Title
Ordinance No. 17-98 amending the zoning map of the City of Colorado Springs pertaining to 16.85 acres located at 1935, 1955, 1975, 1995, and 2015 Aerotech Drive from C6/CR/AO (General Business with Conditions of Record and Airport Overlay) and PBC/CR/AO (Planned Business Center with Conditions of Record and Airport Overlay) to C6/CR/AO (General Business with Conditions of Record and Airport Overlay).
(Quasi-Judicial)
Presenter:
Lonna Thelen, Principal Planner, Planning and Community Department
Peter Wysocki, Director of Planning and Community Development
Body
Summary:
Applicant: YOW Architects PC
Owner: Miller Family Real Estate LLC
Location: 1935, 1955, 1975, 1995, and 2015 Aerotech Drive
This project includes concurrent applications for a zone change and development plan for a recreational vehicle (RV) park and mini warehouses. The zone change would rezone the property from C6/CR/AO (General Business with Conditions of Record and Airport Overlay) and PBC/CR/AO (Planned Business Center with Conditions of Record and Airport Overlay) to C6/CR/AO (General Business with Conditions of Record and Airport Overlay).
Previous Council Action:
On 10/24/2017, this ordinance was approved on first reading on the Consent Calendar.
Background:
This project includes a proposal to build the RV Park with a 2,660 square foot clubhouse, associated outdoor amenities and 150 individual pads for RV parking and a mini warehouse facility that includes one 80,000 square foot climate controlled facility with an office and residence and eight individual mini warehouse buildings. There are five existing platted lots that make up the site. Lot 1 will be used to accommodate the mini warehouse-storage facility and lots two through five will be combined through a waiver or replat process to accommodate the RV Park. The waiver of replat will combine the lots for zoning and subdivision purposes, allowing the lots to be considered one lot for building permit purposes.
The RV Park is considered a campground per City Code land use definitions. A campground is defined as a facility providing camping or parking uses and incidental services for travelers in recreational vehicles or tents. The site has two access points from Aerotech Park Drive that access to the clubhouse and parking area. This area allows check-in for recreational vehicles prior to entering the site. Once checked in, recreational vehicles enter the site through a gate system and then travel on a 40-foot wide concrete drive to their specified space. The site contains amenities to include a pool, sun terrace, fire pit and barbeque area as well as utilizes the detention area as active open space. Between each paved parking area there are 5-foot wide grass areas for use by the campers.
The mini warehouse development is accessed through one access point from Aerotech Park Drive. A parking area for users of the 80,000 square foot climate controlled building and the residential unit is provided at the front of the site. The remainder of the site is accessed through two gated entries. There are eight additional mini warehouse buildings for personal storage on- site.
The property is currently dual-zoned with the northern 13.2 acres being zoned C-6 (General Business) and southern 3.6 acres being zoned PBC (Planned Business Center). The zones were established through Ordinance 97-90 (FIGURE 3) and Ordinance 96-120 (FIGURE 4). These ordinances required landscape berms to be placed along Powers Boulevard to screen parking lots, limited signage to low profile signage, and required that development plans be reviewed by City Planning Commission. Staff will retain the signage condition, but remove the other conditions of record from the site. The rationale for the removal of the landscape requirement is that there is a planned 10-foot or greater landscape buffer with trees installed along Powers Boulevard and a fence. Where the mini warehouse structures are adjacent to Powers Boulevard, no fence will be installed, but the landscape treatment will be included. The condition of record to limit signage to a low profile will ensure the signage is compatible with the surrounding signage in this area.
Please see the attached City Planning Commission staff report for additional detailed analysis.
Financial Implications:
N/A
Board/Commission Recommendation:
At their regular meeting on September 21, 2017, the Planning Commission voted 9-0, as part of the consent calendar, to grant the request for the zone change and associated development plan application. See the minutes from the hearing for a full record of the discussion and decision.
Stakeholder Process:
The public process involved with the review of the applications included posting the site and sending postcards to 93 property owners within 1000 feet with the internal review and prior to the City Planning Commission hearing.
Staff input is outlined in the City Planning Commission report. Staff sent plans to the standard internal and external review agencies for comment. All comments received from the review agencies are addressed. Commenting agencies included Colorado Springs Utilities, City Engineering, City Traffic, City Fire, Police, Enumerations, Floodplain, Real Estate Services, City Landscape, Comcast, School District 2 and E-911. This site is within the Airport Overlay and was reviewed by the Airport Advisory Committee and it is also within the review area for Peterson Airforce Base; both agencies reviewed the plans and did not object to the applications.
Alternatives:
1. Uphold the action of the City Planning Commission;
2. Modify the decision of the City Planning Commission;
3. Grant the appeal and reverse the action of the City Planning Commission - granting of the appeal will essentially deny the project as proposed; or
4. Refer the matter back to the City Planning Commission for further consideration
Recommended Action
Proposed Motion:
Approve the Aerotech RV Park and Mini Storage zone change of 16.85 acres from C6/CR/AO (General Business with Conditions of Record and Airport Overlay) and PBC/CR/AO (Planned Business Center with Conditions of Record and Airport Overlay) to C6/CR/AO (General Business with Conditions of Record and Airport Overlay), based upon the finding that the zone change complies with the review criteria in City Code Section 7.5.603 with the following condition of record:
1. Signage is limited to one low profile sign (7’ in height or less) for each lot.
Summary of Ordinance Language
An ordinance amending the zoning map of the City of Colorado Springs pertaining to 16.85 acres located at 1935, 1955, 1975, 1995, and 2015 Aerotech Drive from C6/CR/AO (General Business with Conditions of Record and Airport Overlay) and PBC/CR/AO (Planned Business Center with Conditions of Record and Airport Overlay) to C6/CR/AO (General Business with Conditions of Record and Airport Overlay) with the following condition of record:
1. Signage is limited to one low profile sign (7’ in height or less) for each lot.