HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 09A_MS-19-01_180 Market St_City of South Burlington_Waivers_SC#MS‐19‐01
Staff Comments
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CITY OF SOUTH BURLINGTON
DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD
MS‐19‐01_180 Market St_City of South
Burlington_Waivers_2019‐05‐21.docx
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & ZONING
Report preparation date: May 18, 2019
Plans received: April 19, 2019
180 Market Street
Miscellaneous Application #MS‐19‐01
Meeting date: May 21, 2019
Owner/Applicant
City of South Burlington
575 Dorset Street
South Burlington, VT 05403
Architect
Wiemann Lamphere Architects
525 Hercules Drive, Suite 2
Colchester, VT 05446
Property Information
Tax Parcel 0450‐00000.B1
FBC‐T5 Zoning District
26,995 sq. ft.
Location Map
PROJECT DESCRPTION
Miscellaneous permit #MS‐19‐01 of the City of South Burlington to modify the build‐to‐zone, frontage
buildout, frequency of entrances, and glazing requirements of the Building Envelope Standards for the
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T5 Transect Zone as allowed under Land Development Regulation Section 8.06A for a 49,930 sq. ft.,
three story municipal facility, 180 Market Street.
COMMENTS
Planning Director Paul Conner and Development Review Planner Marla Keene (“Staff”) have reviewed
the plans submitted on 4/19/2019 and offer the following comments. Numbered items for the Board’s
attention are in red.
CONTEXT
The proposed project is located within the Form Based Code T5 zoning district, meaning its site plan will
be reviewed administratively. The Board concluded the sketch plan application for subdivision of the
property on May 7. Without making a statement as to whether the subdivision should or should not be
approved, for simplicity the staff notes for this application assume the applicant’s subdivision is allowed
to proceed as proposed.
1. Staff recommends the Board include a condition requiring the relevant elements of this
application be re‐approved should the applicant’s proposed subdivision boundaries change.
Staff considers the relevant elements would be build‐to‐zone and frontage buildout.
The City’s official map includes a planned street extending along the eastern boundary of the proposed
lot. Market Street will be the primary frontage for the building, while the new street will be the
secondary frontage.
LDR Section 8.06A includes specific provisions for civic sites including municipal buildings, libraries,
municipal schools, public recreation facilities, and the land on which the Civil building is located. Civic
sites and buildings are of special public importance and are intended to have a different form than market
driven sites. The applicant is seeking Development Review Board approval under Section 8.06A for
modifications to certain allowable sections of the T5 building envelope standards.
The applicant has not yet submitted their site plan application because the final form of the proposed
building will be dependent on whether the Board grants their request for modified standards.
PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS
The applicant is requesting modification of the build‐to‐zone, frontage buildout, frequency of entrances,
and glazing requirements of the Building Envelope Standards in the following manners. The applicant
has prepared a graphical representation of each request. Staff recommends the Board ask the applicant
to review their proposed modifications, after which the Board should discuss whether each requested
modification meets the four applicable standards.
Build‐to‐zone and Frontage Buildout
The applicant has requested modification of the primary build‐to‐zone standard. It appears that though
their narrative indicates they are requesting a modification of frontage buildout, the project do not
actually require a modification to be approved as designed.
Within the T‐5, the build‐to‐zone standard requires 75% of the length of the primary building façade to
be located between 0 and 6‐feet of the property line, while the remaining 25% or less must be located
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within 24 feet of the property line. The applicant is proposing to construct 100% of the façade between
6‐feet and 19‐feet of the property line. The applicant has provided the following narrative in support of
their request:
In order to allow well‐designed and comfortable public seating and space for gathering opportunities
that would not be possible otherwise, the building is proposed to be set back generally four feet, and
more in other locations, from the outer edge of the Primary Build‐to‐Zone.
This additional set back space will enhance the utility of the exterior space as a Civic site in alignment
with the stated purpose of the T‐5 Transect Zone to create a street‐oriented public realm on Market
Street.
The hard and softscape plan for the frontage treats Market Street as both a stream of pedestrian
and bicycle traffic and creates locations for people to stop, rest, tie shoes, read a book, or check their
e‐mail. People can step out of the right of way for a conversation or meet for a picnic lunch on the
several benches provided. The high degree of transparency of the façade creates a generally
welcoming and public atmosphere for this section of Market Street. The minimal but soft greenery
creates just enough of an offset and a physical 1‐2‐foot high separation against the front windows so
that whether inside or outside people feel they have sufficient personal space to linger and socialize.
Although the building is set back a few feet farther than the primary build‐to‐zone, the façade is
within the secondary build‐to‐zone and provides the intended street wall.
The overall façade on Market Street otherwise complies with frontage requirements of T‐5.
The applicant is not requesting modification of build‐to‐zone or frontage requirements on the secondary
street.
Frequency of Entrances
The T5 Building Envelope Standards, without accounting for modifications available to civic sites, require
public entrances to be no greater than 40‐feet apart on the primary façade and no greater than 60‐feet
apart on the secondary façade, with an average spacing of 30‐feet on the primary façade and 45‐feet on
the secondary façade. The applicant is proposing 1 public entrance on Market Street and two doors
available for exit only on the new street. Therefore as proposed, the maximum distance between doors
on the primary façade is 99‐feet and the average spacing is approximately 78‐feet. On the secondary
façade, the maximum and average spacing is proposed to be approximately 142 feet.
The applicant has provided a lengthy narrative in support of their request for modification of the
frequency of entrance standard, which is excerpted in part as follows.
As a Civil building fronting on Market Street, a single main entrance is desirable to provide a clear
location for public entrance from the City’s new pedestrian thoroughfare. The goal of a single
entrance is to provide a focal point central to the building that expresses the important of the use.
The entrance features a granite and glass design that has a height of over 19’ from the sidewalk,
presenting the highest quality materials (cut granite) as the focal point of the building, without being
overly grandiose or unapproachable.
As a stated goal of the T‐5 district, “emphasis is on Market Street with high volume foot traffic.” For
this reason, we have placed the prominent main entrance of the building on Market Street to attract
and create additional pedestrian activity along this primary route. On the East façade of the
building, we are seeking to provide visibility into the children’s library, yet limit unsecure entrance
points directly into the library. For this reason, egress doors are provided but are not usable as
entrances. Along the east elevation, it is anticipated that the portion of the wall nearest the Market
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Street intersection will be a location for public art. This will provide an engaging element, visible
from both Market Street and the new street. AT the north end of the east façade, the material pallet
changes and reflects the different use of the interior space, providing a feeling of a different façade,
thus shortening the overall perceived length of the building. With many storefront windows, this will
provide direct visual connection between the sidewalk and the building interior.
Glazing
In the T5, primary facades must have glazing for 80% of the width of the first story, with a minimum
window height of 7.5 feet. The applicant is proposing 74.6% of the width to have glazing at least 7.5
feet tall. The applicant has indicated that the façade falls short of the 80% requirement by
approximately 5 feet on a 160 foot façade. The majority of the façade is made up of storefront glazing
interrupted by 12‐inch or 24‐inch granite columns, with only two sections of greater than 24‐inches
unglazed.
The applicant is not requesting modification of the standard requiring that 75% of the first‐story glazing
be transparent, or modification of glazing standards for the upper stories.
APPLICABLE STANDARDS
8.06A Civic Sites
(1) General. Civic sites and buildings are of special public importance. Civic Sites include
municipal buildings, libraries, municipal schools, public recreation facilities, and the land on which
the Civic building is located. Civic buildings do not include retail buildings, residential buildings, or
privately owned office buildings.
The site is proposed to be use to house a library and a municipal building. Staff considers this criterion
met.
(2) Modification of Standards. In order to provide greater flexibility to create a special
architectural statement, Civic Buildings may be approved with modification of certain standards
listed below. Any such review and any subsequent review shall be made by the Development Review
Board following an application. In considering an application, the Board shall have the authority to
modify or waive Build‐to‐Zone, Glazing, Frequency of Entrances, and Frontage Buildout
requirements within the Building Envelope Standards for the applicable Transect Zone. The Board
shall consider the following in making its determination:
(a) Presence of a public design process and formal recommendation from the South
Burlington City Council and/or School Board;
Excerpts from the applicant’s statement in support of this criterion follow.
This Civic building underwent a community outreach process whereby ideas were
sought, design opportunities were reviewed, and the overall priorities of the public were
established over multiple workshops and focus groups.
Following the initial schematic design process, the project was vetted through several
meetings as costs and design elements were discussed with the City Council. At the
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conclusion of this vetting process, the City Council authorized the City to proceed to seek
full funding for the project (successfully obtained in a public vote in November 2018).
The project was approved by the City Council and the public with the siting, massing and
openings substantially consistent with the current project design.
Staff considers this criterion met.
(b) Consistency of the design with an adopted municipal or school building design policy (if
one exists);
There is no municipal building design policy. City Council adopted a public art policy on
February 5, 2015 to make a recommendation to City Council on the selection of artists,
art, or placement of public art on property owned or controlled by the City including
public facilities. The City has formed a public art committee, and the committee is
undergoing a public selection process to select art for the municipal building.
Staff considers this criterion met.
(c) Consistency of the project with the written purposes of the applicable Transect Zone;
and,
The purpose of the T5 is as follows.
Emphasis is on Market Street with high volume foot traffic. Create a street‐oriented
public realm that encourages a dense downtown, multi‐use/multi‐purpose built
environment. Retail and other commercial uses must be on the ground floor, with and
mixed uses permitted above. Parking (not including on‐street parking) shall be away
(or hidden) from the street.
Staff considers the build‐to‐zone modification request supportive of this criterion. Staff
further considers the glazing modification request does not detract from compliance with
this criterion.
2. Staff recommends the Board discuss whether the requested modification to entrance
frequency creates a street‐oriented public realm.
Staff considers other elements of this criterion met.
(d) Advancement, where appropriate, of the project with design elements specifically
encouraged within the applicable Transect Zone.
Design elements encouraged within the T5 include the use of awnings, stoops and
vestibules, and parking under structures. All other elements of the T5 Building Envelope
Standards are required. Staff considers the applicant’s requested modification to build‐
to‐zone advances the use of awnings, stoops and vestibules. Staff considers the
requested modification to entrances and glazing neither advance nor detract from
awnings, stoops, vestibules or parking under structures.
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(3) N/A
(4) Limits of Authority. Civic buildings shall not be exempt from any other Building Envelope
Standards within the applicable Transect Zone except as apply to any non‐civic buildings.
The applicant must submit and receive approval of a site plan demonstrating compliance with other
building envelope standards prior to beginning construction.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Board discuss the Project with the applicant and close the hearing.
Respectfully submitted,
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Marla Keene, Development Review Planner