Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutFRONT RANGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, PARKING LOT EXPANSION - SITE PLAN ADVISORY REVIEW - 10-06 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORTw FRCC Larinter - Meeting Minutes March 21, 2006 Page'-) of 2 9. With regard to the new lighting, the tall existing flood lights near Lot 4 will be rotated and redirected away from the neighbors towards Lots 3 and 4. New lighting at Lots 2 and 5 will be 20' or 30' tall and will not be the flood type lighting. Baffles will be installed on the easternmost lights to reduce light spill to the east. It was pointed out that FRCC must install these lights up to typical educational standards for safety reasons, and that there will be some reflected light in the area. 10. With regard to screening, the neighbors mentioned that they sometimes take walks from the subdivision to the east through FRCC on the weekends and evenings and that a fence is not desirable. It. Mr. Ellis who lives near the southeast corner of the FRCC site was concerned about screening the cars in this area. It was pointed out that the existing gravel lot currently extents to the southeast corner of the site near his home. It was mentioned that FRCC has designed the new Lot 5 with a landscape buffer (8' in width minimum) and heavy tree plantings (six 6' to 8' tall evergreen trees) in the southeast area of Lot 5 along the property line. As a result of Mr. Ellis' comments, the plans now require the contractor to stake the trees in this area prior to planting. After staking, FRCC staff will contact Mr. Ellis to let him have the final decision on the exact location of the tree plantings in this area. Following the advice of the project's landscape architect, it was mentioned that FRCC did not wish to plant too many tall trees that would block the neighbors' view, breezes and natural light. 12. The meeting was adjourned. The only follow-up item was for Jim Butzek with FRCC to let Mr. Ellis know that we have provided him the opportunity to take part in the final tree staking as mentioned above. 13. Subsequent to the meeting, the homeowner's association president for the neighborhood to the east called JVA and requested a (lull construction set. A full set was delivered as requested. End of Meeting Minutes The forgoing represents our understanding of the items discussed and the conclusions reached. II' no corrections are received within five husiness days, the project will proceed based on this understanding. ® .IVA, Incorporated 1319 Spruce Street Boulder, CO 80302 Ph: 303.444-1951 Fax: 303.444.1957 ❑ JVA, Incorporated 25 Old Town Sq.. Suite 2W Fort Collins, CO 80525 Ph: 970.225.9099 Fax: 970,225.6923 Front Range Community College Larimer Campus MEETING MINUTES DATE: Tuesday March 21, 2006 6:00 PM SUBJECT: Neighborhood Review Meeting JVA JOB NO.: 1352c LOCATION: FRCC Larimer Campus ATTENDEES: Mike Kupcho, FRCC Jim Butzek, FRCC Rich James, FRCC Charlie Hager, JVA Neighbors (see below) SUMMARY ❑ .IVA, Incorporated PO Box 1860 79050 US Highway 40 Winter Park, CO 80482 Ph: 970,722.7677 Fax: 970.722.7679 Web rile: %Y1VW jvajva.eom E-rnail: info@ivajva.com This meeting was called to present the parking lot plan to the adjoining property owners and to get input. Meeting Minutes 2. Announcements were distributed to the adjoining property owners by FRCC regarding the meeting. 3. Attendees from the area included: a. Matt and Rhonda Cooley 748 Stoddard Drive b. Scott & Becky Evans 4800 Langdale Court c. Mark Ellis 730 McGraw 4. Meeting started with a presentation of site and construction plans by JVA 5. Questions were posed from neighbors regarding schedule, extent of work, lighting, etc. 6. With regard to schedule, work will take place during the Summer while the minimum number of students will be present. 7. Concerns were brought up regarding people parking in Lot 5 at night and litter. FRCC mentioned that the new Lot 5 with improved lighting should make it less conducive for loitering. Also, FRCC will now be able send a street sweeper into the Lot 5 area after it is paved. 8. The grassy area south of Lots 3 and 4 was discussed. No work will occur in this area at his time; although a master plan did show possible future parking in this area. Community Plan Current Planning and Environmental Services TO: Planning and Zoning Board FROM: Shelby Sommer, Associate Planner DATE: April 20, 2006 RE: Front Range Community College Parking Lot Expansion Questions and Responses This memorandum to the Planning and Zoning Board has been prepared in response to questions raised during the Worksession about the Front Range Community College Parking Lot Expansion Site Plan Advisory Review proposal. One member of the board asked whether or not the City held a neighborhood meeting for this proposal. A city -sponsored neighborhood meeting was not held for this proposal, due to the fact that the college hosted its own neighborhood meeting for adjacent property owners on March 21, 2006. The applicant has prepared a meeting summary, which is attached. Three affected property owners attended the meeting. Another member of the board requested additional information regarding the existing Transfort bus stop and where it would be relocated. The existing bus stop is internal to the site, just south of the Harmony Library. The proposed bus stop is on Shields Street, south of the Harmony Road intersection and approximately 350 feet north of the realigned west entrance. There will be bus pullout with a shelter, connected by an eight foot walkway to the internal sidewalk system. 281 North College Avenue 9 P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 9 (970) 221-6750 FAX (970) 416-2020 Front Range Community College Parking Lot Expansion Site Plan Advisory Review - #10-06, Planning and Zoning Board Meeting April 20, 2006 Page 5 CONCLUSIONS After reviewing the Front Range Community College Parking Lot Expansion Site Plan Advisory Review - #10-06, staff offers the following conclusions: 1. The locations of the proposed new paved parking lots are appropriate. 2. The character of the proposed parking lots is appropriate and improves the current conditions. 3. The extent of the proposed Front Range Community College parking lots is appropriate because it resolves a driveway/street alignment problem, improves internal circulation, and addresses water quality. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Planning and Zoning Board approve the Front Range Community College Parking Lot Expansion Site Plan Advisory Review - #10-06. Front Range Community College Parking Lot Expansion Site Plan Advisory Review - #10-06, Planning and Zoning Board Meeting April 20, 2006 Page 4 required every fifteen parking spaces and large surface parking lots shall be divided into smaller sections by landscape areas according to the Land Use Code. This proposal is not subject to the standards of the Land Use Code; however, it attempts to satisfy some of the requirements by dividing the parking area into five smaller lots, and including landscape islands at the end of many of the parking rows. Additional handicap and motorcycle parking spaces will be provided convenient to the building entrances, and bicycle racks will remain scattered throughout the site. A new Transfort bus bay will be provided on Shields Street, with a pedestrian connection that links to an existing sidewalk adjacent to the Harmony Library. C. Extent Front Range Community College currently provides 1273 parking spaces in two paved parking lots and two gravel overflow lots. With the addition of Lot 1, and the paving and expansion of Lots 2 and 5, a total of 1542 paved parking spaces will be provided. Schools are required by the Land Use Code to provide a minimum number of parking spaces, and Front Range Community College satisfies this requirement. A traffic study was not required for this proposal. The number of students or vehicles is not projected to increase with these parking changes, and the interior traffic flow will improve as a result of the reconfiguration of the internal drive. Front Range Community College will realign its west entrance from Shields Street to align with the Westbury Drive/Shields Street intersection to provide easier access to the Harmony Library and Front Range Community College campus. The existing internal Transfort bus stop is proposed to be relocated to Shields Street to reduce on -site congestion. Additional work in the Shields Street or the Harmony Road rights -of -way is not proposed at this time. Drainage on the site will be addressed with the renovation of the existing detention pond. The new pond will increase total detention capacity and will add water quality control features. The City strongly urges the applicant to consider designing the detention pond to take into consideration the future Harmony Road widening and improvements. Front Range Community College Parking Lot Expansion Site Plan Advisory Review - #10-06, Planning and Zoning Board Meeting April 20, 2006 Page 3 3. Location. Character and Extent A. Location The Larimer Front Range Community College Campus is located at 4616 South Shields Street, at the southeast corner of Shields Street and Harmony Road. The -property is zoned RL, Low Density Residential District, in which colleges are not permitted uses. However, Front Range Community College has operated at this location since 1988, prior to the adoption of the Fort Collins Land Use Code in 1997. Five student, faculty and visitor parking lots currently exist south and east of the existing buildings on the site. The Harmony Library parking lot is connected to the other parking lots, but will not undergo any improvements, and should not be considered a part of this proposal. • Lot 1 is proposed as an addition to the western edge of the Harmony Library Lot. • Lot 2 is at the southwest corner of the property and currently exists as a dirt/gravel overflow parking area. Lot 2 will be paved and will connect to the realigned west entrance. •. Lots 3 and 4 are the existing paved lots on the south side of the site and will be modified to provide additional motorcycle and handicap parking spaces in place of several regular parking spaces. • Lot 5, along the eastern edge of the property is also currently dirt/gravel and will be paved and enlarged. • Lots 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be connected by a realigned internal drive which connects to both the north and west entrances. The west entrance will be realigned to connect with the existing Westbury Drive and Shields Street intersection. B. Character The school is not proposing any exterior changes to the existing buildings or any major changes to the existing paved parking lots. The new parking lots will feature some perimeter landscaping and landscaped islands at the ends of many of the parking rows. The existing trees along the south edge of the property will be retained and protected during construction. Typically, parking lots of this size are required to have ten percent interior landscaping per the Fort Collins Land Use Code. Landscape islands are Front Range Community College Parking Lot Expansion Site Plan Advisory Review - #10-06, Planning and Zoning Board Meeting April 20, 2006 Page 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This request for review from Front Range Community College is submitted to the Planning and Zoning Board as a Site Plan Advisory Review pursuant to State Statute Section 31-23-209, which permits the City to review and comment on the proposal with respect to its location, character and extent. COMMENTS: Background The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: N: MMN (Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood District) — single and multi -family dwellings E: RL (Low Density Residential District) — single-family dwellings S: RL (Low Density Residential District) — single-family dwellings W: LMN and RL (Low Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood and Low Density Residential Districts) — single-family dwellings In 1998, Larimer County Voc-Tech Center merged with Front Range Community College, to become the Larimer Campus of Front Range Community College. 2. Process The City of Fort Collins has agreed with Front Range Community College to process this application under Section 31-23-209, Colorado Revised Statutes, which states: "When the commission (Planning and Zoning Board) has adopted the master plan of the municipality or of one or more major sections or districts thereof, no street, square, park or other public way, ground or open space, public building or structure, or publicly or privately owned public utility shall be constructed or authorized in the municipality or in such planned section and district until the location, character, and extent thereof has been submitted for approval by the commission. In case of disapproval, the commission shall communicate its reasons to the municipality's governing body, which has the power to overrule such disapproval by a recorded vote of not less than two-thirds of its entire membership." ITEM NO. 5 MEETING DATE4/20/06 STAFF Shelby Sommer Citv of Fort Collins PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD STAFF REPORT PROJECT: Front Range Community College Parking Lot Expansion Site Plan Advisory Review - #10-06 APPLICANT: JVA, Incorporated 1319 Spruce Street Boulder, CO 80302 OWNER: State of Colorado Department of Higher Education 1391 N. Speer Blvd. Denver, CO 80204 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Front Range Community College requests a Site Plan Advisory Review to pave and expand the existing gravel overflow parking lots and improve portions of the existing parking area at 4616 South Shields Street (Front Range Community College's Larimer Campus). The property is zoned RL —Low Density Residential District. RECOMMENDATION: Approval COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 281 N. College Ave. P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 (970) 221-6750 PLANNING DEPARTMENT