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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSPRING CREEK PLAZA - Filed GC-GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE - 2012-01-19dip `SuT W M Suite 1;ONo. 1 Drake Park 333 W. Drake Rd. Fort Collins, Colorado 80521 Ph. (303) 14 February 1977 City of Fort Collins Planning Department 300 La Porte Avenue Fort Collins, Colorado 80521 Subj: SPRING CREEK PLAZA Planned Unit Development; a convenience shopping area for Fort Collins, Colorado Dear Sirs: The intent of this letter is to lay down the written documentation req- uired for preliminary PUD submittal which has not been included on the site pltan submitted for subject project. It shall include statements as to considerations allowed in developing the design layout as presented as well as the advantages gained in this particular PUD. Additional infor- mation as to site conditions and suitability to development, drainage, utilities, ownership, phasing, etc. shall be put forth as required and when not provided elsewhere. This letter shall be broken into the following categories; Objectives of this PUD, Design approach, Development information, and Summary. I. OBJECTIVES OF THIS PUD: A shopping center is a complex of retail stores and related facilities planned as a unified group to give maximum shopping convience to the customer and maximum exposure to the merchandise. The type of center this PUD deals with is known as a Local or Community Center which will serve as a business focal point for a small area in Fort Collins. The center will provide convience goods and local services of a lim- itted choice and variety. The major principles of planning applied here deal with convience and comfort of the customer and maximum merchandising potential for the tenant stores. Customer convience demands ease of access to and from the site; ease and adequacy of parking; reasonable walking dis- tances; simple, direct pedestrian shopping routes and access to the site with minimum vehicular obstructions. A special emphasis has been placed on the ease of pedestrian access to the Center due to the high concentration of patrons immediately to the north and west of the project in high density housing. 0 Page 2 %aw SPRING CREEK PLAZA 14 February 1977 In Because of the location on So. Shields St., a major route to and from the University, it was also felt that maximum shop exposure was desirable and advantageous. It was surmized that most local patrons visiting the facility from the east and south would do so in automobiles due to the requirement to cross Shields and Spring Creek (a major traffic arterial and a water way). The importance of the intergration of the center into the surrounding community was an objective not to be slighted. Such integration involves the space interrelationship between the neighborhood and the projects buildings, roadways, parking, landscaping, and pedestrian walks. It can be a powerful means of assuring long range future real estate values, both for the shopping project and the surrounding community. Building aesthetics is felt to be a major tool for dealing with this integration as well as effective landscaping. Although pedestrian access is of import, automobile access can not be denied and consideration was given to the integration of gas pumps into the site so as not to A nterfere with pedestrians and internal automobile traffic. The nearest gas service to the property is located one mile north on Elizabeth and it was felt that due to the shop and go nature of the center, a self service pump station would be appropriate as a ser- vice to automobile patrons. Aesthetically the pumps should be played down and softened with landscaping. Following is a summary of the primary objectives set in planning the lay- out of the project: Pedestrian access and internal circulation including bicycles, sep- erate from automobiles Convienient auto parking and internal circulation so as not to inter- fere with pedestrian traffic. Integration of the center into the surrounding community. Maximum exposure of stores to main traffic access, namely, Shields and Stuart Streets. Integration of utilities and services effectively and economically. Provide a pleasant and convient place to shop and seek services. Successful integration of gasoline pumps. II DESIGN APPROACH: SITE ANALYSIS: The property is located on the west side of Shields Street between Stuart St. and Spring Creek Rd. The lot is approximately 303 feet by 206 feet with the long axis in a north south direction. The topography slopes Page 3 SPRING CREEK PLAZA 14 February 1977 very slightly to the south towards Spring Creek. There are no unusual topographical features and significant vegetation is non-existant. Its assumed that soils conditions are suitable and due to the nature of . the proposed slab on grade construction, water table is not anticipated to be a problem. These assumptions -,will be confirmed by a soils investi- gation report to be conducted latter. It is understood that some consider- ation must be given to on site detention of water and it is hoped that most of this water may be detained on roofs. However, if required, park- ing areas will also be utilized to detain water. An existing drainage easement is located in the Shields ROW and is pre- sently open. As to whether or not that ditch will have to be enclosed will be determined with the Ft. Collins Engineering Dpt. Generally, site drainage will be in an easterly and south Direction. Utilities are available as follows: Gas: 2" in Stuart & 4" in Shields Electric: Nor. thWest:.aind :Southwest corners Water: 6"in street to west and 36" in Stuart Sewer::.12" in west side of Shields Telephone: Stuart and Shields Some of the spaces will be heated with gas, however, most of the space will be heated with electricity. There are no anticipated requirements at this time for any unusual utility demands not expected with this type of development. Fire protection should not be a problem as hydrants are located at both the Northeast and Southwest corners of the property. All buildings are within 150 feet plus or minus of street right of ways for access by hose. No curb cuts are to be allowed on Shields Street as a condition of the rezoning of the site to BP. Curb cuts have been held to a minimum on Stuart since it is a collector street and the one cut allowed has been held back from the center line of intersection with Shields 130 feet plus. 'Cunb cuts are not considerd to be a problem on the access street to the west or Spring Creek Rd. as both carry very little traffic. DESIGN DEVELOPMENT: Several site layouts were considered preliminarily with various building configurations and orientations. In the interest of economy it was de- cided to remain with rectilinear structures and break up long runs of facade if required with treatment at the marquee structure. Consideration of the marquee structure was for a system for the attractive and expedient display of tenant identification. Among the layouts considered was along rectilinear building across the entire site. This provided for the most efficient utilization of the site in terms maximum yield of rentable square footage and efficient utili- 0 Page 4 SPRING CREEK PLAZA 14 February 1977 zation of parking. With this system a maximum of approximately 18,000 sq. ft. of building and 90 parking stalls could have been provided. However, the building length was aesthetically difficult to handle and site development would have been quite stagnant. Consideration was given to utilization of smaller buildings turned across the site with major parking areas on the north and south ends and smaller parking areas to the east and west. Because of the curb cut requirement this created some dead end parking areas. Additionally, pedestrians would have been forced to cross a major parking area on the north inorder to gain access to the site. It was felt that since most of the foot traffic to the site will be coming from the north this was a major draw back. This system also provided minimum exposure of the buildings to Shields Street. The layout chosen provides the most advantages of any of those investigated. Following is a summary of those advantages. Minimum interference between auto and pedestrian both in access to the site and in on site circulation. Pedestrians from the north and west which are the main sources of foot traffic need only to cross Stuart Street to gain access to the buildings without having to min- gle with on site traffic. The canted layout allows for a more interesting landscape approach. Parking areas are broken with penetrations of landscaping. Maximum green buffer zones are provided at lot perimeters. No long building sides are allowed to run parallel with streets de- creasing the chances of monotonany. The irregularity of the parking area serves to slow down auto traf- fic naturally making the site safer for pedestrians and bikers. Maximum exposure of buildings is gained to major traffic generating streets. Allows for the integration of gas pumps by themselves where they can be monitored from the building but do not interfere with on site circulation. Holds curb cuts to a max. of 4 for the entire site. Site drainage following the natural slope of the site. Maximum rental square footage efficiency compatable with available parking and economic considerations. Structures are held to 2 simple rectilinear buildings. All tenants convenient to parking. Max. landscaping to rear.of lot to soften transition to residential elements. n U Page 5 SPRING CREEK PLAZA 14 February 1977 III DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION: The following is a summarization of site data, some of which is included on the drawings submitted and duplicated for convience. Total area of site: 62,418 S. F. + Total Building Area: 16,000 S.F. 24% of site Total Parking Area: 27,400. SF. -± 44% Total landscaping and ped circulation: 19,018 S.F. 32% Total parking stalls: 73 Stalls (9.0' wide) 72 Required Loading Zone: Not Provided Site Identification Signs: 2 with one side lighted and lettered each and to be low profile ground mounted. The project will be developed entirely at one time with ownership of the buildings under Kurtz Inc. The land will be owned by Mr. Gene Fisher and will lease_' to Kurtz Inc. on a long term basis. Character of the development will be compatable with surrounding res- idential community. Walls will be manonry with a flat roof and wood marquee structures. Landscaping will be used to accentuate and enhance the visual impact of the site and structures and soften parking areas. IV SUMMARY: We would like to take some space to address the advantages we see that development of this property under PUD requirements have over development under regular subdivision requirements. The brochure which the City of Fort Collins has made available to the public points out some of these advantages. PUD requires an enforced landscaping and maintainance plan for the en- tire site. This assures the potential tennant and surrounding property owners of effective transition elements that, once established, will re- main permanently. PUD allows for individual input of surrounding propery owners to the planning process. Their approval or disapproval of proposed improvements is a major influence in determining the final outcome of the PUD. PUD allows for more harmonious integration of dissimilar uses through an extensive review process of proposed plans and presentations for dev- elopment. This particular project could not have been effectively dev- eloped under a normal business zone classification. M M Page 6 SPRING CREEK PLAZA 14 February 1977 We hope that these comments will serve to explain the approach and reasoning utilized in the development of the submitted plan and studies. We look forward to presenting these plans to the Planning and Zoning Board and to the City Council. We thank the Planning Staff for their cooperation and help in preparing this submittal. Yours very trul , Wobert. Sutter, AIA RS : RAS