Title
Ordinance No. 21-37 amending the zoning map of the City of Colorado Springs pertaining to 10.64 acres from PUD/AO (Planned Unit Development 5.66 dwelling units per acre, 30’ maximum building height; airport overlay) to PUD/AO (Planned Unit Development 20 dwelling units per acre, 35’ maximum building height; airport overlay) located northeast of the Templeton Gap Road and Wolf Ridge.
(Quasi-Judicial)
Related Files: CPC PUP 20-00013, CPC PUD 20-00014
Presenter:
Katie Carleo, Senior Planner, Planning & Community Development
Peter Wysocki, Planning and Community Development Director
Body
Summary:
Owner: BEYOND DEVELOPMENT LLC, STEVE MILLER
Representative: TERRA NOVA, DANE FRANK
Location: 7045 & 7065 Templeton Gap Road, Colorado Springs
This project includes concurrent applications for a zone change from PUD (Planned Unit Development 5.66 DU/AC, 30’ max. height; airport overlay) to PUD/AO (Planned Unit Development 20 DU/AC max., 35’ max. height; airport overlay) and associated PUD concept plan as well as the development plan illustrating details for townhome development. Staff is also administratively reviewing a subdivision plat for this site.
Background:
This proposal includes the rezoning of 10.64 acres from PUD (Planned Unit Development 5.66 DU/AC, 30’ max. height; airport overlay) to PUD (Planned Unit Development 20 DU/AC max., 35’ max. height; airport overlay). The site was previously zoned with the intent for a similar development of single-family residential as established south of this property. With the sale of land the new ownership is looking to establish zoning that will support a townhome development and higher density. The zone change will establish a maximum density of 20 dwelling units per acre (DU/AC). With the actual layout, as illustrated with the concept plan, this townhome development will develop at 14.7 DU/AC.
This increase is supported to further the intent to establish a mix of residential density in the overall Dublin North neighborhood and is a logical transition from the lower density single-family residential south of the site toward the commercial and some light industrial property north of the site as it transitions to a commercial corridor along Woodmen Road. We see similar higher density residential as a transition to commercial districts along Woodmen Road and throughout the City land use pattern.
The establishment of the PUD (Planned Unit Development) zoning district is supported with the accompanying concept plan. The concept plan illustrates the future development pattern, access, and dimensional controls for the associated land use. The concept plan document is not required to show specific landscaping, screening and buffering, lighting, or other site design aspects but rather foster an overall conceptual nature of the intended PUD. This PUD will establish townhomes with a density of 14.7 DU/AC at full build-out. The concept plan illustrates the required buffering, 15-foot landscape buffer from the adjacent commercial use as well as vacant El Paso County property.
The proposed Templeton Gap Townhomes Development Plan will establish a townhome neighborhood. The plan sets the specific dimensional requirements and illustrates the envisioned layout for the development. At full build-out, the development includes 168 residential units (14.7 DU/AC) that are configured with 4-units to a building. This development includes a mix of units individually platted on fee simple lots, which would be intended for single ownership, and lots that will be platted as a single lot for 4 units giving opportunity for individual investment properties and further rentals. The proposal is also consistent with adjacent established maximum building height (allowable 35-feet) as seen throughout the Dublin North development.
There are two points of access; one will come from Wolf Ridge Road and a second from Templeton Gap Road with an internal looped roadway. Guest parking will be provided on-site. All associated landscape and drainage requirements are satisfied.
PlanCOS is a high level and visionary document. Although PlanCOS purposefully does not include site-specific map-based recommendations regarding land use, there are multiple areas of alignment between PlanCOS and this proposed project. An area of focus for the comprehensive plan is the encouragement of mixed residential housing types. The combination of the existing land use pattern and the addition of this higher density residential supports the envisioned intent per PlanCOS for mixed housing opportunities.
The Vibrant Neighborhoods chapter of PlanCOS calls out the associated area for development as a Newer Developing Neighborhood. The Plan identifies the strive for a mix of neighborhood opportunities, the establishment of the Templeton Gap Townhomes development, and its supporting amenities help support a unique neighborhood setting. The proposed development will further this initiative to serve the surrounding area of northern Colorado Springs.
The site is located on remaining vacant land within the Dublin North Master Plan. This master plan was established to help usher evaluation of land use pattern as surrounding parcels were annexed into the City, a somewhat unconventional approach to adding property to an existing master plan as they were annexed. However, overall the master plan consists of 145 acres, this parcel is 10.64 of vacant land, which calculates that the master plan is 92.6% completed. Per City Code Section 7.5.402 a master plan shall be considered Implemented if 85% or more of the land area is built out and zoned per the master plan. No further master plan amendment is required and staff supports the zone change establishing the land use pattern for residential.
Previous Council Action:
Last council action was approval of the T-Gap Addition Annexation in 2006.
Financial Implications:
N/A
City Council Appointed Board/Commission/Committee Recommendation:
These items was heard before City Planning Commission on February 18, 2021 as part of the consent agenda; City Planning Commission voted unanimous approval for the items. Please see the minutes from the hearing and CPC staff report for additional detail.
Stakeholder Process:
Public notice was provided to 121 property owners within a 1000-foot buffer of the site notifying the surrounding owners of the development request, as well as the site being posted with a public notice poster. Staff received eight letters of concern from the neighborhood with the initial posting and a few follow-up emails from those individuals. A compilation of the correspondence is included as public comment. The developer and applicant also responded on two occasions to the neighborhood comment and their responses are included as public comment response. Overall questions appear to have been answered to the satisfaction of the neighbors as no further communication has been received by staff on this project from the email to the neighborhood on December 3, 2020, with comment responses.
Staff sent plans to the standard internal and external review agencies for comments. All comments received from the review agencies are addressed. Commenting agencies included Colorado Springs Utilities, City Engineering, City Stormwater Engineering, City Traffic, City Fire, School District 49, Police, and E-911 and the Airport Advisory Commission which support approval. Agreements between the City of Colorado Springs and the surrounding military installations establish a two-mile buffer for land use application review, this application is not within the two-mile buffer for USAFA notification.
• Parkland Dedication: The associated development is proposed for future inclusion of residential uses and thus triggers the City Park Land Dedication Ordinance (PLDO) for any dedication or fee of parkland. The proposed area does not include a park site and rather the PLDO fee will be collected for any residential units established as part of this development. The Parks and Recreation Department has reviewed this application and supports the collection of fees in lieu of land dedication.
• School District 49: Academy School District 49 was notified of the application on several occasions. No comments were received; the standard school fee will be collected for this development.
• City Traffic Engineering: At the request of the City Traffic Division, a Traffic Impact Study was completed. Upon initial review, the Traffic Division had modifications and requested another study be conducted to capture school traffic and address concerns for traffic patterns. The updated projected operation of the adjacent roadway will be at a satisfactory level of service assuming traffic control measures and roadway designs are developed as analyzed. After review, the Traffic Division supports all findings from the traffic study. The concept plan illustrates the proposed traffic pattern and improvements to be established.
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 PUZ 20-00012
Move to approve an ordinance amending the zoning map of the City of Colorado Springs pertaining to 10.64 acres from PUD/AO (Planned Unit Development 5.66 dwelling units per acre, 30’ maximum building height; airport overlay) to PUD/AO (Planned Unit Development 20 dwelling units per acre, 35’ maximum building height; airport overlay) located northeast of the Templeton Gap Road and Wolf Ridge, based upon the findings that the change of zone request complies with the review criteria for establishment of a PUD zone as set forth in City Code Section 7.3.603 and the zone change criteria as set forth in Section 7.5.603.B.
Summary of Ordinance Language
An ordinance amending the zoning map of the City of Colorado Springs relating to 10.64 acres from PUD (Planned Unit Development 5.66 DU/AC, 30’ max. height; airport overlay) to PUD (Planned Unit Development 20 DU/AC max., 35’ max. height; airport overlay) for a site located northeast of the Templeton Gap Road and Wolf Ridge.