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HomeMy WebLinkAboutProject Narratives - 11/19/2025 Page 1 of 5 November 19, 2025 RE: Southeast Community Center PROJECT INFORMATION Owner Information City of Fort Collins Operation Services PO Boc 580, Attn: Eric Cluver Fort Collins, CO 80524 Past Meetings Pre-submittal Meeting: December 22, 2023 General Information Parcel Number: 8604000904 Project Address: TBD Project Location: Southeast corner of Ziegler Road and Rock Creek Drive Lot Size: 10,403 Acres Existing Zoning: LMN Proposed Land Use: Commercial Recreational Facility – A & B Occupancy Off Street Parking Proposed: 149 spaces Commercial Space: 98,159 SF PROJECT NARRATIVE Project Background The Southeast Community Center (SECC), formerly referenced during Conceptual Design Review on December 22, 2023, is a new civic facility located at the Southeast corner of Ziegler Road and Rock Creek Drive on a 10.403-acre parcel owned by the City of Fort Collins. No neighborhood meeting was required for this project, and therefore no meeting concerns are included. The site resides within the LMN zoning district and is uniquely situated within a large civic and recreational block anchored by Fossil Ridge High School and Twin Silo Park. General Project Information The project proposes a 98,159 SF, two-story multi-use public facility serving recreation, aquatics, fitness, community gathering, youth and teen programs, and an integrated public library branch for the Poudre Libraries system. While zoned LMN, the facility responds to the civic scale of its surroundings, with no residential uses proposed. Parking requirements total 295 stalls, of which 149 are provided on-site. Through a shared-parking arrangement with Poudre School District, an additional 125 parking spaces within the existing high school lot provide supplementary capacity, Page 2 of 5 resulting in a combined functionality of 274 available spaces. In addition to the 274 stalls proposed with the initial development, another 58 parking stalls are shown as future parking, should the City need to add more parking once the facility is operating. A series of Modifications of Standard accompany the project, including building footprint size, entrance orientation, roof form, and parking count. The City of Fort Collins is both the existing and proposed owner and applicant for the development. Design Intent, Program, and Vision The Southeast Community Center is conceived as a major civic anchor for southeast Fort Collins; one that weaves together recreation, aquatics, wellness, lifelong learning, youth programming, cultural amenities, and community gathering spaces under one roof. The library is a key programmatic component of the building, offering collections, early literacy spaces, a dynamic children’s area, teen and after-school learning zones, quiet reading and study spaces, community meeting rooms, and innovation/creative labs that complement the recreational and social strengths of the center. Together, the Recreation and Library programs form a unified “community hub” that supports a full spectrum of multigenerational needs from toddlers, teens, and families to older adults seeking wellness, enrichment, and community connection. The design establishes a strong civic identity while expressing an architectural character rooted in the natural and cultural landscape of southeast Fort Collins. Long, horizontal roof lines and textured exterior materials reference the prairie-to-foothills transition that defines the region, and the composition of outdoor spaces extends the building’s program outward into the larger park and trail system. The Community Center is envisioned as a destination that celebrates physical health, creative activity, learning, and community belonging. Site Design and Building Placement The SECC is positioned in the northwest corner of the parcel to maximize visibility along Ziegler Road and to strengthen its relationship to the civic corridor formed by the high school, park system, and adjacent neighborhood trails. The building is rotated approximately twenty degrees to frame the iconic silos of Twin Silo Park and to create intuitive visual connections for visitors approaching from both the north and south along Ziegler. This orientation also allows the building to serve as a gateway element into this active civic block. While LMN standards typically require main building entrances to face and open directly onto local streets, the functional nature of this large civic complex necessitates a primary public entrance on the south side, fronting the main pedestrian plaza and parking areas. A Modification of Standard is requested to support this entry orientation. To uphold the intent of the code, the north façade includes enhanced articulation, glazing, and landscaping features so that the building maintains a strong, welcoming presence toward Ziegler Road, even though the principal entry is oriented southward. Page 3 of 5 The southern portion of the site serves as the primary arrival zone, accommodating a shared drop- off, accessible routes, and plaza spaces directly linking visitors to the Recreation and Library entrances. The building’s placement also preserves opportunities for future connections to the broader trail and multimodal systems extending toward Twin Silo Park and the high school campus. Vehicular and Multimodal Circulation Vehicular access is provided primarily from Ziegler Road via a three-quarter movement intersection approximately 550 feet south of Rock Creek Drive. A secondary access point utilizes the existing Fossil Ridge High School driveway onto Rock Creek Drive. The Traffic Impact Study (TIS) prepared for the project concludes that the SECC generates approximately 4,520 daily trips, including 223 AM peak and 431 PM peak trips, and finds that no project-specific roadway improvements are necessary. Existing operational constraints at Ziegler and Kechter Roads are attributed to background and school-related peak traffic, not to SECC-generated volumes. Circulation internal to the site is intentionally simplified and calmed using a raised sidewalk into the main plaza area that is intended to prioritize pedestrian movements and minimize conflict points. The drop-off loop, drive aisles, and parking areas are organized to support intuitive access while discouraging high-speed movements. Pedestrian and bicycle connections play a central role in the site design, with multiple access points leading from Ziegler Road, Rock Creek Drive, the high school campus, and the emerging park trail system. The TIS documents very high multimodal performance for the area, noting Pedestrian LOS A–C and Bicycle LOS A, reflecting strong multimodal integration and safe, convenient routes for non-vehicle users. Landscape, Open Space, and Natural Systems The landscape strategy embraces native, drought-tolerant, and climate-adaptive vegetation, reflecting the character of the region’s natural grasslands. Plantings are selected for durability, ecological value, and low water consumption, and they form a cohesive system that extends from structured public plazas to softer native zones. Open space areas are dispersed throughout the site, providing small play environments, shaded seating, informal gathering zones, and active edges that visually and physically connect visitors to Twin Silo Park. The site contains no wetlands or designated natural habitats, and the project avoids any disturbance to wildlife corridors, drainage features, or sensitive ecological areas. Transitions, Buffering, and Compatibility Although the project site is within the LMN district, its immediate surroundings consist almost entirely of large-scale civic and recreational uses, including the 288,600 SF, two-story Fossil Ridge High School and the 54-acre Twin Silo Park. Accordingly, the SECC is designed to harmonize with this larger civic context while still incorporating scaled and articulated elements that acknowledge the LMN intent. Page 4 of 5 The building massing is deliberately broken into two primary volumes, a strategy that mitigates overall scale and allows for meaningful articulation. Landscape buffers, building setbacks, and pedestrian-oriented design treatments further soften transitions and create comfortable edges for walking, resting, and gathering. The use of natural textures, warm materials, and articulated facades reduces visual bulk and enhances compatibility with both civic and residential-adjacent areas. Architectural Design and Modifications of Standard The architectural design reflects a modern interpretation of the prairie landscape, with long, sweeping rooflines, deep overhangs, and textured, light-colored concrete that references the vertical character of tall grasses. Vertically fritted glazing reduces glare while reinforcing this natural texture. Wood-toned soffits and fascia provide warmth at a human scale, enhancing comfort for pedestrians at entries and along key building edges. Limited accents of colored glazing and panels, drawn from the SECC brand palette, add vibrancy and subtly reveal the variety of activities within. A Modification of Standard is required for the predominantly flat roof form. Due to the building’s size and internal program (2-story gymnasium, running track, natatorium, multi-purpose spaces, and one-story Library spaces), flat roof systems offer superior performance, flexibility, and long- term maintenance practicality. The massing strategy, which divides the building into two major forms, compensates for the roof form by reducing perceived height and creating a layered architectural composition that responds to LUC 3.5.1 building articulation goals. Historic and Cultural Resources Historic farm structures on PSD property to the south are located approximately 160 feet from the SECC property line and approximately 720 feet from the proposed building. Proposed parking on the SECC site is separated by more than 250 feet of open green space. Because the project lies entirely outside the 200-foot “Historic Influence Area” defined in LUC 3.4.7, no historic preservation standards are triggered, and no compatibility or protection plans are required. Phasing and Anticipated Schedule Construction is expected to begin with civil and site work in June 2026, following building permit submittal in the same month. Vertical construction is anticipated to start in August 2026, with overall project completion to follow according to final contractor scheduling. All public improvements, open space features, and utilities will be constructed within the same phase. Conclusion The Southeast Community Center is designed as a major civic amenity that brings together recreation, aquatics, wellness, learning, creativity, and social connection in a modern prairie- inspired architectural expression. The building’s massing, materials, and landscape elements respond sensitively to the surrounding civic environment while fulfilling the goals of City Plan and Page 5 of 5 the LMN district. The integrated library, recreation center, and community spaces form an inclusive, multigenerational hub that enriches the cultural and physical life of southeast Fort Collins. Through thoughtful design, strong multimodal connections, shared parking strategies, and context-sensitive massing, the SECC achieves an “equal or better” approach to applicable standards and provides a long-lasting, community-centered asset that reinforces the established civic campus in this part of the city. Sincerely, Kate Penning, AIA, NCARB Kate.penning@clarkenersen.com