Agenda Date: January 18, 2017
Subject:
Title
Resolution to approve a COA for new development at 2679 West Main Street
Body
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Presented By: |
Andrea Mimnaugh, AICP, Principal Planner |
BACKGROUND:
Property owner and applicant Jon Benallo has applied for a certificate of historic appropriateness (COA) for his project known as Littleton Mixed Use. The proposed project is a four-story structure with retail, office, residential uses and on-site parking for the property located at 2679 W. Main Street.
Prior to submittal of the COA application, the applicant received approval for a planned development overlay from the planning board (now planning commission) on August 22, 2016 that includes allowances for reduced open space and parking requirements with a maximum structure height of 61 feet. The planning board’s approval was conditioned upon the property being included in the Main Street Historic District. Following the approval, Mr. Benallo filed an application for inclusion of the property into the district that was finalized by the Community Development Department on December 9, 2016. Once a property is included in the district, any new exterior work, including new structures, must receive a certificate of historic appropriateness (COA) before a building permit may be issued. The subject COA application was filed by the applicant on October 17, 2016.
UPDATE ON COA APPLICATION:
At its December 19, 2016 meeting, the historical preservation board held a public hearing on the COA application and continued it to January 18, 2017, finding that revisions to the proposed design are necessary to bring the application into compliance with the criteria for a COA. The applicant has submitted a revised plan set and an assemblage of proposed architectural materials which are attached to this staff communication.
The following two sections of this communication include a complete list of applicable criteria and design standards for the COA and sample motions that reflect each of the board’s options.
COA CRITERIA:
The historical preservation board shall review the COA application for 2679 W. Main Street for compliance with the following applicable criteria:
Certificate of Appropriateness Criteria
Section 4-6-14(C) Criteria for Certificate of Historic Appropriateness: The board shall issue a certificate of historic appropriateness for any proposed work on a historic landmark or any property in a historic district when the following criteria are met:
1. The proposed work would not detrimentally alter, destroy or adversely affect any architectural or landscape feature which contributes to its original historic designation.
2. The proposed work is in conformance with any applicable adopted design guidelines.
Please refer to Littleton Downtown Design Standards and Guidelines, Subarea #5, below.
3. The board must find the proposed work visually compatible with designated historic structures located on the property in terms of design, finish, materials, scale, mass and height.
4. When the subject site is within a historic district, the board must find that the proposed work is visually compatible with the development on adjacent properties. In this section, the term “compatible” shall mean consistent with, harmonious with, and/or enhances the mixture of complementary architectural styles either of the architecture of an individual structure or the character of the surrounding structures.
Littleton Downtown Design Standards and Guidelines, Subarea #5, Main Street
The applicable adopted design guidelines for this property are the Littleton Downtown Design Standards and Guidelines, Subarea #5, Main Street. Per section 4-6-14(C) of the historic preservation code, a COA shall be “obtained in conformance with any applicable adopted design guidelines.”
5.2 Urban Design/Site Plan
5.2.1 Building and Use Orientation Standards
5.2.1.s1 The ground floors of building frontages shall be primarily occupied by pedestrian active uses.
5.2.1.s2 Building frontages shall be located on the street right-of-way or aligned with the face of an existing historic building.
5.2.1.s3 Facades that face Main Street shall be designed to be the primary façade. Including such components as:
• High quality materials;
• Large windows and entries;
• Highest level of design and details.
5.2.1.s4 For corner buildings at the intersection of two or more streets, all street-facing facades shall be designed to be primary facades and to be architecturally interrelated.
5.2.2 Pedestrian and Vehicular Access Standards
5.2.2.s1 In general, ground floor commercial uses with exterior exposure shall each have an individual public entry directly located on the public sidewalk along the street. A public entry not directly on the street or public open space shall not eliminate an entry that otherwise would be on the street.
5.2.2.s2 Sidewalks shall be uninterrupted by curb cuts and driveways as much as possible in order to improve and support Main Street as a walkable street.
5.2.2s3 The number and width of driveways and curb cuts shall be minimized to reduce the overall impact of vehicular access across a sidewalk.
5.2.2.s4 Driveways and ramps to underground parking shall be perpendicular or generally perpendicular to the street.
5.2.2.s5 Driveways located across sidewalks shall maintain at least a six feet wide portion of the sidewalk at a maximum slope of 3 percent.
5.2.2.s6 Recessed entries shall be allowed if they are relatively shallow in depth (A), but shall not be allowed if deep enough to form an arcade (C) or large entry vestibule (B). (See illustration 5.2.2.s6.)
5.2.3 Parking Lot and Garage Location Standards
5.2.3.s1 Surface parking shall not be located between the front, street-facing, facade of the building and the street.
5.2.3.s2 Where minor additions are proposed for buildings (less than, cumulatively, 25% of the existing building’s gross floor area) and which have an existing parking lot between the facade and the street, such parking lots may remain but shall not be expanded. If the proposed addition is, cumulatively, over 25% of the existing building gross floor area, the new addition must occur on or very close to the street right-of-way.
5.2.3.s1 Parking lots serving Main Street buildings shall be located at the rear of buildings. Side parking lots shall be avoided along Main Street in order to maintain the continuity of the building frontages along the street.
5.2.3s4 Rear parking lots shall be connected to Main Street by pedestrian passages between the building and/or by side street sidewalks. Pedestrian passages may be enclosed if they are highly transparent and obvious to the street.
5.2.3.s5 Any parking structure that adjoins Main Street or its intersecting streets shall provide ground floor pedestrian-active space wherever it adjoins Main Street and for the majority of its frontage along an intersecting street.
5.2.3.s6 Where no pedestrian active uses may occur at the ground level, (for example, a portion of the ground level along an intersecting street), the majority of the parking structure’s ground floor façade shall conceal the structure’s interior, other than at the vehicular access points.
5.2.4 Service Areas, Trash Enclosures, Utility And Mechanical Equipment Location Standards
5.2.4.s1 Utility appurtenances shall be located behind the sidewalk and out of the sidewalk amenity zone (the zone between the curb and the clear walking area of the sidewalk where street trees, street and pedestrian lights and street furniture are located) wherever possible. Where they must be in the amenity zone, such equipment shall be centered on the tree line and aligned with but no closer than 42 inches from the face of curb. This includes switch boxes, telephone pedestals, transformers, meters, irrigation and similar equipment.
5.2.4.s2 Service areas and refuse storage areas shall not front onto Main Street. Such areas should be located in the alley.
5.2.5 On-Site Open Space Provision And Location Standards
5.2.5.s1 Along Main Street front setbacks shall not be allowed unless determined necessary to align with adjacent historic buildings.
5.3 Architecture
5.3.1 Building Scale, Form, Massing And Character Standards
5.3.1.s1 Buildings shall be designed to provide human scale, interest and variety while maintaining an overall sense of relationship with adjoining or nearby buildings.
Examples of techniques that meet this objective are:
• Variation in the building form such as recessed or projecting bays;
• Expression of architectural or structural modules and detail;
• Diversity of window size, shape or patterns that relate to interior functions;
• Emphasis of building entries through projecting or recessed forms, detail, color or materials;
• Variations of material, material modules, expressed joints and details, surface relief, color and texture to scale;
• Tighter, more frequent rhythm of column/bay spacing, subdividing the building facade into smaller, more human scaled elements.
5.3.1.s2 Proposed buildings adjoining Main Street that are higher than two stories shall step back their upper story or stories so that only 25 percent or less of the upper floor(s) is visible to pedestrian view from the center of the sidewalk directly across the street from the project. This setback may be waived for special corner forms, architectural emphasis at street intersections, or improvement in material qualities.
5.3.1.s3 New buildings and additions shall possess an architectural character that respects the traditional design principles of historic buildings along Main Street. Such principles are:
• The building facade should generally have three vertical divisions: ‘bases’, ‘middles’ and ‘tops’. In buildings of two stories or less in height, the ‘top’ may be comprised of an architectural ‘cap’ or cornice rather than the articulation of an entire floor of habitable space. No ‘middle’ occurs in one-story buildings.
• Each ‘base’ should be composed of the first floor or possibly the first two floors of the building.
• Each ‘base’ in its entirety should be designed to give the appearance of greater height than any single floor of the middle.
• The architectural treatment of the ‘top’ should be designed to create a sense of distinctly completing or terminating the building facade. This architectural completion may be accomplished by such strategies as: providing a projecting cornice or cap, change in the window rhythm, change in apparent floor height, setback, use of other materials, or a combination of these elements.
5.3.1.s4 Primary building facades shall include some elements that provide a change in plane that creates interest through the interplay of light and shadow. Examples of such elements are:
• Recessed windows, at least 3 inches;
• Recessed entries and doors;
• Projecting sills;
• Projecting pilasters, columns, bays;
• Projecting cornices, roofs
5.3.2 Building Materials Standards
5.3.2.s1 The great majority if not all of the facade facing Main Street and, for corner buildings, the façade along an intersecting street (not including windows, doors and their framing systems), shall be composed of modular brick.
5.3.2.s2 Highly transparent glass shall be provided in all windows and storefronts.
5.3.2.s3 EIFS (Exterior Insulating Finish System) shall not be used as a façade material on any building within the historic district and/or any building located along Main Street.
However, a one or two coat ‘hard coat’ stucco system with a synthetic finish (typically 100 percent acrylic based coating) is acceptable.
5.3.4 Building Lighting Standards
5.3.4.s1 Primary building entries shall be externally lit so as to promote a more secure environment at the door, emphasize the primary point of entry into the building and provide sufficient lighting for efficient access into the building.
5.3.4.s2 Entry lighting shall complement the building’s architecture. Standard security lighting shall be allowed.
5.3.5 Roof-Top Design and Mechanical Equipment Screening Standards
5.3.5.s1 All roof mounted mechanical and electrical equipment, communication antennae or dishes shall be enclosed, screened, or set back from view from a public street.
5.3.5.s2 Unscreened rooftop equipment shall be setback from a front façade so that it is not visible to pedestrian view from the center of the sidewalk directly across the street from the screened equipment.
5.3.5.s3 Mechanical equipment screening material shall be opaque, and be compatible in color, and texture with the building.
5.3.5.s4 Mechanical equipment screening shall be at least 6 inches higher than all portions of the equipment to be screened except an occasional flue or vent.
5.4 Landscape Architecture
5.4.1 Open Space on Private Property Standards
5.4.1.s1 Public and private open space shall be attractively landscaped with a variety of plant materials and hard surfaces.
5.4.1.s2 All areas of the site not covered by buildings, structures, parking areas, service areas, walks and bikeways, plazas and other impervious surfaced functional areas, shall receive landscaping.
5.4.1.s3 Where a front setback area occurs between a building frontage and a street right-of- way, it shall be designed to extend the pedestrian amenities of the street, such as increased walkway widths, areas for outdoor café/restaurant seating, increased sidewalk widths to allow window shopping out of the stream of pedestrian traffic and space for the temporary display of a retailer’s goods.
5.4.1.s4 Where a side setback area occurs, it shall be designed as a passageway, or contribute to a paved driveway or alley.
5.4.2 Parking Areas Standards
5.4.2.s1 Coverage: At least 5 percent of the interior area of a parking lot, including the area for parking lot screening (see 5.4.2.s4) shall be landscaped if the lot contains fifteen (15) or more spaces. This requirement shall be counted toward the unobstructed open space requirements of each zone district. At least 75 percent of the required landscaped area shall include living plant material. (This 75 percent living plant material coverage requirement shall be met within three years of planting.)
5.4.2.s2 Larger parking lots containing 50 or more parking spaces shall be shaped and/or landscaped to reduce their scale and overall impact by at least one of the following approaches; 1) increasing the interior parking lot landscaping requirement to a minimum of 10 percent of the parking lot area, excluding areas used for parking lot screening; 2) in addition to the requirement for at least 5 percent of the parking lot interior to be landscaped, dividing the parking lot into visual segments by either breaking the lot up into visually separate lots with at least a 20 foot wide landscaped zone between them (these lots can be interconnected) so long as they appear separate when viewed from the street, or by creating divisions internal to the parking lot that visually divide it into segments through the provision of at least a 10 foot wide landscape zone running the length of, at most, every third double-sided parking row. All landscaped areas that divide parking lots shall include shade trees at a maximum spacing of 30 feet on center. Additional shade trees shall also be provided in any increased landscaping percentage requirement.
5.4.2.s3 Islands: Landscaped parking lot islands shall be delineated by a clear physical barrier, such as concrete or cut stone curbs to protect the plant material from vehicular damage. Landscape timbers are not acceptable in this subarea. All islands shall be irrigated in conformance with the Landscape Manual.
The islands shall be a minimum of eight feet in width and 120 square feet in area to allow adequate space for tree roots. The use of turf is discouraged on islands unless they are at least 20 feet in width. In general a parking island should contain a shade tree (or several if appropriately spaced), low evergreen shrubs or ground cover and a mulch installed over a weed barrier fabric. Ornamental shrubs, boulders and flower areas may be added as accents where appropriate. Islands should be spaced so as to maximize the amount of shade afforded by trees while minimizing large expanses of uninterrupted pavement.
Pocket islands with a minimum 2½ inch diameter shade tree may be substituted for traditional parking islands. Pocket islands shall be at least 6 feet in diameter, or at least 6 feet measured along any edge located at the intersection of the corners of the parking spaces and must have a raised vertical concrete curb at least 6 inches high. Pocket islands may count double their area for any landscaping percentage requirement.
5.4.2.s4 Parking Lot Screening: Where a parking lot adjoins a street, the screening of cars is required using such methods as:
• A landscape zone at least 8 feet wide and extending the distance that the lot adjoins the street, not including driveways and exclusive of car bumper overhangs, planted with at least two rows of shrubs (at least one row planted to create a consistent hedge) with a spacing of no greater than 3 feet on center. A row of trees at a maximum spacing of 30 feet on center may be substituted for one row of shrubs. Other groundcover lower than 3 feet high is needed when trees are substituted for shrubs. Shrub height shall be at least 2 ft. installed but maintained no higher than 3 ft. 6in. at maturity.
• A landscape zone from 4 feet to 8 feet wide and extending the distance that the lot adjoins the street (exclusive of driveways) with one row of shrubs planted with a spacing of no greater than 3 feet on center and a height of at least 2 ft. installed but maintained no higher than 3 ft. 6in. feet at maturity, and a railing or solid masonry wall at least 3 feet 6 inches high.
5.4.3 Site Distance Triangles Standards
5.4.3.s1 To maintain appropriate sight lines for vehicles entering and exiting a site, as well as those approaching internal intersections.
5.4.5 Screening, Walls and Fencing Standards
5.4.5.s1 Outside trash receptacles, loading docks, open storage areas and utility boxes shall be screened from public sidewalks, streets and other public areas from which the property is visible. Screening for such areas shall be opaque and be provided for by means of walls or solid fences. Landscape screening is not acceptable.
5.4.5.s2 All utility boxes, which include electric transformers, switch gearboxes, cable television boxes, telephone pedestals and boxes, shall be screened on the sides visible from the public rights of way that are not used for service access.
5.4.5.s3 Screening enclosures for refuse containers and service areas shall be incorporated into building architecture and utilize the same materials as the principle building to be greatest degree practicable. Trash receptacles and dumpsters shall be entirely screened from view and enclosed by a solid, gated wall or fence. Screen walls and fences shall be one foot higher than the object being screened. An opaque metal gate shall be included where required for complete screening. The trash enclosure shall be sited so the service vehicle can conveniently access the enclosure and maneuver without backing onto a public right of way
5.4.5.s4 Typical vertical board or palisade fences are not allowed if viewable from the street.
5.4.5.s5 All trash containers must be covered.
5.4.7 Site Lighting/Parking Lot Lighting Standards
5.4.7.s1 All lighting shall comply with Chapter 15, Lighting Requirements, Title 10 of the City of Littleton Municipal Code.
5.4.7.s2 Private and/or open spaces accessible to the public shall be lit to accommodate expected activities and events.
5.4.7.s3 Where the light source is directly visible, the luminaires shall be designed to incorporate elements to reduce glare, such as translucent, obscure or refracting lenses, low wattage light sources or shielding devices.
5.4.7.s4 Parking lot light type shall be fully shielded luminaires mounted on poles no higher than 20 feet and be consistent in color.
5.4.7.s5 Lighting shall not provide objectionable glare onto adjoining properties.
5.4.7.s6 Pedestrian lights shall be provided in paths between buildings from parking areas to building entries or public streets.
5.4.8 Paving Materials Standards
5.4.8.s1 Paving materials and patterns used on private development parcels shall be coordinated with the design of public pedestrian facilities where they intersect.
5.4.8.s2 Engineered base and setting conditions determined by soil conditions shall be used for paving.
5.4.9 Landscape Materials, Xeriscaping, Irrigation and Maintenance Standards
5.4.9.s1 Underground automatic irrigation systems shall be required for all landscaped projects. All projects with irrigation shall be subject to the provisions in Section 6 of the Landscape Manual.
5.4.9.s2 Irrigation systems are to be monitored and adjusted periodically to insure that the water demands of all plant materials are being met and that water is not being wasted.
5.4.9.s3 The type, size, quality and quantity of the living and non-living landscaping materials shall comply with the requirements in Section 8 and the plant lists included in the Landscape Manual.
5.4.9.s4 Only those plant species that are healthy and compatible with the local climate and the site soil characteristics, drainage and water supply shall be planted.
5.4.9.s5 All project maintenance shall comply with the requirements of Section 10 in the Landscape Manual.
5.5 Signs
5.5.1 General Criteria
a. Type Standards
5.5.1.sa1 New or rehabilitated buildings shall provide a sign plan showing locations, sizes, heights, and probable design and illumination of all sign types to be used on the building or its site.
b. General Number and Location Standards
5.5.1.s1 Wall, window, awning and projecting signs shall not be allowed above the ground floor except that the HPB or DRC, at its discretion, may allow above the ground floor:
• Painted, externally-lit wall signs;
• Internally-lighted channel letter signs and/or logos;
• Painted wall murals with a minor component for the identification of a business;
• One unlit window sign per business;
• The extension of a ground floor projecting sign;
• The name of the building integrated into the material and/or design of the facade;
• In no case shall an internally lighted, cabinet type wall sign be allowed above the ground floor.
c. General Size and Height Standards
5.5.1.sc1 Maximum sign size or total sign area shall not be increased by the amount of setback provided by the building.
d. General Design and Illumination Standards
5.5.1.sd1 Materials for signs shall complement the color, material and overall character of the architecture.
5.5.1.sd2 Signs shall be constructed of high quality, durable materials. All materials must be finished to withstand corrosion. All mechanical fasteners shall be of hot-dipped galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass or bronze.
5.5.1.sd3 All conduits, transformers, and other equipment shall be concealed, and shall have UL ratings.
5.5.1.sd4 Exterior lighting of signs shall be oriented down onto the face of the sign, not up from below to minimize night sky light pollution.
5.5.1.sd5 Sign illumination shall not create objectionable glare to pedestrians, motorists, and adjoining residents.
5.5.1.sd6 A business's corporate logo or typical sign design may be allowed by the HPB or the DRC. However, the HPB or the DRC shall retain complete control over the design, dimensions, location, number and type of the sign.
5.5.1.sd7 Hand-painted signs shall not be allowed, unless painted by a sign contractor specializing in hand painted or hand crafted signs.
5.5.2 Wall Signs Standards
5.5.2.s1 Wall signs shall be located within any sign areas clearly designed for signs on existing or proposed building facades.
5.52.s2 Lighted wall signs shall not be located at the top of a building’s facade if the facade is higher than two stories and faces a residential neighborhood.
5.5.2.s3 Maximum wall sign size shall not be increased by an increase in sign height.
5.5.2.s4 Wall signs may project into the right-of-way up to 12 inches. Where a wall sign is on private property, it may have a depth of up to 18 inches before it is considered as a projecting sign.
5.5.3 Projecting Signs Standards
5.5.3.s1 Each use by right shall be limited to one projecting sign for each of that use’s street frontage.
5.5.3.s2 Projecting signs shall not be located above the ground floor.
PROPOSED MOTIONS:
Proposed Motion
The historical preservation board may take the following actions on the application: approve; approve with conditions; continue to a date certain; and deny. A sample motion is provided for each option.
MOTION TO APPROVE AND/IF NECCESSARY, WITH CONDITIONS
I move to approve HPB Resolution 02-2016, approving the certificate of historic appropriateness for the Littleton Mixed-Use project at 2679 West Main Street with the following condition(s):
1. Additional information, as needed, shall be incorporated into the Littleton Mixed Use Site Development Plan application to demonstrate conformance with the following standards of the Littleton Downtown Design Standards and Guidelines:
5.3.4 Building Lighting Standards
5.3.5 Roof-top Design and mechanical equipment screening
5.4.2 Parking areas
5.4.3 Site Distance triangles
5.4.5 Screening, walls and fencing standards
5.4.7 Site Lighting/Parking Lot Lighting
5.4.8 Paving Materials
5.4.9 Landscape materials, Xeriscaping, Irrigation and Maintenance
Note: If additional conditions are necessary, include them here:
2.
3.
The foregoing approval is based on the findings that, with the above conditions, the proposed work:
(1) does not detrimentally alter, destroy or adversely affect any architectural or landscape feature which contributes to the original historic designation;
(2) is in conformance with the Littleton Downtown Design Standards and Guidelines;
(3) is visually compatible with designated historic structures located on the property in terms of design, finish, material, scale, mass and height; and
(4) is visually compatible with the development on adjacent properties.
MOTION TO CONTINUE TO A DATE CERTAIN
I move to continue the public hearing on HPB Resolution 02-2016, concerning the certificate of historic appropriateness for the Littleton Mixed-Use project at 2679 West Main Street, to __________ (insert date) in order to_____________________.
MOTION TO DENY
I move to deny HPB Resolution 02-2016, concerning the certificate of historic appropriateness for the Littleton Mixed-Use project at 2679 West Main Street. The foregoing denial is based on the findings that the proposed work:
Note: Identify criterion or criteria not met and adjust motion accordingly:
(1) does not [does] detrimentally alter, destroy or adversely affect any architectural or landscape feature which contributes to the original historic designation;
(2) is [is not] in conformance with the Littleton Downtown Design Standards and Guidelines;
(3) is [is not] visually compatible with designated historic structures located on the property in terms of design, finish, material, scale, mass and height; and
(4) is [is not] visually compatible with the development on adjacent properties.