HomeMy WebLinkAboutTIMBERRIDGE
TIMBER RIDGE
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
APPLICATION
JANUARY 2010
TIMBER RIDGE
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Applicant
Vail Timber Ridge LLC
7700 C.F. Jordan Drive
El Paso, Texas
Project Architect
Humphreys and Partners Architects
5339 Alpha Road Suite 300
Dallas, Texas
Consulting Architect
Victor Mark Donaldson Architects
48 E. Beaver Creek Boulevard # 207
Avon, Colorado
Civil Engineer
Alpine Engineering, Inc.
PO Box 97
Edwards, Colorado
Land Planning
Pylman & Associates, Inc.
137 Main Street, C107W
Edwards, Colorado
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction1
1.1Summary of Request1
2.0Existing Conditions1
2.1Timber Ridge History1
3.0Proposed Plan2
3.1Project Description2
3.2Utilities3
3.3Detailed Zoning Analysis3
4.0Housing District Criteria for Evaluation7
5.0Summary11
Introduction
Summary of Request
The purpose of this application is to provide information relative to a request for Development Plan approval for the proposed re-development of 5.24 acres of the existing Timber Ridge
apartments.
Timber Ridge is located at 1280 North Frontage Road. The legal description for the property is Lots 1 thorough 5, a resubdivision of Lion’s Ridge Subdivision Block C, Town of Vail,
CO.
The Town of Vail Zoning map designates Timber Ridge as Housing District (H). Development within the Housing District must receive Development Plan approval in accordance with the parameters
and review criteria described in Chapter 12.61 of the Vail Municipal Code.
This application contains the information required by Chapter 12.61 of the Vail Municipal Code to review and approve this application.
Existing Conditions
The history of Timber Ridge
Timber Ridge was constructed in 1981 and remains the largest employee housing complex in the Town of Vail.
The ten-acre site includes 198 two bedroom, one bath rental units in 16 buildings. Each unit is 745 square feet in size.
The Town of Vail purchased Timber Ridge for $20 million in July of 2003.
In 2005 the town issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a redevelopment of the property. Corum Real Estate Group was selected through this RFP process but mutually acceptable terms
were not successfully negotiated. In July of 2007, anticipating a redevelopment of the property, the Town rezoned Timber Ridge to the Housing (H) District.
In 2007 the town received an unsolicited redevelopment proposal from Open/Hillwood that was related to ongoing negotiations regarding redevelopment of the Lionshead Parking Structure.
The discussions regarding Timber Ridge were terminated in March 2008.
In December of 2008 the Town issued a new Request for Proposals seeking interested and qualified development teams to redevelop approximately one half of the property. This process
led to the selection of the Vail Timber Ridge LLC team. A development agreement between the Town of Vail and Vail Timber Ridge LLC was entered into in October of 2009.
The development agreement stipulates a redevelopment of the eastern half of the ten acre site and requires Vail Timber Ridge LLC to deliver 359 EHU’s capable of housing a total of 570
beds.
Proposed Plan
Project Description
The Vail Timber Ridge LLC team has a tremendous amount of residential housing construction experience. The members of the Vail Timber Ridge LLC team have been involved in the construction
of over 70,000 units of residential, student and military family housing across the country.
The VTR LLC team has taken the town’s goals of creating a significant employee housing project on the Timber Ridge site to heart and have worked diligently to meet the town’s density
goals while designing a very livable and attractive building.
The proposed design for Timber Ridge includes 352 apartments, 540 parking spaces and a 4,689 square foot resident’s clubhouse.
The building form is defined by the long rectangular shape of the site and is centered on the five story 522 space-parking garage. The garage entrance is approximately mid-point of
the proposed building and the garage footprint is a relatively efficient 120’ x 267’ layout. The ground level of the garage will include trash facilities, bike storage, a mailroom and
a large area of individual storage units.
Each successive level of the garage will include trash disposal facilities and bicycle storage. The ground level and next three levels of parking are fully enclosed. The garage ramps
up to an open air 5th level of parking.
The 352 apartments are arranged in three separate but connected buildings. The separation of the buildings allows a complete wrap of three sides of the parking garage and also allows
the buildings to step with the vertical grade changes of the site.
The east building is a double loaded corridor courtyard design. The building ranges from three to five story elements as it wraps around the courtyards and extends on an east-west axis
to abut the parking garage.
The center building consists of a five story element of apartments running along the 270 feet of the front façade of the garage. The rooflines and roof pitch of these units varies to
create a townhouse type of appearance to this front elevation. An enclosed hallway between the parking garage and the units provides access to each apartment on each level.
The west building is a similar courtyard double loaded design as the east building. Extending from the garage the building continues on an east west axis with two prominent courtyards
in a five story form.
While the site constraints and building program shape the overall building form, great care has been to introduce horizontal and vertical design elements that break down the building
mass and scale and provide visual interest. A variety of rooflines and roof pitches, varied window placements and a variety of materials all add to the overall design concept.
Utilities
Water and sanitary sewer mains are located adjacent to or on the site and appear to be adequate to serve the proposed buildings. Alpine Engineering, Inc. is the project civil engineer
and will work closely with town staff and the utility service providers to ensure appropriate utility connections are designed and implemented.
Natural gas, electric, television and telephone services are all available at the site.
Detailed Zoning Analysis
The Housing District is intended primarily to provide for employee housing development opportunities. Due to the nature and varying characteristics of employee housing a housing oriented
zone district was specifically developed and adopted into the Vail Land Use Code.
The stated intent of the Housing District is to ensure that employee housing is appropriately located and designed to meet the needs of residents of Vail, to harmonize with surrounding
uses, and to ensure adequate light, air and open spaces.
Permitted Uses
The only use proposed by the application is Employee Housing Units, which is a Permitted Use in this zone district. The other uses on site, parking and a 4,689 square foot clubhouse
are support uses to the primary permitted use. The clubhouse will serve residents of the Timber Ridge complex and will not be open to outside memberships.
Conditional Uses
There are no conditional uses proposed by this application.
Setbacks
The required setback is the Housing District is twenty feet (20’) from the perimeter of the zone district.
The proposed plan meets and exceeds this setback requirement.
Site Coverage
The Housing District allows for maximum site coverage of fifty-five percent (55%) of the total site area.
At the discretion of the Planning Commission this site coverage maximum may be increased if seventy five percent (75%) of the required parking spaces are underground or enclosed.
Although the proposed Timber Ridge development plan meets this parking goal, there is no request to increase the maximum allowable site coverage. The site coverage of the proposed plan
is 94,100 square feet, which measures to forty one percent (41%) of the 5.24-acre site.
Landscaping and Site Development
The Housing District requires at least thirty percent (30%) of the total site area to be landscaped.
The proposed plan includes a landscape area measured at 72,372 square feet, which equals thirty one percent (31%) of the site area.
Parking and Loading
The Housing District, in recognition of the unique nature and characteristics of employee housing, allows for, at the discretion of the planning and environmental commission, a reduction
in the parking requirements outlined in Chapter 10 of the Vail Land Use Code. This reduction is based on a demonstrated need for fewer parking spaces than required by Town Code.
The applicant fully understands that Timber Ridge must be a fully functional project and that the parking must work for the residents. The design of the project includes a parking count
that the applicant believes will more than adequately meet the needs of the residents.
The design of the parking at Timber Ridge, with 540 total parking spaces provided, 522 of these within the parking garage, allows for efficient management of access control. All cars
will be registered with the management company and provided with an authorization sticker. Garage access will be controlled by a key card or similar control system. This will ensure
that parking is made available for residents and will eliminate “poaching” of parking by outside users.
The parking standards of the Town Code are, by nature, a generalist set of standards. Within the Village and LionsHead core areas parking is set at 1.4 spaces per residential unit.
All areas of town outside of these core areas fall under Parking Schedule B. The parking requirement under Parking Schedule B for multiple family units is 1.5 spaces per each unit
under 500 square feet and 2 spaces per unit for units between 500 and 2000 square feet. This standard is applied across the board, regardless of whether the units are in a triplex or
in a 150 unit complex, is irrespective of location, proximity to transit or walkability to community services, and applies to units that may be seasonally occupied, used as full-time
residences, used as vacation rentals or as second homes.
The Housing Zone District was written in a manner that understands that these generalist standards may not be particularly applicable and allows for variations in these standards.
As this is a site that is designed for local worker rental housing we can assume that most tenants will work within the Town of Vail geographic footprint. And it should be fair to assume
that some tenants will be seasonal, some annual and some may live there for longer. But we can also assume that it is unlikely that a tenant will live there for the long term. It is
unlikely that a child will enter pre-school and graduate from high school while living at Timber Ridge. Tenants on a short term basis (even a few years) may have little need for multiple
car ownership.
Timber Ridge is located within 9/10 of a mile from a grocery store, a hardware store, a sporting goods store, other retail shops, restaurants and bars. Timber Ridge is also located
within 8/10 of a mile from the Lions Head I-70 Overpass, which provides access to all of Lions Head. These distances are well within comfortable walking distance for a fit and active
population.
Timber Ridge is a Transit Oriented Development (TOD). There is an existing bus stop at Timber Ridge and the proposed design includes an improved bus stop area that will allow for additional
buses to serve Timber Ridge. The Town of Vail and ECO Transit bus systems both serve Timber Ridge. Timber Ridge residents can easily access any and all services within the Town of
Vail, (social, medical, educational, government, employment, shopping, recreation) and via the ECO Transit system may utilize transit to visit down valley locations.
A key tenet of Transit Oriented Development is high density and a reduction in parking demand. Walkability and TOD are considered key factors to sustainable development. A speaker
at a recent Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute land use/sustainability conference stated " In Europe land use and transportation planning strives to house and transport people. In America
we strive to house people and their cars and strive to transport their cars." Timber Ridge is an example of a project that by virtue of its location, its target resident demographic
and the high quality Town of Vail transit system, can fully function with a reduced parking standard. If we are to create sustainable, transit oriented development we must, as a society,
discourage automobile use and encourage and enable walkability and transit opportunities. This is not inconsistent with recent Town of Vail policies to encourage local residents to
use alternatives to peak season parking use of the Village and LionsHead Parking Structures. Town of Vail bus ridership has been experiencing significant growth, perhaps as a result
of these parking policies.
The parking requirement for Timber Ridge is detailed in Parking Schedule B of the Vail Town Code. Parking Schedule B requires 1.5 parking spaces for residential units of less than 500
square feet and 2 parking spaces for units between 500 and 2,000 square feet in size.
The parking requirements for the 352 units are as follows:
22 units (less than 500 square feet) x 1.5 spaces per unit = 33 spaces.
330 units (between 500 – 2,000 square feet) x 2 spaces per unit = 660 spaces
This totals a parking requirement of 693 spaces.
The proposed plan includes 522 parking spaces in the garage and 18 surface spaces for a total of 540 spaces.
This equates to an average of 1.53 parking spaces per unit. The applicant is requesting a reduction in the parking standards of approximately 22%.
G. Other Development Standards
In the Housing District the development standards of lot area and site dimensions, building height and density control shall be as proposed by the applicant, as prescribed by the planning
environmental commission.
Lot area and site dimensions
This application proposes redevelopment of a part of Lot 2 and all of Lot 3, 4 and 5, a subdivision of Lion’s Ridge Subdivision Block C. This entails 5.24 acres of the approximately
10-acre Timber Ridge site.
The site is 885 feet in length along the North Frontage Road and is 233 feet deep at its east end and approximately 300 feet deep at the western boundary.
A lot line adjustment to Lot 2 will be completed prior to construction on the site.
Building Height
The proposed building includes 3,4 and 5 story elements and steps vertically with the side grade on both the east-west and north-south axes. The highest ridgeline measures at 76 feet,
9.5 inches above grade with several architectural projections extending above this height. The rear five story element measures at 70 feet, 10.5 inches above grade.
Density Control
In October of 2009 Timber Ridge LLC and the Town of Vail entered into a development agreement that outlines the parameters of the proposed redevelopment of the 5.24-acre portion of Timber
Ridge. This agreement stipulates a density of 359 Employee Housing Units capable of housing 570 beds.
Minor changes in building massing and height have resulted in a minor density reduction to this number. The density proposed by this application is 352 Employee Housing Units.
Housing District Criteria for Evaluation
The Housing District describes six criteria that shall be used by the staff and planning and environmental commission as the principal means for evaluating a proposed development plan.
Those criteria and the applicant’s response to each follows below:
Building design with respect to architecture, character, scale, massing and orientation is compatible with the site, adjacent properties and surrounding neighborhood.
Applicant’s response:
The 10-acre Timber Ridge site is located between the North Frontage Road and Lion’s Ridge Loop in West Vail, with all site access via North Frontage Road. This stretch of the North
Frontage Road is, in general, home to the largest concentration of large buildings in the West Vail region.
East of Timber Ridge is the relatively large Vail Run and Simba Run buildings. Immediately west of these buildings, adjacent to the east boundary of the proposed redevelopment parcel
is the smaller scale Savoy Villas.
West of Timber Ridge is the US Post Office facility, the site of the recently approved Roost Lodge redevelopment and the large scale Vail Commons, City Market, Safeway and West Vail
Mall Buildings.
Timber Ridge has several attributes that make the site appropriate for high-density housing. Direct access off the North Frontage Road removes any traffic impact from secondary streets
and smaller scale residential neighborhoods. This same attribute allows for extremely efficient and high intensity transit service. The site is centrally located to allow reasonable
walking distance to both Lionshead and the West Vail commercial district.
The hillside behind Lions Ridge Loop is too steep to allow development so there are no immediate neighbors to the north and no view impacts to any other residential properties. Savoy
Villas, located just east of Timber Ridge is oriented toward views to the south, over I–70 and to the southeast towards Vail Mountain.
Timber Ridge is one of the very few sites in town available for high-density employee housing that can take advantage of these attributes.
The building architecture has been carefully designed to reflect the characteristics of the general historic and current trends of mountain design. In addition the building incorporates
multiple design elements that mitigate the mass and length of the building. The courtyard design allows for significant interplay of the horizontal elevation of the street frontage
while completely eliminating the visual impact of a 522 car parking garage.
The varied building heights of the courtyard elements and the varied aspect, pitch and style of roof elements create the appearance of smaller building forms.
Timber Ridge LLC believes the proposed design is an appropriate and positive expression of the desired density is fully compatible with the site, adjacent properties and the surrounding
neighborhood.
Buildings, improvements, uses and activities are designed and located to produce a functional development plan responsive to the site, the surrounding neighborhood and uses, and the
community as a whole.
The proposed Timber Ridge plan provides buildings and improvements that have been specifically designed to produce a functional development plan. The significant amount of required
parking has been hidden from public view yet is a functional and convenient facility for the residents. Unit access and pedestrian circulation is primarily within the enclosed building.
Unit floor plans are efficient and livable. Laundry facilities are included within each unit. A nearly 5,000 square foot clubhouse provides a very functional and attractive amenity
for the residents.
The site itself, as discussed elsewhere in this application, may be the best available high density residential employee housing opportunity in the Town of Vail. Frontage Road and transit
stop improvements are responsive to the site and the neighborhood. The building massing on the east end is meant to be responsive to the only residential neighbor.
Open space and landscaping are both functional and aesthetic, are designed to preserve and enhance the natural features of the site, maximize opportunities for access and use by the
public, provide adequate buffering between the proposed uses and surrounding properties, and when possible, are integrated with existing open space and recreation areas.
The 10-acre Timber Ridge site is currently home to 198 two-bedroom apartment units in 16 buildings, with extensive surface parking and site retaining walls. The proposed redevelopment
site of 5.24 acres includes 106 of those existing units.
The existing development has already impacted the original natural features of this site. The proposed plan does maximize opportunities for access and use by the resident public by
the design of the courtyard spaces. The courtyard design performs the dual function of providing a significant break in the front façade of the building and also, in response to this
criterion, provides a location for functional and aesthetic public spaces. The courtyards have varied landscape design themes that include a plaza for intimate public gathering spots,
barbecue and fire pit areas and outdoor spas.
The work session format with the planning and environmental commission, along with staff input, has resulted in revisions to the project that are extremely beneficial to the landscape
design.
Previous plans included a 24-foot wide driveway with parallel parking spaces all along the front of the building. This resulted in a significant width of asphalt and a difficult landscape
design problem.
The current plans have reduced this large expanse of asphalt to a 20 foot wide combined bike path and emergency vehicle access lane. This change in vehicular circulation had opened
up more area available for landscape planting and results in a much improved landscape design.
The grading at the north elevation of the building has also been revised. The back wall of the parking garage will now serve as part of the retaining wall system. This allows the entire
back wall of the parking garage to be filled to the road grade. A level landscape area now exists between the garage and Lion’s Ridge Loop and significant landscape planting has been
incorporated into the plans. This eliminates the unsightly rear wall of the garage and creates a 270 foot long landscape island that will serve to visually separate the east and west
wings of the building.
Overall the landscape design represents a tremendous improvement over existing conditions and provides a very functional and meaningful open space and landscape design.
A pedestrian and vehicular circulation system designed to provide safe, efficient and aesthetically pleasing circulation to the site and throughout the development.
Timber Ridge is located along the North Frontage Road and the town bicycle and pedestrian path has been designed to pass through the site on Timber Ridge property. The bike path through
the site is designed as a 20-foot wide path that will also serve as an emergency vehicle access. Sidewalks along the building provide access to all entryways and connect to the bike
path and to the adjacent bus stop.
Vehicular access and circulation is direct and efficient. The North Frontage Road will be improved with acceleration and deceleration turn lanes at the primary vehicular access to
the parking garage. Cars will enter the site and directly access the centrally located parking garage.
A second vehicular access is shared with the bus stop and provides access to the remainder of the existing Timber Ridge units and to 18 surface parking spaces that will serve short term,
business office and drop off needs.
Environmental impacts resulting from the proposal have been identified in the project’s environmental impact report, if not waived, and all necessary mitigating measures are implemented
as a part of the proposed development plan.
A full environmental impact report has been completed for the proposed project and evaluated as a part of the design process.
The recommend mitigation measures include improvements to the North Frontage Road to allow for appropriate turning movements and several alternative rockfall mitigation options. The
applicant and the Town of Vail will work together towards the final design and implementation of these mitigation measures.
Compliance with the Vail comprehensive plan and other application plans.
The Timber Ridge site has been the largest employee-housing complex in Vail since its construction in 1981. The Vail Comprehensive Plan and all of the other applicable long range planning
documents and guiding documents recognize this land use as appropriate in this location.
A necessary criterion for the 2007 re-zoning of the property to the Housing District was compliance with the Vail Comprehensive Plan and all other applicable plans. This positive re-zoning
action serves as affirmation that the proposed land use is in compliance with the Vail Comprehensive Plan.
This application for redevelopment of approximately half of the existing Timber Ridge complex does not represent a change in land use, but is a change in the physical arrangement and
intensity of that existing land use. As such, this application remains in full compliance with all applicable Town of Vail comprehensive planning documents.
Summary
The Town of Vail has determined, through the 2008 Employee Housing Strategic Plan, that the policy of the Town of Vail will be “To ensure there is deed restricted housing for at least
30% of Vail’s workforce within the Town of Vail. This goal will be met by policies and actions that (1) ensure new development keeps up with this goal , and (2) development projects
sponsored by or in partnership with the Town to “catch up” to meet this 30% goal.
The Town has initiated several actions. The buy down program has added five units and the Arosa Drive duplex will provide a great ownership opportunity to two local families.
But to really make progress in the “catch up” arena a development of significant density is necessary.
The Timber Ridge site has the physical and locational attributes to allow for this site to be the best opportunity for the Town of Vail to create a significant increase in deed restricted
beds within the community.
Vail Timber Ridge LLC believes that we have addressed the program request of the Vail Town Council with a building and site design that is appropriate to the location and the neighborhood
and meets all of the criteria required for Housing District Development Plan approval. This proposed redevelopment of a portion of Timber Ridge will provide a tremendous community benefit.
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