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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4_Project Narrative PROJECT NARRATIVE Downtowns are evolving and after years of moving away from city centers, residents are returning in a pattern seen throughout the country. Our approved Downtown Improvements Plan accurately predicts this migration and prescribes ways to accommodate this evolution for the benefit of this community. Redevelopment is and will take place in many forms. Whole block projects are the exception, as smaller parcels are more likely to be the norm and will require forward thinking to assess the overall influence of each project towards the wider goals, plans and evolving urban patterns for downtown. This project site (202 S. Black Ave.) is located on the south east corner of S. Black Ave & E. Olive St., two blocks south of Main St. The property is designated “Community Core” in the growth policy and falls within the “South Village” Designation in the Downtown Improvement Plan. The site is zoned B-3 (Central Business District) which allows a mix of commercial and/or higher density (five or more attached units) residential apartments. This application proposes the redevelopment of the existing property into a 5 story building. 1st floor, parking garage, commercial space and residential lobby with floors 2-5 residential apartment. The building respectfully fits within the adjacent existing building mass with the 4 story apartment building across the street and the 80’ tall federal building caddy corner. The first floor sidewalks on Black Ave. & Olive St engage the street with tall expansive storefront windows giving transparency in and out of the building. With no setbacks required next to the adjacent B-3 zoned properties, setbacks are provided along the east and south sides. To be respectful to the south B- 3 zoned site, although it is not required, BLACK OLIVE is stepped back 45 degrees at 44’-0” above level 1 as required for B-3 properties adjacent to a residential zone. The South Village currently has a wide mix of conforming and non-conforming residential and commercial uses. The Downtown improvement plan states: “Numerous larger underutilized parcels in this area can be infilled with primary housing redevelopment… identified potential accommodations of as many as 500 units over five to fifteen years. An informal application was reviewed by the DRC on May 20, 2016. Comments from this review have been addressed and responded to within this (SP1) – REV 2, 01.04.2017 resubmittal. Comments have all been addressed to compliance within the code in this zoning district. Please refer to the following application material for more detailed discussions as well as the attached exhibits and drawing set for additional information. “The presence of significant housing is the most critical missing piece of Bozeman’s downtown, and for it to be vital and sustainable over time, housing should be developed in great numbers and varieties, at all price points, both rental and for-sale. This recommendation is a “cornerstone” of this plan. The very future of downtown is dependent upon the successful development of housing…” - Development Improvement Plan, Page 16 DOWNTOWN MAP Site VICINITY MAP Subject Property DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT PLAN MAP Subject Property DESIGN All streets and sidewalks in downtown should be designed to make the experience of pedestrians and bicyclists safe, comfortable and visually appealing… The scale and character of the historic core should be protected but other downtown districts should be able to accommodate contemporary development of greater height and density… Housing – for all income levels – should be encouraged by a variety of methods… - Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan, Pages 12-13 Black Olive’s design reflects its context, between the high density community core district with natural, strong materials and the lower density neighborhoods to the south with warmer materials respecting the buildings’ residential aspects with a human touch. The material palette provides connectivity and respectful contrast, between the different neighborhoods in Bozeman. The geometry of the building incorporates solids and voids, evoking a subtle abstraction of geological and other natural forms along the building facades. Mountains, rock formations and urban influences inspire a contrast-full, timeless color palette that reflects its setting. The prominent tall, flat roof draws a connection to the setting, in both the natural and urban context along Main St. Lightness and contrast of the finishes breaks the scale, while the glazed ground floor spaces engage the sidewalk in a pedestrian friendly manner connecting the exterior and interior. View from E. Olive Ave DESIGN GUIDELINES, SUBCHAPTER 4-B – GUIDELINES FOR THE B-3 COMMERCIAL CHARACTER AREA “Downtown Bozeman should be the location of buildings of greatest height and intensity in the community. The following guidelines apply to properties zoned B-3 (Central Business District) that serves as a transition between the Main Street Historic District and residentially zoned neighborhoods. Underdevelopment of this transitional zone is a major concern. The downtown district is planned for continued intensification over time with building additions as well as new construction replacing dilapidated and underutilized older structures on underdeveloped properties. Housing – for all income levels – should be encouraged by a variety of methods to support the continued economic viability of the Downtown Bozeman business district, which is broadly recognized as one of Bozeman’s strongest assets.” - NCOD Design Guidelines, Chapter 4-B A. Mass & Scale 1. Provide density to meet the goals and objectives of the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan: With 56 total apartment units on .4407 acres, Black Olive has a FAR ratio of 2.99. As a mixed use building, the floor to floor height is 15’-0” with large storefront windows to engage the sidewalks. 2. Innovative development and diversity of design is encouraged: Black Olive incorporates a varied material palette of brick, panelized composite corrugated metal and wood siding to relate and contrast to the high density Community Core, B-3 zone and respect the lower density residential zones of Bozeman. The brick coursing reflects Bozeman’s Main Street history, while the wood siding gives the residential units a warm feel similar to the residential neighborhoods close to the site. The corrugated metal transitions between the dense urban area and lower density areas within Bozeman and blends well with the vernacular of the area. 3. A new building should exhibit clear order and comprehensive composite on all elevations: Black Olive’s hierarchy is composed with a strong, pedestrian friendly base and vertical elements that reflects the surrounding urban districts massing and scale. Secondary materials of metal/wood in combination with private unit balconies, provide solids and voids along the façade to break up the building along with providing great open spaces for the residents. 4. Building interface with residential zone properties: Black Olive’s site is not adjacent to residentially zoned properties, but provides a setback along the south and east elevations to provide a nice relief and respect to the adjacent properties. The south elevation steps back again from the 2- 5 floors above the 1st floor step back. RE: Floorplans and elevations. B. Building Quality 1. New buildings shall be designed to the level of permanence and quality appropriate for Downtown Bozeman: Black Olive’s strong and varied material palette of brick, corrugated metal and wood siding, reflects the urban, high density surroundings of downtown Bozeman. The strong and transparent pedestrian brick base of the building, relates to other strong, engaging buildings along Main Street, while also relating to the softer residential aspects of the community with wood siding to give the building a warm touch. 2. Sustainable methods and techniques shall be applied to building design but also integrated with site layout and infrastructure design: i. Insulation: Being in a colder winter climate zone, Black Olive uses continuous exterior rigid insulation to maximize building envelope efficiency. Continuous insulation covers the entire exterior wall and not just the spaces between studs, which fully bridges cold joints and gaps that are usually created in buildings without exterior continuous insulation. This technique provides long-term thermal performance and protection against air infiltration and moisture penetration – all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This tight building envelope, reduces the mechanical system energy demand, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions. ii. Mechanical System: The apartment units ‘split system’ is commonly used for multi-family applications. It uses R410A refrigerant which is the most widely used refrigerant because R410A does not contain any chemicals that can damage ozone and less refrigerant is required in the system due to the high heat transfer capabilities of the R410A. Split systems are efficient at cooling, reduce energy usage, and meet the requirements of the International Energy Code. iii. Density: 56 units / .4407 acres allows for many people to live in the “Community Core” which reduces the need and use for cars in the area. iv. Car Share: 4 car share cars are provided which reduce the amount of cars required by residents. This reduces reducing carbon emissions as well as overall car traffic in the area. The car share program will be open to up to 100 neighborhood members. *(1) Data suggests that each car share can accommodate up to 40 members. Each member of the car share program can anticipate to save between $135 - $435 a month as well. v. *(2) A long-term study of City CarShare members found that 30 percent of households that joined sold a car; others delayed purchasing one. Transit use, bicycling, and walking also increased among members.[13] A study of driving behavior of members from major carsharing organizations found an average decline in 27% of annual vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) vi. The Bridger Park Downtown parking garage will be used to allow up to 20 spaces to be leased at a 50% reduced rate to entice BLACK OLIVE residence to park within the parking garage. This allows 56 total garage parked spaces within the BLACK OLIVE parking garage, 36 and the Bridger parking garage, 20. vii. 75% of the trees and shrubs will be drought tolerant. viii. Black Olive Building utilizes a storm water detention/irrigation reuse system to mitigate storm water impacts. The storm water detention system consists of a large underground tank located beneath the building that will collect building runoff. This system will reduce peak flows leaving the site as well as provide water for landscape irrigation. The detention tank captures the same volume as a green roof, but its design allows this water to supply landscape irrigation which lowers overall potable water demands of the site. The dual benefits of this system made this the best choice for sustainability. C. Building Roof Form 1. Use flat roof lines as the primary roof form: Black Olive’s flat roof design blends with the other B3 zoned buildings and allows for the mechanical equipment to be located on the roof. 2. Use of other roof forms: The primary vertical brick element, with flat roof extending above the main flat roof, reflects the other building roof forms of Main Street Bozeman. D. Site Design 1. Create strong connections between downtown’s sub-districts and between downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods: Black Olive’s street presence has at least 50% of the building’s façade located within 3’ of the property line to create a strong pedestrian street level presence and quality public landscaped areas along the buildings north façade. Along S. Black Ave. & E. Olive St., transparent windows make up 50% of the 1st floor façade to fully engage the street. 2. Public spaces should be made active through programming or utilizing opportunities with adjacent uses that promote vitality and safety: The 1st floor northwest corner has been programmed as “retail” with the opportunity for a small coffee shop to use the public plaza, activating the properties corner. This creates a very vibrant area for the community. E. Parking Facilities 1. Enclosed parking, integrated into individual new buildings as well as additions (if feasible), is preferred whenever possible to surface parking lots: Black Olive has an enclosed parking garage, located on the 1st floor, screened from the public with access from Black & Olive. 2. Shared parking structures are preferred to surface parking lots. A parking structure should be designed so that it creates a visually attractive and active street edge: The enclosed parking garage is internal to the building’s 1st floor allowing the retail, leasing and fitness to activate and engage the street edge. The car share program will be open to as many as 100 neighborhood members. *(1) Data suggests that each car share can accommodate up to 40 members. Each member of the car share program can anticipate to save between $135 - $435 a month as well. In the Bridger Park Downtown parking garage, up to 20 spaces will be leased at a 50% reduced rate to entice BLACK OLIVE This will allow a total of 56 parking garage parking stalls for 56 BLACK OLVIE units. 3. For residential projects, enclosed parking is preferred to surface parking lots: Enclosed 1st floor parking garage is designed to be screened from E Olive St. & S. Black Ave. F. Signs 1. Commercial and Mixed Use projects should include a variety of creative and clear signage: Black Olive’s main building signage, along E. Black St., provides a clear presence and acknowledgement for the building’s primary entrance. RE: North Elevation. Areas for future commercials signage, also identified on elevations. 2. Residential projects are encouraged to include building identification signage to add to Bozeman’s overall sense of place: The main Black Olive building identification signage prominently adds a sense of place to the building as a point of reference. 3. All signs should be developed with the overall context of the building and the area in mind. The placement or location of a sign is a critical factor in maintaining the order and integrity of a building. Consistent placement of signs according to building type, size, location and even building materials creates a visual pattern that enhances the streetscape experience: RE: North elevations for building identification signage. The building’s main identification signage does not over impose on the building or area, while providing a very prominent place recognition for the community. G. Street Patterns 1. Alleys: No alleys on site. 2. Streetscape: Detached street paving sidewalks are maintained to preserve the neighborhood’s design and continuity from adjacent sites, meeting at the corner of S. Black Ave & E. Olive St. 3. Planting strips: Existing planting strips are maintained to keep the existing design of the streetscape. 4. Pattern of street trees: Existing trees within planting strips along S. Black Ave. & E. Olive St. are to be preserved. H. Landscape Design 1. Preserve and maintain mature trees and significant vegetation that are a direct enhancement of the pedestrian streetscape environment: Existing trees on site will be preserved to maintain the pedestrian feel of the streetscape. i. RE: Sheets L01.01 for landscape design for entire site. 13 points are required for B-3 zoning, while 15 total points will be provided. I. Utilities and service areas 1. Orient service entrances, waste disposal areas and other similar uses toward service lanes away from major streets: The waste disposal, trash room is located adjacent to the parking garage entrance so all services are in one area. With no ally on site, the trash room is internal to the building, just off E. Olive St., screened from the publics’ view. 2. Position service areas to minimize conflicts with other abutting uses: Trash room is located next to garage entrance, away from other building uses to limit noise and programming conflicts within building. J. Site Furniture 1. Site furniture should be simple in character: Bike racks and quarried boulder seats are used as site furniture to engage and activate the streetscape. PARKLAND It is very unusual for development within any downtown to be charged a fee for parks. This is for several reasons. First, parkland is most usually needed on the outer edge of a community where families with children are settling. Downtowns do not typically attract that demographic and thus if development is charged such a fee, in a sense it is subsidizing edge development. This is contrary to planning principles involving infill. Second, downtowns usually already have, or are close to, existing parks with sufficient capacity for more use; rarely are entirely new parks needed. Finally, the people who live in, work in, and visit downtowns use public space differently. They tend to use the sidewalks, cafes and coffeehouses for relaxing, passive recreation and socializing. In some ways parks are superfluous. We recommend this fee be specifically dedicated to the downtown district and used as a funding source for the “green” strategies outlined in this plan; improving sidewalks, greening streets and alleys, creating small parks along Bozeman Creek, and creating or improving other public spaces and facilities within the downtown. - Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan, Page 39 Being a downtown infill residential project in the B3 Zoning district, parkland is proposed to be provided through cash-in-lieu as identified in 38.27.030. See PROJECT MATRIX for further parkland requirement breakdown. 6912 sqft of parkland required. OPEN SPACE Connections between indoor and outdoor spaces are integral to the overall design. Code requirement for open space, Sec. 38.27.020.E, “dwelling units which do not have ground floor access to a landscaped rear yard.” All units in Black Olive have an individual balcony with minimum size of 100 sqft for studios and 1-bedrooms and 150 sqft for all 2-bedrooms. LIGHTING Building entry lights provided at entrances to safely light building access points while limiting excessive light that will negatively impact the neighborhood. RE: Photometric Plan, Lighting details and light cut sheet. Fixture WS: (Lumiere, 303-W1-LEDB2) Wall mounted exterior light, located at building entrances. Fixture SD: (Halo, SLD6128xxWH) Ceiling mounted light, located a parking garage entrance. Fixture WS Fixture SD References: *(1) “Growth in Worldwide Carsharing, An International Comparison.” Susan A. Shaheen and Adam P. Cohen. http://tsrc.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Worldwide%20Carsharing%20Growth%20- %20Shaheen.pdf *(2) “The Impact of Carsharing on Household Vehicle Ownership.” Elliot Martin and Susan Shaheen. http://escholarship.org/uc/item/7w58646d?query=Impact%20of%20Carsharing BLACK OLIVE – PROPOSED VS. MAX ENVELOPE CUBIC FT. DATE: January 04, 2017 Maximum envelope cubic ft on site: 1,260,000 cubic ft Propose cubic ft of building: 952,320 cubic ft Proposed building is only 75% Cubic ft of max envelope Cubic ft on site. project sections north-south section east-west section