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Home My WebLink AboutPEC130008, 0009 Jeff Winston Memorandum 030613M M "�,v Design Review Memorandum Project: Wall Street Building, Vail Village, Vail CO Date: March 4, 2013 Materials reviewed: Wall Street Building drawing set by Suman Architects PEC 130008 PEC 13009 Wall Street Building Variance Request PEC 120008 PEC 130009 Building and Model Images (3D perspectives) by Suman Architects Relevant Standards and Guidelines: Vail Village Master Plan Vail Village Urban Design Guide Plan Vail Village Master Plan Goal 1: Encourage high quality redevelopment while preserving unique architectural scale of the village in order to sustain its sense of community and identity. This goal suggests careful attention to the unique scale and character of Wall Street and always striving for high quality development. Policy 1.1.1: Development and improvement projects approved the Village shall be consistent with the goals, objectives, policies and design considerations as outline in the Vail Village Master Plan and Urban Design Guide Plan. This policy supports this review. Policy 2.4.1: Commercial infill development consistent with established horizontal zoning regulations shall be encouraged to provide activity generators, accessible green spaces, public plazas, and streetscape improvements to the pedestrian network through the Village. This policy generally supports the proposed project. Objective 4.1:... Recognize the different roles of each type of open space in forming the overall fabric of the Village. The arcade is one of the unique types of pedestrian experiences in the Village. If it is to be eliminated, it should be with development that contributes to the pedestrian experience. Vail Village Urban Design Guide Plan Urban Design Considerations 1. Pedestrian ization Filling in the ground floor module of the arcade on Gore Creek Drive cuts off views and a passageway for some, that entices people into Wall Street. Otherwise, not significantly affected. 2. Vehicle Penetration PLANNING / DESIGN / COMMUNICATIONS / MANAGEMENT / TECHNOLOGY Name Date Page 2 No significant impact. 3. Streetscape Framework The "22' reconfigured landscape" adjacent to the stairs is a significant loss of the informal character of the planting beds on Wall Street and should not be accepted. 4. Street Enclosure Does tend to narrow down the width of the pedestrian walkway, but the overall enclosure (upper part of the building) is not affected. 5. Street Edge Enclosing the two -story arcade on the corner of GCD removes a significant inset and landmark condition in the Village. We recommend not fully enclosing the Gore Creek Drive corner, but rather leaving at least a portion of the two -story space as a covered entry way and even pass- through. An alternative would be to at least not fill in the entire ground floor of this corner. Further south, the proposed fagade removes some of the variability of the street edge, but may have a beneficial effect of making those store fronts more visible. 6. Building Height No impact. 7. Views Slight impact on views of the stairwell at the south end of Wall Street. 8. Sun /shade No impact. Architectural Considerations Facades Materials Removing or covering the stucco on the central portion of the East View removes a significant presence of stucco in Wall Street —with no apparent benefit. We understand the challenge in trying to match the existing one -of -a -kind texture, if there were significant changes in the wall plane. However, in our opinion it is not essential to match it. In fact, the guidelines suggest flat stucco (see Color section) to avoid too many fanciful textures. In some places in the Village different textures, and colors, of stucco are juxtaposed next to each other. As long as the change occurs at a vertical change in plane (inside corner) it will give the impression of separate buildings, or an addition at a different time. The veneer stone material conveyed in the Schematic Design images suggests a very rectilinear, block -like character, rather than the more natural looking stone (rougher surface, not straight unbroken horizontal joints, greater variability in stone sizes) found elsewhere in the Village. Macintosh HD: Users :jtwinston:Documents:ACTIVE PROJECTS:Vail Design Review.-The Wall Street Building:Wall Street DeSRevMeml.docx Name Date Page 3 Lastly with regard to materials, one of the objectives for the Village is to maintain the adapted image of a "quaint European alpine village." One of the ways that is accomplished is to use materials in a traditional way. For example, stone would typically be used as a foundation, or a short wall below a wall of lighter material (stucco, wood). Often, larger stones would be used as a base, with smaller stones as the wall or column rises. Stone columns would often also have a wider base. Stone masonry would not be used over an opening except as an arch or over a very strong, short lintel. The way the stone veneer is proposed to be used in this project is not consistent with any of these general conventions. The tall, slender stone columns, the stone above long lintels over the windows (and no lintel over the corner infill) will clearly give a "false stone" appearance. Colors The intent of the color guideline is to "provide greater latitude in the use of color in Vail Village in or der to create visual interest and enliven the area." Shifting from a warm brown siding to a more gray siding has the opposite effect. Similarly, the somber color of the stone also takes away some of the vitality of the building. Transparency A high % of ground level transparency is maintained, in fact too high. The large, continuous, typical commercial glass storefront system is exactly what the guidelines intend to discourage. Windows The ground floor windows shown appear to be a metal -clad commercial storefront system. Missing elements suggested in the guidelines include: • Solid knee wall below the windows • A significant portion of building wall (wider than the column widths shown) that breaks the windows into discrete grouped segments • Separate doorways • Within an overall band of windows, wood members that divide the windows into vertically proportioned windows. • Mullions that further subdivide the windows into smaller panes The second floor windows appear to be a continuous box - window extension virtually the length of the east - facing fagade. This is inconsistent with several of the guidelines: • The upper floors should be predominantly solid (building wall), punctured by windows. • Avoid extensive horizontal repetition • Avoid long continuous glass areas Macintosh HD: Users :jtwinston:Documents:ACTIVE PROJECTS:Vail Design Review .-The Wall Street Building:Wall Street DeSRevMemI.docx Name Date Page 4 • Bay, bow, and box window extensions are consistent with the guidelines, but as individual elements rather than a long, continuous mass. Doors The doors shown in the Schematic Design also appear to be the doors specifically discouraged in the Guidelines —metal clad with large single pane windows. Many other door options are suggested in the guidelines. Also, not reflected is any sense of a covered entry for doorways —a strong lintel, recess, or even a canopy. The canopy over the doorway for Wild Bill's is missing an opportunity to call more attention to itself. Trim There is a broad lintel above the window systems on the ground floor, but no indication of wide wood trim that is characteristic of the Village and strongly encouraged in the guidelines. Signage The applicant is missing an opportunity to do creative signage, such as wall graphics on stucco, signs that extend perpendicular to the building. Discussion: This building was one of the early buildings in Vail, built before the Design Guidelines were created. Therefore there are aspects of the existing building are not consistent with the Guidelines (e.g. box balconies, windows without wide trim, etc.). Obviously, if some portions of the building are not modified, they will still be inconsistent with the Guidelines. That being said however, there are significant aspects of the proposed improvements that are not consistent with the guidelines, especially the Architectural Guidelines. While we generally support the concept of filling in a significant portion of the arcade, accepting this proposal in its current form would have a significant negative impact on the character of one of the charming passageways in Vail Village. Macintosh HD: Users :jtwinston:Documents:ACTIVE PROJECTS:Vail Design Review .-The Wall Street Building:Wall Street DeSRevMemI.docx