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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPZ - Narrative ELF N Entitlement Narrative Gramercy Town homes DEVELOPMENT GRAMERCY TOWNHOMES COMMUNITY OVERVIEW Intermountain Pacific, LLC, a development entity of Meridian-based real estate development company Elton Development, proposes to develop Gramercy Townhomes, an 82-unit for-sale townhome project in the Gramercy subdivision, located on three parcels at 1873, 1925, and 2069 Wells Avenue. Gramercy Townhomes is envisioned as a luxury townhome community, composed of three-story townhomes offering three-and four-bedroom units,with residences ranging in size from 1,650 SF to 1,750 SF (not including garage space). The community will be centered around a 0.60-acre open space commons area, incorporating sodded areas, a seating area, shade trees, and a dog park with waste stations. Parking is provided at each end of the commons so residents located in the north and south sections of the subdivision can visit the commons comfortably. The community exceeds the required 15%of qualified open space (18.84% is provided)through the commons area, a large open space at the north border of the property, as well as parkways throughout. Each residence will have a two-car garage, as well as room for two cars in each residence's driveway. While the residences meet the required parking for each townhome, additional parking was designed into the development to further accommodate visitors. 46 parking stalls (in addition to the four stalls provided per townhome) are found throughout the community, either in front of the residences or around the open space commons, bringing the total parking count for the neighborhood to 374 (328 required). The community is located within the Gramercy subdivision, situated where residents will be surrounded by amenities and services within easy walking distance. The townhomes will be a short distance from restaurants, healthcare services (urgent care, eye doctors, dentist offices, and many other physician specialties), educational facilities, coffee shops, bank branches, and other commercial services. In addition, 11-acre Gordon Harris Park is located within a three-minute walk of the community's southern- most residences, and Gramercy Park is located even closer. In summary, Gramercy Townhomes will be surrounded by services convenient to residents, making the location excellent for a residential development. DESIGN DETAILS The Gramercy Townhomes development team met with City staff several times during the community design. The feedback from staff was important to improving the project from its original concept. A few examples may be helpful to illustrate the process. The location of the existing drive aisles set road location and design parameters that were a challenge to work around. Based on road layout, our initial designs placed the commons (open area between homes) in the southern section of the development. City staff urged the development team to find a way to make the commons more central to the project. 1 ELF N Entitlement Narrative Gramercy Townhomes DEVELOPMENT Through an iterative and significant redesign process,we were able to relocate the commons and make it larger, which we believe significantly improved the project. Connection to and visibility from the 10-foot multi-use pathway south of the community was important to City staff. Design changes were made to connect to the multi-use pathway at three locations, and also change the southern section to an alley-load design,to interface more aesthetically with the multi-use pathway. DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY The site is currently zoned C-G. Over the past 25 years, many commercial uses have been contemplated, but the distance of the parcels from a visible and active roadway has always made developing this parcel into a commercial facility challenging. Because the parcels are somewhat tucked away, a residential use is more suitable for this site. In the Comprehensive Plan, this area is given a Mixed-Use Regional designation, which the Plan dictates is to "provide a mix of employment, retail and residential dwellings and public uses near major arterial intersections." Gramercy Townhomes would add to the residential mix of this regional designation. As a for-sale residential community,the existing commercial parcels would require rezoning as well as the creation of a plat. In addition,the existing development agreement would require modification. This application proposes a rezone to the TN-R zoning district, provides a preliminary plat, and also proposes modifications to the existing Development Agreement. As the streets within the community are contemplated to be private streets, a private street application will be made separately from this application. REZONE Gramercy Townhomes is proposed to be rezoned under the TN-R zoning designation. Per the Comprehensive Plan, Mixed Use Regional areas are to include a "mix of employment, retail, and residential dwellings, and public uses near major arterial intersections. The intent is to integrate a variety of uses together, including residential, and to avoid single use developments such as a regional retail center with only restaurants and other commercial uses." (Comp Plan, at 3-22). In MU-R areas, residential uses are to play a significant role. In fact, residential uses should comprise between 10%and 30% of the development area, with gross densities ranging from 6 to 40 units/acre" (Id.). When considering the Mixed Use Regional area (bounded by Overland Road on the north and Eagle Road on the east), it is clear that additional residential use is needed to meet the intent of this goal. 2 ELF N Entitlement Narrative Gramercy Town homes DEVELOPMENT As noted previously, a C-G zone is not appropriate for this site given its limited visibility; accordingly, appropriate zoning was discussed with staff and TN-R was suggested for this use. Per the UDC,TN-R districts are appropriate within a mixed-use neighborhood and the TN-R designation accounts for the type of for-sale, single-family product that is proposed here based upon the dimensional standards provided in UDC Section 11-2D-6. TN-R zoned property is located immediately to the south of this project, and additional TN-R zoned property will allow for a buffer from the existing C-G uses on the north of the site to the R-15 and property on the south, leading to Gordon Harris Park. It provides an appropriate zone to ensure that the residential components of the Mixed Use Regional comprehensive plan designation are satisfied. PRELIMINARY PLAT A preliminary plat application is being proposed with 82 buildable lots and 8 common lots. The roadways, landscaping areas, and pathways between the buildings comprise the common lots. The maintenance of the common lots—including the private lanes—will be the responsibility of the homeowner's association. A draft roadway maintenance agreement will be included with the application for private drives. DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT MODIFICATION As staff is aware,this project is within the very successful Gramercy project and is also located immediately adjacent to Mountain View High School, pathways, and other residential uses. The area is subject to an overall Development Agreement that has been modified from time to time.' There is no intent to modify the Development Agreement as it exists on the remainder of the Gramercy project. Staff is also aware that this applicant pursued an active adult, multi-family housing project on this site back in 2021. That application included an approved and recorded "Addendum to Development Agreement", recorded as Instrument No. 2022-001214 (the "DA Addendum"). Development Agreement associated with File No.AZ 06-021,originally dated August 14,2006 and recorded as Instrument No. 1 061 41 056 on August 31,2006. and subsequently amended from time to time,as follows: that certain Addendum to the Development Agreement dated January 31,2008 and recorded as Instrument No. 108022888 on February 28,2008;that certain Amendment to Development Agreement dated April 2, 2012 and recorded as Instrument No. 112033248 on April 11,2012;that certain 2"'Addendum to the Development Agreement dated June 25,2013 and recorded as Instrument No. 113071290 on June 26,2013; that certain First Amendment to Development Agreement dated February 18,2014 and recorded as Instrument No. 114012738 on February 19,2014;and that certain Addendum to the Development Agreement dated February 7,2017 and recorded as Instrument No.2017-012606 on February 10,2017(collectively,the "Development Agreement") 3 ELF N Entitlement Narrative Gramercy Town homes DEVELOPMENT This application would require limited amendments to the DA Addendum, including the following: • Removal of references to "age-restricted multi-family development on the subject C-G zoned properties". Accordingly, Section 5.1.13 would be deleted and replaced with a site plan for the currently proposed single-family residential project. • Section 5.1.14, which limits the project to being age-restricted, 55 years or older,would be deleted. • Section 5.1.15 of the DA Addendum would remain in place and require pedestrian connections to the existing pathway system. • Because this project will take up the entirety of the subject property,there will not be a reserved commercial area; accordingly, Section 5.1.16 will be deleted. Similarly, no property boundary adjustment is required to accommodate the commercial area; accordingly, Section 5.1.17 can also be deleted. Based upon the applicant's initial review,the modifications to the DA Addendum would be limited and, of course,the remaining provisions of the Development Agreement would remain in force. Given the Comprehensive Plan's emphasis on retaining residential uses in MU-R,given the property's location at the rear of Gramercy, given the property's limited commercial visibility, and given the need to transition from the high school to other commercial and multi-family residential uses, we believe this is an appropriate location for this project and that a development agreement modification is appropriate. 4