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Home My WebLink AboutFUNSHINE EARLY CHILDHOOD - FDP200009 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - MODIFICATION REQUESTArchitecture | Landscape Architecture | Engineering | Interiors | Planning clarkenersen.com Nebraska | Missouri | Kansas | Colorado | Oregon June 10, 2020 Re: Funshine Early Childhood - Land Use Modification Request Project: 5137 S College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80525 Project Overview: The existing building was built in 1981 and sits on a previously developed site, with an existing parking lot. The overall site is 13,874 sf and the building is 3010 sf. The parking lot is 56 feet wide and a total of 4982 sf. The west side of the parking lot is a foot off of the property line and the east side of the parking lot is 7’- 3” from the closest point of the existing building. The project proposes to change the existing use from a place of worship to a day care center. In doing so, the site is required to update parking requirements along with other site features and provide outdoor play areas per the Department of Human Services. Zoning District: General Commercial (GC) Applicable Land Use Code Standards: • LUC Standard 3.2.2 (J): “Setbacks. Any vehicular use area containing six (6) or more parking spaces or one thousand eight hundred (1,800) or more square feet shall be set back from the street right-of-way and the side and rear yard lot line (except a lot line between buildings or uses with collective parking) consistent with the provisions of this Section, according to the following table.” Table designates that there shall be a 5-foot landscaped setback area along a lot line. • LUC Standard 3.2.2 (L) (1): “Standard Spaces. Parking spaces for standard vehicles shall conform with the standard car dimension shown on Table A.” Table A designates that a one-way drive aisle for 60- degree parking is 20 feet. • LUC Standard 3.2.2 (L) (2): “Compact Vehicle Spaces in Long-term Parking Lots and Parking Structures. Those areas of a parking lot or parking structure that are approved as long-term parking have the option to include compact parking stalls. Such approved long-term parking areas may have up to forty (40) percent compact car stalls using the compact vehicle dimensions set forth in Table B…” • LUC Standard 3.2.4 (C): “Lighting Levels. With the exception of lighting for public streets and private streets, all other project lighting used to illuminate buildings, parking lots, walkways, plazas or the landscape shall be evaluated during the development review process. The following chart gives the average minimum and, for under-canopy fueling areas, maximum lighting levels for outdoor facilities used at night.” Table designates Playgrounds at a 5.0 foot candle minimum. Land Use Modification Requested: 1. Modification of the 5-foot landscaped setback along West lot line. 2. Modification of the one-way drive aisle width from 20 feet to 17 feet wide. 3. Modification to percentage of compact vehicle spaces in Long-term Parking Lots. 4. Modification of Lighting Levels for playgrounds. Land Use Modification #1 Justification – Landscaped Setback: 2 Architecture + Landscape Architecture + Engineering + Interiors www.clarkenersen.com 1010 Lincoln Mall, Suite 200 Lincoln, Nebraska • Kansas City, Missouri Lincoln, NE 68508-2883 402 477.9291 Fax 402 477.6542 Fairway, Kansas • Portland, Oregon Practical Difficulties: The existing parking lot was built with a 6” setback off of the West lot line. Per the requirements of Land Use Code, there are required to be a maximum of 10 off street parking spaces. It is necessary to provide all 10 parking spaces to allow a safe route for multiple families to access and drop off at the daycare during peak hours. To provide 10 spaces with the lot length, they will need to occupy both sides of the parking lot, requiring all 56 feet of the lot width to be utilized for parking and drive aisle. Per the Department of Human Services, a 750 sf outdoor play space is required to be accessed directly from the North classrooms. This space is between the building and the parking, reducing the allowable width of the lot. With the existing size of the site and the location of the existing building, there is not enough area to add a 5’-0” landscape buffer along the West edge of the property. Adding the 5’-0” landscape buffer would result in practical difficulties. Land Use Modification #2 Justification – Drive Aisle: Infeasibility & Practical Difficulties: The LUC requires a maximum 10 off street parking spaces (3 parking spaces per 1000 sf for child care centers). During peak drop off hours, most of the parking spaces will be utilized for family drop off. To provide all 10 spaces, both sides of the parking lot need to be utilized for parking. Movement through the lot has been designated as one direction with 60 degree parking spaces, requiring a 20 foot drive aisle. The current parking lot is 6” from the West lot line, with limited ability to move closer to the lot line. Department of Human Services requires a 750 sf outdoor play space directly accessible from the North classrooms, which sits between the existing building and parking lot. The existing parking lot is 56 feet wide. With the limited lot area available due to the position of the existing building and requirements of DHS, adding an additional 3 feet to the parking lot drive aisle would render the project practically infeasible, as there would not be area for drive aisle increase, parking spaces and play area. This requirement is an undue hardship based on practical difficulties with the existing lot area and expected requirements. Land Use Modification #3 Justification – Compact Vehicle Percentage Practical Difficulties: The LUC requires a maximum of 40% compact vehicles for long term parking. We are requesting that 60% of our parking be compact due to practical difficulties. Currently the parking lot and available space for parking is 56 feet wide. The existing lot is 6” from the west property line, with limited ability to move. The Department of Human Services requires a 750 sf outdoor play space directly accessible from the North classrooms, which sits between the existing building and parking lot. Due to site constraints and DHS requirements, we are limited to the existing parking lot width. The 56 feet can accommodate one side of compact parking, one side of standard and a modified drive aisle. Due to accessible requirements (spaces must be standard size) the standard parking spaces must be on the east side of the lot, closest to the entrance of the building. The east side of the parking lot can accommodate (4) parking spaces with the existing lot length and site constraints. The west side of the parking lot can accommodate (6) parking spaces. Due to practical difficulties and site constraints a proposed modification to the percentage of compact parking is requested. Land Use Modification #4 Justification – Playground Lighting Levels: Nominal & Inconsequential: The land use code requires that the lighting of a playground have an average of 5.0 foot- candles. We are showing two designated play areas. These are not public playgrounds and will not have any permanent playground equipment. Access to these play areas is strictly controlled, with 3 Architecture + Landscape Architecture + Engineering + Interiors www.clarkenersen.com 1010 Lincoln Mall, Suite 200 Lincoln, Nebraska • Kansas City, Missouri Lincoln, NE 68508-2883 402 477.9291 Fax 402 477.6542 Fairway, Kansas • Portland, Oregon the child care center to utilize the spaces only during daylight hours. It would be nominal an inconsequential to deviate from this Land Use requirement as the spaces do not meet the standards of a public playground and therefore do not need the same levels of lighting.