Agenda Date: 11/17/2015
Subject:
Title
Ordinance on second reading approving the rezoning and general planned development plan for Angelo’s Taverna
Body
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Presented By: |
Andrea Mimnaugh, AICP, Planning Manager |
POLICY QUESTION:
Does city council support the rezoning and General Planned Development Plan (GPDP) for Angelo’s Vineyards?
BACKGROUND:
The applicant Craig Jones, is requesting rezoning of a 4.6-acre lot at 6885 South Santa Fe Drive from R-S (Residential-Suburban) to PD-C (Planned Development-Commercial) to develop a mixed-use development through a GPDP. Surrounding uses include the landscaping business Designs by Sundown to the west and north, and single-family and townhome residences to the south. The South Platte River is located approximately 800 feet west of the property. A single-family home is currently on the site.
City council’s decision must be based on the consistency of the proposed rezoning with the relevant goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan. In addition, the Santa Fe Corridor Plan, South Platte River Corridor Development Design Objectives and the GPDP criteria for PD-C are used to evaluate the PD Plan.
Following rezoning and approval of the GPDP, the applicant will submit a subdivision plat and a site development plan for administrative review and approval.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
Project Description
The GPDP proposes moderate-intensity development on a 4.6 acre parcel that allows for a variety of commercial uses. The applicant plans to develop a second location for his Denver restaurant, Angelo’s Taverna, at the front of the site, and build an office building for the Pennsylvania-based business, Chatham Financial. The proposed architecture style is rural vernacular, which is reflective of the character of agricultural building forms. The traffic signal at South Santa Fe Drive and Brewery Lane will serve as the access. Once on Brewery lane, motorists will use private streets on the Breckenridge Brewery and Designs by Sundown properties to access the site at its northwest corner, as planned for in the 2013 planned development overlay. A second access point for emergency vehicles only is located on South Santa Fe Drive. A future shared access drive from South Santa Fe Drive, contemplated in both the 2013 planned development overlay and the application, is not a part of the applicant’s immediate plans.
General Planned Development Plan
The requested PD-C zoning district requires a GPDP that establishes zoning standards designed to encourage innovative development consistent with the COMPLAN.
The proposed uses and development standards are as follows:
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Allowed Uses |
Prohibited Uses |
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Restaurant, Bar |
Services Related to Animals |
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Brewery, Winery, Distillery (per city code supplementary standards) |
Restaurant and Food Service with Drive-through Services |
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Office, Clerical and Professional Services |
Pawnshops |
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Retail Sales and Services |
Open Air Flea Markets |
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Research and Development |
Automobile Sales |
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Adult Entertainment |
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Tattoo Parlors |
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Correctional Facilities |
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Commercial Cleaning |
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Off-Track Betting |
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Medical Marijuana Grow Facilities and Dispensaries |
Development Standards-The plan requires the following building dimensional standards (summary):
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Building Height |
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• Maximum • Maximum within 150-feet of residential use |
40 feet 30 feet |
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Building Setbacks |
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Front: • Along Santa Fe Drive • Interior Lot |
100 feet 25 feet |
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Side: • Interior Lot • Adjacent to Residential |
15 feet 50 feet |
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Rear: • Interior Lot • Adjacent to Residential |
15 feet 50 feet |
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Minimum Building Separation |
30 feet |
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Lot Area |
.5 acres |
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Maximum Floor to Lot Area Ratio |
1:1 |
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Open Space Requirement |
20 percent |
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Parking |
Per city code |
Traffic generated by the proposed development
A traffic study was prepared by Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. in June, 2015. The study evaluated the trip generation potential for a proposed restaurant and office building and compared it to the trip generation potential for the property under the current allowable uses for the site. It estimates this development to generate approximately 988 additional trips entering and exiting the site on a typical weekday. Of these, approximately 48 will occur during the morning peak hour and 151 will occur in the evening peak hour. The study concludes that the project will be successfully incorporated into the existing and future roadway network.
Drainage
The property slopes from South Santa Fe Drive down to the west property line toward the South Platte River. The site is located in the Rangeview Gulch drainage basin, a direct tributary to the river, which receives stormwater flows from properties east of South Santa Fe Drive.
Onsite stormwater detention will be coordinated with the property to the north and west. A water quality facility will be constructed on site after it is reviewed and finalized during the site development plan process.
Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan
It is staff’s opinion that the proposal follows Section 10-12-1 of the city’s zoning ordinance requiring that zoning amendments follow the goals and policies of the comprehensive plan and promote the general welfare of the community.:
City Wide Plan:
Goal 1: A Dynamic Littleton
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.
• Recreational activities afforded by the Mary Carter Greenway and Reynolds Landing are in close proximity to the future employees of the proposed development.
• Residents who live along the Mary Carter Greenway, such as Meadowood, Wolhurst Landing and Berkshire Aspen Grove (formerly Alta Aspen Grove) will have direct pedestrian and bicycle access to employment and dining opportunities.
Policy 1.8-Require that new commercial development be appropriately buffered from adjacent uses.
• Along the site’s southern border, the proposed PD Plan sets forth a generous building setback of 50 feet. Within this buffer, there may be an opportunity to preserve existing mature trees located near the property line with adjacent residential uses.
• Beyond the 50-foot setback, the PD Plan stipulates that no building shall be greater than 30 feet in height within 150 feet of the property line. This ensures the south face of any commercial building will be no greater than the 30-foot height permitted in the adjacent residential subdivision, accomplishing a compatible building scale between the two uses.
Goal 3: A Connected Littleton
Policy 3.4-Provide inviting connections between commercial developments and adjacent residential neighborhoods.
• Through the site development plan process, a connection between the proposed development and the Mary Carter Greenway will be established for connectivity within the South Santa Fe Corridor Neighborhood.
Goal 4: A Distinctive Littleton
Policy 4.3-Encourage high quality design, architecture, landscape architecture and public art throughout Littleton.
• The PD Plan incorporates standards for high quality urban design. Following the rural vernacular elements recommended in the South Platte River Corridor Development Design Objectives for the Santa Fe Corridor Plan, buildings will be designed in the rural vernacular architectural style. Building materials include brick veneer, wood siding, metal panels and glass. Building design will be more fully evaluated during the site development plan.
Policy 4.4-Encourage an “architecture of place” and small independent businesses that differentiate Littleton from nearby municipalities.
• The applicant is pursuing the proposed development as the location for his second restaurant-Angelo’s Taverna. It will be one of the region’s first restaurant/wineries.
Action 3-Direct Littleton’s Growth
Policy 3.2-Use this plan as a basis for land-use related decisions.
• The COMPLAN and the South Platte River Corridor Plan identify this property as an opportunity for business and commercial uses.
South Santa Fe Corridor Plan:
The proposed development meets the intent of the corridor plan, which states that the Santa Fe Corridor shall be reclaimed as a vital seam thought the city connecting downtown and the residential areas to the South Platte River, serving quality revenue generating and community oriented land uses; and functioning as a visually appealing transportation corridor. The identity of Littleton and the historic downtown will be accentuated in a broader effort to improve the visual quality of South Santa Fe Drive and expand the corridor’s role in meeting economic demands and goals for the future.
The proposal is consistent with the following goals and policies:
Urban Design Goals and Policies-Goal A: Achieve a high quality and consistent urban design, unique to the character of Littleton along the South Santa Fe Corridor.
• The GPDP complies with Policies 1 and 2 in that it includes design standards and guidelines that are consistent with the rural vernacular elements recommended in the South Platte River Corridor Development Design Objectives.
• The GPDP is consistent with Policies 4, 5 and 6 in that the site will be improved with high quality and aesthetically pleasing building design and landscaping. The plan proposes a 100-foot setback along South Santa Fe Drive, and includes language that encourages the preservation of mature existing trees.
Open Space and Natural Features-Goals and Policies-Goal A: Preserve and enhance the major natural features in the Santa Fe Corridor.
• The site slopes from a high point at Santa Fe Drive down to the west property line. Existing vegetation includes native grass and several clusters of mature trees-one along the south property line and the other near the center of the site. The South Platte River, the Santa Fe Corridor’s primary natural feature, is located approximately 800 feet west of the property line. The GPDP proposes moderate-intensity development at floor area ratio (FAR) of 1:1.
• The GPDP proposes a 100-foot setback along South Santa Fe Drive and includes language that encourages the preservation of mature existing trees.
Promotes the General Welfare of the Community
The amendment will promote the general welfare of the community by developing an under-utilized site that has access to both South Santa Fe Drive and the Mary Carter Greenway that will bring opportunities for employment and leisure activities.
Planned Development District:
Section 10-2-23(E) (4) (a) of the city code states that the city council shall base its decision on the conformance of the proposed plan with the stated intent of the Planned Development District:
10-2-239(A): Intent: The Planned Development (PD) District is hereby created to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare by allowing more flexible development based upon a comprehensive, integrated plan.
10-2-23(B): Application and Intent: Further, in the application of this section it is the intent of the city council to:
1. Encourage more creative and effective use of land and public or private services, and to accommodate changes in land development technology so that the resulting economies benefit the community.
• The use of a PD plan for the proposed development allows for effective use of the 4.6-acre site along South Santa Fe Drive in that it is connected by private streets reducing access points along South Santa Fe Drive. Further, the use of a PD plan helps to implement the applicant’s vision for mixed commercial uses that take advantage of natural features on the site and access to the Mary Carter Greenway and South Platte River.
2. Encourage innovation and efficiency in residential development to meet the growing demands for housing of all types and designs for persons of any social or economic status.
• Not applicable
3. Encourage innovative development or redevelopment of all land uses to meet the contemporary needs of the community by providing for a greater variety and mix of uses including those which may coexist on the same parcel or within the same building as shown on an approved general PD Plan.
• See #1 of this section, above.
4. Provide a process, which relates the design and development of a site to the particular characteristics of the site.
• See #1 of this section, above
5. Require that the nature and intensity of development be supported by adequate utilities, transportation network, drainage systems, and open space to serve the development, and to minimize impacts on adjacent existing and future development.
• The proposed commercial use of the site is supported by:
o a transportation network of private streets that provides access to the signalized intersection at Santa Fe Drive and Brewery Lane and an emergency-only access directly from Santa Fe Drive.
o Water and sewer utility lines that are adjacent to the site and have adequate capacity to serve the projected commercial uses identified on the PD Plan.
o A stormwater drainage pattern that can be adequately incorporated into the drainage design for the adjacent Designs by Sundown property.
o A 20 percent open space requirement together with generous setbacks along South Santa Fe Drive and Wolhurst Landing that will limit density on the site.
6. Encourage development that is consistent with the policies and guidelines established in the adopted comprehensive plan for the area and the city.
• See justification under the section, “consistency with the comprehensive plan.”
The proposed development meets all of the intent statements by redeveloping an underutilized site in the Santa Fe Corridor Neighborhood that will bring new commercial development that takes advantage of the site’s natural features and the nearby Mary Carter Greenway and South Platte River recreational activities.
Referral Process
The application materials were distributed to various city departments for review, including engineering, fire rescue, police and public works. In addition, ten outside agencies received the application for review and comment.
Neighborhood Outreach
On June 22, 2015, the applicant, Craig Jones, held a neighborhood meeting at the Wolhurst Retirement Community Center to discuss the proposed rezoning and development.
PLANNING BOARD RECOMMENDATION:
On October 26, 2015, the planning board reviewed the proposed rezoning and GPDP. The board voted 7-0 to forward a recommendation of approval to council.
Planning Board Resolution No. 16 -2015 reflects the planning board’s recommendation.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
Capital facility impact fees will be collected during building permit issuance at a rate of $1.946 per square foot of commercial and industrial space.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff finds the proposed rezoning and GPDP complies with the goals and policies of the city’s COMPLAN and the South Santa Fe Corridor and promotes the general welfare of the community. Staff finds the proposed GPDP meets the criteria for the planned development district. Staff recommends approval of Ordinance 102-2015.
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve on second reading the ordinance approving the rezoning and general planned development plan for Angelo’s Taverna.