HomeMy WebLinkAboutFORT COLLINS DISCOVERY MUSEUM - PDP - 6-10 - REPORTS - CORRESPONDENCE-HEARINGAs outlined above, it is our position that the parking provided on our site is adequate for the anticipated use. It
is also important to note that the parking quantity we are providing is approximately 5o%greater than the i
space per i000 sf recommended in the Land Use Code.
AP
4. a7.a020 Page s Of'
April 27, 2010
Steve Olt
City of Fort Collins
281 North College Avenue
Ft. Collins, CO
80522-0580
Reference: Parking requirements at the Fort Collins Discovery Museum
Steve,
In response to the comments raised by the P&Z Board regarding parking, we believe that the number of parking
spaces is adequate for the anticipated use of the facility. Parking requirements for museum facilities are
difficult to determine. The Institute of Transportation Engineers parking generation manual indicates a wide
range of parking quantity recommendations. Their data includes case studies of museum facilities that range
between .71 and 2.1 spaces per l000 sf. Because of this broad range, we based our parking assumptions on the
anticipated annual visitor load for the facility. Our assumptions are outlined below.
Based on data in their feasibility study, the museum has established a goal of reaching ioo,000 annual visitors in
the near future. Recent visitor statistics indicate that the combined total attendance at both museums for 2007
was 46,600, so the forecast attendance anticipates a doubling of that number. Based on ioo,000 annual
visitors, our traffic engineer has used standard practices to determine a daily visitor load, and therefore a
projection of vehicle trips. His projections indicate a total of 283 visitors coming to the site in automobiles on
any given day. To arrive at this number, he has extrapolated the annual attendance to a monthly and then a
daily quantity. He has increased this daily quantity by 20%to account for peak days, and has reduced this
number by 15%to account for alternative transportation usage. These are standard adjustments used in the
traffic engineering industry based on the proximity of alternative transportation modes. He has conservatively
estimated that these visitors would require one car for every two visitors. Based on this somewhat conservative
estimate, we anticipate 142 vehicles coming to the site daily. It is important to note that this number
anticipates that all visitors will come in private vehicles. During the weekend, this may be true, but on
weekdays, most visitors would arrive via school bus. The museum will have daily use cycles, but at peak times,
we expect that half of the days visitors may be present at one time, resulting in a parking demand of 71 spaces.
The site plan we have previously submitted includes a total of 73 spaces.
We do recognize that our current parking count does not reflect the approximately 15 staff that are expected to
be at the museum, and for this reason, we are proposing to increase our parking count from the 73 originally
proposed to a total of 86 spaces. The additional 13 spaces would be acquired by adjusting the bus parking area
to allow head in automobile parking on weekends, while maintaining space for bus parking during the weekday
when we anticipate fewer vehicles on site.
There is the likelihood that the museum will host events from time to time, and during these times, the
occupants will exceed the daily use numbers indicated above. To accommodate the increased parking that
these events will generate, we have a few strategies. First, we can create a curb cut along Cherry to allow
vehicles to access the triangular area on the southeast portion of the site for the parking of approximately 20
vehicles. In addition, we are planning to negotiate an agreement with the vacant lot property owner to the
south across Cherry to provide parking at peak times. Both of these sites would provide resources for
pedestrian or valet parking to provide convenient parking to event guests.
�.a7.m•; Fay�.:.Iz
gixuo94,do�i.m tor, callins nw;eumlprolece nwnayementicny pianninyi�8� <ommentsisoorp � p&c
restonse-n»rkny.rbc
COLORADO SPRINGS LAS VEGAS LAKE TAHOE
BOULDER PHONE: 303.449,8900
1805 29TH STREET, SUITE 2054 FAX: 303.449.3886
BOULDER, COLORADO 80301 WWW.OZARCH.COM