Planning Commission Agenda and Packet 2013 06 13

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Planning Commission Alfalfas Village Square Redevelopment June 13, 2013 functional open space and buffer areas can be met. As this is an infill redevelopment project on a platted parcel of land there is not a public use dedication requirement. The plaza area between buildings A and B, the park area north of the Centennial Drive Access, and the newly constructed sidewalks exceed what is required by the Municipal Code. The following is an analysis of the design and amenities incorporated in the development plan which, in staff's analysis, warrant the modifications and waivers. Building Height, Bulk, and Mass Design efforts have been made to move the building mass and height to the interior of the site. The buildings which front on South Boulder Road or Centennial Drive are one to two stories in height with the exception of Building towers C and E which are 40 feet tall adjacent to Centennial Drive. These buildings are buffered from the road by a landscaped drainage detention pond. The taller building heights have been moved to the interior of the site to respect the mass and form of the existing development adjacent to the property, and to present human scale buildings adjacent to public streets. Scaling the buildings down in this fashion enhances the pedestrian environment at the street level. The residential units have also been distributed between three separate and smaller structures (average floor plate 13,000 square feet) instead of one giant structure. This breaks up the massing of the residential portion of the development and provides buildings of a similar scale to those found in the surrounding neighborhood. The proposed building heights exceeding existing standards will not block significant views from adjacent land owners. For context purposes only, staff points out that 55-foot heights were approved for Balfour Senior Housing on Hwy. 42 and Takoda Steel Ranch South on South Boulder Road. The applicant completed a shadow study to analyze how the proposed development would affect the surrounding properties which indicated minimal impacts as compared to the impacts from a 35 foot tall building located 10 feet from the northern property line. Pedestrian Improvements on South Boulder Road and Centennial Drive The applicant proposes to replace the existing four foot wide sidewalk on South Boulder Road with an eight foot wide multi -use path. This pathway will accommodate bicycle and pedestrian traffic adjacent to the site along South Boulder Road. Currently there are no bicycle facilities on South Boulder Road between Main Street and Garfield Avenue. The multi -use path will be detached and separated from the roadway by an eight foot wide tree lawn which will provide space for the existing mature deciduous trees to remain. The trees and tree lawn will provide shade and provide a buffer between traffic on South Boulder Road and the multi -use path. The applicant proposes to dedicate the land under the multi -use path to the City. A public plaza is proposed between Buildings A and B which will link the new multi -use path to the development. This space will function as a public gathering space with an access easement enabling the public to utilize the space. The four foot wide sidewalk along Centennial Drive adjacent to the property will be replaced with a five foot sidewalk which will be detached and separated from the roadway by a landscaped tree lawn. The Centennial Drive sidewalk is an important 13