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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPEC140011 VVMC Master Plan Introduction to the Project 05120) TOWN OF VAIL' Memorandum TO: Planning and Environmental Commission FROM: Community Development Department DATE: May 12, 2014 SUBJECT: A request for a work session to discuss the initial steps in the planning process for the Vail Valley Medical Center Facilities Master Plan project, located at 181 West Meadow Drive, Lots E & F, Vail Village 2nd Filing. Applicant: Vail Valley Medical Center, represented by Tom Braun, Braun Associates, Inc. Planner: George Ruther I. DESCRIPTION OF REQUEST The applicant, Vail Valley Medical Center (VVMC), represented by Tom Braun, is requesting a work session with the Planning and Environmental Commission (PEC). The purpose the worksession is to re- engage the PEC in the planning process for the Vail Valley Medical Center Facilities Master Plan. The worksession meeting will focus on • the planning process, • background work that has been completed to date, • planning considerations • the format of the master plan document, • opportunities for public participation, and • a schedule of next steps. The intended outcome of the master planning process is the creation a facilities master plan for the existing medical campus. As such, the plan will be used to help guide and direct future decisions for infill development, growth and expansion of the VVMC campus. As this remains a worksession in the early stages of the planning process, neither the staff nor the applicant intend to present a master plan document or planned design solutions at this time. A master plan document with proposed design solutions will be presented at a later date. II. BACKGROUND The idea for a facilities master plan for the VVMC campus rose out of the municipal site redevelopment project. During discussions regarding the municipal site project, a number of land planning opportunities and facility improvement needs were identified. While the municipal site redevelopment project is no longer being actively pursued by the VVMC and the Town of Vail, the need for certain facility improvements on the VVMC campus remains and opportunities for better land planning still exists. Through previous communications with the Town, VVMC has been given conceptual approval to explore master planning options and ideas which may include the use of certain town owned lands. More specifically, those lands include the town's municipal site located at 75 South Frontage Road and 281 West Meadow Drive, library parking lot (Lot 10, Vail Village Filing 2). No final decisions on that matter, however, have been reached. The applicant last appeared before the Planning and Environmental Commission on April 8, 2013. At that time, the applicant had presented conceptual ideas for the creation of the master plan and received input from the Commission on the types of issues which needed to be addressed by the Plan. Since last April, the applicant has been working with their master planning consultant team to prepare the initial elements of the Plan. To that end, a significant amount of time and thought has gone into addressing on -site and off -site traffic circulation, determining the parking need, options for addressing the parking need (both on -site and off - site), loading and delivery options, and construction sequencing. Additionally, further investigation has gone into the potential use of the municipal site and /or Lot 10 to help address the physical and spatial needs of the Vail Valley Medical Center. More discussion, design work and analysis is needed to fully understand the issues and opportunities, however. III. APPLICABLE PLANNING DOCUMENTS The following planning documents are applicable to the review of this application: ZONING CODE General Use District 12 -9C -1: PURPOSE: The general use district is intended to provide sites for public and quasi - public uses which, because of their special characteristics, cannot be appropriately regulated by the development standards prescribed for other zoning districts, and for which development standards especially prescribed for each particular development proposal or project are necessary to achieve the purposes prescribed in section 12 -1 -2 of this title and to provide for the public welfare. The general use district is intended to ensure that public buildings and grounds and certain types of quasi - public uses permitted in the district are appropriately located and designed to meet the needs of residents and visitors to Vail, to harmonize with surrounding uses, and, in the case of buildings and other structures, to ensure adequate light, air, open spaces, and other amenities appropriate to the permitted types of uses. VAIL LAND USE PLAN The Vail Land Use Plan contains multiple goal statements placed into six different categories. Staff believes the following goal statements are applicable to the effort to master plan the VVMC campus. 1. General Growth /Development 1.1. Vail should continue to grow in a controlled environment, maintaining a balance between residential, commercial and recreational uses to serve both the visitor and the permanent resident. Town of Vail Page 2 1.2. The quality of the environment including air, water and other natural resources should be protected as the Town grows. 1.3. The quality of development should be maintained and upgraded whenever possible. 1.12 Vail should accommodate most of the additional growth in existing developed areas (infill areas). 6. Community Services 6.1. Services should keep pace with increased growth. 6.2. The Town of Vail should play a role in future development through balancing growth with services. 6.3. Services should be adjusted to keep pace with the needs of peak periods. The Land Use Plan designates the desired Land Use Category of all properties in the Town. The VVMC is comprised of several properties with differing land use designations. Resort Accommodations and Service (US Bank Building) This area includes activities aimed at accommodating the overnight and short -term visitor to the area. Primary uses include hotels, lodges, service stations, and parking structures (with densities up to 25 dwelling units or 50 accommodation units per buildable acre). Transition (VVMC Campus) The transition designation applies to the area between Lionshead and the Vail Village. The activities and site design of this area is aimed at encouraging pedestrian flow through the area and strengthening the connection between the two commercial cores. Appropriate activities include hotels, lodging and other tourist oriented residential units, ancillary retail and restaurant uses, museums, areas of public art, nature exhibits, gardens, pedestrian plazas, and other types of civic and culturally oriented uses, and the adjacent properties to the north. This designation would include the right -of -way of West Meadow Drive and the adjacent properties to the north. IV. SURROUNDING LAND USES AND ZONING Land Use Zoning North: Lodging /Municipal Lionshead Mixed Use 1 /General Use South: Residential Primary Secondary Residential East: Multifamily Residential High Density Multiple Family West: Municipal General Use Town of Vail Page 3 V. DISCUSSION ITEMS Process The end result of the master planning process is to create a facilities master plan for the VVMC campus. As such, the plan will be used primarily by VVMC to help guide and direct the future decisions for development on the VVMC campus. While many aspects and elements of the plan have little, or no relevance, on the Town of Vail or the immediate neighborhood (i.e., interior layout of the buildings, sequencing of construction, size of the emergency generator, etc.), there are many other aspects or elements of the plan which will. For example, elements such as parking; pedestrian circulation; loading and delivery; bulk, mass and scale; vehicular access, etc. For that reason, it is imperative that input from the community and other potentially impacted parties is taken throughout the master planning process. These design solutions a options for the implementation of these elements will become part of the master plan. Once incorporated into the master plan, the master plan will be used as a benchmark for evaluating more detailed development plan proposals provided as part of a conditional use permit application. Further, portions of the master plan should be created with the expressed intent and goal of its inclusion in the Vail's Comprehensive Plan. Through its inclusion in Vail's Comprehensive Plan, the master plan becomes pertinent and relevant to future development review processes and actions by the Town. In order to achieve this goal, the Vail Land Use Plan should be amended to include those aspects or elements of the master facilities plan which bear relevance on the Town of Vail and the immediate neighborhood. VVMC /TOV Forum Notes The Town of Vail and the Vail Valley Medical Center hosted a community forum on the proposed master plan and process. What follows is a series of questions raised by community members in attendance. It remains the intent of the ToV and VVMC to address each of the questions during the course of the master planning process. Site Plan -- Primary concern: Frontage Rd. access for emergency vehicles. - -How high up will VVMC be building? - -Will there be underground parking? - -Can VVMC continue to use current helicopter pad? Will it be moved? - -Will the community be able to provide feedback re: helicopter pad before final decisions are made? - -Have we brought in FAA consultants? -- Assuming Evergreen Lodge remains hotel, it would be better to have mechanical on the ground. - -Will VVMC incorporate employee housing on site? - -What does VVMC anticipate the growth of the hospital to be in the next 10 years? - -With growth, does VVMC anticipate complementary parking? - -The scope of the plan should be as large as possible geographically. - -Would US Bank Building and VVMC be the same height? Or, if US Bank Building is torn down, will there be one building? - -The puzzle pieces don't fit together. Traffic needs to be routed off Meadow Drive. We need a grand entrance. - -How do we manage emergency traffic? - -Small footprint. Given our demographics, does it make sense to have a satellite location in Vail and main location down valley? Town of Vail Page 4 - -Would the municipal site be included in the master plan? It seemed to be a "magical" solution with a lot of flexibility. We will decide re: municipal building within next 2 years? Yes? - -How big is the site? - -How soon do I have to worry about my property getting eaten up? - -Is there any land the hospital can swap with the Evergreen to make Frontage Road access better? -- You've decided landing a helicopter on the campus is safe? - -Has TOV determined there will be a helicopter pad on main campus? - -Has CDOT reversed its demand that the helipad be removed? - -Is it too dangerous to have helipad near a highway? Why is it safer in a residential neighborhood and in a hospital facility? - -The non - patient /non -sick community - what facilities will be available to them? Wellness Centers, etc. - -Do you take economics into account, Re: services on this campus? - -This hospital does not receive emergency patients via helicopter. We are sending patients out via helicopter. We do not need to do that. - -How much usage, critical transport vs. daily use? - -How does the patient transfer process work (clinical /amb.) --If it's too dangerous to have helipad near a highway, why is it safer in a residential neighborhood and in a hospital facility? - -When a patient is flown out, the patient has been stabilized and is on their way out for further care. - -Three top plans in other communities that are similar to ours? Traffic & Patient Flow - -What % of VVMC patients are residents of Vail & area? - -What is the % income breakdown of residents vs. non? - -I'd like to see the TOV order /request directing the helipad to be moved to VVMC property. - -What will the process be to determine the location of the helipad, including the TOV involvement and FAA involvement? -- Pay - patient parking is undersized. -- Traffic on Meadow Drive is dangerous, especially in summer. -- Lab /pharmacy /PT and other quick services need to be more accessible. -- Negotiate improved access points to the hospital campus from the Frontage Rd. -- Suggest a rooftop helipad. -- Prefer location of helipad next to 1 -70, across from VVMC (Noise, dust, view) -- Factor in weather and location for safety of helipad and residents. -- Minutes matter. Patient transfer time is critical for patients. -- Traffic off East Meadow - patient, delivery, trash, emergency -- Campus lots of buildings can be connected under "campus" concept and even off site. -- Footprint - think big /broaden boundary. -- Parking underground - buildable space -- Helipad - off site - West Vail -- Phasing to keep hospital operational during construction - -How does projected population growth influence the plan? - -With this development, will it increase the levels within the hospital (level III trauma, level 11 building) - -TOV must support with better bus stops nearer to entrance. Schedule & Process - -Have a working committee and high -level vision for health and wellness. Town of Vail Page 5 -- Enlarge yellow box, even if it doesn't happen now. Inclusive of Lot 10, Evergreen & Town municipal site. - -If you are going to build a tall building, better to build it on municipal site and not block views. -- Residential noise related to emergency vehicles. Sound barriers, underground ER patient unload. -- Concern about helicopter noise /location. - -Is the Town of Vail helping with planning of the medical campus? - -What is the economic driver? For VVMC? For TOV? - -Is the municipal site /building off the table? - -Have you discussed moving the frontage road? - -Does the town own the frontage road? -- Municipal site and hospital site are underutilized. - -Could municipal site be doc offices? - -Could municipal site be the E.D? Helipad atop E.D. with tunnel under road for access to the medical campus? Planning Considerations There are many planning considerations that will go into the creation of the VVMC Master Facilities Plan. As previously stated, many of those considerations will be relevant to VVMC only and bear little, if any, relevance on the Town of Vail. In an effort to begin discussions with VVMC's master planners, a preliminary list of planning considerations or external factors or considerations relevant to the Town of Vail and the immediate neighborhood has been developed. The preliminary list includes: • Provide for a future emergency air ambulance helipad on the hospital site. • Provide for adequate on site loading and delivery services which minimizes negative impacts on the neighborhood. Special consideration should be given to relocating this use to gain access to the VVMC Campus from the South Frontage Road. • Address emergency vehicle circulation to and from the site. • Address patient and employee vehicle circulation with an emphasis on use of the South Frontage Road for primary access. • Minimize the number of vehicle trips on West Meadow Drive to improve the pedestrian experience along the street • Provide for pedestrian circulation N/S through the hospital site to connect the South Frontage Road with West Meadow Drive. • Reduce the negative impacts of the hospital surface parking lot on the Middle Creek riparian corridor. • The hospital use is currently non - conforming with regard to minimum parking requirements. All future planning should ensure full compliance with the parking requirements. • Work with the Town of Vail and neighboring property owners to identify the most appropriate location of vehicle access off of the South Frontage Road. This shall also take design options into consideration. • The Town of Vail is willing to consider design and master plan options which include the use of Lot 10 and the Town's municipal center site. • Address the existing zone district designation of the US Bank Building. • Provide opportunities for growth and expansion of the VVMC Campus to ensure the growing health care needs of the community are met. • Ensure that the mechanical equipment needs of medical center are met on site and seek to minimize any unintended consequences. Town of Vail Page 6 What additional planning considerations, if any, does the Planning and Environmental Commission have at this time to share with the master planners for the VVMC campus? Additional opportunities for input will be available as the master planning effort proceeds through a more formal public hearing review process. Town of Vail Page 7