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HomeMy WebLinkAboutUTILITY SERVICE CENTER OVERALL DVELOPMENT PLAN - 16 90D - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT W/ATTACHMENTSITEM NO. 5 MEETING DATE _6�19 �9Z STAFF Ted Shepard City of Fort Collins PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD STAFF REPORT PROJECT: Utility Service Center O.D.P., #16-90D APPLICANT: City of Fort Collins Facilities Services 117 North Mason Street Fort Collins, CO 80521 OWNER: City of Fort Collins 300 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80521 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request for an Overall Development Plan for the Utility Service Center. The Service Center is being expanded by an additional 4.86 acres located to the south of the service center complex. This additional area is a former concrete pipe manufacturing facility. The size of the O.D.P. is now 15.85 acres and is located at 700 Wood Street at the northeast corner of Wood Street and Elm Street. The parcel is zoned L-M-N, Low Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood and E, Employment. The O.D.P. is being processed under the new Land Use Code. RECOMMENDATION: Approval EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The O.D.P. is evaluated by the criteria of the new Land Use Code. The land uses proposed within the O.D.P. are permitted in their respective zone districts. The O.D.P. complies with the applicable standards of the Land Use Code with the one exception of "Street Pattern and Transportation Connections." An alternative plan has been reviewed and accepted by the Director of Engineering as a plan that meets the purpose of the standard equally well or better than would a plan which complies with the standard. COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 281 N. College Ave. P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 (970) 221-6750 PLANNING DEPARTMENT • The Alternate Plan will provide multiple direct connections to the site and not form barriers between the site and the neighborhood. Further, the discontinuation across Elm Street by Loomis and Grant will not diminish transportation facilities for bicycle, pedestrian and transit. The O.D.P. can be served by the street connections shown on the Alternate Plan without exceeding level of service standards. Finally, an extension of Loomis and Grant Streets would require the crossing of a mapped floodplain and small wetland. By not extending across Elm Street, the Alternate Plan minimizes the impacts on natural areas and features. Therefore, Transportation Services finds that the Alternate Plan accomplishes the purposes of the Land Use Code equally well or better than would a plan and design which complies with the above -referenced standard. U Utility Service Center Overall Development Plan, #16-90D June 19, 1997 P & Z Hearing Page 2 COMMENTS: 1. Background: The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows N: F-A (County); Existing Single Family Residential S: N-C-M; Existing Single Family Residential E: P-O-L; Martinez Park and The Farm W: N-C-M; Existing Single Family Residential The City of Fort Collins Utility Service Center began the annexation process into the city limits in 1957. Portions have been annexed as recently as 1987. Before the West Side Neighborhood Plan (1989), and before the City Plan rezonings (March 28, 1997), the Utility Service Center was located in three zone districts: I-G, General Industrial, C, Commercial, and B-P, Planned Business. Two of these zones, I-G, and C, allowed buildings, parking lot, and outside material storage as uses -by -right. The B-P zone, however, required building expansions, parking lot additions, and new outside storage areas to be processed as a P.U.D. under the L.D.G.S. Consequently, a portion of the Utility Service Center (3.05 acres) is governed by a P.U.D. that was approved in July of 1990. This P.U.D. consists of a parking lot (144 spaces), and outside material storage as accessory uses in the B-P zone. This 1990 P.U.D. was submitted and approved in conjunction with a larger project that included a building addition for Water/Wastewater Utility, and other parking lot and landscaping improvements which were located in the I-G, and C zones. These projects were completed as permitted uses and represent the extent of improvements on the Utility Service Center. In 1989, the West Side Neighborhood Plan was adopted. In accordance with the WNP, the entire Utility Service Center was rezoned to R-C, River Corridor. On March 28, 1997, the Utility Service Center was again rezoned to E, Employment. In the course of all the improvements, P.U.D., and rezonings, the subject 4.86 acres were never included in an approved plan, and were zoned L-M-N on March 28, 1997. These 4.86 acres represent a recent acquisition of a former concrete pipe yard. There is no provision under Ordinance 96-161 (Land Use Code Transition Ordinance) to consider this request under the Land Development Guidance System. The O.D.P. includes the entire Utility Service Center consisting of 15.85 acres. Utility Service Center Overall Development Plan, #16-90D June 19, 1997 P & Z Hearing Page 3 2. Compliance with the Land Use Code. - The new Land Use Code requires that O.D.P.'s comply with a prescribed set of standards as opposed to a set of policies. Compliance with the applicable standards are as follows: A. Permitted Uses in the Applicable Zone Districts: The O.D.P. covers two zone districts; L-M-N, Low Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood and E, Employment. The land uses proposed in L-M-N zone district are a parking lot and open space. These land uses are considered to be "Accessory Uses" to the overall function of the service center. The L-M-N zone allows Accessory Uses if the use of land or a building, or a portion thereof, is customarily used with, and clearly incidental and subordinate to, the principal use of the land or building and ordinarily located on the same lot with such principal use. These land uses are considered to be customarily associated with and clearly associated with the Utility Service Center. (Code Section 4.4 (B) (1) [C] - Article 4, pages 17-18.) The uses proposed in the E, Employment zone district are office building, warehouse, parking lot, enclosed vehicle storage, and outside material storage. The office, warehouse, parking lot, and outside storage are land uses which are considered permitted by virtue of being in compliance with the previously underlying zoning that was in effect on March 27, 1997 (the date immediately preceding the effective date of the new Land Use Code), and were physically existing upon such property on the aforementioned date. (Code Section 4.22 (B) (1) [C] - Article 4, page 127.) B. Contiguity Requirements The O.D.P. satisfies the contiguity requirement by having at least one -sixth of its perimeter boundary contiguous to existing urban development. C. Master Street Plan Requirements There are no new streets or transportation facilities included in the O.D.P. Nor are there any proposed streets or transportation facilities called for on the Master Street Plan associated with this property. Therefore, the O.D.P. complies with the Master Street Plan. Utility Service Center Overall Development Plan, #16-90D June 19, 1997 P & Z Hearing Page 4 D. Street Pattern and Transportation Connections The O.D.P. does not incorporate and continue all sub -arterial streets that are stubbed to the boundary of the O.D.P. by the existing street pattern. Since Loomis Street and Grant Street form tee intersections with Elm Street, and are not planned to extend north into the O.D.P., the requirement of providing sub -arterial connections to and from adjacent developments is not satisfied. The Land Use Code allows an O.D.P. to substitute alternative compliance to this aforementioned standard. An alternate plan may be substituted to be reviewed and approved by the Director of Engineering. In the case of not extending Loomis and Grant north into the service center, the alternate plan must accomplish the purposes of the design intent equally well or better than would a plan and design which complies with the standard, and that any reduction in access and circulation for vehicles maintains facilities for bicycle, pedestrian and transit to the maximum extent feasible. Alternative compliance is also reviewed against the Purpose of the Code section as well as the General Standard: Purpose. - "This section is intended to ensure that the local street system is well designed with regard to safety, efficiency, and convenience for the automobile, bicycle, pedestrian and transit modes of travel." General Standard: "The local street system of any proposed development shall be designed to be safe, efficient, convenient and attractive, considering use by all modes of transportation that will use the system, (including, without limitation, cars, trucks, buses, bicycles, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles). The local street system shall provide multiple direct connections to and between local destinations such as parks, schools, and shopping. Local streets must provide for both intra- and inter- neighborhood connections to knit developments together, rather than forming barriers between them. The street configuration within each parcel must contribute to the street system of the neighborhood." As justification, the applicant contends that the O.D.P. is an infill site within one of the oldest neighborhoods in the City featuring a well -established street network. Since the O.D.P. is for a place of employment with outside storage and security needs, there is Utility Service Center Overall Development Plan, #16-90D June 19, 1997 P & Z Hearing Page 5 no need to extend two streets through the site. Employees and customers are provided opportunities for access to the office buildings which are the logical destinations for the general public. Since the site is bounded by a reclaimed gravel pit on the north and Martinez Park on the east, there is no urban -style block that merits continuation. In fact, due to the Poudre River, the park, and the reclaimed gravel pit, the grid pattern of streets has historically ended at this property. Further, by not extending Loomis and Grant, a flood channel and small wetland are preserved thereby minimizing the impact on a natural feature. Based on the fact that the request is for a place of employment and not a residential development, the Director of Engineering finds that Utility Service Area "Alternate Plan" does not require a high degree of connectivity. The Utility Service Center is bounded by Wood Street and Elm Street which will be fully improved with detached sidewalks. Connectivity to the logical pedestrian destinations are provided. The alternative plan creates no reduction in access and circulation for vehicles and maintains facilities for bicycle, pedestrian, and transit, to the maximum extent feasible. Vehicular traffic can be distributed without exceeding level of service standards. Finally, the alternative plan minimizes the impacts on natural areas and features. Consequently, the "Alternate Plan" (not extending Loomis Street and Grant Street north into the Utility Service Area) represents a valid alternative that is equal to or better than a plan that would have included the additional street connections, meets the Purpose and General Standard of the Land Use Code, and complies with the Master Street Plan. E. Direct Onsite Access to Pedestrian and Bicycle Destinations: Since the O.D.P. represents employment uses and not a residential development, direct access to "onsite" pedestrian and bicycle destinations is not a critical element in promoting alternative modes of transportation. Rather, providing facilities for alternative modes for employees and customers from the neighborhood ("offsite") to the logical (`bnsite") destinations is a more effective design consideration. This is accomplished by the completion of the sidewalk system on Wood and Elm Streets. Non -vehicular connections from the south are constrained by the drainage channel and small wetland area along the south property line. Finally, by the fact that the site is located within a residential neighborhood, opportunities for bikes and pedestrians are far greater than if located in a single -use industrial park. F. Natural Areas and Features The O.D.P. designates certain parcels as open space. This satisfies the general • Utility Service Center Overall Development Plan, #16-90D June 19, 1997 P & Z Hearing Page 6 standard that the plan is designed and arranged to ensure that no disturbance shall occur to any natural area as a result of the development, and that the impacts and disturbance to natural areas is minimized through the incorporation of buffer zones. The designation of the 2.7 acre open space tract along the south property line will ensure that no disturbance shall occur to the natural area as a result of development. G. Drainage Basin Master Plan By protecting the natural drainage swale and wetland, the O.D.P. complies with the Old Town Drainage Basin. In summary, Staff finds that the O.D.P. complies with the applicable standards of the Land Use Code. 4. Findings of Fact/Conclusion A. The O.D.P. is evaluated by the criteria of the new Land Use Code. B. The O.D.P. represents a combination of existing improvements and newly acquired property. C. The land uses represented on the O.D.P. are permissible in their respective zoning districts. D. The O.D.P. meets the applicable standards of the new Land Use Code with the one exception of "Street Pattern and Transportation Connections." E. The applicant has submitted an Alternate Plan with respect to meeting the "Street Pattern and Transportation Connection" standard. F. The Alternate Plan has been reviewed by the Director of Engineering and it is found to accomplish the purpose of the standard equally well or better than a would a plan and design which complies with the standard. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of Utility Service Center O.D.P., #16-89D. No Text No Text Transpdoon Services • Engineering Department Citv of Fort Collins MEMORANDUM TO: Bob Blanchard, Director, Current Planning Ted Shepard, Senior Planner i FROM: Gary Diede, Group Leader, Transportation Operations and Projects-;4 RE: Utility Service Center O.D.P. Alternate Plan DATE: June 3, 1997 Transportation Services has received the request for Utility Services Overall Development which includes the potential expansion to the south of 4.86 acres for a new parking lot. The O.D.P. indicates that Loomis Street and Grant Street will not extend north of Elm Street into the Utility Service Center property. The Land Use Code states: "The overall development plan shall conform to the Master Street Plan requirements and the street pattern/connectivity standards both within and adjacent to the boundaries of the plan as required purusant to Sections 3.6.1 and 3.6.3 (A) through (F). Section 3.6.3 (F) states "All development plans shall incorporate and continue all sub -arterial streets stubbed to the boundary of the development plan by previously approved development plans or existing development." Since Loomis and Grant Streets are not planned to extend north, the applicant has proposed an Alternate Plan that may be substituted for a plan otherwise meeting the standard cited above. Based on the review criteria found in the Land Use Code, Transportation Services finds that the Alternate Plan accomplishes the purpose of ensuring that the local street system is well designed for safety, efficiency, and convenience for automobile, bicycle, pedestrian, and transit modes of travel. Based on the fact that the O.D.P. is for an employment center, with outside storage and security needs, there does not need to be a high degree of vehicular connectivity. 281 North College Avenue • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 • (970) 221-6605