Public may provide comments on the GDP within the next two weeks (December 24)

Transcription

1 25/70 General Development Plan (GDP) Public Meeting Wednesday, December 10, :00 8:00 P.M. District 1 Police Station Community Room 1311 W 46th Ave, Denver, CO Council Woman Montero: This particular property has been on my radar for years. There has been a bigger vision for the site which includes development of the Fox street corridor and more residential development. This project is a catalyst for new opportunities. STAFF PRESENTATION DEIRDRE OSS Staff Overview of the GDP: This is the single required meeting where applicant makes the formal presentation. The applicant has submitted preliminary application which will be reviewed and revised through February or after. The presentation tonight indicates the first draft of concepts these concepts will be enhanced and vetted through a multidisciplinary City review team over the coming months. Public may provide comments on the GDP within the next two weeks (December 24) (Site Location Slide) (Context Slide) 41 st and Fox Station (Gold Line) serves as a catalyst for development. The site is located in the Globevile neighborhood and within the ¼ and ½ mile radius of the transit station. As related to Plans, there are recommendations for future connections to the west that will not been completed through this GDP. Implementation of these large scale infrastructure projects will be difficult in the future given the known constraints of the crossing (now that track engineering is being completed, we know that the cost to cross the tracks with a road or pedestrian bridge is phenomenal and there is no funding at this time to complete those connections.) The GDP will be prepared to utilize and enhance existing feasible connections and does not necessarily preclude future connections.

2 (What is a GDP? Slide): This is an administrative process that will go to Denver Planning Board for a recommendation followed by a formal decision by the Development Review Committee (Community Planning and Development, Parks and Recreation, Public Works). The triggers for doing a GDP are: Adopted plans: Globeville, 41 st and Fox, Blueprint Large Sites: 10+ acres Infrastructures networks needs Blueprint area: The site is designated as an Urban Residential Mixed Use Area of Change. It is anticipated that the area will transition into a multi family mixed income with an emphasis on residential. Station Area Plan focus: Place making Housing Choices Location Efficiency Value Capture Portal to the region The purpose of the GDP: (see slide) GDP Concepts (See slide) Specific note on Open Space (net 10%) (see slide) GDP is on the website for review Timeline: Review will be conducted through December with subsequent submittals through January and February

3 Next Steps after the GDP: Design Guidelines are often completed after a GDP to address signage, architectural details, etc. This is a step often done when a developer is ready to move forward. At this time, the owners plan to prepare the site for development by others. The GDP will set the framework for this to take place in a meaningful way that implements plans for the site as a whole. APPLICANT PRESENTATION ERIC TAYLOR General Development Plan: The specific vertical developer is unknown at this time Currently they are setting up the site for development with infrastructure 30 grade change on the site that enables for great views to downtown 40 acres of developable land The old Denver Brick Company set the ground for the existing street grid system Site Overview: The existing building is planned to be taken down, the owners looked at options for reuse however it has not been feasible to keep the building. Highlights of the GDP Circulation: Primary concept is to introduce the city grid The 41 st and Fox Station area placed a park in the center of the site and uses the station as a catalysis for the area Fox will serve as the spine of the development Improving Fox Street from 44 th and into the space Looking at open space, maybe not a park but a reprieve from the development Improving the diagonal of Fox street, only our side Idea to create a hybrid park/detention area that serves as a regional storm facility This will enable to development to be consistent and marketable Total park area is 2.6 or 2.8 acres The arrows allude to the vehicular access points. Typical Section of Fox Street (public road): Left to Right: Sidewalk, tree lawn, parking, bike lake, travel lane (mirrored) Fox as the major bike and pedestrian circulation route

4 (Park Open Space Slide) Potentially creating a buffer ring around the development that may also provide access to a community amenity Potentially creating a 45 th street pedestrian connection (or at least visually) Open Space park and open space area is hoped to be similar to Little Raven and Confluence Park. The park will serve as a linear park that will serve as buffer between the road, development and detention area 50 year storm will serve as a natural landscape 100 year area as a grassy passive area natural ecologically park just a thought, just and ideas to play with Pedestrian and bicycle connection Slide Fox serves as the major connection Additional cuts through the site to connect the future developments to the park An attempt to create a linked system and grid The park will serve as the hub for the development and surrounding neighborhood Phasing Plan: P1: extension of fox, diagonal of 44 th, detention pond P2: outlying park area P3: perimeter areas Concepts Land Use: Urban Residential, following the plan guidance, a higher density residential product with a variety of housing types and sometimes low impact commercial uses PUBLIC COMMENTS/QUESTIONS (~13 RESIDENTS) (Comments/Questions in bold) (indented text is response) Do you anticipate on expanding the ROW? No, this will be an extension of the existing 80 ROW

5 What about the Plans 44 th Street Connection over the bridge? This was viewed as a gateway entrance but not going over. The rise required to go over is not feasible. Maybe not able to go under either. Will there be connectivity to the other side of the rail road tracks so that people on the east side of the Sunnyside neighborhood have access to the lightrail? There is a pedestrian bridge to access the 41 st and Fox Transit Station. Access to the site is very poor, how are these connections going to be improved? The bridge to the lightrail will not serve as an appropriate connection for cyclists, only pedestrians. The site has not been developed commercially because of the feasibility and problems of access. Residential development does not have the same constraints for access as do commerce uses (i.e. trucking needs and better access to highway). Affordable Housing? No space has been determined for affordable housing thus far; Later clarified by owner to confirm the future development would comply with City s required Affordable Housing Ordinance and afford opportunity for mixed income housing. Comment: We are not doing anything to bring the neighborhoods together, they are being kept separate. Access does not appear to be addressed. How are families going to get from one end of the tracks to another? A note about the capital infrastructure, these improvements are beyond the capabilities of one individual development. These plans may have to adjust now that we have further details on the commuter rail. Connectivity trough the site needs to be ensured. The site needs to serve the users of the site and the community. The city should be proactive in setting up the infrastructure when it is anticipated that a site will be developed by the private development. Some existing business may want to relocate onto the other side due to the new development

6 Provide pros and cons of how forest city developed Stapleton, what did they learn? How does the zoning method used in Stapleton translate to the future of this site? This development is the next generation of Stapleton and new urbanism Want to encourage alley loading access to create the urban district What do you envision the density on the site? Attached and detached single family housing with some 5 story apartments 41 acres of multi family is not anticipated Mixed income housing There is concern with high density development on the existing street grid. Density is feasible in the long term, but opportunities for new connections to the site would improved the situation something the City may have to take on. The station serves both future commuter lines (implication: transit use will allow for multimodal access, long term reduction in vehicle use as the mode shit increases for bikes and transit users after the lines open in 2016). The site is next to the mousetrap which is central to the concentration of severe air pollution, is residential the best outcome, the city should be aiming for a high quality neighborhood that can provide hundreds of thousands of jobs. The rail function is very valuable to various intuitions. Need to consider the site as an employment center despite the connectivity issues. Will the park and detention be owned in common with other owners of the 3 large parcels? The GDP sets the stage for common management of these sites as well as other aspects including private roads. There has been trouble getting employers into the area, maybe the station will serve as the catalysis for this, hopefully there are some mix of uses that can serve the residential development. When looking at employers, was a single employer or multiple employer looked at? There are not too many 350,000 s.f. users, so the plan was to go after many small employers. Building has been out of use for 6 years and over 20 years old, so it is considerably difficult to repurpose. There were multiple plans for the subdivision of the space, however the mass to fill the space was not there. Think about the parking and safety on the west side of 41 st and Fox. Can we influence traffic with signage?

7 Fox Street is intended to develop as a main corridor through this western section of Globeville and connect to the site. Long term signage is a possibility. Talking about the open space and perimeter trail it that is part of the plan I would suggest a crushed travel trail, there are no soft trails in the area. Since the pedestrian bridge a 43 rd avenue was demolished, access has been reduced. The nearest grocery store is 2 miles away, there need to be a contingency to set aside some area for commercial development. Fresh Food access is also a City priority, and promoting fresh food can be a goal/principle in the GDP. Has there been any Urban Renewal Funding perused on the site? It my meet the criteria. From the city perspective, the department of environmental health has already noted some of the environmental challenges. Department of Finance is a referral and connected to DURA. The DURA process is separate from this GDP process. Future implementation strategies can be identified in the GDP. The site can be treated as a destination and not a point of origin. The bus is much faster and easier to take the bus. Garden Place Elementary, what is the enrollment vs. capacity? Current enrollment is 431 students DPS is a referral agency so they should be able to provide additional details as well as any other issues related to future school needs to serve this new development. What is the connection and plan for Washington and 44th? (clarification: 44 th connects across I 25 and curves north, intersecting with 45 th as the east west connector east of Interstate 25) Health Impact Assessment strategies (incorporated in the adopted Globeville Neighborhood Plan), identify the gateway intersection of 45 th and Washington as an intersection that should be improved to enhance safety. (Plan Recommendation 3: A Bikeable, Walkable Denver)