The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutOAKRIDGE CROSSING (AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING) - PDP - PDP160009 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PROJECT NARRATIVEOakridge Crossing Preliminary Development Plan Application and Narrative March 15, 2016 Prepared For: McDermott Properties, LLC Prepared By: Oakridge Crossing PDP Application March 8, 2016 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS PROJECT DIRECTORY 3 LIST OF OFFICERS/DIRECTORS INVOLVED IN THE APPLICATION 4 PREVIOUS PROJECT NAMES 4 PLANNING OBJECTIVES & DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT 4 The Community: 4 Site Design: 4 Affordable Apartments: 4 Commercial Space: 4 Location: 5 Project Data: 5 Residential Description: 6 Apartment Speciﬁcs Summary: 7 Oakridge Crossing Residential Amenities: 7 Description of proposed open space, wetlands, natural habitats and features: 7 Statement of proposed ownership and maintenance: 7 Estimate of number of employees: 7 Narrative description of conﬂicts between land uses or disturbances to natural areas: 7 Known Medication Requests: 7 RATIONALE BEHIND THE ASSUMPTIONS AND CHOICES 8 Affordable Housing: 8 ANTICIPATED DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE 9 CONCERNS RAISED AT NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING 9 STATEMENT OF APPROPRIATE CITY PLAN PRINCIPALS AND POLICIES 10 Environmental Health 10 Community and Neighborhood Livability 10 Oakridge Crossing PDP Application March 8, 2016 2 PROJECT DIRECTORY Current Land Owners Ross Family Partners Two, LLC Developer Oakridge Crossing, LLLP, a Colorado Limited liability limited partnership 7200 S. Alton Way, Suite A310 Centennial, CO 80112 (303)-773-1551 (303) 773-1747 (fax) Contact: Mike Lengen, President Architect Lewis Himes Associates, Inc. 5265 South Rio Grande St., Suite 202 Littleton, CO 80120 (303) 385-1205 (303) 738-9990 (fax) Contact: David Nakhojovani Site Planning & Landscape Architect Vignette Studios PO Box 1889 Fort Collins, CO 80522-1889 (970) 472-9125 (866) 902-4163 (fax) Contact: Terence Hoaglund Civil Engineer Aspen Engineering 19 Old Town Square Suite 230 Ft Collins, CO 80524 (970) 419-4344 Contact: John Gooch Trafﬁc Consultant Delich Associates Matt Delich 2272 Glenhaven Dr. Loveland, CO 80538 (970) 669-2061 (970) 669-5034(fax) Contact: Matt Delich Oakridge Crossing PDP Application March 8, 2016 3 LIST OF OFFICERS/DIRECTORS INVOLVED IN THE APPLICATION Arthur McDermott Mike Lengen PREVIOUS PROJECT NAMES Oakridge Senior Apartments PLANNING OBJECTIVES & DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT Oakridge Crossing is a proposed mixed-use community in Fort Collins, Colorado located on 2.61 acres at 4706 McMurry Avenue in the Oakridge Business Park. The Community: Oakridge Crossing is a new, mixed use community located on McMurry Avenue & Oakridge Drive, just south of Harmony Road in Fort Collins, Colorado. Affordable senior apartments and 5,000 square feet of ground ﬂoor professional ofﬁce space will be contained in a beautiful and sustainable three story building. Site Design: The physical property is an inﬁll parcel within the Oakridge Business Park. The site is an “L” shape with minimal frontage on McMurry Avenue, but extends west, and north, wrapping around Oakridge 7th Filing. The building is also designed in an L shape, and is placed along the southern and eastern portions of the property. Vehicular access is from McMurry Avenue utilizing and existing drive access that is shared with Oakridge 7th Filing. Affordable Apartments: Oakridge Crossing will provide quality apartment homes for senior residents with incomes that range from 30% to 60% of the area median income (AMI). (Incomes could range from a low of $16,350 for a single person to $37,380 for a family of 2) Oakridge is for independent seniors. It is not assisted living. Commercial Space: To meet the need for new general ofﬁce and medical ofﬁce space in this sub-market, Oakridge Crossing will feature 5,,000 square feet of ground ﬂoor commercial space with prominent frontage on McMurry Avenue. Potential tenants could include ﬁnancial advisors, law ofﬁces, insurance agent, CPA’s and other small businesses and medical ofﬁces. Oakridge Crossing PDP Application March 8, 2016 4 Location: McMurry Avenue & Oakridge Drive, just south of Harmony Road in Fort Collins, Colorado. Project Data: Number of Apartments: 110 Units Average Apartment Size 1 Bedroom: 598 square feet - $438 to $876 per month And Rent: 2 Bedroom: 887 square feet - $525 to $1,051 per month Apartment Mix: Type #Units Square Feet 1 Bed/1 Bath 85 598 2 Bed/1 Bath 25 887 Affordability Mix: Type 30% AMI 40%AMI 50% AMI 60% AMI TOTAL 1Bed/1 Bath 10 units 10 units 32 units 33 units 85 units 2 Bed/1Bath 03 units 05 units 11 units 06 units 25 units TOTAL 13 15 43 39 110 UNITS Target Population: Oakridge Crossing is designed for independent seniors, ages 65 and older, whose incomes range from $16,350 to $37,380. Commercial: Commercial space will be 5,000 square feet, divided into individual spaces as determined by tenant requirements. Land Area: 113,889 square feet, 2.61 acres Parking: 8 surface spaces for the commerical, 80 surface spaces for the residential. Development: McDermott Properties, LLC, one of Colorado’s leading developers of affordable housing, is the developer of Oakridge Crossing. McDermott Properties has developed over 3,000 affordable apartments and concentrates its activity on Colorado’s Front Range, with projects ranging from Brighton to Colorado Springs with major concentration in the Denver metropolitan area. Financing: Apartments: Project ﬁnancing includes 4% Federal tax credits, private activity bonds, State of Colorado tax credits, and Federal Disaster Relief Funds. Oakridge Crossing PDP Application March 8, 2016 5 The Disaster Relief funds are crucial to ﬁnancing of Oakridge. These funds must be spent by August, 1, 2016. Commercial Space: Project ﬁnancing will include conventional debt, and private equity. A commercial bank will provide construction and permanent ﬁnancing. Ownership: Because of the mixed use, Oakridge Crossing is organized as a condominium: Unit A: 110 apartments Unit B: Commercial space McDermott Properties has formed a Oakridge Crossing, LLLP, a Colorado Limited liability limited partnership Partnership (LLLP) to own the residential portion of the project. McDermott Properties will serve as the General Partner. A separate entity, Oakridge Commercial, LLC will own the commercial portion of the project. Management: ComCap Asset Management, Inc., a property management company afﬁliated with McDermott Properties, will manage Oakridge Crossing. ComCap currently manages 2,800 affordable and market rate apartments and is noted for superior management. Residential Description: The residential portion of Oakridge Crossing features well-designed one and two bedroom units with full kitchens, a single bathroom, private patios or Joliet balconies, ceiling fans, walk- in closets and extra storage. Amenities include a “great room” with large screen television and ﬁre place, a library and game room, a physical ﬁtness center, craft room, billiard room and a computer area. A community kitchen for events and parties will be included. Residents needing additional storage will have the use of secure, temperature controlled storage units that will be located throughout the building. Oakridge Crossing is designed to meet the Enterprise Green Community Criteria which will result in signiﬁcant operating efﬁciencies and greater affordability for residents. Oakridge Crossing PDP Application March 8, 2016 6 Apartment Speciﬁcs Summary: Each apartment contains: • Walk in closets • Air conditioning • Energy saving appliances to include dishwashers • Ceiling fan • Storage space • Comfortable, livable ﬂoor plans • Private patio or Joliet balcony Oakridge Crossing Residential Amenities: • “Great Room” for lounging and community activities • Large Screen TV • Physical ﬁtness center • Computer room • Community kitchen • Billiards Room • Crafts Room • Additional storage in secure, temperature controlled storage units Description of proposed open space, wetlands, natural habitats and features: The building is surrounded by open space buffer to adjacent properties to the east and the south. This area is landscaped with a variety of trees, shrubs and dryland grasses. An additional open space is located between the parking lot and properties to the north. This open space will also serve as site detention and a rain garden. This area will be landscaped with various natural grasses, and shrubs appropriate for a rain garden. There are no wetlands or natural features on or adjacent to the site. Statement of proposed ownership and maintenance: All maintenance of the building and private open space will be by the property owners. Estimate of number of employees: Residential: One property manager, one leasing agent, and a maintenance person. Commercial: 5-15 Employees Narrative description of conﬂicts between land uses or disturbances to natural areas: There are no natural areas, wetlands, or wildlife habitat on, or adjacent to the site. Known Medication Requests: See separate requests for modiﬁcations to the off-street parking requirements [LUC Sec. 3.2.2(K)(1)(a)] and the requirement for access to at park, central feature or gathering place [LUC Sec. 4.26(D)(6)] Oakridge Crossing PDP Application March 8, 2016 7 RATIONALE BEHIND THE ASSUMPTIONS AND CHOICES The impetus of this project is to create a mixed use project serving both a general ofﬁce component and providing qualiﬁed affordable senior housing. The site was chosen due to its close proximity to services such as shopping, grocery, restaurants and other employment uses. Affordable Housing: Affordable housing is a well documented need in Fort Collins. This is further ampliﬁed in the senior population and those with disabilities. According to the Cities Social Sustainability Gaps Analysis, “among senior households, 42 percent include a person with a disability. Accessible housing is already in demand and as the population continues to age, that demand is likely to increase.” This gaps analysis goes on to state that “The City could beneﬁt from as many as 4,000 additional housing subsidies and additional rental units for these households, who can afford to pay no more than $625 per month in rent and utilities.” To follow up on the gaps analysis, the city then prepared an Affordable Housing Strategic Plan. This plan has identiﬁed seniors as a segment of the population that is underserved with affordable housing, but there is no direct documentation of how many units are needed speciﬁcally for the senior population. The Affordable Housing Strategic Plan also highlights the following objectives • Produce as many new rental units affordable to households earning 50% and less of AMI as possible. • Incentivize new rental units affordable to households earning 60-80% of AMI. • Increase Housing and Associated Supportive Services for People with Special Needs including seniors To the last point, the plan goes on to state “According to the Highland Group’s report Need and Opportunities in Housing and Care: Next 25 Years, there is a signiﬁcant unmet demand for more age-qualiﬁed affordable rentals. Affordable assisted living is in great demand, including group home models. There is also a need for 55+ for-sale communities. The demand for age- qualiﬁed, affordable rentals is reﬂected in the amount of cost-burdened seniors in Fort Collins. According to HUD’s Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data, there are approximately 2,474 cost-burdened elderly households earning less than 80% AMI.” “The number of cost-burdened seniors is likely to grow during the course of this plan. Larimer County will see a large growth in its senior population over the next 15 years. By 2030, the senior population in Larimer County will likely double according to the Fort Collins GAPS Analysis” “The mix of available housing inventory in the County will increasingly be a mismatch with the age and income mix of the population. The Community needs more affordable senior rentals Oakridge Crossing PDP Application March 8, 2016 8 and for-sale options, more accessible designs, and more rental multi-family and shared living opportunities” Finally, part of the ﬁve year action plan outlined by the study includes: Support projects producing affordable units to serve cost burdened senior citizens Oakridge Crossing will be a qualiﬁed affordable housing development, helping to fulﬁll a documented community need for affordable housing for seniors. ANTICIPATED DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE PDP Approval Summer 2016 Construction Fall 2016-Summer 2016 CONCERNS RAISED AT NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING There were four main themes raised at the neighborhood meeting. These are summarized as follows: Four Stories is to Tall The original proposal was for a four story single use building with 128 units. Due to strong concerns raised by adjacent property owners, the applicant has changed the building to a mixed use building, and reduced the building height to three stories, and has reduced the unit count to 110 units. Too Many Apartments As noted above, the applicant has reduced the unit count down to 110 units from the original proposal of 128 units Insufﬁcient Parking Overall parking is 88 spaces, not counting the 20 spaces that are shared with the property to the north. This parking is below the required minimum, however he applicant has extensive experience with this kind of development for seniors and can justify the reduced parking count based on experience with other communities. A modiﬁcation of standards has been submitted with this application. Residential Project does not Belong in Business Park Oakridge Crossing has been changed to a “mixed use” building with the addition of commercial space. Oakridge Crossing PDP Application March 8, 2016 9 STATEMENT OF APPROPRIATE CITY PLAN PRINCIPALS AND POLICIES Speciﬁc principles and policies of the Fort Collins City Plan that are addressed by the Oakridge Crossing community are as follows: Environmental Health Principle ENV 9: The City will reduce total mobile source emissions by focusing on both technology (e.g., tailpipe emissions) and behavior (e.g., driving patterns). Policy ENV 9.1 – Promote Alternative and Efﬁcient Transportation Fuels and Vehicles Promote alternative and efﬁcient transportation fuels and vehicles that improve air quality. Invest in infrastructure throughout the City to support alternative fuel vehicles and promote the use of such vehicles through education and incentives. (Also see the Transportation chapter’s Increase Awareness section for information about reducing mobile source emissions by focusing on behavior.) The location of Oakridge Crossing is in a neighborhood that is close to shopping and services that are within a walkable range of the residents, reducing reliance on automobiles. In fact, this community has scored 78 out of a possible 100 points for walkability. Community and Neighborhood Livability Principle LIV 7: A variety of housing types and densities for all income levels shall be available throughout the Growth Management Area. Policy LIV 7.1 – Encourage Variety in Housing Types and Locations Encourage a variety of housing types and densities, including mixed-used developments that are well-served by public transportation and close to employment centers, shopping, services, and amenities. Policy LIV 7.2 – Develop an Adequate Supply of Housing Encourage public and private for- proﬁt and non-proﬁt sectors to take actions to develop and maintain an adequate supply of single- and multiple-family housing, including mobile homes and manufactured housing. Policy LIV 7.5 – Address Special Needs Housing Plan for and meet the housing needs of special populations within the community. Disperse residential care facilities, shelters, group homes, and senior housing throughout the Growth Management Area. Oakridge Crossing is a mixed use development that is well located to provide housing for seniors. Being a qualiﬁed affordable housing community, this development also serves special needs housing by providing affordable housing for seniors. Principle LIV 8: The City will encourage the creation and expansion of affordable housing opportunities and preservation of the existing affordable housing supply. Policy LIV 8.5 – Integrate and Distribute Affordable Housing Encourage the integration and distribution of affordable housing as part of individual neighborhoods and the larger community rather than creating larger concentrations of affordable units in isolated areas. Oakridge Crossing PDP Application March 8, 2016 10 Being a qualiﬁed affordable housing community, Oakridge Crossing provides affordable housing for seniors in an area of town that is underserved for seniors in general, but affordable housing in particular. Principle LIV 9: The City shall promote resource conservation and efﬁciency in the construction of new houses as well as upgrades to existing houses. Policy LIV 9.1 – Increase Efﬁciency and Resource Conservation Reduce net energy and water use of new and existing housing units in order to conserve natural resources, and minimize environmental impacts. Oakridge Crossing is designed to meet the Enterprise Green Community Criteria which will result in signiﬁcant operating efﬁciencies and greater affordability for residents. Principle LIV 10: The city’s streetscapes will be designed with consideration to the visual character and the experience of users and adjacent properties. Together, the layout of the street network and the streets themselves will contribute to the character, form, and scale of the city. Policy LIV 10.1 – Design Safe, Functional, and Visually Appealing Streets Ensure all new public streets are designed in accordance with the City street standards and design all new streets to be functional, safe, and visually appealing, with ﬂexibility to serve the context and purpose of the street corridor. Provide a layout that is simple, interconnected, and direct, avoiding circuitous routes. Include elements such as shade trees, landscaped medians and parkways, public art, lighting, and other amenities in the streetscape. Approve alternative street designs where they are needed to accommodate unique situations, such as “green” stormwater functions, important landscape features, or distinctive characteristics of a neighborhood or district, provided that they meet necessary safety, accessibility, and maintenance requirements. (Also see the Transportation chapter.) Policy LIV 10.2 – Incorporate Street Trees Utilize street trees to reinforce, deﬁne and connect the spaces and corridors created by buildings and other features along a street. Preserve existing trees to the maximum extent feasible. Use canopy shade trees for the majority of tree plantings, including a mixture of tree types, arranged to establish urban tree canopy cover. Oakridge Crossing will complete the gap in the street trees and pedestrian walkways along McMurry Avenue, A pedestrian plaza is being incorporated into the streetscape as well that includes element such as benches and enhanced landscaping in improve the visual aesthetics of the street. Principle LIV 11: Public spaces, such as civic buildings, plazas, outdoor spaces, and parks will be integrated throughout the community and designed to be functional, accessible, attractive, safe, and comfortable. Policy LIV 11.2 – Incorporate Public Spaces Incorporate public spaces and activities such plazas, pocket parks, patios, children’s play areas, transit facilities, sidewalks, pathways, “street furniture” such as benches and planters, and public art into the urban designs for residential, mixed-use, commercial, and civic development projects. A pedestrian plaza is being incorporated into the streetscape as well that includes element such as benches and enhanced landscaping in improve the visual aesthetics of the street. Oakridge Crossing PDP Application March 8, 2016 11 Principle LIV 14: Require quality and ecologically sound landscape design practices for all public and private development projects throughout the community. Policy LIV 14.1 – Encourage Unique Landscape Features In addition to protecting existing natural features, encourage integration of unique landscape features into the design and architecture of development and capital projects. These unique features may range from informal and naturalized to highly structured and maintained features. Some examples include tree groves within a project, stormwater facilities that become naturalized over time, walls with vines, drainageway enhancements, and other small, uniquely landscaped spaces. Policy LIV 14.2 – Promote Functional Landscape Incorporate practical solutions to ensure a landscape design is functional in providing such elements as natural setting, visual appeal, shade, foundation edge to buildings, screening, edible landscapes, buffers, safety, and enhancement of built environment. Consider and address practical details such as sight distance requirements and long-term maintenance in landscape design. Policy LIV 14.3 – Design Low Maintenance Landscapes Design new landscaping projects based on maintainability over the life cycle of the project using proper soil amendment and ground preparation practices, as well as the appropriate use of hardscape elements, trees, mulches, turf grass, other plant materials, and irrigation systems. Low maintenance practices can be achieved in both turf and non-turf planting areas, provided these areas are designed and installed to minimize weeds, erosion and repairs. Oakridge Crossing landscape plan incorporates a variety of natural and drought tolerant plant material that also includes edible plants. Irrigated turf grass will be kept to a minimum. Principle LIV15: Commercial developments create a powerful impression of the City, both individually and taken together as a whole. While corporate franchises and chain stores will remain vital and recognizable, commercial developments shall be designed to contribute to Fort Collins’ distinct visual quality and uniqueness. Policy LIV 15.2 – Seek Compatibility with Surrounding Development Design commercial buildings to contribute to the positive character of the area. Building materials, architectural details, color range, building massing, and relationships to streets and sidewalks will contribute to a distinctive local district, corridor, or neighborhood. Oakridge Crossing has been designed to pull many of the elements of the surrounding buildings, including the use of masonry, stucco, canopies, and more. The surrounding development is very diverse including a mix of single story ofﬁce buildings, and large scale residential buildings. Principle LIV22: The design of residential neighborhoods should emphasize creativity, diversity, and individuality, be responsive to its context, and contribute to a comfortable, interesting community. Policy LIV 22.4 – Orient Buildings to Public Streets or Spaces Orient residential buildings towards public sidewalks or other public outdoor spaces that connect to streets, the commercial core, and transit stops. Examples of public outdoor spaces include parks, squares, gardens with walkways, and courtyards. Oakridge Crossing PDP Application March 8, 2016 12 Policy LIV 22.5 – Create Visually Interesting Streetscapes All new residential buildings should be designed to emphasize the visually interesting features of the building, as seen from the public street and sidewalk, and to minimize and mitigate the visual impact of garage doors, driveways, and other off-street parking. Oakridge Crossing is a mixed use building with commercial/ professional ofﬁce spaces oriented towards the street. A pedestrian plaza is being incorporated into the streetscape as well that includes element such as benches and enhanced landscaping in improve the visual aesthetics of the street. Principle LIV 31: Each commercial District should feature a mix of uses and an attractive and inviting public realm that encourages pedestrian activity, reinforces the unique identify of the District, and complements the scale and character of surrounding neighborhoods. Policy LIV 31.2 – Site Layout and Building Orientation Design Commercial Districts so that the arrangement of buildings and blocks contributes to a cohesive urban fabric and provides attractive pedestrian-scale features and spaces: • Orient primary entrances towards plazas, parks, or pedestrian-oriented streets, not to interior blocks or parking lots. Anchor retail buildings may also have entries from off-street parking lots; however, on street entries are strongly encouraged. • Minimize building setbacks from public streets. • Place surface parking lots behind or to the side of buildings. • Relate the building placement, massing, and entryways to the street, nearby buildings, and surrounding context. Policy LIV 31.5 – Incorporate Public Spaces and Community Facilities Incorporate a mixture of types and scales of public spaces in Commercial Districts, such as civic plazas, courtyards, urban pocket parks, and other places for pedestrians to gather, as well as schools, libraries, and other community facilities to establish a prominent civic component and serve the needs of residents. Encourage creative approaches to the design of community facilities in Commercial Districts to reinforce the more compact and pedestrian-oriented nature of their surroundings and to integrate them with other uses. Policy LIV 31.7 – Housing Incorporate a variety of housing options in Commercial Districts as inﬁll and redevelopment occur over time: • Residential units may be incorporated on upper ﬂoors of mixed-use buildings at the core of the Commercial District or in freestanding residential buildings along district edges. • Residential housing types along district edges should be compatible with the scale and massing of surrounding neighborhoods. • Incorporate residential amenities such as convenient parking, parks, plazas or other open spaces, gathering places, and recreation facilities to enhance the living experience in the district. • Concentrate high-density residential within one quarter (1/4) mile of existing and planned transit stops to provide ease of access and to promote increased ridership over time. As a mixed use development, Oakridge Crossing incorporates many of these principles, including orienting commercial uses to the street, providing direct pedestrian connections to the street, and incorporating housing into the overall Oakridge Business Park. Oakridge Crossing PDP Application March 8, 2016 13