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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFISCHER REZONE - REZ200001 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - REZONING RELATED DOCUMENTland planning landscape architecture urban design entitlement Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 419 Canyon Ave. Suite 200  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662 www.ripleydesigninc.com February 26, 2020 City of Fort Collins Community Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80522 Justification of Rezoning Request for 1185 and 1201 Westward Drive Background The applicant, Mr. Erik Fischer, first became interested in rezoning 1185 and 1201 Westward Drive a few years ago. He has a strong vision for his property that aligns closely with City of Fort Collins values: Livability, Community, and Sustainability. Mr. Fischer is a local. He spent his childhood on 1201 Westward Drive, and that is where his sister still lives and runs her horses. The Fischer family has been a part of this town for generations; up until recently, Mr. Fischer and his father shared a law practice together in downtown Fort Collins serving the community. A rezone for the two subject properties would allow for a more usable parcel to create something that will fulfill that shared vision. Vicinity and Surrounding Amenities The existing NCB parcels adjacent to the 1185 and 1201 Westward Drive are mostly single-family residences and one un-platted parcel of land. The relative location of the parcel adjacent to an arterial and a future peak transit corridor makes them ideal candidates for development that would add to the housing diversity and choice in the area; future residents will be within walking distance to employment centers (Elizabeth Street) and neighborhood centers (Shields and Prospect, and Elizabeth and Shields) as well as transit stops along Shield Street, and access to the CSU Campus is a 2-minute walk across the street. As the zoning is currently mapped, those existing NCB lots are not usable to the full potential as allowed by the NCB Zone District. A successful rezone of 1185 and 1201 Westward Drive would allow the whole NCB parcel to be utilized as intended by the code and will concentrate higher density along the arterial. Location and Site The subject properties are located along Westward drive between Shields and Del Mar Street in the Western Heights Subdivision. The current zoning for the two properties is low-density residential (RL). Both 1185 and 1201 Westward Drive are directly adjacent to the Neighborhood Conservation Buffer Zone District (NCB). They are located within walking distance to the Elizabeth and Shields neighborhood center to the north (0.3 miles) and the Shields and Prospect neighborhood center to the south (0.4 miles). CSU is also within walking distance to the east across Shields Street along with the Stadium (0.5) and access to the Max (1 mile). The nearest transit stops are located along Shields Street (southbound 0.14 miles; northbound 0.2 miles). Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 419 Canyon Ave. Suite 200  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662 www.ripleydesigninc.com VICNITY MAP ZONING MAP Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 419 Canyon Ave. Suite 200  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662 www.ripleydesigninc.com Request for Rezoning of 1201 and 1185 Westward Drive As proposed, 1201 and 1185 Westward Drive, will be rezoned from the current zone district, Low- Density Residential (RL), to Neighborhood Conservation Buffer District (NCB). The purpose of the rezone is to create a usable parcel of land as it aligns with framework provided West Central Area Plan and 2019 City Plan. This Rezone Application is justified in accordance with the following section of the City of Fort Collins Land Use Code: Fort Collins LUC Section 2.9.4 (H) (2) Mandatory Requirements for Quasi-judicial Zonings or Rezonings. Any amendment to the Zoning Map involving the zoning or rezoning of six hundred forty (640) acres of land or less (a quasi-judicial rezoning) shall be recommended for approval by the Planning and Zoning Board or approved by the City Council only if the proposed amendment is: (a) consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan; and/or (b) warranted by changed conditions within the neighborhood surrounding and including the subject property. (3) Additional Considerations for Quasi-Judicial Zonings or Rezonings. In determining whether to recommend approval of any such proposed amendment, the Planning and Zoning Board and City Council may consider the following additional factors: (a) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment is compatible with existing and proposed uses surrounding the subject land and is the appropriate zone district for the land; (b) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in significantly adverse impacts on the natural environment, including, but not limited to, water, air, noise, stormwater management, wildlife, vegetation, wetlands and the natural functioning of the environment; (c) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in a logical and orderly development pattern. Justifications 1) The Rezone Petition is consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Plan (City Plan adopted in 2019): i. Policy Liv 2.1 Revitalization of underutilized properties Support the use of creative strategies to revitalize vacant, blighted or otherwise underutilized structures and buildings, including but not limited to: Voluntary consolidation and assemblage of properties to coordinate redevelopment of blocks or segments of corridors where individual property configurations would otherwise limit redevelopment potential Analysis: By rezoning 1201 and 1185 Westward to NCB will allow the applicant to pursue a creative Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 419 Canyon Ave. Suite 200  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662 www.ripleydesigninc.com strategy to consolidate the subject properties along with the existing NCB parcels that will allow the currently underutilized single-family lots to become developable. Without a rezone, the current configuration of existing NCB lots does not allow for a feasible site plan (feasible site plan, meaning: a site plan with multiple access points to street ROW, and enough flexibility to provide buffering to the remaining single-family lots to the west), and therefore would leave them underutilized. ii. Policy Liv 2.3 – Transit Oriented Development Require higher-density housing and mixed-use development in locations that are currently, or will be, served by BRT and/or high-frequency transit in the future as infill and redevelopment occurs. Promote a variety of housing options for all income levels. Analysis: The NCB Zone district allows for medium to high density residential along travel corridors. As identified in the City Plan, “BRT and high-frequency service may be expanded along several key corridors where the future land use and density are expected to support transit.” A Frequent Peak (15min peak) Service is proposed along Shields Street where the site fronts it. City Plan also notes that, “high-frequency transit is only viable with supportive land use pattern such as mixed- use with higher-density residential, employment and services”(pg.25), and “policies support the conversion of vacant and underutilized properties to meet current and future needs to promote efficient use of infrastructure” (pg. 25). The two properties in question are key to making the NCB parcel configuration fully utilizable. Without a rezone, the current configuration of existing NCB lots does not allow for a feasible site plan (feasible site plan, meaning: a site plan with multiple access points to street ROW, and enough flexibility to provide buffering to the remaining single-family lots to the west), and therefore would likely leave them undeveloped. An approved rezone will allow for a medium to high density redevelopment to occur in within the NCB zoned parcels which are adjacent to the Shields transit corridor, and would therefore support the ultimate implementation of the Frequent Peak transit service. iii. Policy Liv 5.3 – Land for Residential Development Use density requirements to maximize the use of land for residential development to positively influence housing supply and expand housing choice. Analysis: The R-L zone district is intended to maintain low density. City Plan has identified the need to shift focus away from single-family development in order to focus on meeting the housing demand (pg. 29). If 1201 and 1185 Westward Drive were to remain as R-L, that would leave the current configuration of existing NCB not fully utilized as the lots does not allow for a feasible site plan (feasible site plan, meaning: a site plan with multiple access points to street ROW, and enough flexibility to provide buffering to the remaining single-family lots to the west), and will likely leave them undeveloped. With a successful rezone a plan can be developed for the NCB parcels that will accommodate a mix of residential development, therefore contributing to housing choice and variety in the West Central Area. 2) The Rezone Application is warranted by changed conditions within the neighborhood surrounding and including the property: Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 419 Canyon Ave. Suite 200  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662 www.ripleydesigninc.com The current West Central Area Plan was adopted in 2015 and these properties were initially zoned in conjunction with the original West Central Area Plan in 1999. The West Central neighborhood has experienced significant change over the last four years, and since 1999. The WCAP predicted this change and increase in development: “The demand for rental housing, driven in part by the recent recession and the trend of “millennials” delaying home ownership, has created pressure for additional apartments, townhome, and single-family rental houses in this area. In addition, CSU houses only a portion of its students on-campus, so the remaining students must find housing elsewhere in the city. This results in the conversion of many single- family dwellings into rental units and short-term occupancy, with associated challenges related to property maintenance, renter behavior, differing lifestyles, and over-occupancy of homes within neighborhoods. Maintaining the affordability and desirability of these neighborhoods for a range of residents, including students and families, has long been a priority for the West Central area. Since 2015, more than five (5) higher density housing developments have been added to the West Central Area, and significant growth has been seen in the retail and dining market along the Elizabeth Street Corridor. Similarly, multiple higher density multifamily developments have been built on previously underutilized land between Prospect Road and Lake Street adjacent to CSU. Most notably, Carriage House Apartments has set a precedence for medium density development along Shields Street a block from 1185 and 1202 Westward Drive. In taking a closer look at the rental market, the Western Heights Subdivision is currently made up of more than half rental properties. Clearly, the amount of change that has occurred in the West Central area since the it was first zoned in 1991 and the WCAP was developed in 2015, warrants this rezone. 3) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment is compatible with existing and proposed uses surrounding the subject land and is the appropriate zone district for the land; The Rezone Petition is compatible for the following reasons: - 1185 and 1202 Westward Drive are located directly adjacent to the NCB zone district line. By rezoning the lots to NCB, the NCB parcel becomes usable as intended by the purpose of the zone district - The Zone district line will be clearly defined and delineable by the adjacent street R.O.W - The applicant acknowledges the applicable Land Use Code Standards, and any subsequent Project Development Plan submitted for the properties will comply as required. Yes, but will wait until after the neighborhood meeting/first submittal and staff review - And, the Rezone Petition is supported by the West Central Area Plan as outlined below: LAND USE & NEIGHBORHOOD: Areas of Stability, Enhancement & Development [pg23-25] Various Vacant and Under-Utilized Parcels “These parcels are scattered throughout the plan area and are generally under market pressure to redevelop in a manner greater than would otherwise be allowed by the current parameters of the Low Density Residential (RL) or Neighborhood Conservation Buffer zone districts. Such redevelopment will be carefully evaluated so that new uses protect neighborhood character, are well-designed, and mitigate traffic and other external impacts. Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 419 Canyon Ave. Suite 200  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662 www.ripleydesigninc.com Collaboration with surrounding neighbors is expected to result in land uses that are appropriate with a design that is sensitive to the surrounding context.” Analysis: A rezone would result in a cluster of 4 parcels that are zoned NCB. There is much greater potential for the lots to redevelop when they are consolidated as such. If the two properties were to remain R-L, the opportunity to adequately utilize the existing NCB-zoned, single family lots might be missed. WCAP states that “based on the latest North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO) data, the population growth in the West Central Area is expected to outpace growth citywide between now and 2035, which indicated a demand for additional residential development and redevelopment within this area”. By rezoning the two properties, and providing opportunity for higher density housing, the demand for housing and residential stock can be addressed. The applicant team notes and acknowledges the WCAP compatibility framework and affirms that attention will be given to preserve neighborhood character, that the buildings will be well designed, and that external impacts will be mitigated for appropriately through the Project Development Plan process. 4) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in significantly adverse impacts on the natural environment, including, but not limited to, water, air, noise, stormwater management, wildlife, vegetation, wetlands and the natural functioning of the environment; The Rezone Petition will not have significantly adverse impacts on any of the listed components. The properties to be rezoned are currently single-family households and any new development would be considered infill and subject to current development standards, which are designed to be sensitive to these components. In addition, there are no existing natural or ecologically significant features located within 500 feet of the property lines. Any subsequent development shall appropriately treat any stormwater runoff, native vegetation shall be used in the landscape plans, and all regulations as required by the land use code shall be complied with. 5) whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in a logical and orderly development pattern. The Rezone Petition for 1185 and 1202 Westward Drive will result in an orderly and logical delineation of the NCB Zone district. The zoning as shown on the map was delineated in 1997 – the zone boundary was drawn along the property boundary for all the lots that fronted shields. The purpose was to concentrate medium to higher intensity development along the arterial. By rezoning the subject properties, the zoning line shall extend to the adjacent street R.O.W. The new zone line still encourages the higher intensity use along Shields Street as was originally intended. The rezone will allow a plan to be developed that is flexible and feasible and will ultimately have a more predictable outcome. Conclusion In conclusion, we are requesting a rezoning of these two properties so that the NCB parcels may be utilized in its full potential and provide flexibility for a well-designed site. This is supported by both the Thinking outside of the box for over two decades. 419 Canyon Ave. Suite 200  Fort Collins, CO 80521  tel. 970.224.5828  fax 970.224.1662 www.ripleydesigninc.com West Central Area Plan and the 2019 City Plan; no adverse effects on the environment is anticipated, and the new zone delineation will result in a logical and orderly development patter. Thank you for the consideration in the rezoning of 1201 and 1185 Westward Drive. We look forward to exploring the opportunities that this will provide.