HomeMy WebLinkAboutRETREAT AT 1200 PLUM ST. - PDP - 34-08 - REPORTS - MODIFICATION REQUEST (3)Two sidewalk connections are provided for Building C that are clearly illuminated, and
are identifiable from Columbine Street. The entrances are only 42 feet from
Columbine Street and serve only eight units with each sidewalk connection. We feel
that this configuration is "equal to" providing only one entrance that faces Columbine
Street directly.
• A shade arbor is proposed along the street -facing facade of Building C, which further
enhances the fagade and overall massing of the structure and provides additional
pedestrian -scale interest.
Criteria(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.
• Columbine is a dead end street with little vehicular traffic, and in functional terms, the
street frontage at Building C remains "public" mainly to be used by this development.
Even though Columbine Street is a public street, and therefore requires a street -facing
fagade, the benefit of having a street -facing fagade in this context is inconsequential.
There does not appear to be any benefit to the general public with having the Building
C entrance face Columbine Street. _
Sincerely,
Jason Holland
VFR Design, Inc.
architecture ■ land planning ■ landscape architecture a interior design
March 11, 2009
(Revised April 2, 2009)
Steve Olt
Fort Collins Planning Department
281 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80524
RE: Modification Request for Street -Facing Facades— The Retreat @ 1200 Plum Project
Development Plan (PDP).
This is a Modification Request to Section 3.5.2(C)(2), which addresses the requirement for a
street -facing front facade.
This section of the Land Use Code states that:
(2) "Street -Facing Facades. Every building containing four (4) or more dwelling units shall
have at least one (1) building entry or doorway facing any adjacent street that is smaller than
a full arterial or has on -street parking."
The applicant is proposing that the entrance facades for Building C face north and
south, as configured in the PDP plans submitted March 11, 2009, and that an entrance
for building C is not required to be "street -facing" directly on to Columbine.
We are requesting approval for this modification that we feel complies with the standards per
Review Criteria 2.8.2(H)(1) and (4) in the following ways:
Criteria (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.
A goal of this City Standard is to have building facades that allow a quality street
presentation, where entrances are generally designed with pedestrian -scale porches
and massing that allow the building to have an attractive appearance from the street.
As a response to these goals, Building C is designed with "four sided" architecture,
where all of the faces of the building are highly articulated and feature fagade bump -
outs, and a hierarchy of material coursing that reduces the overall massing of the
structure. As a result, the proposed west elevation of Building C has an attractive
street presentation, and provides a "street facing fagade" equal to the standard.
Overall, the proposed building is more attractive than a strict interpretation of the
standard- in which the front is highly articulated and the other building sides are less
articulated.
VAUGHT FRYE RIPLEY DESIGN INC.
401 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 200 ■ Fort Collins, CO 80521 ■ tel. 970.224.1191 ■ fax 970.224.1662 ■
www.vfrdesigninc.com