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VI. 2020-07 Hopkins Village II Concept Plan October 20, 2020 Planning Application 2020-07 Hopkins Village II Concept Plan Review Proposed Action: As a concept review, this application does not require formal action by the Planning & Zoning Commission or City Council. Rather, the applicant requests feedback on the proposals so they can work toward preparing a future, formal submittal. Any comments provided by the City Council or Planning & Zoning Commission shall be for guidance only and shall not be considered binding upon the City regarding any future, formal application. Key items for the City to consider when reviewing this application include: • Should the City consider rezoning the property from B-2, Central Business District to Mixed Use? • Should the City consider using a Planned Unit Development (PUD) to allow deviation from the zoning standards? If so, what would the City look for in exchange for the PUD? Overview The applicant, Dan Walsh with Trillas Community Housing Corporation, requests concept plan review for the Hopkins Village II development. The subject property is located at the southwest corner of Mainstreet and 6th Avenue South. The applicant’s plans call for a 5-story 44-unit infill apartment building on what is currently the surface parking lot for the existing Hopkins Village development. Primary Issues to Consider • Background • Concept Plan Review • Potential Review Process Supporting Documents • Site Location Map • Applicant’s Narrative • Plans & Elevations _____________________ Jason Lindahl, AICP City Planner Financial Impact: $ N/A Budgeted: Y/N ____ Source: _____________ Related Documents (CIP, ERP, etc.): _________________________________________ Notes: Planning Application 2020-07 Page 2 BACKGROUND Development Proposal. The Hopkins Village Apartments site was originally developed in 1971. The 1.9 acre site includes an 11 story apartment building and associated 151 stall surface parking lot. The building totals 161 units made up of a mixture of one and two bedroom affordable apartments for seniors. In 2016, the City approved a request from the applicant to subdivide off the existing surface parking lot for future development. The applicant has now come forward with a concept plan for development of the newly created property, which includes a 5-story, 44-unit, multiple family apartment building. City Council Review. The City Council reviewed this item during their October 20, 2020 regular meeting. After some discussion, the City Council offered the following comments. • General support for the workforce type housing intended to house those making 60-80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). • Support for including eight larger 3-bedroom units • A 5-story building is ok provided the architecture fits in with Mainstreet. • The Council preferred the Version 1 design over the Version 3 design because of the “storefront” appearance on the ground floor is more compatible with Mainstreet. • The applicant should add more “historic” architectural features to make the building more compatible with Mainstreet including more brick on the street side corner elements, a “storefront” appearance along the street side ground floor and the bump-outs on floors 2 through 5 should be extended to the ground floor. • The applicant should update the parking and traffic study to reflect the new site design and unit count. The applicant should make every effort to insure parking from their development occurs on their site and does not impact the surrounding neighborhood. • The applicant should add buffering and landscaping to help screen the parking area from adjacent properties. CONCEPT PLAN REVIEW Land Use. The proposed 44 unit multiple family apartment building use is consistent with the subject property’s future land use designation. The subject property is guided Commercial by the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. According to the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, the Commercial land use category offers a wide variety of goods and services and Commercial uses located downtown largely to serve local needs and specialty market niches. By comparison, the 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update – Cultivate Hopkins guides this property as Downtown Center. The City envisions this area as the central economic, social and civic district for Hopkins and the region. Maintaining downtown Hopkins’ unique identity and sense of place must be a central consideration when planning for future growth. Mixed uses (vertical or horizontal) are encouraged. Overall, this land use category should include medium to larger scale neighborhood and regional uses at densities of 75 to 150 units an acres within one-quarter mile of a light rail station. The estimated mix of uses throughout the land use category should be 40% commercial and 60% residential. Planning Application 2020-07 Page 3 Zoning. The subject property is zoned B-2, Central Business District and is also located within the Downtown Overlay district. Under the B-2 zoning, residential uses are a conditional use subject to the following standards: 1. That residential dwelling units abutting a right-of-way of 50 feet or more in width cannot occupy the first floor. As proposed, this development would not meet this standard as it plans for residential uses on the ground floor along both Mainstreet and 6th Avenue South. Staff recommends the applicant redesign the building so the community room covers the Mainstreet side of the building and move the residential units to the east and west sides of the building. This design would have the added benefit of creating a more storefront like appearance to the first floor along Mainstreet and position the walkup units along the sides of the building for greater privacy. 2. That there is at least one underground parking space per unit. The concept conforms with this standards as it includes 44 units and 44 enclosed parking stalls. 3. That all dwellings must have an entrance leading directly out of the building. The concept plan conforms to this standard as each unit will have an entrance leading directly out of the building through the internal hallway system. 4. That the density allowed shall be as in an R-5 District. The concept plan conforms to this standard. The R-5 district allows densities up to 44 units/acre. The subject property is 1 acre in size and the applicant is proposing to build 44 units. The property also lies within the Downtown Overlay District, which details the site design and architectural standards for Mainstreet and the surrounding Downtown area. The spirit and intent of the overlay district is to preserve the small-town, unique character of Mainstreet Hopkins; complement the existing historic architecture; enhance the pedestrian orientation of Downtown Hopkins; encourage streetscape design that is inviting and on a human scale; and communicate the community’s vision for the Mainstreet area. Signage. Signage standards in the Downtown Overlay District require signs be compatible with the style, composition, materials, colors and details of the building and with signs on other nearby buildings. Internally illuminated, ground or rooftop signs are prohibited. Projecting signs are allowed provided they do not exceed 12 square feet or 3 feet in width. The maximum area of a single sign in the B-2 Central Business zoning district is 60 square feet. The applicant has yet to finalize their sign plan; however, the building elevations do show a rooftop sign on the Mainstreet entry feature that is not compatible with the zoning standards. Staff recommends considering vertical wall signage more consistent with the traditional Mainstreet environment. Sign plans should be submitted to City staff for a separate administrative sign permit review provided they are consistent with the B-2, Central Business district and the Downtown Overlay district standards. Building Height. New buildings, buildings and additions and redeveloped or remodeled buildings must complement the existing pattern of building heights. Buildings in the Overlay District may not exceed four stories or 45 feet in height. The applicant’s plans call for a 5-story but does not provide the exact height. The applicant provide additional building height information to demonstrate the proposed building will be consistent with the zoning Planning Application 2020-07 Page 4 requirements. Building Setback. Buildings in the Overlay District will together create the wall of buildings effect associated with traditional Main Street areas. The applicant’s plan generally conform to this standard with a front yard (Mainstreet) setback that ranges from 5.1 to 11 feet and a side yard (6th Avenue South) setback that ranges from 6 to 9 feet. In addition, the B-2 district provides more detailed setbacks for each side of the building. Those standards require a 1 foot front, zero foot side and 10 foot rear yard setback. The proposed building exceeds these standards. It should be noted that the building could be moved closer to both Mainstreet and 6th Avenue and still meet the setback requirements. This would have the added effect of providing additional room, even just a few feet, for parking behind the building. Roofs and Parapets. Rooflines will mimic the separate yet complementary character and design of historic Main Street buildings. Sloped roofs are not allowed unless the roof form is concealed by a parapet or false front. Exceptions may be granted if the sloped roof is used on top of a multi-story building to help reduce the overall height of the facade and define the residential character of the upper floors. The proposed building attempts to meet this standard by including slight variations in the roofline and roofline cap architectural elements. However, these features are too slight and widely spaced to meet this standard. The applicant should enhance these features to more closely match the design of other Mainstreet buildings. Utility Areas, Mechanical Equipment and Screening. Utility areas, mechanical equipment, and screening will be designed so that they do not detract from the aesthetic appeal of the district. The screening of exterior trash, storage areas, service yards, loading areas, transformers, heating, and air conditioning units must use the same materials, color and/or style as the primary building in order to be architecturally compatible with the primary building and the building it is adjacent to. If the utility area is separate from the building it serves, it should be consistent with the city streetscape theme. All roof equipment will be screened from public view so as not to be visible from the street. All exterior trash and storage areas, service yards, loading, areas, heating, and air conditioning units must be screened from view. Camouflaging heating and air conditioning units is an acceptable screening method. The applicant’s plans show an interior trash storage area in the new building and an existing trash enclosure for the existing Hopkins Village building. The applicant must provide more detail as to how and where the trash will be stored and placed for pickup. The applicant’s site plan also shows a transformer on the south side of the building but no other information about rooftop mechanical equipment. The applicant shall revise their plans to screen this equipment consistent with zoning requirements. Facades. To break up the monotonous appearance of long facades, the exterior of buildings will be designed with visual breaks. A building more than 45 feet in width will be divided into increments of no more than 45 feet through articulation of the facade. This can be achieved through combinations of the following techniques: divisions or breaks in materials; window bays, separate entrances and entry treatments; variation in roof lines; or building setbacks. Technically, the proposed building conforms to this standard. However, staff finds the Planning Application 2020-07 Page 5 application of the architectural techniques to divide the building and break up the appearance of the façade lacks the same rhythm and appearance of other Mainstreet buildings. The applicant should revisit their design to incorporate more of the traditional architectural features in other Mainstreet buildings. This could include a wider variation in the color or type of brick or redesign of the bump-out elements to have a more traditional window by appearance. Windows and Doors. The Downtown Overlay District requires that a minimum of 30 percent of the ground level façade and side of buildings adjacent to public streets consist of transparent materials. Windows are required on upper levels, and should provide privacy while aesthetically and functionally serving the building. Reflective glass or glass tinted more than 40 percent is not allowed. While the applicant provided detailed exterior material information for each elevation, they must provide more specific ground floor building materials information to demonstrate compliance with this standard. To help achieve this standard, as well as a ground floor elevation more consistent with the Mainstreet pedestrian oriented storefront environment, the applicant should bring the community room to the front Mainstreet side of the building and move the walkup apartment units to the sides of the building. This redesign would also bring the building closer to compliance with the conditional use permit standards for residential uses in the B-2 district detailed above. Materials and Detailing. The Downtown Overlay District requires building renovations be constructed to be long lasting and use materials that maintain the distinct character and harmony of the downtown. Staff recommends the applicant increase the amount of brick and variation of its color on the street facing sides of the building. Specifically, the metal panel material used on the corner/end sections of the building along both Mainstreet and 6th Avenue should be replaced with 100 percent brick. Franchise Architecture. To maintain the unique character of the city downtown, buildings will not be constructed or renovated using franchise architecture. Franchise architecture is not allowed. The term "franchise architecture" means building design that is trademarked or identified with a particular franchise, chain or corporation and is generic or standard in nature. This standard typically applies to commercial building and is not applicable in this case. Streetscape. The streetscape shall be uniform so that it acts to provide continuity throughout the downtown. When a redevelopment project disturbs existing streetscape elements, those items must be replaced with approved city streetscape elements compatible with the character of downtown Hopkins. The recent Mainstreet improvement project installed sidewalk and street lighting in front of this site that are consistent with those streetscape elements along the rest of Mainstreet and these elements shall not be disturbed by this project. This site also has significant mature trees that should be maintained. The applicant’s formal application shall include more detailed streetscape and landscaping plans. Exterior Lighting. Lighting in the Overlay District should serve to illuminate facades, entrances, and signage to provide an adequate level of personal safety while enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the buildings. Building and signage lighting must be indirect, with the light sources hidden from direct pedestrian and motorist view. The district standards encourage Planning Application 2020-07 Page 6 shaded gooseneck lamps for sign illumination. The applicant’s plans do not include exterior lighting details. The applicant’s formal application shall include detailed exterior lighting and photometric plans consistent with City requirements. Vehicle Parking. Parking standards are detailed in both Article XV – Off-Street Parking and Section 102-560 of the Downtown Overlay district. The subject property is zoned B-2, Central Business District which does not have off-street parking requirements for individual commercial uses but rather manages parking in the City’s Downtown district parking system. Residential parking requirements are detailed in the conditional use permit section above (1 underground space for each unit). The off-street parking standards also requires senior buildings to provide at least one-half space per unit. The parking analysis for this site is further complicated by the fact that the subject property must also provide off-street parking for the existing adjacent Hopkins Village building. To assist in the parking analysis for this site, the applicant agreed to conduct a site specific traffic and parking study. However, since conducting that study the applicant has redesigned the site and increased the number of units in the building. As a result, the applicant must update the study to reflect the new site and building design prior to submitting their formal land use applications. In the interim, staff offers the following parking and access comments. 1. The redesigned site includes 92 surface parking stalls and 44 enclosed parking standards in the Hopkins Village II building. 2. There are 161 units in the existing Hopkins Village building and 44 new units planned for the proposed Hopkins Village II development. 3. Based on the off-street parking standards, the existing Hopkins Village development should provide 82 stalls and the proposed Hopkins Village II development should provide 44 enclosed stalls. 4. Most of the proposed stalls do not meet the minimum stall width, length and driveway requirements. The applicant should revisit the parking design to find greater efficiencies and additional spaces and maneuvering area. Shifting the building closer to the minimum setback requirements and reducing the driveways could provide additional area for parking. 5. Truck turning movements should be reviewed to ensure that garbage/delivery trucks have adequate accommodations to negotiate internal parking lot aisles. POTENTIAL REVIEW PROCESS Based on the applicant’s concept plan, staff anticipates this project will need the approvals listed below. The applicant should use feedback from the Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council to prepare these applications. • Updated parking study. • Site Plan Review • Planned Unit Development (PUD) • Execution of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) Agreement • Approvals from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Planned Unit Development. The purpose of a planned unit development is to allow flexibility from traditional development standards in return for a higher quality development. Typically, the City looks for a developer to exceed other zoning standards, building code requirements or meet other goals of the Comprehensive Plan. In exchange for the flexibility offered by the Planning Application 2020-07 Page 7 planned unit development, the applicant is expected to detail how they intend to provide a higher quality development or meet other City goals. A list of items to consider when evaluating the use of a planned unit development for this site could include, but are not limited to, the items listed below. • Architectural design and building materials • Natural resource protection and storm water management • Pedestrian and bicycle facilities • Enhanced sustainability or livability elements • Energy conservation and renewable energy • Open space • Public art • Enhanced landscaping, streetscape or buffering