friendly design is shown through the many accessible walkways to the central hub of amenities in the center of the site that wind through the rest of the project. The main access into the development is at the southwestern side of the site on Cinquefoil, which leads to a main entrance of the central building and drop off loop with parking. The main access is where the majority of traffic will enter (residents and guests). Two other ancillary access points into the site are located on the northwest (Cinquefoil) and southeast (Le Fever), which will be used primarily for pedestrian connectivity, trash, 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 staff, and emergency access. In alignment with LUC section 5.4.7(F), the project will be continuing the Brookfield Drive stub to the north with the proposed private street. The northern boundary is less than 660 feet long, so no connection to the north property is required per LUC section 5.4.7(F). The project is proposing an internal private street around the main building that is intended for residents of the facility, and will have a public access easement along the eastern connection from Cinquefoil to Le Fever. It provides a 26’ wide drive, including a combination of detached 6’ sidewalks with 6’ tree lawns, and an 8’ sidewalk along the main building with tree grates. Some parallel parking is provided in areas, along with enhanced crosswalks for safe pedestrian connectivity. There are private drives that provide access to villas and are designed with attached sidewalks, which serve as ‘connecting walks’ to the private ‘street walks.’ Touchmark’s bus service provides residents with transportation for on-and off-site activities. Residents can be picked up or dropped off by the bus system that runs on the internal loop drive, or they can also walk along the loop drive on a 6’ sidewalk to access amenities and dining. In terms of pedestrian access, there are seven pedestrian connections to Cinquefoil and four pedestrian connections on Le Fever, with fobbed gates for resident access. As a condition of approval at the hearing to meet the build-to line exception requirement, there are now pedestrian courtyards outside of each pedestrian entrance with a bench and landscaping at each one. The project is proposing a regional trail connection that will tie into the existing stub at the southeast corner of the site, following the eastern boundary of the detention pond and stubbing to the northern property for a future connection to Harmony Roa d. The proposed walking trail internal to the development will connect to the internal sidewalk network and a soft surface trail connection to the northern part of the regional trail. This will enhance the quality of life for residents by providing a scenic and accessible route for walking, jogging, and nature-viewing. Due to the demographics of this type of use and serving residents with memory impairment, it’s imperative that Touchmark Communities are safe and secure. The main way they ensure that security is by providing ornamental perimeter walls and gated access to the site. The gates are open from 7am – 8pm daily, and after these hours the gates are closed, except for emergency, staff, resident, and guest access. A modification of standards to LUC sections 5.4.6(L)(7) and 5.4.6(M)(6) was approved at the hearing, to allow for gated entry into development. Emergency access through the gates will be coordinated with the Poudre Fire Authority. The 6’ tall perimeter wall will be thoughtfully designed to blend safety with visual appeal. Masonry and metal fenced will be used to create articulation along the frontage will break down the mass and create visual interest for pedestrians. There will also be enhanced landscaping between the wall and the public sidewalk. In working with Planning staff, the parking requirements will be broken out into two categories based on the realistic parking situations of the residents: 1) Long-Term Care Facility will be parked at 143 spaces (based on 281 beds & 120 employees on major shift) a. Includes parking garage spaces and some surface parking spaces. 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 2) Independent Living will be parked at 96 spaces a. Includes the garages within the Villas and Cottages, as well as the rest of the surface parking spots. The Long-Term Care Facility parking counts will be used for the main building which has independent living, assisted living, and memory care units. The independent living villas and cottages are ancillary residential units to the primary long-term care facility, so it makes sense to use the residential parking counts for these units. There will be structured parking underneath a portion of the main building, with surface parking scattered around the site. The small lots and street parking near the main entrance are intended for residents and guests to access the main building and the eastern lot is for staff parking. All Villas and Cottages will have 1 or 2 -car garages. A dedicated trash and loading area is proposed on the east side of the main building to provide easy access for trash trucks and deliveries that won’t interfere with circulation, and is located in a more discreet area away from the main amenities and front entry. Equal capacity for trash and recycling will be provided for residents. Independent living in the main building will have trash chutes for trash and recycling and will be collected in bins in the basement. Housekeeping will collect trash from the assisted living and memory care units and take to the main trash holding room in the basement. Staff will then be responsible for hauling the bins out to the recycling and trash compactor/recycling dumpster for pickup by waste management. The Villas and Cottages will pull their bins to the curb for collection by the waste management company. As a condition of approval at the hearing, a trash operations plan has been submitted . All buildings are oriented to the private street with connecting walkways for pedestrians per LUC section 5.15.2(C)(1). The Cottages and Villas along the west and south sides have connecting walkways along the private drives through the perimeter wall, which connect to the street sidewalks along Cinquefoil and Le Fever. The eastern amenity space opens directly onto connecting walkways with pedestrian frontage, which connects the eastern entry of the building to the street sidewalk. The four-sided architecture is designed to address the private street, while not turning their back to Cinquefoil and Le Fever. The site will also have full tree stocking and will incorporate landscaping throughout the site, including the requirements within the Natural Habitat Buffer Zone. Architectural Design Building Placement The placement of buildings on the site has been carefully considered to minimize impacts on the surrounding development while creating a cohesive and functional community. The tallest structure, the Independent Living (IL) building, rises to four stories and is centrally located to reduce its visual and 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 physical impact on neighboring properties. The Assisted Living (AL) and Memory Care (MC) wing, with its three-story height, is positioned along the southern edge of the site, aligning with the scale of the adjacent multifamily development to the south. This wing connects to the IL building via a single-story structure, providing separation and creating view corridors for both residents and the surrounding community. To ensure a residential scale along the site’s periphery, the single-story cottages and duplex-style villas are arranged around the IL building. This layout not only buffers the taller structures but also establishes a welcoming, human-scaled edge to the development. The building placements collectively define the site’s entry on the west and create private outdoor spaces tailored for IL, AL, and MC residents. Building Massing The massing of the buildings has been thoughtfully broken down to maintain a human scale and visual interest. The IL building features a faceted plan, where chamfered angles reduce the perceived length by dividing it into shorter segments. The AL/MC wing, separated by the single-story connector, steps down to three stories to further mitigate the massing. Significant architectural elements, such as 8-foot-deep decks of varying widths, add depth and articulation to the IL building. The building’s footprint incorporates stepped plans, accommodating key features such as the porte-cochere, ground-level amenity spaces, and private apartment living areas. The roofline includes a hierarchy of gables and shed forms, adding variation and prominence to different parts of the structure. Key entries and active amenity areas are elevated with exposed timber framing, enhancing the architectural expression of these focal points. Entry Design Primary and secondary building entries are oriented toward Cinquefoil Lane at the southwest corner of the site, adjacent to the main vehicular and pedestrian access points. The main entry is marked by a porte-cochere with exposed timber framing and stone-look accents, creating a warm and welcoming approach. A prominent gable above the porte -cochere, accented with similar materials, highlights this as the central entry to the development. A secondary entry for the AL and MC residents is located south of the main entry, featuring a single - story canopy with complementary stone-look and exposed framing details. Both entries are designed to integrate with active amenities and incorporate ample glazing to create a transparent, inviting atmosphere for residents, visitors, and guests. Active Amenities Resident amenities are centralized on the main floor, with distinct spaces tailored to each level of care — Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care. These areas are connected internally but designed to serve their respective resident groups spec ifically. 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 IL amenities activate both the west and east sides of the building. To the west, features such as the Hoyle Room and art spaces open onto outdoor courts, providing seamless indoor -outdoor activity spaces during appropriate seasons. Glazing and transparency enhance engagement with these areas. To the south, additional amenities include the AL entry, living room, and administrative offices. On the east side, IL amenities include fitness areas, a pool, a great room, Charley’s, and dining spaces. Large openings connect these spaces to proposed landscaped amenities, including outdoor dining areas, gathering spaces, a dog park, gardens, fitness, and walking paths. Similarly, AL dining and fitness areas face east, with patios extending into the landscaped environment. MC amenities are designed with security and safety in mind. Living rooms face both east and west, while dining and activity areas open to a secure, enclosed courtyard on the south, providing residents with access to outdoor spaces in a safe and controlled manner. Architectural Style and Material Palette The project employs a rich material palette that emphasizes residential character and human scale. Regional materials such as stucco, lap siding, stone-look accents, brick, and timber detailing are used thoughtfully to ground the buildings within their context. At the pedestrian level, tactile finishes like stone-look accents, brick, and timber provide texture and warmth, creating a strong and grounded base. These materials also contribute to a clear delineation between the building’s base, middle, and top, enhancing its overall composition and resonance with the surrounding residential neighborhood. Since the villas and cottages will be designed and built similar to single-family residences, the building footprints shown on the plans are for design-intent only. Final footprints and elevations for the villas and cottages will be approved via Minor Amendment. Natural Features Adjacent to the site on the eastern boundary is the Fossil Creek Reservoir Inlet. This development will not impact the inlet, and the buffer will be preserved. The 50’ buffer for the ditch is contained within the existing detention area, which will remain. There is a proposed north-south regional trail shown within the buffer, which is intended to create a connection to the trail stub to the south of the site. In addition to the required buffer, the existing detention pond creates an even greater setback fo r the development to the natural habitat area. Landscaping within the buffer will be designed to Natural Habitat Buffer Zone (NHBZ) standards. Stormwater, Grading, & Utilities Historically, the site drains from west to east towards a regional detention pond. The regional pond was designed as part of the Banner Health Medical Campus which accounted for the future development of the proposed site. Low Impact Development (LID) rain gardens are proposed to treat runoff prior to discharging to the existing regional pond. Site grading is designed to convey stormwater to proposed inlets and storm drain 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 lines via grass swales, concrete pans and curb and gutter. The proposed storm sewer system will convey runoff to the rain gardens located in the northeast corner, east of the loop road, and the southeast corner of the site. A water main loop is proposed that will connect to the existing stubs in Cinquefoil Lane and Le Fever Drive. A sanitary connection is proposed at the manhole stub in Cinquefoil Lane near the southwest corner of the site. A second sanitary connection is proposed to the northern manhole in Brookfield Drive.