HomeMy WebLinkAboutNarrative with COB Memo responses_01052022Site Plan Project Narrative & Site Plan Review Response
01.07.2022
Project Narrative
Project # 21242
NOTE: CHANGES IN BOLD, UNDERLINED AND ITALICS TO PREVIOUS NARRATIVE
Architectural
The proposed building for Vance Thompson Vision (VTV) is a three story structure located in the Catron Crossing
Subdivision. The facility will be an optometry clinic, Lasik surgery suite and an Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) on
the first two floors. The third floor will be shelled offices for another tenant yet to be identified. As VTV grows,
they will eventually occupy the third floor. This project will break ground at the end of 2021 and will be completed
in the spring of 2023.
The building was designed and oriented on the site to create a series of moments that not only the patients and
staff will experience, but the public. The building is comprised of two bars; one is the private spaces for the clinic &
ASC and the other is a public atrium. Primarily lobby space, it includes a three-story atrium and will be a place for
patients to relax before heading back for their appointments.
The public bar is primarily a glass façade interrupted by a series of copper planes set on a concrete base. It is
anchored on one end by the stair and elevator tower with the Lasik Center at the north. This allows the Lasik
Center to be a focal point upon entry of the main lobby and showcased at the exterior.
The larger private bar is designed to be a quiet facade that allows the public bar to stand out as a beacon. Interior
lighting will provide a glow to enhance the beacon effect of the bar. The concrete base continues around all
elevations of the building for continuity and a point of connection where the two bars meet. Space that requires
total light control are in the center of the private bar to allow for ample glazing at the façade.
The orientation is derived from views to the Bridger Mountains as well as Valley Center Rd, I-90, and the primary
pedestrian path. The glass and copper façade creates a moment of interest for people driving and surprise for
those walking on the pedestrian path. From the interior, the views out of the space craft moments of delight from
the atrium. In the evening, the bar will have a glow from the interior lights creating a moment of illumination for
all.
The site design for the Vance Thompson Vision building is focused on providing outdoor spaces for clients,
employees, and the community. Plaza & patio spaces are provided in concert with the building’s interior uses to
allow easy flow between the building and landscape for this purpose. Rooftop patios are planned as an additional
outdoor space for the building’s users at both the second and third floors. A key factor guiding the landscape
design are views from inside the building’s atrium into the immediate landscape and to the mountains beyond.
General planting and landscaping will work with the microclimates created onsite to produce a landscape with a
“Montana Feel”.
Civil
The building is a commercial shell building designed to occupy Lots 1 & 2 in Block 1 of Catron Crossing Subdivision.
The parking will be provided by the proposed parking lots to the west and south of the proposed building. Exterior
patio areas will be used as outdoor and public seating areas.
The building setbacks can be seen on sheet C1.2.1. The building will be served with water on the north-west corner
from the water main to the south along Honor Lane. The building sanitary sewer will be serviced from the
manhole to the south east of the building. The building’s trash will be stored and picked up from a trash enclosure
located the north west of the building. Gas and electrical services are planned to enter the building on the west
side.
The existing storm line and easement through the site will be relocated to the west of the building. The location,
existing topography and the size of the site is adequate for the proposed building. The site will not have any
materials adverse effect upon the abutting property. The site does not have any special requirements to protect
the public health, safety and general welfare.
Landscape
Landscaping improvements will comply with current screening and tree planting requirements as depicted in the
included drawings. Required parking lot screening & landscaping is provided per the city code. Additionally, the
section of trail running through the property along the Catron Creek will also be developed to community
standards. Plant selections will draw primarily from drought tolerant and native varieties. Overall site irrigation
will be designed for efficiency and maintenance considerations. The irrigation system will be operated via a smart
irrigation controller which automatically adjusts run times for current weather conditions and offers remote
management through web-based monitoring.
Along Valley Center Road, a roadside fatal incident marker will be updated to be a memorial. This will include
updated landscaping and a bench dedicated to the victim attached to the trail. The family frequents the site and
currently maintains the roadside cross. This update will not only pay homage to the victim but it will be an asset
to the public as they use the trail system. While this is just outside the boundaries of our site, it is property under
the same ownership of the site. It is also a lot that will not be developed beyond what is now as a retention pond
for the current subdisivion. We feel that it is important to include this memorial in our current project. See
attached landscape drawings.
Building materials and color palette are attached to this submission along with rendered elevations of the
proposed building. Preliminary plans are included with the area of each floor. For further explanation of the site
layout, site improvements, parking requirements, etc refer to the civil narrative and drawings.
Site Plan Checklist Comments
NOTE: NO CHANGE FROM PREVIOUS SUBMISSION TO CHECKLIST
Forms RC, A1 and N1 are included with this application. Forms CCOA, DEM, WR and AH are not applicable.
The following items listed in the Site Plan Checklist are not applicable per the project/site/building type:
· Application set: Items 4, 7, 10, and 11.
· Utility Plan: Item 7
· Site Plan: Item 6
· Parkland requirement: entire section
All other items are provided in the attached documents and drawings for this submission in the correct
formatting and naming convention.
The design team will seek a departure for the ACP-2 on the western façade, see elevations. It is the designer’s
intent that the reveals from the ACP panel serve as a detail at a pedestrian scale. Additionally, the pattern of
various colors shown on the south, west, and north facades rely on the ACP panel on the west face to serve as
relief to the eye, making this a design feature in and of itself. Finally, the interior program to this façade is a locker
room, making this a not ideal location for a transparent window.
RC- new changes note:
Due to material cost, the cast in place concrete is being replaced with brick. See updated material sheet for more
information. All other changes are in response to the city comments.
Review Comments from Site Plan Application 21242 dated 11.29.2021
Design team responses in italics, bold and underlined following City comment.
Project Description: A Site Plan for the construction of a three-story building with a vision clinic, ambulatory
surgery center, and Lasik center on the 1st and 2nd floors, and office space on the 3rd floor. This proposed Site
Plan includes site improvements such as associated parking spaces, internal roadways, pedestrian pathways,
landscaping, and stormwater improvements.
Project Location: Property is legally described as Lots 1 and 2, Block 1 of Catron Crossings Subdivision, Situated in
the SE ½ Section 26, T1S, R5E, within the City of Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana.
Recommendation: The Development Review Committee has found that the application does not comply with the
requirements of Chapter 38 of the Bozeman Municipal Code (BMC) and is deeming the application inadequate for
further review. Code corrections must be satisfied prior to continued review. All references are to the Bozeman
Municipal Code (BMC).
Section 2 – Recommended Conditions of Approval
Please note that these conditions are in addition to any required code provisions identified in this report. The
following conditions are specific to the development:
1. The applicant is advised that unmet code provisions, or code provisions that are not specifically listed as
conditions of approval, does not, in any way, create a waiver or other relaxation of the lawful
requirements of the Bozeman Municipal Code or state law.
2. Any associated public improvements previously guaranteed in relation to the Catron Crossings Master Site
Plan must be completed prior to the approval of any building permit related to this Site Plan.
3. A Modification to the Master Site Plan must be reviewed and approved prior to the approval of any
building permit related to this Site Plan.
4. 4. Per Northwestern Energy (NWE) Standards, a 36” wide or greater unobstructed, non-door, open entry
needs to be included in the design along with the 12-ft gate entry for the proposed utility service
enclosure area. Additionally, the gas service and electric primary will need to be installed through the 12-
ft gate or in a location where the wall foundation has a NWE approved opening large enough to install the
utilities. This condition of approval must be coordinated with NWE and reflected accordingly during the
building permit review process.
See attached updated drawings.
Section 3 – Required Code Corrections
Engineering Comments, Lance Lehigh, llehigh@bozeman.net; Mikaela Schultz, mschultz@bozeman.net:
1. See the attached memo and templates dated November 18, 2021.
Section 4 – Advisory Comments
These comments must be addressed in future applications.
1. A tenant improvement permit through the Building Division will be required for the third floor upon
occupancy of the office spaces based on the currently configuration of the space.
Noted.
2. In consideration of support for the blank wall treatment departure, additional landscaping improvements
(Zone 1 & Zone 2) and site furnishings (Zone 2) within the watercourse setback and adjacent to the
southeastern (main) entrance are encouraged to enhance the natural planting elements along Catron
Creek, and provide a more pedestrian oriented space. Please address accordingly on the applicable
landscaping, hard space, and planting plans during the next revision.
See attached updated landscape drawing which includes a bench at the main entry, additional
landscaping and a memorial bench at the existing road incident cross.
These divisions previously provided required comments which have been either met by the applicant or denoted
as a condition of approval/code correction.
Current Planning Division, Nakeisha Lyon, nlyon@bozeman.net, 406-582-2963:
Solid Waste Division; Russ Ward, rward@bozeman.net , 406-582-3235
Building Division; Ben Abbey, babbey@bozeman.net, 406-582-2377
Northwestern Energy (NWE) Comments, Tom Stewart, District Engineer, thomas.stewart@northwestern.com, 406-
582-0573
These divisions previously provided advisory comments which have been acknowledged by the applicant.
Water Conservation; Chelsey Trevino, ctrevino@bozeman.net, 406-582-2265
These divisions did not provide comments, contact reviewers directly with questions.
Fire Department; Scott Mueller, smueller@bozeman.net, 406-582-2382
Parks and Recreation; Addi Jadin, ajadin@bozeman.net, 406-582-2908
Sustainability Division; Natalie Meyer, nmeyer@bozeman.net, 406-582-2317
Stormwater Division; Adam Oliver, aoliver@bozeman.net, 406-582-2916
Water and Sewer Division; John Alston, jalston@bozeman.net, 406-582-3200
Forestry Division; Alex Nordquest, anordquest@bozeman.net, 406-582-3205
Future Impact Fees - Please note that future building permit applications will require payment of the required
transportation, water, sewer and fire impact fees according to the City of Bozeman adopted impact fee schedule
in place at the time of building permit issuance. If you desire an estimate of the required impact fees according to
current rates please contact the Department of Community Development and/or visit www.bozeman.net.
Note: With this memo, Staff has found the application to be inadequate for continued review. During
review of subsequent revisions, additional conditions of approval may be recommended based on
comments and recommendations provided by other applicable review agencies involved with the review
of the project.
These comments are provided in reference to the above noted site plan submittal.
Easements
1. BMC 38.410.060: The applicant must release and re-convey the 30’storm water and access easement and the
10’public utility easement along the common Lot1/Lot2 property line. Show the existing easements and label them
as released on the subdivision exemption and include the associated release and re-conveyance documents.
The applicant submitted a draft of the Release and Re-conveyance that is adequate. A hard copy of the easement
should be submitted to the review engineer for final review, commission approval and filing with the city clerk.
Per the comments from engineering on the Catron Crossing Subdivision exemption, the references to remove
existing storm water and utility easements as well as establish a new stormwater easement have been removed
from the subdivision exemption. The easements will be processed with the site plan and infrastructure review to
cooperate with the concurrent construction process. A draft copy of the release and reconveyance have been
provide to the review engineer on 12/8/2021 as a part of the infrastructure review.
2. BMC 38.410.060: The new 30 foot public utility easement for the relocated 30-inch storm drain must be shown
on the subdivision exemption including the associated easement documents.
The applicant must submit a draft easement for review using the language in the attached Sewer and Water
Pipeline and Access Easement and Agreement Template. The template should be applied with reference to the
storm water infrastructure. Please reach out to the review engineer to discuss this draft submission directive.
A draft copy of the new 30’ PUE for the relocated 30” storm drain has been provide to the review engineer on
12/8/2021 as a part of the infrastructure review.
CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL:
1. The subject site plan approval is conditional of the Subdivision Exemption approval.
The Subdivision Exemption has been approved on November 18, 2021 (attached).
2. The above noted easements/agreements should be submitted to the review engineer for final approval
and filing with the County clerk.
Completed.
3. The SID Waiver reported was executed but not filed. The applicant must provide the final filed SID waiver
to the project engineer prior to site plan approval.
Completed.
4. The applicant must submit the deliverables per concurrent construction subsection C.1.c as noted in the
submitted concurrent construction plan prior to site plan approval.
2) The irrevocable offer of dedication - completed
3) Written approval from the fire department -Scott Mueller has been contacted regarding written
approval from the fire department, correspondence attached
4) DEQ approval -Documents will be sent to DEQ once we receive a capacity letter/approvals from the
engineering department after the infrastructure review. Plans and documents for infrastructure review
have been submitted to city engineering 12/8.
ENGINEERING ADVISORY COMMENTS: These comments must be addressed in future applications.
1. BMC 38.410.100 2.e.2.c & d: The approved overall master site plan for the Catron Crossing Subdivision includes
a multiuse trail through the subject property, which is currently shown to reside within the Zone 2 watercourse
setback. Initial review of the proposed configuration created concern with City staff on the anticipated multimodal
traffic volume, surface material conforming to ADA requirements (permeable pavers), sharp turning radiuses, and
preservation of the watercourse. Recognizing these challenges, both the City and developer agreed to pursue to
relocate the proposed trail outside of the watercourse and into the Montana Department of Transportation’s
(MDT) right of way. Moving the trail into the MDT right of way directly adjacent to East Valley Center Road would
allow for a seamless future multimodal trail system that is more suitable for the use and anticipated demand.
Preliminary discussions between the MDT and the City on locating the trial within the MDT right of way have been
positive, however, the proposed design and alignment needs to go through MDT’s exceptions committee and
system impact. In addition, a maintenance agreement between the MDT, the City, and the developer would need
to be created, in which MDT has no responsibility in maintaining the trail section.
Recognizing these agreements and approvals could take time or potentially fail, the City is proposing to make the
trail section a final condition of occupancy and give the applicant two options, in case the preferred options fails.
The two trail configuration options are presented below:
Preferred Option 1 – The MDT exceptions committee approves the location of the trail within the MDT right of way
and the City of Bozeman will enter into a maintenance agreement with MDT for the proposed section of trail along
the west/south side of East Valley Center Road. We anticipate the agreement will be negotiated between the City
and MDT and will start with agreements entered into by the City and MDT for similar projects on MDT maintained
urban routes in the City of Bozeman.
Option 2 – The trail remains in the Zone 2 watercourse setback as shown on the site plan and a maintenance
agreement is executed between the City and the developer.
This site plan approval may be achieved before the agreements and approvals for the trail configuration are
finalized. However, the conditions of approval for final occupancy will be based on the final construction of the
approved trail option being completed and receipt of the final, executed maintenance agreements for the chosen
option.
Understood.
Attached:
Sewer and Water Pipeline and Access Easement and Agreement