Title
Ordinance No. 20-16 amending the zoning map of the City of Colorado Springs pertaining to 25.8-acres located southwest of Fountain Boulevard and Aviation Way, from PBC/cr/AO and PIP-2/cr/AO (Planned Business Center and Planned Industrial Park with conditions of record and airport overlay to PIP-2/cr/AO (Planned Industrial Park with conditions of record and airport overlay).
(Quasi-Judicial)
Presenter:
Lonna Thelen, Principal Planner, Planning and Community Development
Peter Wysocki, Director, Planning and Community Development
Body
Summary:
Applicant: YOW Architects PC
Owner: Nomind 6 LLC
Location: Southwest of Fountain Boulevard and Aviation Way
This project includes concurrent applications for a zone change to rezone the 25.8-acre property from PBC/cr/AO and PIP-2/cr/AO (Planned Business Center and Planned industrial park with conditions of record and airport overlay) to PIP-2/cr/AO (Planned Industrial Park with conditions of record and airport overlay) and a concept plan for warehouse, light industrial and office uses. The Airport OZ subdivision plat for two lots and two tracts is under administrative review. The site is located southwest of Fountain Boulevard and Aviation Way.
Background:
This 25.8-acre site is a small portion of a larger area that was originally zoned with Ordinance 76-83, rezoning 171.91 acres east of Powers Boulevard to PIP-2 with the following conditions:
1. That all the permitted principal uses allowed in the M-1 zone be permitted in said PIP-2 zone.
2. That there be no maximum lot coverage requirements.
In 2006, after other subsequent rezonings, 43.89 acres were rezoned from PIP-1, PIP-2 and PBC to PIP-2 and PBC to allow for a retail commercial building at the southwest corner of Fountain Boulevard and Aviation Way. The same conditions of record were retained for the PIP-2 zoned property as in Ordinance 76-83. Colorado Department of Transportation purchased right-of-way on the west side of the site, which changed the layout of this property. The applicant is currently requesting to return the 25.8 acres that they still own back to the original PIP-2 zoning with the same conditions of record as approved in 1976.
Zoning:
This application is a rezoning of 25.8 acres from PBC/cr/AO and PIP-2/cr/AO (Planned Business Center and Planned Industrial Park with conditions of record and airport overlay) to PIP-2/cr/AO (Planned Industrial Park with conditions of record and airport overlay). The conditions of record proposed are as follows:
1. That all the permitted principal uses allowed in the M-1 zone be permitted in said PIP-2 zone.
2. That there be no maximum lot coverage requirements.
As previously discussed, the PIP-2 zoning was approved for 171 acres east of Powers Boulevard. Not all 171 acres retain the PIP-2 zoning, but the majority of the area is zoned PIP-2.
Concept Plan:
The concept plan for the site illustrates a total of 249,800 square feet of office and warehouse use in 4 buildings and 100,000 square feet of office and light industrial use in two buildings. The site is configured into two lots, two tracts, and two future platted lots. The private drive, Cygnet Heights, has been platted into a tract for a private roadway to connect to the existing plated tract for Cygnet Heights south of the property and one additional tract for detention. The area east of Powers Boulevard from Zeppelin Boulevard to north of Airport Road has developed into a primarily industrial area containing a mix of office/warehouse and industrial uses. The proposed uses complements the existing uses in this area. City Traffic has no concerns with the change to all industrial use as the industrial was contemplated as early as 1976. The roadway infrastructure was planned to support this type of industrial use. Cygnet Heights will be constructed as a private drive to access the site from Fountain Boulevard and connect with the existing Cygnet Heights to the south of this property.
Comprehensive Plan:
Staff has evaluated the proposed applications for conformance with the City’s current comprehensive plan (herein referred to as “PlanCOS”). According to PlanCOS, the project site is identified on the plan’s Vision map as a part of the Airport Neighborhood and shows the site as Industrial. Per the Unique Places Framework Map, this site is part of the Airport Business Park. This site is also part of the Regional Employment and Activity Centers typology with a goal to encourage the continuing adaptation and development of regional centers as more complete and well-functioning places. The proposed project continues the development of the Airport Business Park, a major industrial development within Colorado Springs. This area also supports the Colorado Springs Airport. This site has close proximity to the Colorado Springs Airport and Peterson Air Force Base and is near a number of existing industrial users east of Powers, north and south of this site.
Specific policies of PlanCOS that are supported are listed below:
Policy UP-1.A: Emphasize placemaking throughout the city with design and programming that supports a distinctive identity and experience. <https://coloradosprings.gov/plancos/book/unique-places-goals-and-policies?mlid=43001>
Strategy UP-1.A-2: Evaluate new and redeveloping land use related to enhancement and support of existing, transitioning, and new activity centers.
City Planning staff finds Cygnet Heights to be in substantially conformance with PlanCOS and its guidance.
As a supplement to this memo, please see the details of the proposed development, staff’s analysis of the review criteria, and breakdown of the comprehensive plan in the City Planning Commission Staff Report.
Previous Council Action:
N/A
Financial Implications:
N/A
City Council Appointed Board/Commission/Committee Recommendation:
On February 20, 2020, the City Planning Commission unanimously voted to approve this item on the consent calendar.
On March 10, 2020, City Council passed this ordinance on first reading on the Consent Calendar.
Stakeholder Process:
The public notification process consisted of providing notice to the neighbors by placing a poster for the project on-site and sending postcards to 25 property owners within 1000 feet. No public comment was received. The site will again be posted prior to City Planning Commission and City Council.
The applications were sent to the standard internal and external agencies for review and comment. The remaining comments to be addressed are minor and are listed as technical modifications. Review agencies for this project included Colorado Springs Utilities, City Traffic, City Engineering, City Fire Department and Police/E-911, School District 2, Colorado Springs Airport, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Department of Transportation, and Floodplain and Enumerations.
Alternatives:
1. Uphold the action of the City Planning Commission;
2. Modify the decision of the City Planning Commission;
3. Reverse the action of the City Planning Commission; or
4. Refer the matter back to the City Planning Commission for further consideration
Recommended Action
Proposed Motion:
CPC ZC 19-00196
Adopt an ordinance amending the zoning map of the City of Colorado Springs pertaining to 25.8 acres from PBC/cr/AO and PIP-2/cr/AO (Planned Business Center and Planned Industrial Park with conditions of record and airport overlay to PIP-2/cr/AO (Planned Industrial Park with conditions of record and airport overlay), based upon the findings that the change of zoning request complies with the three (3) criteria for granting of zone changes as set forth in City Code Section 7.5.603(B), subject to the following Conditions of Record:
1. That all the permitted principal uses allowed in the M-1 zone be permitted in said PIP-2 zone.
2. That there be no maximum lot coverage requirements.
Summary of Ordinance Language
An ordinance amending the zoning map of the City of Colorado Springs pertaining to 25.8-acres located at southwest of Fountain Boulevard and Aviation Way from PBC/cr/AO and PIP-2/cr/AO (Planned Business Center and Planned industrial park with conditions of record and airport overlay) to PIP-2/cr/AO (Planned Industrial Park with conditions of record and airport overlay), subject to the following Conditions of Record:
1. That all the permitted principal uses allowed in the M-1 zone be permitted in said PIP-2 zone.
2. That there be no maximum lot coverage requirements.