Total finished square feet when completed will be approximately 254,534 square feet. The minimum floor area ratio in this district .75; the proposed net floor area rato is 1.92. The COR encourages shared and structured parking to maximize building coverages and maximize density, especially in the TC-1 sub-district. The TC-1 district regulations require two (2) to five (5) story buildings; the proposed building is four (4) stories.

 

The TC-1 Sub-District setback from street is 0-5 feet. According to City Code, at least 60% of the proposed building must be within the maximum setback. The proposed setback of the building appears to be five (5) feet from the proposed extension of the setback, which is proposed as the ‘build-to line’. Approximately four (4) feet of sidewalk is required on private property, necessitating a sidewalk easement. This essentially increases the ‘public realm’ into the Subject Property. The overall intent of placing structures close to the public area is still met, but the building is pushed further away from the right of way due to the extension of the sidewalk. The City Council introduced an ordinance to amend setbacks in the TC-1 sub-district on November 23, 2010, which is eligible for adoption at the December 14, 2010 City Council Meeting.

 

The site will derive public access from Sunwood and Civic Center Drives. The site will share an access on Sunwood and Civic Center Drive with a proposed site plan for Suite Living at The COR, reviewed separately. In addition, the site will access parking in the municipal parking ramp. The shared and ramp accesses shall be encumbered by shared/public access easements as necessary. The City reserves the right to amend any full access to a right-in, right-out movement as traffic patterns or public safety warrant.  At the preliminary site plan stage, City Staff requested additional detail regarding the functionality of the alleyway between the proposed structure and the municipal parking ramp.  The Applicant has provided a turning exhibit to indicate traffic flow and patterns of occupants using the rear garages and service entrances for the building, including but not limited to, public safety and refuse removal vehicles.  The first draft of the turning exhibit indicated the ability to access the parking ramp from the end of the alleyway.  After reviewing this turning exhibit, Staff recommends that an additional ingress into the ramp not be constructed, as there appear to be conflicts in turning radius, height restrictions, etc.  This means larger vehicles such as trash collection and deliveries to the retail component of the project must back up in the alleyway, across the parking ramp access road, and into a loading area, then exit onto Sunwood Drive.  A revised turning exhibit will be available at the meeting to illustrate this traffic movement. 

 

In addition, Staff has requested additional signage and other safety measures to mitigate safety and circulation concens, as outlined in the Staff Review Letter.  Staff has requested signage to alert drivers of vehicles backing into the loading area across the access road.  Staff has also requested signage at the entrance to the alleyway to alert drivers that the alleyway is for the Residence at The COR occupants only and there is no access from the alleyway into the parking ramp.  Finally, the ingress only access from Sunwood Drive is proposed to be amended to an ingress/egress.  Users of the parking ramp would still only be able to exit to Civic Center Drive.

 

The TC-1 sub-district sets a maximum parking space standard of two (2) per residential unit; which equates to 458 spaces in this case. The site plan proposes sixteen (16) on-site parking spaces, with additional on-street capacity. A majority of the parking will be accommodated by a dedicated parking agreement in the existing municipal ramp. The ramp can accommodate 790 parking spaces: 350 dedicated for transit use, 300 proposed for Residence at The COR, and 106 for Municipal Center use. This leaves 34 additional spaces for use in the ramp. Staff recommends there will be adequate parking remaining in the ramp, as this ramp was always envisioned to accommodate parking for abutting uses.

 

Civil Engineering and Landscape plans are generally acceptable with changes outlined in the Staff Review Letter.

 

 All costs associated with reviewing the application are the responsibility of the Applicant.