Planning Commission Minutes 2016 04 14

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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes April 14, 2016 Page 9 of 19 think we can let reasonable people come to reasonable solutions, and be comfortable that everybody knows what is at stake here. We will be happy with the outcome. As an aside, we get hate mail all the time. When new stuff goes into old neighborhoods, we actually get the appearance of things being built over a wide variety of time. It doesn't matter what you do, somebody not going to be happy. The one story commercial interestingly enough matches what is directly across the street next to Alfalfa's, so it is compatible with the street scape. If memory serves me, it is the preferred design that came out of the architectural surveys that were part of the South Boulder Road Small Area Plan. It is not always economically viable to do a one story commercial building. In this case, we have an opportunity where community desires and commercial reality align, so it is to be reinforced and commended, not discouraged. Finally, as always, I am generally in favor of experimenting with sign code which no one likes, and I would encourage you to have discussion and consider allowing the additional monument signs that have been reduced in the staff report. I get where staff is coming from, and code is code. But nobody really thinks the code works particularly well either. When it comes to commercial signage, in an area that has an opportunity to add real vitality commercially to the area, I would suggest that you consider at least allowing the applicant's request for a sign variance and allowing double monuments at the entrance and provide visibility in both directions on a pretty busy and divided wide street. I urge you to support this and look forward to seeing it go forward with your unanimous approval to City Council. Robert Tofte, 1417 Courtesy Road, Louisville, CO I am a member of the Revitalization Commission and as such, I am thrilled to see this development move forward. I also live about one block south of this development. My only concern is in the Little Italy neighborhood, there are about 30 houses. You do not have the ability to turn north at Griffith Street if the Highway 42 plan moves forward. To get north from Little Italy and from parts of DELO (such as the townhouses that face Griffith Street), you have to cross the railroad tracks at Griffith and go in front of the middle school on Main Street to South Boulder Road, or you go south on Main Street to Pine Street to Highway 42. 1 think we need to look at the traffic that will be generated, not just from the development, but also the developments to the south of Coal Creek Station. I read in the presentation literature that the bicycle access and foot traffic access would be able to happen on a quiet street, but we are concerned with north -south connectivity to Downtown from Steel Ranch and anything farther north. We are waiting for the underpass which may or may not happen. We need to make sure there is as much connectivity across South Boulder Road as we can get. Summary and request by Staff and Applicant: Robinson says Staff is comfortable with the design of the access and thinks the overall development is compatible with the neighborhood and the waivers are appropriate. Staff recommends the Planning Commission approve Coal Creek Station, Resolution 08, Series 2016, with the six conditions noted in the Staff Report. Brothers says there are two issues. One is the issue that the Fire Department wanted us to clarify where their turning radius is. We have identified specifically their large truck traffic, how they clear, and how they use the streets. We gave them a turning radius template. There was some misunderstanding of some of the width of the template. We have since talked to the Fire Marshall and we are meeting with him to make sure that all of the access points he wants are addressed on the plans. He was concerned about the ends of the trucks and the wheel traffic, and whether the ends of the trucks would track the way he would like them to track. We are working with him to make sure we meet all of his requirements. Right now, we are not aware there is anything that needs to be adjusted on the plan. The throat of the turn being discussed, where the existing street width is, was "neck down" as per CDOT's suggestion of how wide they wanted that street to be. The street present right now is set up for parking on both sides. When you neck the street down to the 25', you are essentially eliminating parking on one side. When Fordyce brings a semi in currently, they go over and clear the street because they have control