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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTREEHOUSE MONTESSORI SCHOOL - PDP - 17-07 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORTTree House Montessori School PDP— #17-07 July 19, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 7 B. The request for modification to Division 4.4(B)(3)(c)(1) — Child Care Centers, is: 1) Not detrimental to the public good; and 2) The proposed plan is equal to a compliant plan with at least 1,500 feet separating from an existing child care center because the center will serve the Lexington Green Neighborhood without the need to cross an arterial street and parking impacts will be reduced through a shared parking agreement. C. The PDP complies with all applicable standards located in Division 4.4 — Low Density Residential District (RL) of the Land Use Code. D. The PDP Complies with all applicable General Development Standards located in Division 3 of the Land Use Code. 5. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the request modification to Division 4.4(B)(3)(c)(1) — Child Care Centers. Staff recommends approval of Tree House Montessori School PDP, #17-07. Attachments: Vicinity Map Site and Landscape Plan Site Photos Statement of Planning Objectives Request for Modification Parking Agreement Neighborhood Meeting Summary Traffic Impact Study Tree House Montessori School PDP— #17-07 July 19, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 6 B. Building Standards [Section 3.5] 1) Building and Project Compatibility [Section 3.5.1]: This project is compatible with the existing single-family properties in the neighborhood as it is currently a single-family house and will retain that single-family character as a child care facility, with minor alterations to the building exterior and only daytime hours of operation. 2) Character and Image [Section 3.5.3(D)]: The building will retain a residential fagade. A small sign may be placed on the property, according to sign code regulations and subject to a sign permit. The handicap accessible ramp will be placed on the side of the building, and the handicap parking space will be signed, but not striped in order for the property to maintain a residential character. C. Supplementary Regulations [Division 3.8] 1) Child Care Center Regulations [Section 3.8.4(A)]: This PDP proposal is for 15 children with potential to expand to approximately 20 children in the future. As required per this section, a 5,362 square foot outdoor play area is provided, well above the minimum 2,500 square foot outdoor play area required for 15 children. The outdoor play area will be screened by a six foot solid wood fence. This section also limits the capacity of child care centers based upon indoor floor space reserved for school purposes with a minimum of 40 square feet per child. The total indoor floor space in the first floor of the building is approximately 1,200 square feet, which is sufficient for the number of children proposed. Per this section, preschool nurseries along local streets are not required to provide an off-street vehicular bay or driveway for loading and unloading purposes. Valley Forge Avenue is classified by the Master Street Plan as a Local Street, and is not required to provide such loading area. However, the applicant proposes to use the existing two -car driveway as an off-street pick- up/drop-off area for children. If this PDP is approved, and active and continuous operations are not carried on for a period of twelve consecutive months, the child care center use shall be deemed to have been abandoned. 4. Findings Of Fact / Conclusion: After reviewing the Tree House Montessori School PDP, Staff makes the following findings of fact and conclusions: A. The proposed land use, child care facility, is a permitted land use in the RL — Low Density Residential Zone District provided that there is a 1,500 foot separation from any existing child care facility. A modification to this separation standard has been requested with this Project Development Plan. Tree House Montessori School PDP— #17-07 July 19, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 5 5) Tree Protection [Section 3.2.1(F)&(G)]: All existing significant trees will be preserved per the specifications set forth in this section. 6) Access, Circulation and Parking [Section 3.2.2]: This PDP safely and conveniently accommodates the movement of vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians and transit. Parking for employees will be provided in the existing two -car garage and the existing driveway will be used for child pick-up and drop-off. 7) Curbcuts and Ramps [Section 3.2.2(C)2]: The property currently features a rollover curb to the existing driveway. A handicap accessible ramp will be provided near the handicap parking area to a building entrance located on the east side. 8) Walkways [Section 3.2.2(C)(5)]: This PDP features walkways connecting the street sidewalk and pick-up/drop-off area to the building entry. 9) Transportation Impact Study [Section 3.2.2(C)(8)]: A Transportation Impact Study Memorandum was submitted for this PDP and is attached. The memorandum concluded that the while the proposed child care center will generate more traffic than a single-family house, the type of traffic and vehicles will be similar to that of a house, and that the traffic operations at/near the property will be acceptable. 10) Parking Lot Layout [Section 3.2.2(E)]: The parking lot provides well-defined circulation routes for pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles. Employee parking is provided in the existing two -car garage and an additional handicap accessible will be provided on a concrete slab constructed on the east side of the existing driveway. The existing two -car driveway will be utilized as a child pick-up/drop- off area with no long term parking allowed. 11) Shared Parking [Section 3.2.2(G)]: The applicant has entered a shared parking agreement with the Fort Collins Bible Church, located directly south of the subject property. A letter of understanding is attached. The church parking lot will be available to Tree House Montessori School to use for additional staff and/or overflow parking as needed. A gate in the south fence will allow access between the church parking lot and the Tree House Montessori back yard play area. 12) Residential Parking Requirements [Section 3.2.2(K)(1)]: This PDP provides parking spaces as required per this section. A total of two standard parking spaces are provided for employees in the existing garage, and additional overflow parking is available at the adjacent church. 13) Handicap Parking [Section 3.2.2(K)]: This PDP proposes one van accessible handicap parking space located on a slab on the east side of the existing driveway. 14) Parking Stall Dimensions [Section 3.2.2(L)]: All parking spaces meet the minimum parking stall dimensions. Tree House Montessori School PDP— #17-07 July 19, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 4 2013 Valley Forge property is not separated from the existing facility by 1,500 feet, it is separated from the existing facility by a major arterial street. Moreover, this proposal is for a specific Montessori -based preschool, and another Montessori preschool is not likely to be located in this neighborhood due to its specialized curriculum. While this type of preschool facility is classified as a child care facility, it will operate much like a school with a specific curriculum and trained staff. It should be noted that public and private schools are also permitted uses in the RL — Low Density Residential District, but are not subject to minimum separation requirements as set forth for child care centers. Finally, the property backs to the Fort Collins Bible Church, which has entered into a shared parking agreement with the Tree House Montessori School, which will allow the school to utilize the church parking lot when necessary. This agreement creates a situation is equal to, or perhaps even better than, a compliant plan because it ensures parking alternatives to prevent spillover parking on the neighborhood streets, whereas many houses located 1,500 feet away from the existing facility are not located in areas where shared parking agreements would be feasible to pursue. C. Land Use Standards: This proposal complies with all density and dimensional requirements set forth in this section. 3. Compliance with General Development Standards The proposed project complies with the applicable general development standards contained in Division 3 of the Land Use Code as follows: A. Site Planning and Design Standards [Division 3.2] 1) Landscaping and Tree Protection [Section 3.2.1]—The PDP provides full tree stocking on the street frontages and landscaping throughout the project. The existing silver maple tree in the front yard will remain, as will the majority of the existing trees in the back yard/play area. Additional landscaping will include child -friendly ground cover, an organic garden and landscaping along the parking area perimeter. 2) Buffering between Incompatible Uses and Activities [Section 3.2.1 (E)(1)]: The PDP provides for the preservation of an existing six foot high privacy fence at the property line between this site and the residential properties on the west and east, and the church property to the south. A gate will be provided along the southern edge of the fence for access to the church parking lot. 3) Landscape Area Treatment [Section 3.2.1(E)(2)]: All non -paved areas on the site are designed with appropriate landscape areas as described in this section, including a flower garden, turf, organic garden and ground cover areas. 4) Parking Lot Landscaping [Sections 3.2.1(E)(4)&(5)]: The project satisfies the parking lot perimeter standards set forth in this section. Tree House Montessori School PDP— #17-07 July 19, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 3 Montessori caters only to 3 to 6 year old (preschool) children, our curriculum is Montessori specific, requiring Montessori certified directors and experienced teachers, in addition to our small classroom size of 15 children. Finally, Montessori is an educational facility, not a childcare facility. The childcare center, or empty Children's World facility, targets a different population of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the before and after school children and teenagers from neighborhood schools. Furthermore, the facility is separated from the proposed Montessori school by a major crossroad (Taft Hill) thus targeting children in a separate neighborhood. An additional point, TreeHouse Montessori is an asset to the community, it aims to revitalize the house and its landscaping, but more importantly, experience shows that many Montessori students have grown to become leaders in our community. TreeHouse Montessori certainly will not be detrimental to the community. As we have been currently operating in this neighborhood for the past 5 years, there will be very little impact on traffic flow. In our experience, drop-off and pick-up occurs at various times and we haven't experienced any rushes exceeding 2-4 families at one time. Operating times occur only during daytime hours, closing on weekends and holidays that follow the CSU and Poudre School schedules. Our research shows a relative paucity of preschools on the west side of Fort Collins and we feel that our program will be an asset to the community by providing a specialized educational program for preschoolers in this area of need. In addition, this property is our preferred location because it is in a neighborhood that currently benefits from the Montessori preschool, the house is a one -level home with a layout easily compliant with state regulations for a preschool with a large back yard for play space and gardening, adequate storage in the basement, appropriate employee garage parking, and overflow or off-street parking available through the church parking lot in the back. Further, this house has minimal neighbors to disturb, both east and west side neighbors work during the day, but are supportive of this school, and there are no individual neighbors at the back — the bible church operates mainly on Wednesday evenings and on Sundays. TreeHouse believes that because of these factors, in addition to neighborhood support, it is equal to or better than a compliant house. Staff has determined that this request for modification is equal to a compliant plan (one that is located 1,500 feet from the existing Children's World building). As the applicant stated, Children's World is an approved child care facility that has been abandoned for approximately 18 months. This building may continue operations as a child care center in the future, or be converted to another use that is permitted in the NC — Neighborhood Commercial Zone District through a major or minor amendment to its approved development plan. Regardless of whether the existing child care facility will ever resume operations, the proposal for the Tree House Montessori School is equal to a compliant plan located at least 1,500 feet from the existing facility, because it will continue to serve the Lexington Green Neighborhood, as would a proposal 1,500 feet away from the existing facility. The preschool currently operates at the Foothills Unitarian Church, located several blocks away on Yorktown Drive. The Tree House Montessori School is looking for a more permanent facility in this neighborhood, and the property at 2013 Valley Forge satisfies the program's specifications. While the Tree House Montessori School PDP— #17-07 July 19, 2007 P & Z Meeting Page 2 COMMENTS 1. Background The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: N: RL: Existing single-family residential uses E: RL: Existing single-family residential uses S: RL: Existing Fort Collins Bible Church and parking area W: RL, NC: Existing single-family residential uses, Drake Crossing Shopping Center This property was originally platted as Lot 77 of the Lexington Green Third Filing of 1969. 2. Compliance with Zoning District Standards The proposed PDP complies with the applicable standards in Division 4.4 — Low Density Residential District (RL) standards as follows: A. Purpose: The purpose of the RL — Low Density Residential District is intended for: "...predominantly single-family residential areas located throughout the city which were existing at the time of adoption of this Land Use Code." This PDP complies with the purpose of the RL — Low Density Residential District in that while child care facilities are classified as a commercial use, this proposal complements the adjacent residential uses by serving the surrounding neighborhood and by maintaining a single-family residential appearance. B. Permitted Uses: Child care centers are permitted in the RL — Low Density Residential District, subject to Planning and Zoning Board approval. In this district, no child care center shall be permitted to be located within one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet of any existing child care center within the city. The applicant has submitted a request for modification to this standard, per the process and criteria outlined in Division 2.8 of the Land Use Code. The applicant's request for modification is as follows: Dear Planning and Zoning Board, This is a request for modification of standard 4.4(B)(3)(c)(1). Our proposed plan is to open a Montessori preschool at 2013 Valley Forge Avenue, Lot 77, Lexington Green P, Fort Collins, Colorado. The current zoning allows for a child care facility, but not within 1,500 feet of an existing facility. There is currently an abandoned Children's World facility located at 2140 Valley Forge Ave.,which is 317 feet from our proposed location. The Children's World facility has been closed and has sat empty for over 18 months. The Montessori preschool would not hinder any childcare business opening in this facility because Montessori would serve an entirely different population than a childcare center. ITEM NO. 4 MEETINGDATE 7/19/07 STAFF Shelby Sommer Citv of Fort Collins PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD STAFF REPORT PROJECT: Tree House Montessori School PDP Type II- #17-07 APPLICANT: Tree House Montessori School c/o Loanne Johnson and Shawn Leland 2009 Valley Forge Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80526 OWNER: Elizabeth Stamp 16651 E. Prentice Circle Centennial, CO 80015 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request to convert the existing single-family residential house located at 2013 Valley Forge Avenue to a childcare facility, called the Tree House Montessori School. The development proposal includes adding one parking space, utilizing the existing driveway as a child drop-off area, updating the building interior and exterior, enhancing the existing landscaping, and converting the back yard to a large, fenced play area. The property is located on the south side of Valley Forge Avenue, three properties east of South Taft Hill Road, in the RL — Low Density Residential Zone District. RECOMMENDATION: Approval EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This Project Development Plan proposal complies with the applicable requirements of the Land Use Code (LUC), more specifically: A. The Common Development Review Procedures for Project Development Plans located in Division 2.2; B. The proposed land use, child care facility, is a permitted land use in the RL — Low Density Residential Zone District as long as there is a 1,500 foot separation from any existing child care facility. A modification to this separation standard is requested with this Project Development Plan; C. The Project Development Plan complies with the applicable standards of Division 4.4 — Low Density Residential (RL) Zone District, D. The Project Development Plan complies with the applicable standards of the General Development Standards of Article 3; A neighborhood information meeting was held on June 26, 2007 and a meeting summary is attached. COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 281 N. College Ave. P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, Co 80522-0580 (970) 221-6750 PLANNING DEPARTMENT