When the Carbondale Planning and Zoning Commission adjourned its recent meeting, the members had just voted to continue the major site plan review of the Eastwood 133 LLC Self-Storage Facility to the next public hearing on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Continuance will also include public comments and questions.
But what makes this project different from many others is it intertwines artistic murals with construction.
Commenting on the plans, commission member Marina Skiles said “The presentation was amazing” and congratulated the 133 Team on its hard work.
Member Jeff Davlyn also complemented the group for making an “impressive effort and design.”
Planner/landscape architect Doug Platte of the Eastwood 133 Self Storage team, explained, “We’re looking to find a connection to the Carbondale community with this project.”
The developers presented their site plans for the 2.8-acre site and requested Carbondale annex it, as it is contiguous with the Town.
As Town Planning Director Janet Buck said, “This area is ripe for development,” and the Town would prefer the site would be governed by Carbondale regulations rather than Garfield County.
Buck noted the traffic impact study requested by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will help determine if additional highway development improvements are required.
Developers also requested if annexation is approved, the parcel will be rezoned from the unincorporated Garfield County general and commercial zone to the Carbondale commercial/retail/wholesale zone district.
This switch, according to Town regulations, allows for a flexible mix of retail, restaurants, service, commercial, lodging, offices and other uses. Multiple story mixed-use buildings may include residential upstairs. The developers said they are only planning for self-storage and not the other options.
Also, the scenario includes a gated emergency access road through the neighboring Mountain Valley Mobile Home Park. The entrance and exit to Highway 133 will be right-in right-out with a raised median in the center of the traffic control area.
The rezoning application, according to the packet, meets the following approval criteria for amendments to the zoning map: promoting public health, safety and general welfare. It is also consistent with the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and the purposes stated in the Unified Development Code.
The self-storage facility is planned for approximately 590 self-storage units in a combination of exterior and indoor access units plus an office.
The project will total 70,694 square feet for the several buildings with most structures facing Highway 133. The frontage would display several murals with the art managed by the Carbondale Creative District, according to Andrea Korber, representing Aspen-based Land+Shelter architects.
Retail sales will take place out of the ground floor sales office for the purchase of boxes, tape, tape dispensers, bubble wrap, foam and storage door locks.
Land+Shelter noted the architecture is designed to break-up the massing of the buildings and provide appropriate screening when possible. Smaller buildings are placed closer to the highway and break up the overall length.
To add visual screening, approximately 30 feet of landscape is proposed within the property along Highway 133 that utilizes plant materials and street trees of a species and spacing recommended by the Carbondale Tree Board. An additional landscape zone is proposed on the north side of the property along the proposed pedestrian/bike path to the adjoining manufactured home park to the west.
An additional landscape zone is proposed in front of the screen fence on the west side of the property to benefit the adjoining manufactured home park residents.
“Our goals are to integrate trails, art and storage,” Platte noted, by including asphalt paths along the highway and connecting to the mobile home park community. This path would additionally connect to the Roaring Fork Transit Authority (RFTA) Park and Ride and the existing pedestrian crossing at Cowen Drive.
Developers’ proposed community benefits:
- Parcel identified as desirable for annexation in the Carbondale Master Plan
- Sidewalk provides safety and connectivity to the Rio Grande Trail and for the residents of the adjacent neighborhood
- Net zero energy building
- Public Arts and Arts District partnerships
- View of landscape and murals at the entrance to Carbondale
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