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Home My WebLink AboutTHUNDERBIRD ESTATES SIXTH DRAKE SHOPS - Filed GC-GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE - 2006-11-15January 17, 2006 Mr. Marc Virata CITY OF FORT COLLINS ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT PO Box 580 Fort Collins CO 80522 RE: Drake Shops — Variance request for utility easement Dear Mr. Virata: J-R ENGINEERING The intent of this letter is to request a variance regarding the required utility easement along the frontage of the above project. Per chapter 7 of the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards, a 15-ft utility easement is typically required along arterials such as South College Avenue and East Drake Road. No utility easement has been provided along South College Avenue and a 5-ft utility easement has been proposed along East Drake Road with this application. Support for the variance described above is discussed in the line items listed below: 1) Per our discussions with Xcel Energy, adequate gas mains already exist in the direct vicinity of the subject site and they do not anticipate a future need for an easement along the frontage of this property. 2) We have also coordinated with Fort Collins Light and Power and the proposed electrical service will be pulled from an existing conduit at the northeast corner of the subject site. The 5-ft easement along East Drake Road has been provided if the need arises to provide electrical service to the southeast corner of the College Avenue and Drake Road intersection. 3) We have contacted Comcast Cable and they have stated that they have no need for an easement along the frontage of this property. 4) The reduced/eliminated easements have enabled the design team to overcome various complications (property size and location, connecting to existing improvements, etc.) that are inherently associated with an infill project. 5) No negative impacts to public health, safety, and/or welfare are anticipated. 6) No additional maintenance costs are anticipated. 2620 East Prospect Road, Suite 190, Fort Collins, CO 80525 970491-9888 • Fax: 970-491-9984 • w virengfneering.com Mr. Eric Bracke, PE, PTOE City of Fort Corlins Traffic Engineer 111112005 Page 2 It should be noted that under the land use category of Specialty Retail, the daily traffic volume would only be 155 trips with only 39 trips projected to utilize the Drake Road access. Determination of Setback Distance The minimum setback is determined in accordance with LCUASS Figure 19-6. Two factors are utilized to determine the minimum setback. These factors are the daily volume of traffic in the parking lot and the street classification of the adjacent street. Drake Road is classified as an arterial roadway. The parking lot volume, according to Wand Stanford of your department, is the volume of daily traffic projected to utilize the access to the adjacent roadway - the 111 vehicles identified above. According to Figure 19-6, the minimum setback from an arterial roadway with a parking lot volume between 100 and 750 requires a minimum setback of 75 feet. Proposed Design The attached site plan shows the proposed layout of the site with the 50-foot setback from Drake Road. As is visible from the proposed site plan, any additional setback from Drake Road would have a significant impact on the number of parking stalls and the location of those stalls in relation to the proposed building. Justification for Variance Request Based on my professional judgmem the proposed variance of a 50-foot setback rather than a 75-foot setback is justified for a number of reasons. The redevelopment of this site will result in significant transportation benefits. Currently, access to this site is via a right- in/right-out access to College Avenue and a right-in/right-out access to Drake Road. In redeveloping this site, Drake Real Estate Services has agreed to close the existing right- in/right-out access to College Avenue. Access to College Avenue will be through the Walgreen's site to the south to Thunderbird Drive. The removal of the College Avenue access will provide for safer and more efficient operation of the College Avenue/Drake Road intersection. Redevelopment of this site does not require additional access to College Avenue. Access to College will be via the existing intersection of College Avenue and Thunderbird Drive and through the Walgreen's site. As is shown in the Traffic Impact Study, the intersection of College Avenue and Thunderbird Drive will continue to operate acceptably with the addition of this projects traffic. The variance request for a 50-foot setback will not prove detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare. The 50-foot setback will provide enough distance from Drake Road to accommodate vehicle stacking both inbound and outbound without interfering with the operation and safety on Drake Road. The volume of traffic projected to utilize this access is low and is not anticipated to cause vehicles backing out into Drake Road. Mr. Erns Bracke, PE, PTOE City of Fort Collins Traffic Engineer 111112005 Page 3 The proposed variance will not reduce the design life of Drake Road nor will it cause the City of Fort Collins additional maintenance costs. No negative impacts to the safety or operation of Drake Road are anticipated with the development of this site and the proposed 50 foot setback. Additional maintenance costs are not anticipated as the improvements that will be constructed will be better than the existing conditions and per City of Fort Collins code. In addition, it should be noted that the projected traffic volumes that are being utilized to determine the minimum setback are based on the worst -case scenario of proposed land uses — a high-tumover sit-down restaurant. Even with the worst -case scenario of traffic volumes, our projected volume is only 12 vehicles higher than the volume that would require a 50-foot setback instead of a 75-foot setback. I believe that this letter accompanied with the attached site plan and Traffic Impact Study addresses all of the requirements for a variance request to the City of Fort Collins. I respectfully request approval of this variance request to reduce the minimum off-street parking setback distance from 75 feet to the proposed 50 feet If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me at (303) 756-8332. Sincerely, �'J ' Ann T. Bowers, PE, PTOE Cc: Mr. Ted Shepard, Chief Planner, City of Fort Collins Mr. Jon Hauser, Drake Real Estate Services Mr. Andrew Lemmer, Design Edge Architecture 14 SOUTH COLLEGE AVENUE - o� p� A D 9 yNT m m mo �n r y O mo TI (7 I I i m' l 'I l 11 III I I I -1- of �IIII I I II f D E S I G N EDGE I DRAKE REAL """""""b` SHEET NO. architecture interior design ESTATE SERVIGES 1FU ds� DrawingW, SITE PLAN 1620-C FIFTEENTH STREET DRAKE ( COLLEGEFORT COLLMB COLORADO DENVER, COLORADO OM02 1, TELEPHONE: (303)260.1211 DATE: 10.28-05 If you have any questions or comments, or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact our office. Thank you in advance for your time and cooperation. Sincerely, JR ENGINEERING, LLC J eph C. Spazone, PE Project Engineer January 17, 2006 Mr. Marc Virata CITY OF FORT COLLINS ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT PO Box 580 Fort Collins CO 80522 RE: Drake Shops — Variance request for Curb Returns Dear Mr. Virata: J•R ENGINEERING 11 west'-, I The intent of this letter is to request a variance regarding the required curb return radii for the access drive along East Drake Road. Per chapters 8 and 9 of the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards, a 20-ft curb return radii is typically required along arterials such as East Drake Road. A 15-ft curb return has been provided with this application. Support for the variance described above is discussed in the line items listed below: 1) The reduced curb return radii has been utilized to avoid a conflict with an existing tree and tree grate and reduce the required length of the proposed handicap ramps. 2) The reduced curb return radii have enabled the design team to overcome various complications (property size and location, connecting to existing improvements, etc.) that are inherently associated with an infill project while maintaining the aesthetic intent of the surrounding area. 3) No negative impacts to public health, safety, and/or welfare are anticipated. 4) No additional maintenance costs are anticipated. If you have any questions or comments, or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact our office. Thank you in advance for your time and cooperation. Sincerely, JR ENGINEERING, LLC /epch .Sparone,PE ngineer 2620 Fax Prospect Road, Suite 190, Fort Collins, CO 80525 970-491-9888 • Fax: 970-491-9984 • w Jrengincering.com October 07, 2005 Planning Dept. Case Manager, Ted Shepard 281 N. College Ave. Fort Collins, Colorado RE: Drake Shops — Modification of Standards Thank you for your time and assistance in regards to this submittal. The current standards regarding Parking: Use: Maximum Parking: Proposed Bldg.= 3,508 G.S.F. General Retail 4 stalls / 1000 g.s.f. 14 stalls (max.) Restaurant (Standard) 10 stalls / 1000 g.s.f. 35 stalls (max.) Request: We are formally requesting a modification of standards, Fort Collins Land Use Code, Division 2.8. Based on our proposed building of 3,508 gross square feet, with the Use Classification of "General Retail", our maximum allowed parking is 14 stalls. The required bicycle parking is 5% of the total vehicular parking. Differences: We are requesting additional parking of 15 vehicular stalls, for a total of 27 vehicles plus 2 handicap accessible stalls. Benefits to the Commercial Environment and the City of Fort Collins: Our intentions are to remove an existing and abandoned gas station and replace it with a new commercial building that will be in harmony with the existing urban environment. The "Shops" could include a mix of retail and restaurant tenants. This project allows for the opportunity to bring a vibrant and rewarding experience to the public while providing much needed "services and goods" to the area as well as employment opportunities and future revenues to the City. This site is located a the intersection of South College Avenue and East Drake Road and is surrounded by a variety of commercial ventures. Directly to the South of our site, is Walgreen's Drug Store. The proposed building will be approximately 3,500 square feet, single story building, incorporating a medium bronze storefront system, architectural concrete block and brick construction on a 21,344 square foot site. The use of exterior canopies and other architectural features will be incorporated with the site design and landscaping materials to create "four sided architecture" that relates to a pedestrian scaled shopping / dining environment. Architectural considerations regarding the design of our proposed commercial building includes a raised parapet, ranging from 5'-0" to 9'-0" above the roof deck, in order to conceal future roof top equipment. The sanitary sewer line from our building will be designed in a manner to accommodate a grease interceptor with -in our parking lot, without further obstructing traffic on East Drake Road. Other considerations to create a project that benefits the surrounding environment includes the Landscape Architecture. Below is a summary, provided by our Landscape Architect, that details out the Landscape Standards, and how we exceed these standards. Parking Lot Landscape Standards: 1. Parking Lot Perimeter Standards: Requirement — 1 tree per 25 linear feet along a public street, and 1 tree per 40 linear feet along a side lot line parking setback area. Provided— West Perimeter— 18 I.f. of parking stall with 1 tree in the end island. islands. North Perimeter — 36 I.f. double -loaded parking stalls with 2 trees in the end East Perimeter — 1 tree per 30 linear feet of side lot line parking setback area. South Perimeter — 1 tree per 32 linear feet of side lot line parking setback area. Requirement -30" high screen extending a minimum of 70% of the length of the street frontage and any boundary that abuts non-residential use. Provided- West Perimeter — A triple row of evergreen shrubs in the end island screens 100% of the parking stalls. South Perimeter — A combination of existing shrubs on the adjacent property and a row of shrubs and evergreen trees screens 100% of the length of the boundary. North Perimeter — Both end islands are planted with a double row of shrubs that screen 100% of the parking stalls. 2. Parking Lot Interior Landscaping Requirement— 6% of the interior space of the parking lot shall be landscape areas. Provided— The vehicular use area is 11,070 s.f. and the interior landscape is 1,043 s.f. The landscaped interior space is 9.4%. Requirement— Each landscaped island shall include 1 or more canopy shade trees, be of a length greater than 8' in any dimension, and include at least 80 s.f. of ground area per tree. Provided — All islands with the exception of the one off the southeast corner of the building includes a canopy shade tree. The islands adjacent to Drake street are only 6.5 feet wide, but are 112 s.f. each. 3. Street Trees. Requirement — No additional street trees are required Provided — 2 tree grates along S. College Ave. have no trees. These will be replaced as part of this development in excess of the project requirements. Conclusion: We appreciate your time and consideration regarding our request for additional parking. With additional parking, we can create a new commercial building that will be a valuable asset to the community and to the City. With the ability to accommodate retail and restaurant tenants, we are able to better accommodate and adjust to the ever change commercial environment while providing a valuable service to the community. Sincerely, Andrew T. Lemmer - Design Edge CC: Jon Hauser, Drake Real Estate Services CC: Joe Sparone, J R Engineering CC: Mathew Evan, Lime Green Design, Inc. Landscape Architect 11 W 1 a w W. g u DESIGN E SOUTH COLLEGE AVENUE J u I � � G eo uu xa er } m2 p ym lYP 2 T ❑ M I C �Q 7 r — T LgP $0� D € r AD e m QQ yg� v 9 6 1 9 N � O �i N � 5 `1 0 R mj T p X tJq F yV F Gq i m DRAKE REAL ESTATE SERVICES DRAKE 4 COLLEGE, FORT COLLINS COLORADO DATE,IO-09-05 F. W., R''." Number SHEET NO. .rent. Drawlrg(e SITE PLAN I SOUTH COLLEGE AVENUE Mh N 00 XX mi 0m Xx c� ��m -�� z 0 cn�2 0 ,; o m ) rm 0 , 090 0 rr- m 0 m ie sae Irp a DRAKE SHOPS��: $ E� SW CORNER OF DRAKE 6 COLLEGE §t P FORT COLONS, COLORADO p F d� f 3 eaBl �O wl 7V Ann Bowers & Associates u C TRANSPORTATION CONSULTANTS November 1, 2005 Mr. Eric Bracke, PE, PTOE City Traffic Engineer City of Fort Collins 626 Linden Street Fort Collins, Colorado 80524 PH: (970) 224-6062 RE: Variance Request for Off -Street Parking Setback Distance — Drake Real Estate Development — Southeast Comer of College Avenue and Drake Road Dear Mr. Bracke: This letter serves to request a variance regarding the Off -Street Parking Setback Distance from Drake Road for the Drake Real Estate Development located on the southeast comer of College Avenue and Drake Road. According to Chapter 19, Section 19.3, Standard 19.3.1 of the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards (LCUASS), the minimum setback distance from the Drake Road street curb face to the nearest parking space for the proposed devekpmer t is required to be 75 feet. We are requesting that a 50-foot setback be approved. The required 75-foot setback would prohibit the development of this constrained site, as proposed. This site is constrained in north/south depth as the frontage along Drake Road was apparently reduced when roadway and intersection improvements were completed. The following provides our methodology and documentation to support the variance. Proposed Project The Drake Real Estate Development proposes to redevelop this site by constricting 3,500 square -foot building. The specific user has not been identified but could include typical specialty retail users or a high turnover sit-down restaurant. When the scope of the Traffic Impact Study was discussed with you, it was agreed that the Traffic Impact Study should address the land use that would represent the highest volume of traffic — the high turnover sit-down restaurant. As is shown on Table 3 Trip Generation Summary in the enclosed Traffic Impact Study, a high -turnover sit-down restaurant is projected to generate approximately 445 daily trips. These trips were assumed to be distributed among the two access points to the site. The two access points include the existing right-in/right-out access to Drake Road and the access via College Avenue and Thunderbird Drive through the Walgreen's site to the south. 300 S. Jackson Street Suite 100 Denver, CO 80209 PH 303-756-8332 F% 303-756-8362 an at 6 owe rs pcomcaet. net