2008-10-07_PR Comm Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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as part of the City's Comprehensive Plan. The 2001 Master Plan also includes four future land -use maps ("Options 2, 3 and 4" and the "Twin Lakes AUAR Future Land Use Scenario") and several pages of text describing future land -use scenarios and goals. 5.3 Staff has concluded (with the input of the City Attorney's Office), that the underlying Comprehensive Plan designation of the subject area is `BP — Business Park" in a manner that is conceptually consistent with the mix of uses and stated goals that are described in the maps and text of the 2001 Master Plan. Based on this, staff concludes that the proposed project as consistent with the Comprehensive Plan designation. 6.0 TWIN LAKES DESIGN PRINCIPLES 6.1 In November 2007, the City Council adopted the Twin Lakes Design Principles for the Twin Lakes Redevelopment Area. This document advocates five general development objectives including livability, walkability, sustainability, and environmental responsibility and provides a series of five design "checklists" to help projects meet the these objectives. The checklists focus on land use patterns; streets and public spaces; frontages; buildings; and the design review process. These checklists are methodologies by which to achieve the City's objectives but are not meant as steadfast regulatory requirements as would be articulated in a zoning code. 6.2 Generally, the design principles describe the Twin Lakes creating a dense project core that ultimately transitions into the existing suburban neighborhoods. As is described in the design guidelines: "There will be both urban and suburban settings in Twin Lakes with sensitive transitions carried out between each type of development. There will be a proportionately higher quantity of more urban, mixed-use in the center..." (2006 Design Principles, p. 8). 6.3 As this project is located at the northern edge of the Twin Lakes area and adjacent to an existing residential neighborhood, staff has identified this area as an area of suburban transition. Thus, the following review of this project in relationship to the design guidelines has been undertaken. within context. a. Land Use Patterns: This project, in combination with the senior cooperative project, is beginning to set the groundwork for a. mix of uses within the overall Twin Lakes area.. The concept plan indicates connections to public spaces by connecting into the trail system to Langton Lake Park. This project will protect and separate the adjacent residential neighborhood from the future "core zone" and "suburban commercial" that may be developed in conjunction with later phases of redevelopment within the Twin Lakes area. Visitor parking for this project is in the front of the building; however, the proposed parking lot is wrapped around the building and will be visually broken up by the planned landscaping, creating the appearance of three somewhat separate parking areas. In addition, the majority of onsite parking will be contained within an underground parking facility. Langton Lake Drive will create a new gateway into the Twin Lakes area; staff recommends that a strong "gateway" landscaping should be implemented at the intersection of PF08-020_RPCA_09030890308 Page 3 of 8