Stadium District Master Plan Implementation...Stadium District Master Plan Implementation 3 Before...

Stadium District Master Plan Implementation 1April . 2020

Stadium District Master Plan Implementation

Regulatory Update – Zoning and Design Standards & Guidelines

VIRTUAL PRESENTATION - Advisory Committee Meeting #2

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Hi there, this is Sarah Cawrse, Senior City Planner with Denver’s Community Planning and Development. This is a virtual presentation for the second advisory committee meeting for the Stadium District Master Plan Implementation. This presentation includes an update on the progress of regulatory tools, including information on zoning and design standards and guidelines.

Presentation Outline

1. Project Overview2. Preliminary Zoning Framework & Approach3. Other Steps to Achieve the Vision4. Next Steps

Stadium District Master Plan Implementation 2

Presenter

Presentation Notes

This presentation has four main parts: the project overview, the preliminary zoning framework and approach, other steps to achieve the vision, and next steps.

Thank you!

Thank you for taking the time to review this presentation and for your patience as we use new tools to deliver information to you!


Presenter

Presentation Notes

Before we begin, we want to thank you for your continued involvement and for taking the time to review this presentation. The city and county of Denver is continuously evaluating the best options to deliver information to our community, so thank you for your patience and being involved with this process.

Project Overview


1

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Project Overview

The Big Picture


Plan Vision

Rules & Regulations

1. City-led Plan & Vision2. City-led Rules &

Regulations that will achieve the plan’s vision (we are here)

3. Applicant-led Application & Rezoning

4. Development

Application & Rezoning

Development

Presenter

Presentation Notes

The Stadium District Master Plan was adopted in June 2019 and this plan sets the long-range vision and guiding principles for the area south of the Broncos Football Stadium. The master plan is considered a policy document, meaning it sets the framework under which future implementation decisions are made. We are currently in the process of implementing the plan. The City’s role in this process is to evaluate existing tools, or create new tools, to promote or allow the recommendations and strategies within plans to be implemented through future development and projects. This stage of the process will ultimately result in new or updated Rules & Regulations. Following this, there will be opportunity for individual property owners to apply for rezoning and submit development applications. This stage is also when Development Agreements would be finalized, which would include commitments for affordable housing. The end of this process will hopefully result in development that the community can enjoy for years to come!

Project Purpose


Implement the Stadium District Master Plan by using plan guidance to inform updated or new rules and regulations:

• Zoning• Design Standards & Guidelines

Presenter

Presentation Notes

The main purpose of the City’s work is to implement the Stadium District Master Plan by using plan guidance to inform updated or new rules and regulations. The main components of this process are evaluating and developing new or updated zoning and new design standards and guidelines. These will be described in more detail later in this presentation.

Role of Plan Guidance


The Stadium District Master Plan provides key recommendations and strategies:

• Diverse mix of uses• Variety of building heights and intensities• Slender buildings when they are taller• High-quality, human-scaled design• Active ground floors with pedestrian-oriented uses• Activity oriented towards South Platte River and

Lakewood Gulch• Provision of affordable housing

Presenter

Presentation Notes

The master plan provided key recommendations and strategies that set the framework for what should be achieved through implementation. In Community Planning and Development, our rules and regulations primarily control land use and built form.

Applicable Area


Stadium District Master Plan Boundary:• Apply new Design

Standards & Guidelines to the entire area

• Allow new/updated zoning be available for individual property owners to request

Presenter

Presentation Notes

New or updated rules and regulations will generally apply to the stadium district master plan boundary, which is outlined in the black dashed line. This area will have new design standards and guidelines applied to the entire area and this area will also have new or updated zoning available for individual property owners to request.

Project Framework Interim Report


• Background and Context• Project Purpose• Summary of Existing Regulatory Tools• Summary of Approach for New/Updated

Regulatory Tools• Project documents and meeting

materials will be available on the project’s webpage:

www.denvergov.org/stadiumdistrict

Presenter

Presentation Notes

This presentation does not cover every aspect of the progress of this project. So, to supplement this presentation, we have also created a document called the Project Framework Interim Report. This document contains more information on the background and context, project purpose, summary of existing regulatory tools, and approach for new or updated regulatory tools. Additional project documents and meeting materials will be available on the project’s webpage, www.denvergov.org/stadiumdistrict. As the project progresses, we will update the report and include additional information as it’s available.

Project Timeline


We Are Here

Presenter

Presentation Notes

This project includes a few different components. Our focus today is to discuss the City-led processes at the top of the timeline. The City is leading community engagement related to regulatory tools, which includes several Advisory Committee meetings and Community Open Houses. The community engagement is for community members to have the opportunity to provide input on the City’s approach to update existing tools, or create new tools, and to ensure alignment with the vision, recommendations, and strategies identified in applicable plans. As we will describe later, any approach to new or updated zoning will be implemented through a text amendment to the Denver Zoning Code. The City will also adopt new design standards and guidelines. We are aware the Metropolitan Football Stadium District has gone through the Large Development Review, or LDR, process and is interested in developing. Before any development can happen, they will need to go through other processes that include creating an infrastructure master plan and committing to a development agreement. These processes may parallel some of the work the City is doing to implement the plan. Once the City has finished developing new or updated rules and regulations, the stadium district will have the opportunity to request for rezoning.

Preliminary Zoning Framework & Approach


2

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Hi there, this is Kristofer Johnson, Principal City Planner with Community Planning and Development and I will introduce the preliminary zoning framework.


Are there existing zone districts today that could

fully achieve plan guidance?

Presenter

Presentation Notes

The first question we asked ourselves was … are there existing zone districts today that could fully achieve the recommendations in the Master Plan?


Are there existing zone districts today that could

fully achieve plan guidance?

Not exactly, but a combination of existing and

new tools can be used to achieve plan guidance….

Presenter

Presentation Notes

And the answer was; well not exactly. However, we do think we can use a combination of both existing and some new tools to more fully achieve plan guidance…

FrameworkLand Use & Built Form


1. Allow mixed-use Urban Center zone districts

2. Create a new zone district that allows taller buildings

3. Apply a Design Overlay4. Create Design Standards

& Guidelines

Turning VisionInto Reality

Presenter

Presentation Notes

So, what does this combination of existing and new tools look like? Through the work that we have done since the last Advisory Committee meeting, we have identified a preliminary framework that we feel will appropriately guide future land use and built form. First, we propose allowing mixed-use Urban Center zone districts, as well as creating a new zone district that allows taller buildings if they comply with special conditions. In addition to the base zone districts, we propose to apply a design overlay and design standards and guidelines to the entire area.

1. Base C-MX Zoning


2. Design Overlay 3. DSGWill set the requirements for:

A. Building Height

B. Setbacks/Stepbacks

C. Transparency

D. Uses

Will add/modify requirements for:

A. Setbacks/Stepbacks

B. Mass Reduction

C. Transparency

D. Wrapped Parking

E. Uses

Will add standards for:

A. Site Organization

B. Building Mass & Scale

C. Facade Design & Site Details

D. Interface of Buildings to Street

A

B

C D

A

B

C

D

E

A

B

C

D

B

Presenter

Presentation Notes

In summary, here is a diagram of how this combination of tools would guide future development. The base mixed-use zone districts will establish the minimum baseline quantitative requirements for development. Then the design overlay will add to or modify the base zoning in some important aspects related to building shaping and active uses. And finally, the design standards and guidelines add the last layer of more qualitative design and land use expectations for future projects. Sarah will now go into more detail about each of these individual components.


1. Allow a diverse mix of uses within a variety of building heights and intensities

Plan Guidance

Presenter

Presentation Notes

The Stadium District Master Plan recommended a diverse mix of uses within a variety of building heights and intensities. To achieve this plan guidance….

1. Allow Urban Center Zone Districts


Context District Building Height

Building Forms

Urban Center (C)

Mixed Use (MX)

Up to 20 stories; 250’

General & Shopfront

• Mix of uses• Building forms that clearly define and activate

the street edge• Combination of different districts may be used

to achieve a variety in building heights

LOWER5 - 12

stories

LOWER5 - 12

storiesMEDIUM

8 - 16 stories

LOWER5 - 12

stories

Presenter

Presentation Notes

We propose allowing a variety of existing urban center zone districts, or C-MX. The Urban Center Neighborhood Context allows a mix of uses and building forms that clearly define and activate the street edge. By using a combination of different districts a variety of building heights may be achieved. The diagram on the right shows an example of what may be appropriate height ranges that are consistent with plan guidance. Do you feel this approach is also aligned with plan guidance? Please think about your response and be prepared to talk about it at the Advisory Committee meeting on April 14th.



2. Allow up to 30-stories if buildings meet specific requirements

Plan Guidance

Presenter

Presentation Notes

The master plan also recommended allowing buildings up to 30-stories if those buildings meet specific requirements. To achieve this plan guidance….

2. New Urban Center 20+ Zone District


Context District Building Height

Building Forms

Urban Center (C)

Mixed Use (MX)

Up to 30 stories; 375’

Point Tower, General, Shopfront

• Only the Point Tower Building Form may be used for buildings above 20-stories

• Strict size limitations for building height above 5-stories

HIGHERUp to 20-30

stories

Image of Point Tower building form from Downtown Arapahoe Square zone district

LOWER5 - 12

stories

LOWER5 - 12

storiesMEDIUM

8 - 16 stories

LOWER5 - 12

stories

Presenter

Presentation Notes

We propose creating a new Urban Center 20+ Zone District. Our approach would be to only allow the point tower building form to be used for any building above 20-stories. Note, this building form has strict size limitations for the building’s scale above 5-stories. The diagram on the right shows an example of what may be an appropriate area to allow this zone district to be applied that is consistent with plan guidance. Do you feel this approach is also aligned with plan guidance? Please think about your response and be prepared to talk about it at the Advisory Committee meeting on April 14th.




3. Reduce building mass and incorporate active, pedestrian-oriented development

Plan Guidance

Presenter

Presentation Notes

The master plan also recommended reducing building mass and incorporating active, pedestrian-oriented development. To achieve this plan guidance…

3. Apply Design Overlay


• The intent of a Design Overlay is to modify the underlying zoning standards to reinforce the desired land use and urban design character

• The Design Overlay will likely require:• Mass reduction• Wrapped Parking Garages• Active Uses• Transparency

HIGHERUp to 20-30

stories

LOWER5 - 12

stories

LOWER5 - 12

storiesMEDIUM

8 - 16 stories

LOWER5 - 12

stories

Presenter

Presentation Notes

We propose applying a design overlay in addition to the base zone districts just described. The intent of a Design Overlay is to modify the underlying zoning standards to reinforce the desired land use and urban design character. The components of the design overlay will likely require additional building shaping through mass reduction standards, parking garages to be wrapped with active uses, additional requirements for active uses at the street-level, and increased windows and transparency at the street level.





Presenter

Presentation Notes

The urban center base zone districts do not require any significant building shaping, so a key component of a potential design overlay is the ability for it to require mass reduction. Mass reduction is achieved by requiring certain stories of a building to fill a smaller percentage of an area than the floors below. The image on the right shows a building that has reduced mass on the upper floors. The area in reddish orange outlines where the mass reduction is and where the upper floors would have been if there was no mass reduction.





Presenter

Presentation Notes

The urban center base zone districts do not have standards relating to the visibility of parking garages. So, another key component a design overlay can address is promoting development to wrap parking garages with active uses. What this means is that a parking garage becomes internal to a building and the building’s uses fully surround the parking. Wrapping parking conceals parking, creates a more vibrant street front, and puts more “eyes on the street” to support safety and pedestrian comfort.




3. Reduce building mass and incorporate active, pedestrian-oriented development

4. Human-scale and high-quality design

Plan Guidance

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Lastly, the master plan also recommended creating development that is human-scaled and consistently of high-quality design. To achieve this plan guidance….

4. Apply New DSG


• Design standards and guidelines (DSG) complement the zoning by adding context-specific rules to address more qualitative design aspects that are difficult to achieve through zoning alone

• Site Organization• Building Mass & Scale• Facade Design & Site Details• Interface of Buildings to Street

HIGHERUp to 20-30

stories

LOWER5 - 12

stories

LOWER5 - 12

storiesMEDIUM

8 - 16 stories

LOWER5 - 12

stories

Presenter

Presentation Notes

We propose creating and applying new design standards and guidelines. DSG complement the zoning by adding context-specific rules to address more qualitative design aspects that are difficult to achieve through zoning alone. Items that zoning mostly doesn’t cover, but DSG can cover in detail are: site organization, building mass and scale, facade design and side details, and the interface of the buildings to the street or public realm.


Intent Statements• Establish the objectives to be achieved

for each topic (e.g. building mass & scale)Design Standards

• Set prescriptive criteria for achieving the intent statements

Design Guidelines• Provide additional suggestions to achieve

the intent statements

How DSGs are applied

Presenter

Presentation Notes

How are DSGs applied? First, a development application would be submitted. If they are within a design review area, then that project would be subject to meeting the criteria set forth in the applicable design standards and guidelines. The DSG consists of three main components: Intent statements establish the objectives to be achieved for each topic. A potential topic could be building mass and scale. Design Standards set a prescriptive criteria for achieving the intent statements. Design Guidelines provide additional or alternative suggestions to achieve the intent statements. We will show you an example….


Intent Statement• To activate the Public Realm through a

variety of uses and architectural design elements


Presenter

Presentation Notes

In this example, the intent statements says for the development to activate the public realm through a variety of uses and architectural design elements.




Design Standard• Street Level Non-Residential Active Uses

shall be focused at building corners


Presenter

Presentation Notes

The design standard says the street level non-residential active uses shall be focused at building corners. Here, a café is located near the corner of the building.




Design Standard• Street Level Non-Residential Active Uses

shall be focused at building corners Design Guideline

• Enhanced Setbacks and Open Spaces should be designed to complement adjacent building uses


Presenter

Presentation Notes

And the design guideline states that enhanced setbacks and open spaces should be designed to complement adjacent building uses. Here, an enhanced setback was located adjacent to the café to allow for outdoor seating. Proposed developments need to comply with standards, and also show how it meets any applicable guidelines, in order to meet the intent statement.

1. Base C-MX Zoning


2. Design Overlay 3. DSGWill set the requirements for:

A. Building Height

B. Setbacks/Stepbacks

C. Transparency

D. Uses

Will add/modify requirements for:

A. Setbacks/Stepbacks

B. Mass Reduction

C. Transparency

D. Wrapped Parking

E. Uses

Will add standards for:

A. Site Organization

B. Building Mass & Scale

C. Facade Design & Site Details

D. Interface of Buildings to Street

A

B

C D

A

B

C

D

E

A

B

C

D

B

Presenter

Presentation Notes

In summary, the approach we just outlined is again represented in this diagram. We would like to confirm with you if this is an appropriate approach and get your feedback on it.

Other Steps to Achieve the Vision


3

Presenter

Presentation Notes

We realize there are other items and steps that need to occur to achieve the vision of the plan.

Affordable Housing


• The Stadium District Master Plan identified goals and recommendations for affordable housing

• Achieved through a Development Agreement (DA)

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Affordable housing remains an important component of this project. The stadium district master plan identified goals and recommendations for affordable housing. For this project, the best way to achieve the affordable housing goals is through a Development Agreement between the city and property owners or developers.

Open Space


• The Stadium District Master Plan identified goals and recommendations for open space

• Achieved through:• LDR requires minimum of 10%• Infrastructure Master Plan• Development Agreement

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Open Space has also been an important component. The master plan also identified specific goals and recommendations for open space. Currently, the Large Development Review process requires the stadium district property to provide a minimum of 10% open space. The final network, scale, and character of open space and amenities will be developed during the Infrastructure Master Plan and included in the Development Agreement.

Open Space


• Current open space framework for the Metropolitan Football Stadium District property

Permanent Open Space

Bonus Open Space

Presenter

Presentation Notes

At the Community Information Meeting the Metropolitan Football Stadium District shared their concept for development within the plan area. This diagram shows the conceptual open space framework. Do you feel this is aligned with plan guidance? Please think about your response and be prepared to talk about it at the Advisory Committee meeting on April 14th.

Community Benefits


• The Stadium District Master Plan identified goals and recommendations for additional community benefits

• These can be achieved through a Community Benefits Agreement between the community and developer

Presenter

Presentation Notes

There are additional community benefits that still remain important. These may be achieved through a Community Benefits Agreement which is led by the community and is an agreement between the community and property owner or developer. We would appreciate updates you may have on a potential Community Benefits Agreement to be shared at the Advisory Committee meeting on April 14th.

Next Steps


4

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Next Steps

What’s Next?

• Bring your questions to the virtual Advisory Committee meeting on April 14th

• Take the survey, which will be distributed after the Advisory Committee meeting

• Community Open House in the near future


Presenter

Presentation Notes

Thank you for making it through the presentation! We ask that you bring your questions to the virtual Advisory Committee meeting on April 14th. After that meeting we will develop a survey for the committee to provide additional feedback. We plan to have a community open house in the near future. The City is still evaluating options for larger community meetings during this time and we will keep you updated on what is decided for that format. Once again thank you and we look forward to hearing from you on the 14th!

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