HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubdivision pre-application for subdividing 23 acres into six lots for B-2, Catron Crossing
Commission Memorandum
REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission
FROM: Doug Riley, Associate Planner
Wendy Thomas, Director of Community Development
SUBJECT: A subdivision pre-application review by the City Commission for the subdivision of approximately 23 acres into six lots for B-2 (Community
Business) development for property located on the west side of Valley
Center Road, north of Catamount Street, Application P13029, Catron
Crossing Major Subdivision Pre-Application
MEETING DATE: October 14, 2013
AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Other – Optional Concept Review
Typically subdivision pre-application plans are not required to be presented to the City
Commission for review and comment. In this instance, however, the applicant requested the
optional conceptual review to solicit the Commission’s informal input as it relates to the proposed layout and a potential variance request to a watercourse setback requirement.
Since the future preliminary plat application will require formal action by the Commission and
may include one or more variance requests, the applicant has submitted this requested review
under Section 2.02.070.E of the Bozeman Municipal Code (copy attached and highlighted). In
the applicant’s letter of request for this review, he acknowledges “that the feedback received during the Optional Concept Review by the Bozeman City Commission is not binding when the future preliminary plat and variance requests are formally heard.”
REQUESTED ACTION: The City Commission listens to the staff and applicant presentations
of the issues and then provides feedback to the applicant to assist them in considering their future
preliminary plat and potential variance applications. No formal action or motions are provided by the City Commission for an optional concept review.
BACKGROUND: VC Development, LLC, represented by Morrison Maierle, Inc., has
submitted a Major Subdivision Pre-application Plan to subdivide approximately 23 acres into six
lots for B-2 (Community Business) development. This property includes the site of the new
Comfort Suites Hotel located on the west side of Valley Center Road, north of Catamount Street. UNRESOLVED ISSUES: There are two primary issues that warrant the Commission’s specific
discussion. The first is a potential request for a 20 foot watercourse/watercourse setback
127
variance. The other is the road layout and the location for a street connection to the west.
Watercourse/wetlands setback: The applicant proposes to reduce the required 50 foot
watercourse/wetlands setback from Catron Creek along the front of their project to 30 feet. Their arguments are outlined in their submittal materials.
Staff took this item to the Wetlands Review Board (WRB) for review and their summary
memorandum to the Commission is attached. As noted in that memorandum, the WRB provided
specific recommendations for the project and it was agreed between the applicant and WRB that the applicant’s design team would come back to the WRB with their proposed ideas for Best Management Practices (BMP’s) for the project to get the WRB’s feedback prior to their formal
submittal of the preliminary plat and any such variance request.
Road layout and street connection to the west: This issue is regarding the locations of the required street connectivity east to west in order to provide connections from Valley Center Road to North 27th Avenue. While the applicant completed their half of Catamount Street (a Collector)
along the south property line as part of the Comfort Suites project, a second east/west connection
is required to meet block length and the other connectivity standards of the code. There is a 60
foot public access easement across two of the properties to the west, however, the applicant is proposing a potential alternate location for their northernmost street connection. This street
alignment drives the lot configuration, block width and future development sites for the
subdivision.
ALTERNATIVES: No alternatives presented due to the nature of this informal review.
FISCAL EFFECTS: No significant fiscal effect has been identified.
Attachments: Applicant’s July 9, 2013 letter of request, Section 2.02.070.E BMC, Memo from
the Wetlands Review Board, Letter from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Applicant’s
submittal materials.
Report compiled on: October 3, 2013
128
129
130
131
Development Review Division Policy and Planning Division Building Division
CITY OF BOZEMAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Alfred M. Stiff Professional Building 20 East Olive Street
P.O. Box 1230
Bozeman, Montana 59771-1230
phone 406-582-2260 fax 406-582-2263
planning@bozeman.net
www.bozeman.net
MEMORANDUM
TO: Bozeman City Commission
FROM: City of Bozeman Wetlands Review Board
SUBJECT:
Meeting Summary & Comments on the Catron Crossing Subdivision Pre-Application Plan and request for initial feedback on a potential
watercourse/wetlands setback variance from Catron Creek, Application
#P13029
DATE: September 18, 2013
WRB Members Present: Brian Sandefur
Cindi Crayton
Applicant(s) & Representatives: Don Cape Jr., VC Development Matt Eckstrom, Morrison Maierle, Inc.
Lowell Springer, Springer Group Architects
Other(s): Guy Alsentzer, WRB applicant and previous member Meeting Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 3:00PM
Purpose and Scope of Wetlands Review Board
The Wetlands Review Board (WRB) is established to review wetland related submittal materials,
prepare functional assessments of regulated wetlands that may be impacted by proposed regulated
activities, evaluate the impacts proposed regulated activities may have on delineated wetlands and to provide wetlands protection, mitigation and/or enhancement recommendations regarding such proposals review authority established by 38.34.010, subject to the provisions of chapter 38. The WRB shall act as
an advisory body to the review authority.
Meeting Summary
The Bozeman Wetlands Review Board (WRB) met on the date listed above to review and provide comments on the Catron Crossing Subdivision Pre-Application Plan to allow the subdivision of approximately 23 acres located on the west side of Valley Center Road, north of the new Catamount
Street, into six lots for commercial development. The WRB was providing initial feedback on a potential
variance to a watercourse /wetlands setback from Catron Creek.
132
2 | Page
Pursuant to Section 2.05.2910, BMC, the WRB shall consist of six members. Currently there are three
(3) WRB embers appointed to the Board. Therefore, a quorum is not possible. In this case, the project
is at the pre-application or informal stage of review therefore the WRB is only providing initial feedback for the applicant’s considerations as they proceed to the Preliminary Plat stage of the subdivision
process where a formal watercourse/wetlands setback may be requested.
The applicant and representatives provided an overview of the history of this watercourse and the fact
that they worked approximately 13 years ago to permit/relocate and substantially enhance this watercourse from the center of the property to the location seen today on the eastern edge of the
property. The applicant also explained their purpose for potentially requesting the setback variance in
regards to building placement and creating a human interaction element to the stream so people can
relate to and enjoy this amenity.
The WRB discussed the history of this relocation, the enhanced nature of this watercourse, the fact that
this is now an “urban stream”, stormwater control on the property, best management practices (BMP’s),
wetlands and supplemental vegetative plantings.
Based on the information provided by the applicant and the history of the applicant’s relocation of this watercourse on the subject property and making it into a beneficial watercourse and amenity, the WRB
recommends the following:
- Suggest that if the reduced setback is to be considered, the latest BMP’s be incorporated into
the project for stormwater management and site design in order to provide adequate treatment of stormwater runoff (sediment, oils, grease) and offset the reduced setback area to
the stream and associated wetlands.
- The applicant should consider additional/supplemental tree and vegetative plantings to help
offset the reduced setback area to the stream and associated wetlands.
- Bioswales could be incorporated into the overall project (not within the setback area). - Suggest restricting use of pesticides and herbicides and prohibit mowing to maintain the
feature as natural as possible.
- The applicant should continue to enhance and protect this feature so that it can be enjoyed.
Conclusion
The applicant suggested, and the WRB agreed, that it would be good for the applicant’s design team to come back to the WRB with their proposed ideas for BMP’s for the project to get the
WRB’s feedback prior to their formal submittal of the preliminary plat and requested variance.
Cc VC Development, LLC, Don Cape Jr., 1184 N. 15th Avenue, Suite 4, Bozeman, MT 59715 Morrison Maierle, Inc., Matt Eckstrom, P.O. Box 1113, Bozeman, MT 59771
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156