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HomeMy WebLinkAboutARAPAHOE FARM TOWNHOMES PUD - PRELIMINARY - 55-87G - CORRESPONDENCE - STAFF'S PROJECT COMMENTS e 1 Commu ty Planning3e and Environmentalrvices Planning Department City of Fort Collins November 10, 1993 Mr. Eldon Ward Cityscape Urban Design 3555 Stanford Road, Suite 105 Fort Collins,CO 80525 Dear Eldon: Staff has conducted its interdepartmental review of Arapahoe Farm Townhomes Preliminary P.U.D. The following comments are offered: 1. The City's Light and Power Department is in the process of installing an electrical duct bank six feet south of the north right-of-way line along Harmony Road. This may affect the location of the proposed 36 inch diameter R.C.P. drainage facility. 2. The Public Service Company recommends that the final plat dedicate all access, circulation, and parking areas as "access, parking, and utility easements." 3. The gas lines that supply buildings "I" and "K" will have to be installed in the asphalt drive between buildings "H" and "J". Therefore, the installation of asphalt will have to be delayed until after installation of natural gas lines. 4. U.S.West has an existing 20 foot wide easement along the north side of Harmony Road. A major duct bank is located within this easement. My relocation of existing telephone facilities required by these plans will be paid for by the developer. 5. The portion of Hilburn Drive that will not be necessary due to the lack of connection to Arapahoe Farm Townhomes must be removed by the developer. An application for vacation of public right-of-way should be made to the City's Engineering Department at the time of final submittal. A portion of the right-of-way should be retained and designated as an access, drainage, and utility easement. 6. Harmony Road improvements will be discussed in more detail as the project proceeds and the development agreement is drafted. At a minimum, the seven foot wide detached sidewalk must be constructed in its ultimate location. The City will reimburse for three feet of this seven foot width. 7. The remainder of the developer's obligation for improvements will either require depositing cash with the City or completing construction of improvements. Whether 281 North College Avenue • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 • (303) 221-6750 40 Arapahoe Farm Townhomes Comment Letter November 12, 1993 Page 2 these improvements are interim or the ultimate design will be determined upon evaluation of the project's impacts and the coordination of construction along other portions of the Harmony frontage. These timing issues are not fully known at this time. 8. A standard soils report will be required at the time of final submittal. The soils report should evaluate the groundwater table and include design of pavement sections for the Harmony Road improvements. 9. The Poudre Fire Authority requires that all access and circulation drives, including in front of the garages, must be signed "No Parking - Fire Lane" with approved signs. Also, curbs must be painted red to emphasize the no parking requirement. 10. The Utility Plans should indicate the location of the fire hydrants that will serve this property. 11. It is recommended that the ramp connection on Seneca Street, located between Briargate and Rosegate Courts, be deleted as this encourages a mid-block crossing. Pedestrian crossings are safer if located at the intersections of the access drives and the two cul-de- sacs across Seneca. 12. Street trees on Seneca, adjacent to Building "A" should be shown to match the treatment on the balance of Seneca. 13. The site plan labels 15 parking spaces on the internal loop street but only 14 spaces are indicated. 14. Staff recommends that a pedestrian connection be shown that connects Arapahoe Farm Townhomes with the existing/future terminus of Hilburn Drive. 15. It is not clear how 8.4% was arrived at on criterion m on the Residential Uses Density Chart. Please clarify this calculation. 16. It would be helpful to see a "typical" landscape treatment for a representative building. 17. Staff is concerned about acoustic and visual buffering along Harmony Road. As an arterial street, Harmony Road is scheduled for at least four lanes of traffic. The noise generated from an arterial street should be buffered by massing of materials in the form of berming and landscaping. Landscape materials should be of appropriate mass for year-round effectiveness. Perhaps the use of entry patio walls will contribute to this buffering. It is not clear from the plans that each entry will-feature a patio wall element • Arapahoe Farm Townhomes Comment Letter November 12, 1993 Page 3 nor how high such a wall might be. Please explore all options for providing an effective acoustic and visual buffer along Harmony Road for the benefit of buildings A, 0, and M. 18. Staff applauds the creative site design and use of service drives to de-emphasize the impact of the garages. Staff agrees that garages tend to dominate townhome projects and detract from the streetscape. The site plan demonstrates a creative solution to impact of the garages 19. Staff remains concerned about the extent of the greenbelt and transitional elements that separate this project from Regency Park, Second Filing, an established single family neighborhood. As mentioned at conceptual review, and re-emphasized at two neighborhood information meetings, the compatibility issue hinges on the magnitude and treatment of the open space on the east side of the P.U.D. The following comments apply to this issue: A. Buildings K and I are six-plea structures. As such, their building envelopes represent a mass and scale that are larger than the single family homes on the east. Combined with only 37 feet of building setback at the ends, these structures have an impact on the adjacent single family homes. These buildings should be reduced in mass and scale which would then provide a greater setback and greenbelt area. It is strongly recommended that these two six-plexes be reduced to become four-plexes, or less, so there is less mass and a smoother transition in scale between the townhomes and the existing single family area. B. The resulting increase in greenbelt area should be enhanced with a series of berms that achieve a meaningful height. These berms could varying in size, shape, and location to provide interest. C. The aforementioned berms should be treated with an appropriate massing of plant material, strategically located to provide maximum benefit. This mix should be designed to provide year-round effectiveness. A significant amount of this plant material should be installed in sizes that exceed the standard minimums established in the City's landscaping guidelines. D. In summary, the performance of the bufferyard is crucial in determining neighborhood compatibility by the criteria of the L.D.G.S. Every effort should be made to use additional greenbelt area, with berms and oversized landscape materials, to achieve the necessary transition in housing styles. 20. There is a concern that the six-plexes, as presently shown, may cause an impact on the adjacent lots in Regency Park Second Filing, with the casting of shadows. (One of the adjacent • Arapahoe Farm Townhomes Comment Letter November 1.2, 1993 Page 4 r p operty owners has requested a copy of a shadow analysis.) Please address criterion 30 of the All Development Chart of the L,D.G.S. based on the revised plans and the potential impact on the lots to the east. This concludes Staff comments at this time. Please note the following deadlines for the December 13, 1993 Planning and Zoning Board meeting: Plan revisions are due November 24, 1993. P.M.T.'s, 10 prints, renderings are due Dec. 6, 1993. As always, please feel free to call our office to discuss these comments in depth. Sincerely, Ted Shepard Senior Planner xc: Sherry Albertson-Clark, Chief Planner Kerrie Ashbeck, Civil Engineer