HomeMy WebLinkAboutSTONERIDGE PUD OVERALL DEVELOPMENT PLAN - 21 92B - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PROJECT NARRATIVEe KA PLA N COMPANY
May 4, 1992
Mr. Ted Shepherd, Project Planner
Planning Department
City of Fort Collins
281 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, Co 80522-0580
Re: Overall Development Plan and
First Phase Preliminary Plan Submission for
the StoneRidge P.U.D.
Dear Mr. Shepherd:
As purchaser of the 92+/- acre remaining portion of the Webster
Farm located at the northwest corner of County Road 9 and
Horsetooth Road, I am pleased to submit for the June 22, 1992
Planning and Zoning Board review the proposed Overall Development
Plan (O.D.P.) and First Phase Preliminary Plan for the StoneRidge
P.U.D..
On behalf of the project architect, Frank Vaught, and project
engineer, Stan Myers with RBD Engineering, Inc., who along with
myself form the design team for the StoneRidge P.U.D., we
appreciate the opportunity for our April 10 pre -Conceptual Review
meeting with staff and then our April 20 Conceptual Review meeting.
The comments and information from those and subsequent meetings and
discussions with staff have been helpful in designing this project
and preparing the submissions.
The project site is rectangular, measuring approximately 3000 feet
along Horsetooth Road and 1325 feet in depth. Essentially flat
with minimum contour, the property drains to its northeast corner
into an existing 1 +/- acre pond. There is no existing development
on any side; although, improvements for a single-family subdivision
are currently being installed on the south side of Horsetooth Road
in the English Ranch Subdivision, and another single-family
subdivision is under design contiguous to the west property line
and in the Pine cone Farm P.U.D. Utilities are readily available,
with a sewer line along the north property line and a water main
in Horsetooth Road.
The property is currently central to major employment, education,
recreational and shopping facilities. These locational advantages
will increase through the eventual development of the new Fort
Collins High School, a supermarket -based neighborhood shopping
center and a neighborhood public park, all approved by the City and
located within a quarter mile west of the property. Furthermore,
the property is only one mile from Hewlett-Packard which sets the
1060 Sailors Reef • Fort Collins, Colorado 80525 • 303/226-6819
T. Sheperd
Page 2
standard of quality for expanding commercial development along the
Harmony Road entry corridor and is approximately one-half mile from
the Timberline Road commercial thoroughfare. Easy accessibility
to Interstate 25 only 2.5 miles to the east contributes further to
the developability of this property.
O.D.P. PLANNING OBJECTIVES
The O.D.P. consists of 92 +/- acres of predominately lower density,
mixed residential uses in a P.U.D. configuration, featuring
maintained open spaces for each of the six (6) potential phases and
a recreational complex common to the overall project. The total
number of residential units is projected at 299 for an average
overall density of 3.25 unites per acre, based upon gross acreage
which includes Horsetooth Road R.O.W. dedication,.
The O.D.P. in design and location is consistent with the general
direction of the City Land Use Policies, and appears to be
inconsistent with none of them. Specifically, the O.D.P.
contributes to achieving the following approximate policies:
1. Alternative transportation modes vis-a-vis the 6 to 8 foot
off-street bike/pedestrian trail running north -south from the
bike lane in Caribou Drive to the proposed east -west trail
along the north property line in the Pine Cone Farm P.U.D.
(Policy 3b).
2. Close proximity to employment, recreation and shopping
facilities (Policy 3d).
3. Proposed at urban density of approximately 3.25 units/acre for
overall project (Policy 12).
4. Urban development standards shall be applied (Policy 14).
5. Promotes logical growth pattern of the City consistent with
annexation criteria (Policy 12).
6. Proposed residential land uses and specific site planning
promote a pleasant, functional and understandable inter-
relationships both between land uses within the project and
among the project and existing and potential neighboring land
uses (Policy 20).
7. Contiguous to developing property to the south, approved as
the English Ranch Subdivision (Policy 22).
8. Existence of City provided services and facilities has served
as a tool in directing development interest to this property
(Policy 29).
T. Sheperd
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9. Inclusive of attractively developed green areas to provide a
balanced and pleasing cityscape (Policy 43f).
10. Minimizes the use of automobile through the inclusion of bike/
pedestrian way (Policy 49).
11. Alternative transportation mode of pedestrian and bike access
is provided for as primary mode of transportation to both the
high school, city park, neighborhood service center and
adjoining residential areas (Policy 64).
12. Green belts used to provide transitions and enhance mixture
of land uses with project (Policy 74).
13. Mix of housing densities provided (Policy 75).
14. Does not undermine phasing plan of the urban growth area but
promotes it (Policy 77).
15. As a predominately lower density residential project, the
O.D.P. has:
a. easy access to existing and planned neighborhood shopping
centers (79a),
b. easy access to major employment centers (79b),
C. within walking distances to existing and planned schools
(79c), and
d. within walking distance to planned neighborhood park
(79d).
The applicant believes that the O.D.P., both in terms of its site
plan design and the locational characteristics of the property,
achieves all of the City Land Use Policies for a lower density,
mixed residential project. The inclusion of open spaces integrated
between and through the various phases of the plan is a major
design feature. Such open space areas will be designated as tracts
and maintained initially by the developer and eventually by a
homeowners' association. Green belts and other forms of open space
will provide the major means of buffering between and within the
various areas of the project. Rear lot fencing resulting in a
"stockade" appearance will be prevented through covenants. Along
Horsetooth Road buffering from the arterial with be achieved by a
broad landscape strip consisting of landscaped berms, decorative
fencing, open space, and deeper lots. Substantial design attention
by the architect and Grant Reid Landscape Design has been given to
creating an aesthetic and effective streetscape along Horsetooth
Road.
Ted Sheperd
Page 4
The rectangular configuration of the property and the existing and
approved curbcuts on the south side of Horsetooth Road have largely
dictated the public and private street configuration of the
project. Aligning the west entry to the project with Caribou Drive
to the south creates an awkward, approximately 200 feet wide area
along the west property line. This area is best accessed by a
narrower private street, in order to avoid repeated curbcut
interruptions to the north -south bike/pedestrian way, shown
detached and west of the public street extending north from Caribou
Drive. This looped private street arrangement does, however,
inhibit a design emphasis on north -south lot orientations in this
patio home area.
The extensive amount of right -of way dedication for Horsetooth
Road, approximately, 4 acres, plus the approximately 8.2 acre
Parcel G shown as open space contribute to the appearance of a
lower overall density than actually exists. Excluding these areas,
the overall density increases from 3.25 units/acre to 3.74
units/acre.
The recreation complex, Parcel F, is currently envisioned as a pool
facility with parking, exclusively for the residence of the
StoneRidge P.U.D. The construction of this facility is contingent
upon there being sufficient development in the project
(approximately 200 units) to economically support the construction
and maintenance of such a facility.
O.D.P. PHASING
The StoneRidge O.D.P. is envisioned as a 5 to 7 phase project,
spanning 3 to 5 years to complete, depending largely upon market
conditions. The First Phase, consisting of 22.58 gross acres,
roughly comprises the west half of Parcel A and all of Parcel B,
resulting in 41 single-family lots and 25 patio home lots, all with
greenbelts and open space. This First Phase is intended to begin
in August 1992. At this time, we anticipate final plan submission
for the single-family area by June 1, 1992, and final plan
submission for the patio home area by July 6, 1992.
FIRST PHASE PRELIMINARY PLANNING OBJECTIVES
The 22.58 acres First Phase consists of 41 single family lots,
basically the west half of Parcel A, and 25 patio homes, all of
Parcel B, to be complete in (2) phases and intended to commence in
August 1992.
The design emphasis in the single-family area is to create a sense
of privacy and openness to mid -size lots averaging approximately
8500 s.f. in size. This is accomplished primarily by:
T. Sheperd
Page 5
1. placing 80 percent (33 of 41) of the lots on cul-de-sacs,
2. abutting 98 percent (40 of 41) of these lots to greenbelt,
3. having a generous, average lot size of 8,500 s.f.,
4. providing an aesthetic and effective landscape fencing buffer
with Horsetooth Road,
5. providing two, independent points of access from Horsetooth
Road, and
6. limiting rear lot fencing through design covenants.
The patio home area is subject to significant design restraints due
to its narrow width, the placement of a 6 to 8 feet bike/pedestrian
way traversing it north -south, and the need to direct storm water
into a swale to be located near the north border of the overall
property. The proposed design overcomes these restraints and
serves to provide an attractive greenbelt area, both as an amenity
to the bike way and as an entry feature to the project.
The City Land Use Policies achieved by the Preliminary Plan are
essentially the same as those accomplished by the O.D.P., which are
herein incorporated by reference. Generally, these policies deal
with promoting alternative transportation modes; encouraging
development in close proximity to employment, recreation, and
shopping facilities; encouraging pleasant and functioned inter-
relationships between land uses; promoting green areas; providing
a mix of housing densities; and encouraging easy access to
shopping, employment and schools.
The design team for the First Phase of the StoneRidge P.U.D.
believes that the proposed design is substantial superior to the
proliferation of standard, unimaginative, single-family
subdivisions appearing in Fort Collins. Additionally, the intended
design provides an attractive streetscape to Horsetooth Road
adjoining this First Phase.
SOLAR ORIENTATION VARIANCE
Due to significant design restraints in Parcel B, which is the
patio home area of First Phase, the 65 percent solar orientation
requirement for the First Phase cannot be technically met. Of the
41 lots in the single-family portion of the First Phase, 27 of
these, or 66 percent comply with the solar orientation requirement
for lots. However, of the 25 patio home lots, only 10 can comply
with this requirement, resulting in an overall percentage of 56
percent for the First Phase.
The unavoidable configuration of Parcel B creates obstacles in
achieving the technically required percentage of solar orientation
in this area. From a traffic standpoint, the west entry to the
First Phase must align with Caribou Drive to the south. This
creates only a 200 foot wide parcel on the west end of this
T. Sheperd
Page 6
project. While it could be argued that a design may be possible
for Parcel B which includes a procession of short east -west cul-
de-sac streets, attempting this would have negative ramifications
on other public considerations. First, doing this would introduce
multiple interruptions to the bike way, adversely affecting safe,
uninterrupted movement along this detached lane. Secondly, such
a series of cul-de-sacs, while possibly helping to increase the
number of north -south lots, would result in the elimination of
extensive greenbelt area, a desireable feature to both the bike
way and main entry to the project.
It should be added as part of this variance request that six (6)
of the patio home lots which do not technically qualify for solar
credit do facilitate a south -oriented building placement.
The applicant believes that the alignment of the main entry with
Caribou Drive, in close proximity to the west property line,
creates a site configuration problem in technically complying with
the 1165 percent rule" for north -south lot orientation. Attempting
to force more north -south orientation would only result in poor
design with regards to the bike/pedestrian way and the provision
of attractive green space.
THREE (3) D.U. PER ACRE REQUIREMENT
The First Phase does not technically comply with the LGS criteria
for a minimum of 3 units/acre; although the O.D.P. clearly exceeds
this criteria. The gross area of the First Phase is 22.58 acres
and contains 66 units, for an average density of 2.92 units/acre.
Despite the extensive area of greenbelt and open space in this
First Phase, 3.1 acre for the single-family area and 1.9 acres for
the patio home area, the 3 unit/acre criteria could be met if
consideration were given to the atypical requirement for 50 feet
of right-of-way dedication along Horsetooth Road. The gross area
of the First Phase, if deducting for this off -site improvement, is
actually 21.14 acres, thus yielding, over a 3 unit/acre density.
The applicant has not completed the City's "Density Chart" for this
First Phase, in that higher density justifications are not an
objective of this project. Rather, the project seeks to accomplish
a high quality, lower level urban density through mixed residential
uses and a thoughtful integration of green spaces.
Should you require additional information regarding the O.D.P. and
First Phase Preliminary Plan submissions of the StoneRidge P.U.D.
for the June 22, 1992 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Board ,
T. Sheperd
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please contact me directly. Again, the design team appreciates
your assistance in coordinating the City's review of this project.
Very Truly Yours,
Lester M. Kaplan