HomeMy WebLinkAbout001 - Narrative
8 ASPEN
RC2 - Site Plan Application
June 2024
Table of Contents
1. Site Plan Application Information, Forms & Checklists
2. Project team
3. Site plan narrative
a. General site information
b. Site considerations
c. Parkland
d. Building design
e. Landscaping
f. Site Lighting
g. Traffic
h. Water rights
i. Affordable Housing
j. Departures
Appendices
Appendix A - Vicinity Map
Appendix B - Existing zoning
Appendix C – Block Frontage
Appendix D – Existing Survey
Appendix E – Affordable Housing Plan
Appendix F – Traffic Impact Study
Appendix G – Geotech Report
Appendix H – Storm Water Maintenance Report
Appendix I – Water, Wastewater, & Stormwater Design Report
Appendix J – CILWR Determination
Appendix K – Concurrent Construction Request Letter
Appendix L – Lighting Cut Sheets
Appendix M – Historic Plat
Appendix N – Draft SID Waiver
Appendix O – Concept Plan Wavier
1. Site Plan Application Information, Forms & Checklists
The Site Plan form has been included per City requirements, and the applicant will submit the required
fee once the application has been deemed adequate for review. Please see the estimated site plan fee
amount below:
COMPONENT FEE QUANTITY TOTAL
Base $3,161 $3,161.00
Dwelling Units (150 Max) $125 150 $18,750.00
Commercial Space $400 Per 1,000 SF 2,252 SF $900.80
Total $22,811.80
1. Project Team
Owner & Applicant:
Midtown 8th LLC
Attn: Mathieu Tebele
Email: mtebele@starmandevelopment.com
Representative:
Substrate Architecture & Construction
Attn: Ari Goldstein
Ph: 646-282-8253
Email: ari@substrateac.com
Architecture:
KSQ Design
Attn: Michael Bentley
601 S Lewis Ave.
Tulsa, Ok 74104
Email: mbentley@ksq.design
Architecture/Landscape Architecture:
Cushing Terrell
Attn: Jimmy Talarico & Josh Hersel
411 E Main St #101
Bozeman, MT 59715
Ph: 406-556-7100
Email: JimmyTalarico@cushingterrell.com
Engineering:
TD&H Engineering
Attn: Cody Croskey
234 East Babcock St. #3
Bozeman, MT 59715
Ph: 406-586-0277
Email: Cody.Croskey@tdhengineering.com
Planning:
Intrinsik Architecture, Inc
Attn: Tyler Steinway
106 East Babcock St., Suite 1A
Bozeman, MT 59715
Ph: 406-582-8988
Email: tsteinway@intrinsikarchitecture.com
3. Site Plan Narrative
A. General site information
The 8 Aspen project is located west of the North 7th Avenue U-Haul and southwest of Gallatin Valley
Furniture and proposes 289 units on a 1.447 AC site. This project site is zoned B-2M (Community
Business District – Mixed) and located within the Midtown Urban Renewal District.
The subject property is comprised of seven vacant lots and is generally bound by North 8th Avenue,
Aspen and Juniper Streets. The project proposes to aggregate the existing seven parcels into one site
totaling 1.447 acres. This infill project targets a best use scenario for the site by delivering higher
density, smart-growth development with for-rent workforce and affordable housing near the core of
Midtown. This project will provide much needed housing in a central location and will foster desirable,
walkable urban living, especially as the Midtown area continues to grow and evolve.
At full build out the site will include one building totaling 232,167 SF and off-street parking. The building
is located on the north end of the site and consists of 5 floors of residential for-rent units, a second-floor
parking garage, and a first floor of commercial, lobby, and parking. 40 percent of the total residential
units will be affordable, offered for rent at 60% AMI. The project will also provide open space and tenant
amenities on site, both on ground level, in the building, and on balconies. The commercial space will
front onto Aspen Street, providing an active and engaging streetscape. A pre-application meeting was
held on December 14th, 2023 and a wavier for a concept review was granted on January 16th, 2024 ,
Please see Appendix O.
The project site is designated “Community Commercial Mixed Use” in the growth policy and is zoned “B-
2M – Commercial Business District – Mixed Use”. The proposed project meets the intent of the B-2M
District which envisions compact walkable mixed use development pattern, with a mix of commercial
space and residential above the ground floor. Additionally, this property is located within the Midtown
Urban Renewal District.
8 Aspen will be requesting concurrent construction as outlined in the Concurrent Construction plan. This
allows for the building to begin construction as the offsite infrastructure is also being installed. A
condition of approval can be added to limit the ability to grant occupancy until all the offsite
infrastructure is installed, inspected, and approved. This shouldn’t be an issue as the construction of the
building will take significantly longer than the construction of the offsite infrastructure.
B. Site considerations
1. Setbacks & Utilities
Setbacks
The buildings will be located centrally on two separate sites fronting N. 8th Avenue and W. Aspen Street.
A 10-foot utility easement runs along the eastern property boundary, with utilities running along the
alley and in the easement. The proposed buildings will access natural gas, electrical and communications
lines from the alley. Transformers are located in landscaped islands adjacent to the alley. Natural gas will
enter the building from the alley and meters will be located on the south face of the north building and
the north face of the south building in a landscaped area.
The water mains are located in N. 8th Avenue and Aspen Street. Water connections will come off the
existing line in Aspen Street. The sewer main is located in the eastern alley will be replaced with this
project. A sewer service will exit from the east face of the buildings and tie into the proposed main.
Additionally, overhead high voltage electrical lines run along eastern alley. We are proposing to slightly
relocate these poles and lines to the west in order to maintain a minimum drive aisle within the alley
and to coordinate with the proposed parking islands. Please see Sheet C301 for specifics and utility
locations.
On-site Infrastructure
There is an existing 8” water line in both Aspen Street and North 8th Avenue. New services will be pulled
off the Aspen Street side. A sewer main is proposed to be located in the alley. A service will be pulled
into the near the south side of the building.
Stormwater will be collected in two locations, one under the parking space along the alley and the other
located on the north side of the alley.
Franchise utilities will be run within utility easements along the street frontage. Transformers will be
located in the alley for individual services to be pulled across the site.
Off Site Improvements
Certain elements critical to the site plan utility and transportation network have been identified, with
input from the City of Bozeman, that would be required to be installed by the property developers—
herein these are referred to as "off-site Improvements”. These Improvements generally include
extending Aspen Street west to North 8th, extending North 8th to Juniper Street. A complete list of off-
site improvements is below:
• Construct North 8th Avenue - West Aspen Street to west Juniper Street (local street section)
• Construct West Aspen Street – North 7th Avenue to North 8th Avenue (local street section)
• Construct intersection pedestrian improvements - 7th & Aspen
• Construct alley improvements - adjacent to property
• Install North 8th Avenue Sidewalk & boulevard (east side only)
• Install West Aspen Street Sidewalk & boulevard (both sides)
• Install streetlights - North 8th Avenue Intersections
• Replace & re-route 8" sewer main - West Aspen Street to West Birch street
• Install new storm drain and stormwater facilities
• Adjust existing fire hydrants to grade
• Install Yellowstone Fiber conduit
2. Block Frontage
The site currently fronts on an unbuilt portions of N. 8th Avenue, and Aspen St. Block frontage standards
along Aspen Street are storefront blockfront to the corner of N. 8th Avenue. For the frontage along N.
8th Avenue the application proposes to designate the block frontage as landscaped. The site meets all
the block frontage requirements by including a 12’ sidewalk, weather protection at an average depth of
5’ and transparent storefront glazing along 60% of the of the length of the frontage for the portion
designated storefront; and for the remaining portions of the building designated landscape the building
will be setback and landscaped accordingly. The glazing store frontage wraps the corner less than 120
feet from the Store front street frontage to the landscape frontage along 8th Avenue to the main tenant
entrance per 38.510.F.2.C.
3. Pedestrian Circulation
The project site is a narrow lot bound by allies to the east and north, with North 8th Avenue and Aspen
Street, along with their associated R.O.W.s, framing the lot to the west and south. The building fronts on
North 8th Avenue and has a secondary entrance accessed via a sidewalk off the alley. Additionally, the
commercial component of the South Building is accessed from Aspen Street. The residential lobby in the
buildings will be accessed off of North 8th Avenue. The block frontage on Aspen Street is classified as
Storefront, a 12-foot sidewalk will be located along the south side of the South Building. North 8th
Avenue is designated a landscaped block frontage, this allows the building to sit approximately 15’ off
the western property line.
4. Accessible provision
This development will be designed in compliance with the IBC, including its accessible requirements; as
well as ANSI 117.1 standards for accessible design. Specifically pertaining to this site plan, the site design
provides six (6) accessible parking spaces across the whole site. All resident building entries, the refuse North 7th Avenue West Tamarack Street
Project
Site
N North 8th Avenue West Aspen Street
Proposed
Landscaped
Block
Frontage
Proposed
Storefront
Block
areas, and landscaped open space, are connected via an accessible pathway system which is in
compliance with the requirements for an accessible route.
5. Parking
This project is located within the Midtown Urban renewal district and therefore is exempt from all
parking requirements. Provided parking calculations are shown below.
PROGRAM REMU REQUIREMENTS PARKING SPACES
TOTAL NUMBER OF UNITS (289) EXEMPT EXEMPT
TOTAL REQUIRED EXEMPT
TOTAL ON STREET SPACES
TOTAL REQUIRED AFTER REDUCTIONS EXEMPT
PROVIDED SPACES
Indoor Spaces 135
Exterior Spaces (On Site) 27
TOTAL PROVIDED 162
As currently proposed, a total of 336 bicycle parking are provided with a combination of individual
indoor private storage rooms (330) for residential units and surface level bike racks (6). Please see the
bike parking calculations below.
PROGRAM REMU REQUIREMENTS PARKING SPACES
TOTAL NUMBER OF UNITS (289) 1.0 Spaces 289
COMMERCIAL 1 per 1,000 SF 3
TOTAL REQUIRED 292
PROVIDED SPACES
Indoor Spaces 292
Exterior Spaces (On Site) 8
TOTAL PROVIDED 300
Bike Parking around the site will take the form of U-shaped racks. The internal bike spaces will be the
Dero Space bike rack. Please see the landscape, architectural and civil drawings sets for more
information on the proposed location and specified product.
6. Trash Enclosure
Refuse containers and recycling containers will be located within the parking garage on the first floor.
Residents will deliver their trash to the trash chute centrally located on each floor and will drop down to
the common containers for routine pick-up. Recycling will be collected on each floor adjacent to the
trash chute and will be transferred to the containers in the parking garage. This proposed location will
be within the parking garage and screened from the alley with walls and an overhead door for routine
container pickup. The intension with this design is to bring the common trash facilities “inside” the
building to eliminate the need for individual tots or a common dumpster enclosure location. This will
minimize the look and feel of the trash facilities. Please refer to Sheets A101, A103-A107 & L101 for
location and access.
7. Snow Storage
The available snow storage area is 8,470 cubic feet and should be adequate to accommodate just over 1’
of snow depth from the entire 19,805 SF of impervious area. In the event of a larger storm system the
onsite property management company will be responsible for snow removal and hauling it off site. The
snow storage areas allocated tend to be located at the end of the drive isle or parking stalls to allow for
efficient plowing techniques. Storage piles will inevitably be subject to freezing and thawing cycles.
During these cycles, storage piles will be reduced by percolation and evaporation. Please refer to sheets
C301 for the proposed snow storage locations.
8. Open Space
Open space for each unit is provided in a variety of different ways including onsite exterior of the
building, amenity space inside the building, common shared balconies, and private balconies.
Shared open space will be located along the length of 8th Street and the northeast corner of the building.
Both areas will not have any dimensions less than 15 feet and provide informal and formal seating areas,
site lighting, and native and adaptive plant material. 8th Street will have a passive lawn, a pet area, and
plaza space. The northeast corner of the site has a gazebo, BBQ areas, passive lawn, and patio space. All
streets, parking lots, and service areas will be separated from shared open spaces with a landscape
buffer.
Private balconies will have a minimum of 36 square feet and no dimension less than six feet. Balconies
will be accessed by their adjacent residential units and provide space for activities.
Common indoor recreation will have recreational functions such as bike/ski repair areas, residential
lounges, and gathering spaces. These spaces are designed to be accessible to all residents. All spaces are
located in a visible area, near an entrance, lobby, or high-traffic corridor.
The shared balconies are going to have container planters with plantings, formal and informal seating
areas, and power pedestals for residential use. We are going to use the planters to create areas of
refuge and gathering areas. We will be providing railing, enclosures, and lighting that provide safety
measures for residences.
In total this project is required to provide 28,900 SF of open space onsite. Please see the tables below &
open space graphic Sheet A0-34 outlining how the open space requirements have been met for this
project. The applicant has requested a departure to reduce the open space requirements for housing
creation, please see the specific request below for more details.
9. Construction management
To provide a safe working environment for adjacent properties, the project will utilize temporary
construction fencing around the project extents which generally follows the perimeter of the property.
Multiple 40-cy dumpsters will be located throughout the site in easily accessible and clearly defined
areas to provide easy disposal of construction waste. The dumpsters will typically be placed near
Program Number of Unit Open Space Factor Required Open Space
1 Bedrooms 289 100 28,900 SF
TOTAL REQUIRED 28,900 SF
Provided Open Space
Ground Level Outdoor Space
9,283 SF
Shared Third Floor deck 5,946 SF
shared Balconies 4,007 SF
Internal open space 6,120 SF
TOTAL PROVIDED 26,712 SF
entrances or along drive aisles to allow for easy pick up. Construction staging areas will be located
within proposed parking areas. The center drive aisle will be used as a construction staging area. See
C0.4 Construction Facilities Plan for more information.
Once a contractor is selected, a detailed phased construction sequencing plan (required with COB/DEQ
SWPPP review) and traffic control plan will be provided to the City Engineering Department for review as
part of the infrastructure preconstruction meeting requirements.
C. Parkland
The 8 Aspen Mixed Use Development is a multi-family residential complex with commercial uses. Per
UDC 38.420.030.C this project will be providing cash in lieu of for the parkland dedication. Please see the
parkland dedication calculations below.
8 ASPEN MIXED USE PROJECT Park and Recreation Requirements
Total site area
(ac) 1.45
(s) school or
park sites (ac) 0.00 Total excluded (ac) 0.00
(D) Net residential
density 199
(c) commercial
lot area (ac) 0.00
(a) ROW &
easements (ac) 0.00
(N) Net residential
lot area (ac) 1.45 Zoning District Other
(i) industrial lot
area (ac) 0.00
(d) Open
space/Park (ac) 0.00
(du) Number of
units 289
(M) Max density by
zone 12
Required Land
Dedication Required Cash-in-Lieu
Adjustments to Parkland
Requirements Approved Parkland Dedication
Net residential
land area (ac) 1.45
Net residential
land area (ac) 1.45
Parkland dedication
required (ac) 0.35 Land dedication (ac) 0.00
Dwellings/acre
(du) 8
Dwelling/acre
(du) 4
Land already
provided (ac) 0.00 Cash-in-lieu ($) $20,386.08
Acre/du of land 0.03 Acre/du of land 0.03
Land dedication
proposed (ac) 0 Additional in-lieu ($) $40,401.90
Land dedication
(ac) 0.35
Equivalent land
area (ac) 0.18
Land equivalent
required (ac) 0.35 Total CILP/IILP $61,180.02
land appraisal
value ($/sf) $2.65
Land appraisal
value ($/sf) $2.65
Cash-in-lieu ($) $20,778.12
In-lieu fee
equivalent ($) $40,401.90
With regards to Resolution 4784, our application meets several of the favorable circumstances for
accepting CIL including:
• The development is mixed use and located within a commercial zoning district.
• The development is located on an infill site.
• The acceptance of CIL enables the accomplishment of other City priories such as the creation of
affordable housing.
• There are currently 3 parks within a 1/4 of the project site and 6 parks within a 1/2 mile of the
site. These parks also have a wide range of uses from nature preserves, plazas, play fields and
BMX pump tracks.
• The development will participate in the maintenance of parks which will serve the development
for which CIL is provided.
• It is the expressed preference of the developer.
Proximity to existing Parkland
There are 3 parks within 1/4 of a mile from the project site. All three parks have different functions and
sizes from the Special Use BMX Pump Track, to neighborhood parks, and more natural preserve parks.
Within a 1/2-mile radius there are 6 parks that incorporate an even wider range of uses, including a
baseball field and neighborhood tot lots. These parks range in size from the smallest park plaza at .193
acres all the way up to 4.8 acres at the North Grand Fields and 5.9 Acres at the west lake BMX Park. The
Gallatin County Fairgrounds are also within a half mile of the site.
Size of Land Available for Parkland
The project site is approximately 1.4 acres, when parking, setbacks, building services, and required open
space are removed, very little usable space is available for parkland. Additionally, because of the narrow
nature of the site, the remaining space left for development does not lend itself to park development.
Housing Density/Infill Projects
The balance between housing density and parkland is challenging for this site. If the required amount of
parkland was to be provided, it would result in the loss of a building a significant number of units. This
project is also aiming to create Affordable housing by renting 40% of the units at 60% AMI. This metric is
only achievable by creating more units. Requiring the dedication of parkland would result in less units
therefore making it harder to achieve this 60% of AMI metric.
Trail Connections
There are currently no planned PROST trails near our site. The closest planned trail is on the property to
the west of North 8th Avenue. That property has a planned trail that will eventually connect across Oak
Street and continue north to Baxter Lane.
Suitability Factors
This project site is a very narrow and long lot which does not lend itself to being a great location for a
park. Additionally, the property is on the edge of a B-2M zoned area, which per the Community Plan, is a
district that should support mixed-use development capable of accommodating continued growth. The
project site is also located within the Midtown Urban Renewal District, which is an area the City
Commission has identified as blighted and is proactively taking steps to facilitate increased density and
infill development. For these reasons this project site is not suitable for parkland development.
Service Area
There are currently 3 parks within 1/4 of a mile and 6 parks within 1/2 of a mile. The CIL amount could
be spent on.
D. Building design
The linear quality of the form, not unlike a mountain range, led to the façade concept, an undulating
ombre pattern using a subtle variety of colored panels is intended to reflect the qualities of the
mountain-scape and skyline surrounding Bozeman. The design team wanted to create an architecture
which feels more associated with the sky and mountains than the ground. The perception of the
building’s mass is further broken down by strategic vertical modulations in the façade, which feature a
different colored material and occur every fifty to seventy feet and provide light and air to the 1-
bedroom unit living rooms. The street frontage is given a similar varied and lively character through a
combination of entrances, windows, and timber aesthetic screens, as well as landscape design focused
on the well-being of the occupants and the environment. Encouraging a variety of pedestrian
experiences at the ground level through the implementation of seating, meeting, and planting areas.
Weather protection canopies have been integrated into the exterior design at the tenant main entry on
the southwest side of the building and use material scale to aid in wayfinding and create a relationship
to the balconies on the floors above. Canopies for the commercial spaces on the Aspen Street elevation
have a thinner profile to blend into the building. The weather protection canopy does extend into the
setback within the allowed 5’.
Articulation in building form and repetition of openings and finish colors are being used to create human
scale along the facades. Exterior materials will be metal siding and fiber cement panels in natural tones
and glazing that respond to the city guidelines along the street frontages.
Building articulation has been focused on the south and west street frontages while the other facades
front existing alleys and are exempt from the building articulation requirements of the UDC. Openings
into the parking garage along the north and east provide outside air to the space and express the
structure of the podium through the repeated columns. On the third floor and above the use of multiple
metal panel colors to mimic the ombre variations of the surrounding mountain timberlines is accented
by vertical recesses that are brought down onto the parking garage below.
Exterior forms and materials are tied to the interior spaces and have been located to help with
wayfinding, future signage locations for commercial spaces, and provide views out of the building.
Commercial spaces on the first floor have large areas of glass storefront with canopies accenting the
spaces.
Tenant amenity spaces have been placed throughout the building and will provide multiple options for
tenants and guests. Bike storage and repair space off on the first floor has access from 8th Avenue and
into the parking garage. Additional bike storage and repair space is provided on the second floor at the
top of the ramp. These spaces will provide parking for 330 bikes, storage space has also been allocated
for the tenants to allow them to store other recreation equipment and perform maintenance. These
interior open space areas are complemented by the outdoor space on every floor of the building.
E. Landscaping
The project provides comprehensive site and landscape planning to lend visual interest to the
streetscape and provide a comfortable urban pedestrian experience. As part of the larger North 8th
Street improvements, the sidewalk and R.O.W. will be improved with tree wells, landscape planters, turf
play areas, enhanced paving, and plazas that create a sense of place and acknowledges the central core
of the site.
Onsite there is a comprehensive landscaping plan that enhances and ties together all the public spaces.
A gathering space with a gazebo is also proposed to provide a space for users to enjoy year-round. as
well as distinguish the private deck areas.
Additionally, the landscape plan calls out irrigation types and calculations on. This includes irrigation of
all proposed trees, landscape material & beds, and turf areas.
F. Site lighting
This project will provide comprehensive exterior building and site lighting in accordance with the
standards specified in UDC 38.570. The building entrance as well as the outdoor area will have exterior
lighting. This lighting will help accent the building and enhance the overall exterior space. Street lighting
will be provided in accordance with the City of Bozeman Design Standards and Specifications Policy and
will be permitted under the subdivision application. Please refer to the following sheets for lighting
locations, details, and photometric data.
- ES101 – Electrical Site Plan
- ES501 – Site Photometric Plan
- Appendix L - Site Lighting Cut Sheets
G. Traffic
A Traffic Impact Study (TIS) conducted by Sanderson Stewart is included in this submittal. A trip
distribution is an estimate of site-generated trip routing, which can be determined by several methods
such as computerized travel demand models, calculation of travel time for various available routes
and/or simple inspection of existing traffic patterns within the project area. Please see Appendix F for
more information relating to traffic impacts.
H. Water Rights
Griffin Neilson will be contacted during this site planning process to determine what cash-in-lieu of
water rights are required for the site. Upon final calculation, the fee will be paid prior to site plan
approval.
I. Affordable Housing
This project is proposing to deed restrict 40% of the total number of units to 60% of AMI for a period of
30 years. Additionally, this project is planning to take advantage of the 4% Tax Credits available through
the state of Montana. An affordable housing plan documenting compliance with 38.380.040. is included
as Appendix E.
J. Departures
The Applicant requests a departure to reduce the required open space numbers as permitted under
Chapter 38.320.070 Departure for Housing Creation. For multi-household residential projects, this
departure allows a 20% reduction in usable open space requirements if the project is within ¼ mile of a
park. The project site is situated within ¼ mile of three parks: Westlake Park, Royal Vista Park, and
Sacajawea Park. Westlake Park is approximately 1,260 feet from the project site along a pedestrian
travel path.
The 8 Aspen project proposes to construct 289 units, with 40% designated as affordable housing. These
units require 28,900 square feet of open space. After allocating open space in all suitable locations, the
project falls short by 2,188 square feet of required open space, which results in the need to reduce the
total number of units being built. The 20% reduction brings the requirement down to 23,120 SF, which
can be achieved on site. This departure request seeks a minor adjustment to the overall required open
space to allow for approximately 20 additional units to be constructed. The purpose of open space
requirements is to provide suitable areas for leisure and recreational activities for residents.
The 8 Aspen project proposes more residential amenities than typical multifamily projects. Therefore,
while the overall square footage is slightly less, the amenity value is significantly higher.
Departure review criteria
1. The departure will result in at least one more home than would otherwise be possible; and
Response: By allowing this departure, approximately 20 more units will be built.
2. The purpose of the standard can still be accomplished if the departure is granted; and
Response: The intent of the standard is to provide a space that is suitable for leisure and
recreational activities. Even with the 20% reduction the intent of the standard is still met. The 8
Aspen project proposes more residential amenities than typical multifamily projects. Therefore,
while the overall square footage is slightly less, the amenity value is significantly higher.
3. The departure will not impose negative impacts on surrounding property; or
Response: The departure should have no effect on the surrounding neighborhood. There are
significant leisure and recreational opportunities on site. Additionally, there are a variety of
amenities to appeal to a wide range of residents.
4. The departure is applicable to missing middle housing; or
Response: The project is proposing to dedicate 40% of the units as deed restricted to LIHTC
affordable units.
5. The departure is applicable to an infill site.
Response: While the project site is adjacent to undeveloped portions of the city it is wholly
surrounded by development. This project will also expand vital portions of the city’s
infrastructure and will infill missing gaps of infrastructure.