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HomeMy WebLinkAboutExhibit A_225 N. Mill_Memo_P&ZExhibit A- 225 N. Mill Memo to P&Z Page 1 of 5 Memorandum TO: Aspen Planning & Zoning Commission FROM: Kevin Rayes, Planner THROUGH: Amy Simon, Interim Planning Director MEETING DATE: October 6, 2020 RE: 225 N. Mill Street – Insubstantial PD Amendment & Commercial Design Review – PUBLIC HEARING APPLICANT /OWNER: 225 North Mill Street, LLC REPRESENTATIVE: Stryker Brown Architects LOCATION: Street Address: 225 N. Mill Street Parcel Identification Number: PID# 2737-073-17-004 CURRENT AND PROPOSED ZONING & USE NC (Neighborhood Commercial), Commercial Space SUMMARY: The applicant requests an Insubstantial PD Amendment and Commercial Design Review to remodel the existing building. The scope of work includes the development of a new enclosed glass entry along Mill Street, to accommodate a new elevator and stairway. ADA- compliant access will be provided to the building and within existing bathrooms. The interior of the first and second floors will be reconfigured to improve pedestrian circulation throughout the building and to update existing offices. HVAC equipment will be updated within the basement and other areas of the building. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Planning & Zoning Commission approve the request for an Insubstantial Amendment to a Planned Development and for Commercial Design Review, subject to the conditions listed on page 5 of this memo. Figure 1: Site Locator Map 225 N. Mill Figure 2: Existing Front Façade (as viewed from Mill Street) Exhibit A- 225 N. Mill Memo to P&Z Page 2 of 5 BACKGROUND: 225 N. Mill Street is located on a rectangular, 18,458 sq. ft. lot. The property is within the Neighborhood Commercial (NC) zone district and has a Planned Development designation. The site is improved with a two-story commercial building with street frontage along Mill Street. A paved driveway along the northern side of the property provides access to twenty parking spaces behind the building. The existing building was originally developed in 1978 to house the Aspen Savings and Loan Association. At the time the property was zoned Neighborhood Commercial with a Specially Planned Area Overlay (SPA). A Development Agreement was never recorded. Since the original development of the building, the SPA has been amended from time to time to accommodate various uses. Most notably, in 1992, several minor land use actions were approved by City Council via Ordinance No. 55, Series of 1992. A Specially Planned Area Development Agreement was entered between the owner and the City and a Final SPA Development Plan was recorded (Exhibit A). These documents approved the following: • A 324 sq. ft. elevator was approved, subject to the elevator being depicted in the Final SPA Plan. The recorded plan does not show a location or configuration of the elevator. • The documents confirmed that the existing building contained 8,082 sq. ft. of floor area and 9,324 of net leasable area. Please note that the calculations provided in the application indicate that the building is smaller than the 1992 calculations in both floor area and net leasable area. The proposed project remains below the agreed upon caps and is represented to be 7,738 square feet of floor area and 8,985 square feet of net leasable. As part of this PD Amendment, staff has included a condition of approval establishing these figures as the maximum building dimensions unless adjusted through a future amendment. Figure 3: Existing Site Plan Exhibit A- 225 N. Mill Memo to P&Z Page 3 of 5 REQUEST OF THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION (P&Z) The Applicant is requesting the following land use approvals: • Insubstantial Amendment to a Planned Development (Section 26.445.110.a) To remodel the interior of the existing building, to install an elevator, to update existing HVAC equipment and to improve existing bathrooms to comply with ADA accessibility requirements. • Commercial Design Review (Section 26.412.020) To construct an enclosed glass entryway along Mill Street. PROJECT SUMMARY: The applicant plans to remodel the existing building to improve egress, ingress and internal circulation. The existing configuration is confusing for individuals entering the building in search of a specific business. It appears that the door along the eastern façade of the building (facing Mill Street) is the main entry. However, this door provides access only to a single business in the building. Pedestrians entering the property via Mill Street are often redirected to use the entrance along the north side of the building (facing the driveway). The applicant hopes to address this challenge by reconfiguring the office spaces and the common areas to create a more intuitive layout. An enclosed glass addition is proposed along the façade facing Mill Street to provide a more obvious entry. The enclosure will contain an elevator and stairwell accessing all floors of the building. Additionally, the applicant plans to update existing HVAC equipment located in the basement and to update all existing bathrooms to comply with ADA accessibility requirements. A Minor Amendment to a Planned Development and Commercial Design Review are requested to complete this project. STAFF COMMENTS: Commercial Design Review The subject property is located within the River Approach Character Area as defined in the Commercial, Lodging and Historic District Design Standards and Guidelines. This area has historically functioned as a light industrial zone. There is a mix of architectural styles in this neighborhood, including small-scaled traditional commercial buildings and warehouse style buildings. The pedestrian experience is important, and the area is a juncture for a number of trails. Building materials and details should reflect upon the industrial, innovative and creative history of this neighborhood and the natural setting created by parks and river frontage in the area. Glass entry Figures 4 & 5: New Glass Enclosure Location & Design Exhibit A- 225 N. Mill Memo to P&Z Page 4 of 5 Staff finds the proposed remodel enhances the building’s architecture as it relates to the Commercial Design Criteria in the River Approach Character Area. The expansive fenestration proposed along the front façade improves the pedestrian experience along Mill Street while also preserving the buildings industrial style. The use of expansive fenestration and metal is an appropriate mix of materials in this historically industrial area. Although the height of the glass enclosure will raise the tallest point of the building from approximately 24-ft. to 26-ft., the building is still 2-ft. below the 28-ft. maximum height limit allowed within the NC zone district. Staff finds that the modest height increase is appropriate for this project and the building. There are two dimensional calculations which must be verified as part of Commercial Design Review; Pedestrian Amenity and Second Tier Space. With regard to Pedestrian Amenity, the property is required, per Section 26.412.070.A of the Municipal Code to maintain 100 percent of the existing pedestrian amenity or at least 25 percent of the site in a configuration that meets the design guidelines, whichever is less. The existing landscaped area in front of and immediately along the north side of the building is 16.7 percent of the lot area. The only change to this condition resulting from the proposed project is the new overhang associated with the entry addition. This small area reduces compliance to 16.3 percent because Pedestrian Amenity is to be open to the sky. Staff recommends P&Z allow this condition by finding the following guideline to be met. The slight overhang provides protection from weather at the entry and, as a cantilevered overhang, has a minimal impact on the sense of open space at the front of the property. PA1.5 Street level Pedestrian Amenity areas shall be open to the sky. • Direct access to the Pedestrian Amenity from the street is required. • A street level Pedestrian Amenity space may be covered, subject to HPC or P&Z approval. If the space is covered, the street-facing portion shall be entirely open. The application must also demonstrate compliance with the Second Tier Space requirements of Commercial Design Review. Second Tier Commercial Space has, by virtue of its location in areas of a building without direct access and street presence, typically provided opportunities for lower lease rates to support businesses not requiring “prime” visibility. This type of space has been determined to be declining through redevelopment and so a new requirement to preserve a certain amount of Second Tier Spaces in any redevelopment was adopted. Second Tier Space in the subject building is the net leasable area on the basement and upper floor. The interior reconfiguration of the building triggers the need for the applicant to verify at building permit that they are maintaining no less than 50 percent of the existing Second Tier Space, which is clearly the case. Staff finds that all criteria related to Commercial Design Review are met with conditions. Insubstantial Amendment to a Planned Development The existing building was approved as a Specially Planned Area (SPA) in 1978 and was subsequently amended in 1992. Today redevelopment of the property is subject to the review standards of a Planned Development. To qualify for an insubstantial amendment, the proposed work cannot change the use or character of the development. Additionally, the request must be consistent with the conditions and representations from the project’s original approval or otherwise represent an insubstantial change. Lastly the request should not require a variation from the project’s allowed uses. Any proposed changes to the dimensional requirements should Exhibit A- 225 N. Mill Memo to P&Z Page 5 of 5 be limited to a technical nature, respond to a design parameter that could not have been foreseen during the Project Review approval, and remain within the dimensional tolerances stated in the Project Review, or otherwise represent an insubstantial change. The existing building houses several offices. The uses in the building are consistent with previous approvals and will remain as offices following redevelopment. The proposed project will improve ingress, egress and pedestrian circulation within the building. Today, the exterior door located along the east side of the building, (facing Mill Street) appears to serve as the main entrance to access all interior offices. This door provides access only to a single office within the building. Pedestrians often mistake this door as the main entry and are redirected to the door located along the North side of the property (facing the driveway) to access other offices. The applicant hopes to improve the existing layout by reconfiguring the interior of the building to provide a more intuitive experience when accessing the offices. The enclosed glass entry proposed along the east side of the property will support this change. Upon entering the enclosure from Mill Street, a stairwell and elevator will provide access to all floors of the building, significantly improving pedestrian circulation. Although an elevator does not currently exist within the building, Ordinance No. 44, Series of 1992 approved the installation of one, for up to 324 sq. ft. in area. Lastly, although the development of the glass enclosure will increase the building height by two ft. (24-ft. to 26-ft.), the NC zone district prescribes a maximum height of 28-ft. This modest increase in height is within the dimensional tolerances prescribed for the NC zone district. Staff finds that all applicable criteria for an Insubstantial Amendment to a Planned Development are met. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) approve the request to redevelop the property at 225 N. Mill Street, subject to the following: 1. This Insubstantial PD Amendment shall establish the maximum allowed floor area to be 7,738 square feet, the maximum allowed net leasable area to be 8,985 square feet and the maximum allowed height as 26-ft., 2-inches related to the new entry addition, as represented in the application. 2. P&Z hereby allows a reduction in the existing Street-Level Pedestrian Amenity Space related to the overhang protecting the new entry doors, finding that Commercial Design Guideline PA1.5 is met. The existing Pedestrian Amenity is 16.7 percent of the lot and the approved Pedestrian Amenity is 16.3 percent of the lot. 3. As part of building permit review, the applicant must document the existing and proposed Second Tier Commercial Space and confirm that no less than 50 percent will continue to meet the Municipal Code requirements. 4. Any tree removal or landscaping is subject to review and approval from the Park’s Department. ATTACHMENTS: Resolution #____, Series of 2020 Exhibit A – Insubstantial PD Amendment Review Criteria Exhibit B – Commercial Design Review Criteria Exhibit C – Application