To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Bill Detweiler, Director of Development Services
Community Design Award Team Members
Title
Discussion/Direction: 2016 Design Award Program (Nominations)
Body
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Executive Summary
Each year the Town recognizes and rewards outstanding design and construction through the Design Award Program. We are seeking Town Council consideration and action on the list of nominees created by members of the Design Award Team and recommended favorably by the Planning Commission.
On April 27, 2017 the Planning Commission voted 4-0 to recommend that Council accept the Community Design Award nominees listed in the staff report.
Discussion
The Vision 2020 identifies four cornerstones for our community. The first cornerstone is “Town Identity” with the intent, “to preserve Castle Rock’s character as a distinct and physically separate community that is the center of Douglas County.” Given that community character is an important goal, Council found it appropriate, through the design award program, to publicly recognize outstanding building and site design that is consistent with the purpose and intent of the Town Vision.
To promote diversity of interest in the award program, representatives from Council appointed Town Boards and Commissions and Community Businesses and Development Community, assisted staff with preparing and presenting nominations. Members of this year’s Design Award Team include:
• Stuart Butler, DDA Board Member, Design Review Board Member
• Bart Connolly, President, Partnering with Physicians
• Jaime Gotlieb, Branch Manager, Philip S. Miller Library
• Tricia Riber, Board of Building Appeals, Black Hills Energy
• Laura Rinker, Marketing Director, GE Johnson Contractors
• Bill Detweiler, Director, Development Services
• Tara Vargish, Assistant Director, Development Services Assistant Director
• Denise Hendricks, Development Services Administrative Supervisor
The Design Award Team met to review past award winners and spent time visiting properties throughout Town prior to creating a list of nominees. Recognizing that a diversity of design exists within our community and that numerous buildings and sites deserve recognition, the team decided on the following award categories:
1. Large Commercial
2. Small Commercial
3. Downtown - New Construction
4. Commercial Remodel / Façade
5. Community Character / Sense of Place
6. Neighborhood Project / Enhancement
7. Environmental
8. Public Facility
9. Historic Preservation
The Design Team reviewed the following nominations:
• Mercantile at Meadows Town Center
• Shoppes at Promenade
• Tripp Construction
• Hilltop Commons
• Popeye’s
• Miller Park Fieldhouse
• Mirage Dental
• 695 Jerry Street
• Hangman’s Gulch Storage
• Terrain Swim Club & Dog Park
• Digital Globe Services
• Union Restaurant Patio Improvements
• Goodwill Retail
• The Move
• Columbine Printing
• Taft House
• Lennar Homes in Meadows
• Miller Athletic Complex Amphitheater / Millhouse / Splash Pad
• Kids R Kids Daycare Playground
• Orange Theory Fitness Center
• Aspen View Academy
• World Compass Academy
• Bellco
• 111 Cantril Street Residence
• Restaurant Row at Promenade
• Montaña Vista
• 208 North Cantril Street Residence
• Qdoba / Starbucks Center
The criteria used to evaluate and decide upon a list of recommended nominations and award winners included:
1) Design that is consistent with the Town goal for preserving Castle Rock’s character, history, and heritage;
2) Design characteristics that are unusual, unique, and separate the project from others in the community.
Design Team Recommendations
The team carefully reviewed each nomination before deciding upon a list of recommended nominees for the Design Awards. The high quality of nominations challenged the team to decide upon each category winner. After careful review, the Design Team recommends, and the Planning Commission concurs, that the following nominations be recipients of the sixth Town of Castle Rock Design Award program.
o Category #1: Large Commercial
Shoppes at Promenade
The Promenade Project is progressing as planned. The project is divided into nine blocks with development themes in each area including a 300+ unit apartment complex titled “Ledges.” Initial development includes a variety of restaurants adjacent to Meadows Boulevard, a larger commercial strip at the north end of the property adjacent to the newly constructed Castle Rock Parkway Interchange and the I-25 corridor, and large box retail uses, Sam’s Club and King Soopers.
The design team found the Shoppes at Promenade represents a powerful architectural statement adjacent to the I-25 corridor. The variety of building materials with a landscaped mountain-to-prairie theme and sensitivity to the Colorado environment give visitors spectacular views of the Front Range. This project is highly visible and provides a standard for future large scale commercial projects in our community.
o Category #2: Small Commercial / Office
Montaña Vista
Montaña Vista is the first office structure constructed in the north section of the Metzler Business area. The property was vacant for many years and recently annexed into Castle Rock. The first building houses the offices of Hudick Construction and offers build-to-suit opportunities in future phases as development progresses. Site topography combined with superior design elements provide relief to the surrounding land and establish the character for future development activity. Sweeping views of the Front Range enhance the building’s interior experience.
The design team found the building consists of architectural details and materials native to Colorado to visually separate the structure from nearby commercial and residential development. The building and surroundings set the standard for future structures and facilities in the north Metzler Business area.
o Category #3: Downtown - New Construction
Mirage Dental
The Mirage Dental building is Downtown Castle Rock's newest commercial office development. The project was built on vacant land and provides professional dental and other associated uses with unique views of the Front Range. The use of architectural features, building materials and colors sets this project apart from all other development along Wilcox Street and Perry Street and provides opportunity for continued investment in the southern area of downtown.
The design team found this evokes community interest in the downtown experience. The building exterior and site orientation are consistent with the goals and policies of the Downtown Master Plan and improve the vitality of downtown businesses. Development on a vacant lot increases investment in the Downtown Development Authority TIF program and creates opportunity for continued investment within the Town and around the region.
o Category #4: Commercial Remodel / Facade
Union, An American Bistro
The Union restaurant patio improvement represents an effective use of outdoor space in downtown. The extraordinary artistic design uses brightly painted metal materials that provide an attractive accent to the Wilcox Street corridor. The highly successful restaurant provides an example how design elements make downtown interesting to patrons of the restaurant and visitors alike. We applaud the risk taken by the owners to create a visual landmark in downtown Castle Rock.
The design team found the patio improvement provides an interesting outdoor feature for patrons and a landmark for downtown. The uniqueness of the structure and color scheme enhances the pedestrian and vehicular experience and provides an example of how building something different adds vitality to our community.
o Category #5: Community Character / Sense of Place
Miller Athletic Complex (MAC) Amphitheater, Millhouse, and Splash Pad
The 230-acre regional park facility is located conveniently on Plum Creek Boulevard west of Interstate 25. The first phase of the park included a Field House, a leisure/lap pool and an indoor playground with climbing wall, public use meeting rooms and an outdoor challenge hill course. Completion of the Millhouse provides needed meeting space surrounded by natural vegetation. The Amphitheater provides space for concerts and public gatherings in a unique outdoor setting. The Splash Pad provides kids of all ages with the opportunity for play during the warm weather months. The three features combine to make Miller Park a state wide draw and enriches the lives of residents and visitors throughout the year.
The design team found the Millhouse, Amphitheater and Splash Pad illustrate the outstanding outdoor experience tradition being developed at Miller Park. The site improvements provide state wide recognition for our community, are highly visible and provide yet another example of the outstanding character of our community.
o Category #6: Neighborhood Project / Enhancement
Terrain Swim Club & Dog Park
The neighborhood community center structure and outdoor play area provides a gathering and recreation space for residents, including residents with four paws, in the Terrain community. The project is constructed using native materials with glass accents and vaulted indoor space. The building and site orientation provides outstanding views of the Terrain countryside and allows for easy access to the outdoor pool and adjacent dog park and playfields. The project represents the Terrain team determination to provide an outstanding community experience for residents and visitors alike.
The design team found this project represents an enhancement to the Terrain community through use of innovative design and building materials. The Terrain Development Team decided on the central location because it provides exceptional views of adjacent land and encourages use through a combination of active and passive recreation. And yes, it also provides social interaction of furry kids with four paws.
o Category #7: Environmental
The Move
The Move represents innovative thinking and exceptional implementation. Site selection, building orientation, use of a variety of materials and creative surface and subsurface drainage elements launches design themes and concepts that are unmatched in Castle Rock. Use of solar panels, air movement and rhythmic exterior and interior design elements will attract a variety of users who are seeking a different business office experience. The White Construction team took a risk with the project and succeeded in contributing to the uniqueness of downtown.
The design team found The Move to be an exceptional example of environmental design and conservation of natural resources. Use of solar energy and water conservation methods provides future development in the downtown area with an example of how effective investment in new concepts creates energy and interest. We applaud White Construction for taking this risk and look forward to having them assist others with use of such innovative techniques.
o Category #8: Public Facility
Aspen View Academy
The charter school represents new thinking in terms of building and site design for youth education in our community. The site, located and oriented with easy access for students living in the Castle Rock community, provides an example of how public education structures do not have to be static and consistent in architectural style or site design with other education facilities. Building orientation and use of materials helps the facility blend into the surrounding environment. Although the project is highly visible it feels comfortable in its surroundings and provides an outstanding environment for learning and social interaction.
The design team found Aspen View Academy represents a forward thinking attitude related to youth education. Site orientation and use of building materials allows the school to blend in with its surrounding, while remaining highly visible. The school provides an example for other Charter Schools to follow.
o Category #9: Historic Preservation
208 North Cantril Street
The site includes the Samuel Dyer House, built in 1875 and a series of out buildings that add character to the site. The current owners are David and Brittany Braun. Samuel Dyer was born in Fulton County, Ill in 1843. He lost his right leg during the civil war during the battle of Fredericksburg. He moved to Colorado in 1871 where he became one of Castle Rock’s original citizens and opened a drug store in town. He married Esther Alexander in 1881 and died in 1902 and was buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery next to his father. The property was sold to William Chamberlain, manager of the Douglas County Mercantile Company located at 420 Third Street. Chamberlain served as County Treasurer from 1902 to 1912. A variety of owners followed including Charles Weekley, owner of W&S Sand and Gravel Company. The Town, fearful of its demise, purchased the property in 1985 and sold it to John and Fleta Nockels. The Nockels family sold the property to the Braun’s in 2013. The property remains intact with an early age barn, garage and rhyolite stone structure previously used to store ice. The main structure is not eligible for the State or National Historic Register because of the exterior building material changes, but is eligible and has been landmarked for the local Castle Rock Landmark Register. The owners continue to maintain and upgrade the grounds and historic structures. They received grant money last year to construct a retaining wall behind the barn and carriage house and are applying for additional funding to restore the barn. They also received National Register designation for four buildings on the property last year.
The design team found this project represents renovation and preservation of a historic landmark structure for one of the first homes built in Castle Rock. The original house and several out buildings preserve the history and heritage of Castle Rock in a unique and individualistic manner. The property owner’s investment and care of the building provides Castle Rock residents and visitors with an outstanding example of the original design, character, and scale of a significant historical building.
Next Steps
If Council accepts the design nominations included in the staff report, staff will inform the nominees and ask them to attend the June 20, 2017, Council meeting so they can receive the design award as presented by the Mayor.
Proposed Motion
“I move Town Council, following recommendations made by the Design Award Team and Planning Commission, accept the 2016 Castle Rock Design Award nominations as presented. Further, I wish to acknowledge and congratulate all nominees listed in the staff report for their contribution to the community character of Castle Rock.”