City of Littleton - File #: PC Reso 12-2017

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Action Details	Meeting Details	Video
6/12/2017	1	Planning Commission	approved with conditions	Pass	Action details	Meeting details	Not available

Agenda Date: June 12, 2017

Subject:
Title

Resolution to approve a planned development overlay to allow an increase in the maximum height from 12 feet to 38 feet for a self-storage / mini-warehousing facility located at 5400 S. Delaware Street

Body

Presented By:

Carol Kuhn, AICP, Principal Planner

APPLICATION SUMMARY:

Project Name: Ted Richardson Development

Case Number: PDO17-0002

Application Type: Planned Development Overlay

Location: Northwest corner of South Bannock Street and West Powers Avenue

Size of PDO

Boundary: 3.74 acres; 162,929 square feet

Zoning: I-P Industrial Park District

Applicant: Mark Delgado, DCB Construction

Owner: David Richardson / Theodore Fitzgerald Richardson 2015 Trust

Project Description: Request to increase the maximum height for mini-warehousing from 12 feet to 38 feet in the I-P zone district

PROCESS:

Ø Planned Development Overlay

(decision by Planning Commission)

Subdivision Exemption/Administrative Plat or Replat

(administrative approval)

Site Development Plan

(administrative approval)

The Planning Commission must base its decision with reviews of proposed planned development overlays on compliance with the planned development overlay (PDO) criteria, including compatibility with the citywide and neighborhood design goals and objectives and the Downtown Design Standards and Guidelines.

Following the planned development overlay, the next steps in the development review process before issuance of a building permit are to obtain administrative review of a subdivision exemption, and a site development plan. A concurrent subdivision exemption has been submitted for administrative review and approval. The submittal was received prior to the revision of the subdivision regulations.

LOCATION:

The site is located at the northwest corner of South Bannock Street and West Powers Avenue, on the east side of South Delaware Street.

Vicinity Map

Zoning Map

BACKGROUND:

The subject property is a 4.42 acre parcel, located within a larger parcel (8.836 acres), on a portion of Plots 33, 34, 43, and 44 Interurban Addition subdivision (1907). The property is zoned I-P Industrial Park District, which permits predominately industrial land uses that can co-exist in close proximity to multiple-family residential and commercial properties. The proposal is to develop the property into a mini-warehousing use, which is a permitted use in this zone district. The larger parcel was originally part of the Norgren, Inc. development. The site is located within the Progress Park neighborhood.

On the south side of West Powers Avenue, there are three-story brick apartment buildings built in the early 1960’s. On the east side of South Bannock Street there is a variety of commercial buildings. To the north is the Norgren, Inc. site and to the south are two-story brick apartment buildings, also constructed in the early 1960’s.

Project Description

The proposed project includes a 38-foot multi-story storage facility with smaller, one-story storage units in the interior of the site. One-story buildings will form the perimeter of the “fortress” style to provide additional screening of the site interior. The applicant has chosen materials that complement the use of brick implemented throughout the surrounding neighborhood. The smaller-sized, brick-toned CMU block will complement the existing brick multi-family structures located to the south and west of the proposed development. The commercial development to the east also consists of brick construction. Along the rights-of-way, the applicant has included additional windows to promote compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood. The applicant also intends to increase the amount of open space from the required 20% to 35%.

Flexibility Allowed by a Planned Development Overlay:

Section 10-9-5 of the zoning code sets forth development standards that may be varied by a PDO. Building height is one of the performance standards that can be deviated from through the PDO process (10-9-5(A)). The table below compares zoning standards of the underlying I-P zone district and the use-specific requirements for mini-warehousing, with the proposed PDO. The applicant is requesting relief from the 12-foot maximum height allowed for mini-warehousing. The 12 foot height requirement is highlighted in yellow.

Comparison of I-P Zone District and Mini-Warehousing to Proposed PDO Zoning

	Existing I-P Zone Requirements	10-4-8 Requirements for Mini-Warehousing	PDO Requirements
Minimum Lot Area	43,560 square feet; 1 acre	N/A	43,560 square feet; 1 acre
Maximum Lot Area	N/A	217,800 SF; 5 acres in I-P Zone Districts	217,800 SF; 5 acres
Maximum Floor Area To Lot Area Ratio	None	N/A	None
Open Space Required	20% of Lot Area 50% Evenly Distributed along public ROW (10-4-1(C)	20% of Lot Area 50% Evenly Distributed along public ROW (10-4-1(C)	20% of Lot Area 50% Evenly Distributed along public ROW (10-4-1(C)
Maximum Lot Coverage	N/A	35%	35%
Maximum Height	None	12 feet unless otherwise set in the PDO plan	38 ft.
Maximum Number of Structures on a Lot	5 per section (10-4-1(B)4) - maximum number of principal structures on a lot	N/A	5 structures per lot
Building Setbacks	• Adjacent to non-industrial zone district: 25 feet • Adjacent to industrial zone districts: None	N/A	• Adjacent to non-industrial zone district: 25 feet • Adjacent to industrial zone districts: None
Parking Requirements	Parking provided in accordance with 10-4-9	Self-storage: (1) space per 6,000 sf of floor area And open storage, or (1) space for each (50) Storage units, whichever is greater. (2) additional Spaces provided at manager's office. Other uses: Refer to City of Littleton, Title 10 Zoning Ordinance, 10-4-9 (a) "parking requirements"	Self-storage: (1) space per 6,000 sf of floor area And open storage, or (1) space for each (50) Storage units, whichever is greater. (2) additional Spaces provided at manager's office. Other uses: Refer to City of Littleton, Title 10 Zoning Ordinance, 10-4-9 (a) "parking requirements"
Parking Stall & Drive Aisle Dimensions	Parking provided in accordance with 10-4-9	Self-storage: all drives which includes loading lanes shall be not less than thirty feet (30') in width. Drives without loading lanes shall be not less than twenty feet (20'). Other uses: refer to City of Littleton, Title 10 Zoning Ordinance, 10-4-9 (a) "parking requirements"	Self-storage: all drives which includes loading lanes shall be not less than thirty feet (30') in width. Drives without loading lanes shall be not less than twenty feet (20'). Other uses: refer to City of Littleton, Title 10 Zoning Ordinance, 10-4-9 (a) "parking requirements"

ANALYSIS:

Intent of a Planned Development Overlay, Section 10-9 of the zoning code:

Section 10-9-1 of the zoning code states that it is the purpose of the PDO regulations to provide a procedure which permits more flexible site design and development than is possible under traditional zone districts, while maintaining the land use characteristics of those districts.

Flexibility Allowed by a Planned Development Overlay, Section 10-9 of the zoning code:

Section 10-9-5 of the zoning code sets forth development standards that may be varied by a PDO. The table above compares zoning standards of the proposed PDO with the underlying I-P zone district and the specific requirements for mini-warehousing found in 10-4-8.

Criteria Analysis for a Planned Development Overlay:

Section 10-9-5: Development Standards: To take advantage of the flexibility allowed by the PDO regulations, the proposed development must demonstrate special attention to creative, high quality design, and to producing a development that reinforces and complements citywide and neighborhood design goals and objectives. Plans that demonstrate such attention may qualify for certain variations from the underlying zone district requirements, detailed in this section, provided that such variations can be accomplished without impairing the intent of the land use code while providing a substantial benefit to the city of Littleton. The evaluation of the application, based on the above intent statement, will be applied when the following changes to the underlying zone district are requested:

Proposed Use Specific Height Variation

The PDO exhibit describes the request to increase the use-specific maximum height for mini-warehousing, specified in 10-4-8(B) 2, from 12 feet to 38 feet. The applicant has provided an analysis pertaining to the request in both the project narrative and the intent statement on the plans, both of which are attached to this staff communication.

According to the applicant, the trend over the past several years in the self-storage industry has been an emergence of modern multi-story, climate controlled, and aesthetically pleasing facilities designed to fit onto smaller lots. The applicant contends that these multi-story facilities better integrate into neighborhoods and commercial centers. In addition, the applicant has indicated that these multi-story facilities require much less land than would be needed for an all single story project. For this site, an exclusively single-story facility would require an additional 1.26 Acres (5 Acres total) of land to achieve a similar rentable area. Rather, the applicant is proposing a three-story climate controlled self-storage building with smaller buildings forming a “fortress” around the perimeter for additional screening.

Further, the applicant states that the project meets the maximum lot coverage, maximum lot size, and total building count requirements of - 35%, 5 acres, and five buildings. The applicant is only seeking relief from the 12-foot height maximum specified in 10-4-8(B) 2 of the city’s zoning regulations. All other provisions of the I-P mini-warehousing, evenly distributed open space (10-4-1(C)), and maximum number of principal structures on a lot (10-4-1(B) 4) will be met.

Staff concurs with the applicant’s assessment that the proposed multi-story site design allows for additional landscaping, the majority of which is oriented at the site perimeter to provide a more aesthetically pleasing site design and screen the interior site. In addition, the applicant intends to provide an additional 15% open space, for a total of 35% open space. The applicant has provided a creative solution to the necessary site screening and intends to utilize high-quality materials to complement the existing, surrounding development. Building materials that complement the existing multi-story brick used on the multi-family residential structures will be included.

Refer to the attached building elevations in the plan set for further details on design and materials.

Consistency with Design Guidelines and Standards:

There are no specific design standards or guidelines for this area of the city.

Consistency with the Citywide Comprehensive Plan and the Progress Park Neighborhood Plan:

Citywide Comprehensive Plan

Policy 1.1: Generate more opportunities for residents to live, shop, and play where they work and to work, shop, and play where they live.

The proposed development will provide additional storage for residents on the north side of the city.

Policy 1.8: Require that new commercial development be appropriately buffered from adjacent uses.

The proposed development will be screened by the creative “fortress” design and the addition of landscaping.

Policy 1.9(c): Strengthen downtown by encouraging a diversity of businesses that serve a larger market and provide support services for the needs of downtown residents and employees.

The proposed development will provide an aesthetically pleasing storage facility on the north side of town.

Progress Park Neighborhood Plan

Goal 2: Limit new high-density residential development as well as the encroachment of commercial and industrial development into existing residential areas.

This site is zoned I-P and was originally part of the Norgren, Inc. industrial facility. The proposed development does not encroach into the existing residential areas. The applicant is proposing additional landscaping and screening which will reduce the impact on the adjacent residential development. Also, complementary materials and colors are being proposed.

Land Use Policy 1: The Progress Park residents desire to preserve the low-density residential character of their neighborhood.

The proposed development is adjacent to multi-family and commercial development.

Land Use Policy 2: In accordance with the expressed goals of the residents, the neighborhood land use policy for Progress Park proposes the existing zoning boundaries not be changed except as might reduce the potential intensity of the development.

The applicant is not proposing to change the zone district boundaries. The self-storage/ mini-warehousing use is permitted in the I-P zone district. The applicant is requesting relief from the 12-foot height maximum permitted for mini-warehousing (10-4-8).

NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH:

The applicant conducted a neighborhood meeting on January 24, 2017. No citizens attended this meeting. The applicant has provided the address list (attached) as well as an email which indicated that no one was in attendance.

Notice of the planning commission public hearing was sent to all property owners within 700 feet of the subject property.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:

Staff finds that the proposed Ted Richardson Development PDO to allow an increase in the maximum height from 12 feet to 38 feet for a self-storage / mini-warehousing facility located at 5400 S. Delaware Street complies with the planned development overlay (PDO) criteria (10-9), including compatibility with the citywide and neighborhood design goals and objectives, and does not impair the intent of the land use code and can be approved.

PROPOSED MOTION:

Proposed Motion

The planning commission 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 NECESSARY, WITH CONDITIONS

I move to approve PC Resolution 12-2017, concerning the Ted Richardson Development PDO to allow an increase in the maximum height from 12 feet to 38 feet for a self-storage / mini-warehousing facility located at 5400 S. Delaware Street [with the following condition(s)]:

Note: If conditions are necessary, include them here:

1.

2.

MOTION TO CONTINUE TO A DATE CERTAIN

I move to continue the public hearing on PC Resolution 12-2017, concerning the Ted Richardson Development PDO to allow an increase in the maximum height from 12 feet to 38 feet for a self-storage facility located at 5400 S. Delaware Street, to July 10, 2017 in order to_____________________.

MOTION TO DENY

I move to deny PC Resolution 12-2017, concerning the Ted Richardson Development PDO to allow an increase in the maximum height from 12 feet to 38 feet for a self-storage / mini-warehousing facility located at 5400 S. Delaware 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.

2.

3.

4.

Attachments:

1. PC Draft Resolution

2. Application and attachments

3. Letter of Intent

4. Ted Richardson Development Planned Development Overlay plan set

5. Progress Park Neighborhood Plan