TRAFFIC/PARKING
1. What impact will the proposed development have on traffic within Sunriver?
The August 2007 TIA provides a detailed assessment of the long-range traffic impacts associated with amending Title 18 and Title 23 of the Deschutes County Zoning Code to establish a Towne Center designation to be applied on the Sunriver Village properties. Based on the results of the August 2007 TIA, the proposed redevelopment can be developed while maintaining acceptable operations and safety on the surrounding transportation system assuming provision of recommended mitigation measures. A supplemental analysis is currently underway that will evaluate traffic impacts along Beaver Drive and Abbot Drive.
2. Illustrate with representative commercial square footage and numbers/types of units, the number of parking spaces that would result using your suggested language in the zoning code.
(Site Plan Question) The intent of the text amendment process is to create a framework for future development applications. The details of parking counts will be included in the Conceptual Site Plan and Site Plan applications. However, based upon our current site plan and proposed text amendment language, we are anticipating approximately (700) residential parking spaces, the details of which will meet the proposed parking code requirements. Commercial parking will be based upon current county standards with credits that will be proposed for proven Transportation Demand Management concepts. Any credits will have to be approved by county planning staff and will be subject to public review and comment.
3. What is the square footage of residential units using the representative numbers/types of units used above?
(Site Plan Question) Overall residential area is not regulated in the proposed text amendment language. Density is regulated by building height, zone coverage and private design guidelines. However, based upon our current projections, gross residential square footage could be approximately 680,000 square feet (excluding parking) if the entire area on the site plan is zoned Town Center per the current proposed text amendment.
4. The samples of parking requirements for lodging units at ski resorts are not convincing. A comparison of the number and types of units and parking spaces at the golf resorts like Running Y, Bandon Dunes, Saddle Creek Resort (Copperopolis), Silverado Country Club and/or Sun Mountain would be more comparable.
With all due respect, we are not proposing a low density, golf course community like the resorts noted in this question. SilverStar Destinations is proposing a higher density, mixed-use Town Center. This type of development is often completed outside of resorts in small to medium-sized town centers and in some resort environments. In resort environments, this development prototype has been developed at a number of ski areas and in the golf community of Scottsdale. The parking standards in these mixed-use resort Villages have been proven in all of these environments. The parking standards proposed for the Sunriver Town center require much more parking than require in these resort communities. This was done to adjust for the difference between Sunriver and these communities. We made our parking proposal with the professional assistance of Kittelson and Associates, Inc., a well respected traffic engineering firm.
In addition, references and professional testimonials have been submitted from property managers and planning officials in these communities testifying that these standards have been successful in their projects and communities. We are proposing residential units of similar size and use patterns as these communities. We have hired the legal firm that created the legal documents that control these projects and regulate their parking use. We will be implementing similar legal restrictions on parking at the Village at Sunriver in our projects.
The issue of these standards being at “ski resorts” is not a salient point in this evaluation. These are 4-season resorts that support golfing, mountain biking, hiking and fishing for eight months of the year, just like Sunriver. There is no reason for SilverStar Destinations to under-supply parking within this project. We have proposed parking standards that are realistic, proven and appropriate for their intended use.
5. I don’t know of any place where tandem parking is acceptable except in very high-density townhouse projects in center cities. The Live/Work units are likely full-time residents and, I would think, require standard parking. What examples do you have where such parking is acceptable?
I have personally developed successful residential projects with tandem parking in Keystone Resort and Durango Mountain Resort in Colorado. Tandem parking is being reserved as an option for multifamily (townhome) residences only where a single owner controls both parking spaces. Tandem parking would typically be used on smaller townhome products such as 2 bedroom units that do not have widths that allow two side by side enclosed parking spaces. This would required a minimum of 20’ in building width while smaller townhomes are often only 16’ wide. Tandem parking in these conditions allows more concealed parking than would otherwise be applicable. In cases where a homeowner only has one car, the extra parking space can be used for storage, a workshop or other uses. Ultimately, parking is controlled by legal CCRS and market forces. If tandem parking is not acceptable to a purchaser, there will be other unit types with side by side parking available.
