HomeMy WebLinkAboutGUARDIAN SELF STORAGE - PDP190020 - - MODIFICATION REQUESTFebruary 14, 2020
Planning & Zoning Board
c/o City of Fort Collins
Current Planning Department
281 North College Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Re: Guardian Storage Modification of Standard Request
Please accept this request for a Modification of Standards to Section 3.10.4(C) of the City of
Fort Collins Land Use Code.
Development Proposal & Background
The Guardian Storage property is generally located on the northeast corner of College Avenue
and Fossil Creek Parkway. The proposed development is comprised of 2 parcels of land within
the Discount Tire Fossil Creek Subdivision First Replat, Lot 1 being approximately 1.85 acres in
size located west of the existing City ROW of Snead Drive and Tract A being 0.29 acers in size
located east of the existing City ROW of Snead Drive. Both parcels are Zoned CG – General
Commercial and are also located within the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay Zone.
Guardian Storage plans to development Lot 1 as the Guardian Storage Facility and Tract A will
be utilized for Wetland Mitigation and Natural Area Buffer for the existing non-jurisdictional
wetlands being removed do to the construction of Snead Drive.
Modification Request to Section 3.10.4(C)
As mentioned above the subject property is currently Zoned CG – General Commercial.
Additionally the property is located within and at the most southerly extent of the Transit-
Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay Zone.
The City’s Land Use Code Language states in the Development Standards for the Transit
Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay Zone, Division 3.10.4(C) Off-street Parking - Off-street
parking shall be located behind, above, within or below street-facing buildings to the
maximum extent feasible. No parking will be allowed between the street and the front or
side of a building.
Justification
The modification requested is in accordance with the review procedures set forth in Section
2.8.2(H) of the Land Use Code states as follows: The decision maker may grant a modification
of standards only if it finds that the granting of the modification would not be detrimental to
the public good, and the decisions makers must also find that the Modification meets one of
the following four criteria as described in the Land Use Code.
The applicant respectfully presents that the proposed development meets the following criteria
for approval of the Modification and the case presented below demonstrates that approval of
the Modification would not be detrimental to the public good.
Criteria #1
(1) the plan as submitted will promote the general purpose of the standard for which the
modification is requested equally well or better than would a plan which complies with the
standard for which a modification is requested;
Criteria #1 is Not Applicable
Criteria #2
(2) the granting of a modification from the strict application of any standard would, without
impairing the intent and purpose of this Land Use Code, substantially alleviate an existing,
defined and described problem of city-wide concern or would result in a substantial benefit to
the city by reason of the fact that the proposed project would substantially address an
important community need specifically and expressly defined and described in the city's
Comprehensive Plan or in an adopted policy, ordinance or resolution of the City Council, and
the strict application of such a standard would render the project practically infeasible;
Criteria #2 is Not Applicable
Criteria #3
(3) by reason of exceptional physical conditions or other extraordinary and exceptional
situations, unique to such property, including, but not limited to, physical conditions such as
exceptional narrowness, shallowness or topography, or physical conditions which hinder the
owner's ability to install a solar energy system, the strict application of the standard sought to
be modified would result in unusual and exceptional practical difficulties, or exceptional or
undue hardship upon the owner of such property, provided that such difficulties or hardship
are not caused by the act or omission of the applicant;
Criteria #3 is Not Applicable
Criteria #4
(4) the plan as submitted will not diverge from the standards of the Land Use Code that are
authorized by this Division to be modified except in a nominal, inconsequential way when
considered from the perspective of the entire development plan, and will continue to advance
the purposes of the Land Use Code as contained in Section 1.2.2.
• The applicant believes that the granting of this Modification of Standard allowing for a
minimal amount of off-street parking which includes 1 Accessible & 5
Customer/Employee parking spaces is inconsequential when considered from the
perspective of the entire development plan. Furthermore the granting of the
Modification will continue to advance many of the Goals of the Land Use Code in terms
of enhanced architecture, building articulation, site landscaping and visual buffering
from the public ROW.
• The 6 off-street parking spaces in question have been designed to be in close proximity
to the Leasing Office/Shop to maximize customer convenience and accessibility. In
addition the parking has been designed to be at an angle to both the Fossil Creek
Parkway and Snead Drive in order to increase the landscape area and maximize the
visual buffering as viewed from the public ROW. As a result of the parking layout and
design the landscape area provided between the 6 off-street parking spaces and the
public ROW which varies from 40’ to over 140’ we believe the parking will be adequately
buffered from the public ROW and surrounding neighborhood.
• The requested Modification of Standard and the alternative parking layout will ensure
sensitivity to the surrounding neighborhood and traveling public by placing the parking a
significant distance from the ROW thus maximized the landscape area between the off-
street parking and the public ROW.
We appreciate your thoughtful consideration of this proposed modification and look forward to
your favorable response.
Sincerely,
Ken Merritt, RLA, APA
Director of Planning
JR Engineering