Body
Department of Community Development
Reference: Ridgeline Vista PUD
To: Mayor Kenneth J. Kreutzer and Members of City Council
Through: Philip A. Rodriguez, City Manager
Marv Falconburg, AICP, Assistant City Manager
Holly Prather, AICP, Community Development Director
Prepared By: Lauren Simmons, AICP, Senior Planner
Date Prepared: July 31, 2018
PURPOSE
The overall development plan and zone change applications before the Council is for 69.276 acres located south of Baseline Road, east of the North 60th Avenue alignment and northwest of I-76. The owner of the project is Galaxy Land, LLC. The applicant for the project, Coronado West, LLC, is proposing the Ridgeline Vista Overall Development Plan and the Ridgeline Vista Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning. The purpose of this request is to provide for a mixture of residential uses.
STRATEGIC FOCUS AREA
Recognizable and Well-Planned Community
Supportive, Sustainable Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
The 60.238 acre portion of the property was annexed into the City of Brighton on November 17, 1987 and zoned initially as the Neff PUD. The more southern 9.038 acre portion of the property is set to be annexed into the City on September 18, 2018 as part of the Neff II annexation. The City Council held a public hearing regarding the Annexation of the Neff II parcel on August 21, 2018 and will consider the second reading of the Annexation to coincide with the second reading of the subject rezoning. Since the approval of the Neff PUD in 1987, the property has not developed and during the 2016 update of the Comprehensive Plan, the City updated the Future Land Use Map to include a mixture of residential densities for the property (medium and high), instead of primarily low density housing.
ANALYSIS
The Owner and Applicant have worked cooperatively and diligently with city staff to ensure a quality development that would accommodate the City’s needs, while also ensuring a marketable development plan with a mixture of housing options for the ODP and PUD that would meet the needs of the potential developers and potential home buyers. The proposed mixture of housing types includes single family detached, paired homes, duplexes and single family attached. In addition to the Residential Design Standards, the Applicant has agreed to the following development parameters and planning areas:
Intent: Located off Baseline Road and 60th Avenue, the Ridgeline Vista development will serve as a gateway development from the east off of Baseline Road and I-76. As such the design of the residential areas are critical in establishing an overall character and quality of the community. On the Northeast corner, Ridgeline Vista is planning for entry way monumentation with enhanced landscaping for the subdivision that indicates the City’s boundary and distinctive character.
Surrounding Zoning: North: Town of Lochbuie, Residential PUD
East: Town of Lochbuie, Commercial-Mixed Use PUD
South: Bromley Park PUD
West: Bromley Park PUD
The Project has planned trails and pedestrian connections woven throughout the planning area and on the perimeters. There is a 10’ trail planned along Baseline Road and an 8’ sidewalk planned along N. 60th Avenue. There are planned 8’ sidewalks throughout the development connecting the perimeter sidewalks and trails to the internal parks and the three planning areas.
Ridgeline Vista is proposing a mixture of housing densities and product types for consistency and compatibility with surrounding land uses, the majority of which are single-family detached and considering the proximity to the I-76 and Baseline Road interchange.
CRITERIA BY WHICH COUNCIL MUST CONSIDER THE ITEM
Comprehensive Plan:
The proposed Ridgeline Vista ODP and PUD are compatible with the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan; and the development and improvements proposed by the PUD will comply with the policy of encouraging higher residential densities near commercial center and major corridors. The Ridgeline Vista ODP and PUD are directly adjacent to Baseline Road, a major corridor and close to the I-76 interchange. Policy 1.1 New Growth Should Favor Existing Areas of Infrastructure Investment and Planning anticipates that new development will be located in areas with existing development and planned infrastructure. The Ridgeline Vista PUD is adjacent to the approved Brighton East Farms, Filing 3 and planned 60th Avenue roadway in addition to Baseline Road, a major arterial through the City.
The project is proposing a variety of housing types, including single family detached, single family attached, paired homes and duplexes in a planned community with distinctive architecture, streetscapes and planned trails and parks which addresses Principle 6: Distinctive Neighborhoods and Policy 6.1 Create and Maintain Inviting, Safe, Walkable and Bikable Streets, Policy 6.2 Ensure Residential Lots and Architecture Enhances the Street, Policy 6.3 Create Usable, Accessible and Inviting Green Spaces in Neighborhoods, and Policy 6.5 Encourage Projects that Enhance the Diversity of Housing Types and Costs. The Ridgeline Vista PUD is using three distinctive planning areas within the project in order to plan each area in accordance with the types of housing planned and infrastructure needs.
The proposed Ridgeline Vista ODP and PUD also integrate citywide development policies and principles in accordance with Policy 2.1 Brighton Will Continue to Develop in a Self-Sufficient and Sustainable Manner (Live, Learn, Work, and Play) with an Appropriate Balance between Residential and Non-Residential Uses. The Ridgeline Vista ODP and PUD is located in a primarily residential area of the City that has access to employment centers, neighborhood commercial and regional commercial centers via I-76, Baseline Road, 50th Avenue and Bridge Street.
Overall Development Plan:
The City Council in making its decision shall use the following criteria (Section 17-44-340(d)(3):
a. The ODP is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and with all other duly adopted plans and policies;
The Ridgeline Vista ODP is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, Principles 1, 2 and 6.
b. The ODP complies with all applicable zoning district, development and subdivision regulations; and
The Ridgeline Vista ODP complies with the applicable PUD standards and the intent of the Land Use and Development Code’s development and subdivision regulations.
c. The ODP complies with these Residential Design Standards.
The Ridgeline Vista ODP complies with the intent of the Residential Design Standards.
Planned Unit Development:
The City Council in making its decision shall use the following criteria (Section 17-16-110 (d.4)):
a. The PUD addresses a unique situation, confers a substantial benefit to the City or incorporates creative site design such that it achieves the purposes set out in Paragraph (a)(1) above, and represents an improvement in quality over what could have been accomplished through strict application of the otherwise applicable district or development standards. This may include but is not limited to improvements in open space provision and access; environmental protection; tree/vegetation preservation; efficient provision of streets, roads and other utilities and services; or increased choice of living and housing environments.
The Ridgeline Vista PUD Plan adequately addresses the proposed mixture of housing types with design standards and setback requirements and various lot sizes.
b. The PUD complies with the Comprehensive Plan and all applicable use, development and design standards set forth in this Article, including applicable zoning district standards, the Subdivision Regulations and the Residential Design Standards that are not otherwise modified or waived according to the approved terms of the PUD plan.
The Ridgeline Vista PUD complies with the Comprehensive Plan as illustrated above and all applicable zoning standards, subdivision regulations and Residential Design Standards.
c. The PUD District and PUD Final Development Plan shall comply with all applicable
PUD use and development standards set forth in this Section.
The Ridgeline Vista PUD complies with the PUD Zone District use and development standards.
d. The PUD is integrated and connected with adjacent development through street connections, sidewalks, trails, and similar features.
The Ridgeline Vista PUD includes roadway connections, sidewalks and trails throughout the project connecting to internal parks and Brighton East Farms, Filing 3.
e. To the maximum extent feasible, the proposal mitigates any potential significant adverse impacts on adjacent properties or on the general community.
The proposed Ridgeline Vista PUD addresses any potential significant adverse impacts by additional proposed designs standards for the mixture of residential uses.
f. Sufficient public safety, transportation, educational, and utility facilities and services are available to serve the subject property, while maintaining sufficient levels of service to existing development.
The Ridgeline Vista PUD does not modify any of the public safety, transportation, educational or utility facilities and services to serve the property.
g. As applicable, the proposed phasing plan for development of the PUD is rational in terms of available infrastructure capacity, marketing, and financing.
The Ridgeline Vista PUD proposes phasing that is rational and based on three planning areas.
h. The same development could not be accomplished through the use of other techniques, such as height exceptions, variances, or minor modifications.
The proposed development could not likely be accomplished through the use of other techniques, such as height exceptions, variances, or minor modifications. The size of the lots and the flexibility written into the PUD, to allow the construction of several different housing types dictated by market demand, would not be possible through a typical “straight zoning district.”
i. The applicant has submitted a schedule of development and agrees to the schedule subject to the revocation and withdrawal clauses of this section.
Development Review Committee (DRC) Review:
The Ridgeline Vista ODP and PUD were reviewed by the Development Review Committee. With each round, the developer worked with staff to create a project both were satisfied with. The exact comments from each reviewer are available upon request. The Development Review Committee recommends approval.
Public Comment:
As required, mailings were sent to all property owners within 300’ of this proposed zone change. These mailings were sent on July 25, 2018 and included a letter describing the proposed zoning as well as the time and place for the public hearing. Also included with the letter was a map of the subject area. Along with the public mailings, public hearing signs were posted on July 27, 2018, at the intersection of Baseline Road and Homestead Avenue (Lochbuie). Finally, a notice was published in the newspaper on July 25, 2018 to give notice to those who are not affected property owners or those who do not drive near this intersection on a consistent basis. As of the date of this staff report, no formal comments have been received by staff.
Planning Commission Update:
At its regular meeting on August 14, 2018, the Planning Commission voted unanimously by those present, 5-0, to approve the Ridgeline Vista ODP and PUD. No one from the public, outside of City Staff and the agent for the applicant, spoke to the Commission regarding the ODP or PUD.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff finds that the proposed Ridgeline Vista ODP meets the review criteria found in Section 17-44-340 of the Land Use and Development Code and therefore recommends approval.
Staff finds that the proposal meets the review criteria found in Section 17-16-110 of the Land Use and Development Code, and therefore recommends approval of this zone change from Neff PUD (Planned Unit Development) and Adams County A-3 (Adams County Agricultural-3) to Ridgeline Vista PUD, for the property specifically described within the ordinance. Staff has prepared a draft ordinance that approves the proposed PUD rezoning designation.
OPTIONS FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION
ODP:
The Council has four (4) choices it can make after reviewing this application. The Council may: (1) approve the ODP, (2) deny the ODP, (3) approve the ODP with modifications, or (4) the Council may continue the item to be heard at a later date if the Council feels it needs more information to make an informed decision.
PUD:
The Council has four (4) choices it can make after reviewing this application. The Council may: (1) approve the PUD, (2) deny the PUD, (3) approve the PUD with modifications, or (4) the Council can continue the item to be heard at a later date if the Council feels it needs more information to make an informed decision.
ATTACHMENTS
• Proposed Project Area Map
Planning Commission Resolution (signed)
Neighborhood Notice
Ridgeline Vista ODP
City Council Draft Resolution-ODP
City Council Draft Ordinance-PUD
Ridgeline Vista PUD