03-15-2004 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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John Trautz March 1.2004 Page 2 In order to best serve the neighborhood, we believe it is criticsl that the development proposal provide for convenient pedestrian-oriented access and food-oriented uses that take advaetaje of the pond area to provide an enjoyable setting for casual dining. Based on this perspective, and to provide clear direction, staff has developed a set of speci fic parameters for the development of this site for retail rather than office uses. We have considered your corrunents regarding the mix and types of uses proposed, as well as yoiir concerns regarding site layout and ameruties that are critical, from your perspective, toensutc a successful retail use of the site. We also desire a successful development, and to that end we have iden tified a number of key elements for planning this site that we believe are critical to your gaining Gty acceptance of a proposal: 1. Focus on the Stormwater Pond as an Amenity. Treatment of the j6tnrmu/a trrp<'»n<i«y amenity rather than a necessary evil was one of the primary selling points for thco vcrall Stoncbay concept. To that end, a variety of features including sidewslki, trails, stone walls, an overlook, and substantial landscaping were incorporated into the ponddesign. The City clearly has an expectation that the non-residendal uses eidier end of the pond wiU take advantage of this amenity. It h as become clear that the degree to which the pond can become an amenity reli es to a great extent on the uses. The westerly portion of the site would work quite well for office uses, which would have windows and views overlooking the pond, and it would similarly work for a restaurant use. However, it appears thst there are inherent difficulfies wnti orienting retail uses to take full advantage of the pond, since such uses relyonparking adjacent to the front facade, vehicular access on all 4 sides, and i *back doer' for secondary access. The interior divisions within the stripretai 1 building you hive been proposing so far. as well as the circulation for the drive>thru, seem to preclude any effective or meaningful orientation toward the pond. In addition, the focus to date has been toward providing a pond amenity at the southwest comerofthe site, near Highway 12. Wewouldsuggestihatsuchintmenity wouldbe more appropriately located nearer Kelley Parkway at the northeast comer of the pond, farthest away from the traffic on Highway 12. The elements of design we believe are critical to an acceptable retail development orientation to the pond include: a) Omit all vehicular access between the building and the pond. b) Move the amenity feature further from Highway 12. c) Provide and design for retail uses that will benefit from a pond orientation.