This Section 7.4.202 identifies two (2) different types of incentives that can be earned in all zone districts except the FBZ district when applications for development or redevelopment promote key planning goals from the Colorado Springs Comprehensive Plan. Incentives in the FBZ district are available pursuant to Subsection 7.2.307G (Regulatory Incentives). Applicants in zone districts other than the FBZ district that meet the standards in either Subsection A or Subsection B below are eligible to receive the incentives listed in Subsection C below.
A. Sustainability and Resilient Development Incentive:
1. Purpose: The purpose of this Subsection A is to implement the Colorado Springs Comprehensive Plan guidance to encourage development that is sustainable and resilient.
2. Eligibility: A project seeking the sustainable and resilient development incentives established in this Subsection A shall be located in a Mixed-Use or Industrial zone district and shall satisfy at least one (1) of the following two (2) options below:
a. Option 1: Demonstrate compliance with at least four (4) of the following six (6) criteria:
(1) Stormwater: The development site shall provide low impact development stormwater management by installing permanent infiltration or collection features (e.g., vegetated swale) or other green infrastructure measures that exceed the requirements of Step 1 in the Drainage Manual that can infiltrate eighty (80) percent of the water quality storage volume.
(2) Light Colored Hardscaping: At least eighty (80) percent of horizontal hardscaping materials shall be installed with a solar reflectance index (SRI) of twenty-nine (29) or greater.
(3) Covered Parking: At least sixty-five (65) percent of parking spaces shall be provided under a cover or roof that has a three- (3) year aged SRI of at least thirty-two (32) or is covered by energy generation systems, such as solar thermal collectors or photovoltaics. Parking calculations shall include all existing and new off-street parking spaces that are leased or owned by the project. Parking spaces within a parking structure shall count toward meeting this standard.
(4) Cool or Vegetated Roof: Provide a roof meeting the standards in Subsections (a), (b), or (c) below.
(a) Cool Roof: Install a cool roof on at least sixty-five (65) percent of the total roof surface using roofing materials that have an aged SRI equal to or greater than the values in Table 7.4.2-E. If aged SRI is not available, the roofing material shall have an initial SRI equal to or greater than the values in Table 7.4.2-E.
Table 7.4.2-E Minimum Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) | |||
Roof Type | Slope | Initial SRI | Aged SRI |
Low-sloped roof | ≤ 2:12 | 82 | 64 |
Steep-sloped roof | > 2:12 | 30 | 32 |
(b) Vegetated Roof: Install a vegetated roof on at least sixty-five (65) percent of the total roof surface using native or adapted plant species.
(c) Combination Roof: Install a combination cool roof and vegetated roof with each portion meeting the applicable standards in Subsections (a) and (b) above and together covering at least sixty-five (65) percent of the roof surface.
(5) Solar Energy: Install on-site solar panels covering an area anywhere on the building or lot equal to fifty (50) percent of the total roof area of all primary buildings, or an area equal to an amount required to provide one hundred (100) percent of estimated annual average electricity used in all primary buildings, at the applicant's option. Other renewable energy devices may be used in place of on-site solar panels so long as evidence of equivalent electricity generation capacity is provided.
(6) Building Efficiency: Design the project to achieve improved building energy performance beyond the minimum required building code standards by demonstrating that the project qualifies for a minimum of fifteen (15) points from the LEED version 4.1 BD+C Optimize Energy Performance credit.
b. Option 2: Submit proof acceptable to the City that the project is being reviewed and expects to receive certification by the following verified third-party sustainability programs:
(1) Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system;
(2) Another verified third-party sustainability program producing equal or greater sustainability benefits as LEED Silver Certification, as determined by the Manager.
B. Transit-Oriented Development Incentives:
1. Purpose: The purpose of this Subsection B is to implement Colorado Springs Comprehensive Plan guidance to encourage transit use and transit-oriented development in Colorado Springs.
2. Eligibility:
a. The property shall be located in the MX-T, MX-M, MX-L, or MX-I zone district and shall be located within six hundred and sixty (660) feet of an arterial-arterial street intersection, an arterial-collector street intersection, or a collector-collector intersection.
b. At least one of the intersecting arterial or collector streets must have bus service or bus rapid transit service with a peak service frequency of twenty (20) minutes or less.
c. At least twenty-five (25) percent of the gross floor area of the building or development (including bonus height area) shall contain residential primary uses, and at least twenty-five (25) percent of the gross floor area of the building or development (including bonus height area) shall contain non-residential primary uses. If the development is to be built in phases, the Land Use Plan or Development Plan shall include a commitment to build at least this minimum mix of uses.
d. At least fifty (50) percent of the gross floor area in the development shall be located in primary structures on lots with frontage on the intersecting arterial or collector streets.
e. All primary structures on lots with frontage on the intersecting arterial or collector streets shall be built no further than twenty (20) feet from the front property line along at least seventy-five (75) percent of the lot frontage.
f. No surface parking lot may be located within twenty (20) feet of the intersecting arterial or collector streets.
g. Properties within the HP-O district or on the National Registry of Historic Properties are not eligible for this incentive.
C. Additional Allowances for Incentive Developments: For projects that satisfy either the Sustainable and Resilient Development standards in Subsection A above or the Transit-oriented Development incentives in Subsection B above, the following incentives are available.
1. Building Height:
a. The maximum height of the primary structure height shall be increased as follows.
(1) One (1) additional floor of building height, not to exceed twelve (12) feet, for projects in the MX-M zone district.
(2) Two (2) additional floors of building height, not to exceed twenty-four (24) feet, for projects in the MX-L or MX-I zone districts.
b. The two (2) incentives may not be combined to earn more than twelve (12) feet of additional height in the MX-T or MX-M zone district or more than twenty-four (24) feet of additional height in the MX-L or MX-I zone district.
c. The height incentive may not be used on any portion of a building within seventy-five (75) feet of the property line of an adjacent property as follows:
(1) For a property with a multi-family or non-residential land use, the height incentive may not be used on any portion of a building located within seventy-five (75) feet of any property line adjacent to a lot in the R-E, R-1 9, R-1 6, or R-2 zone districts or a lot designated for attached or detached single-family or two-family dwellings in a PDZ district.
(2) For a property in a Mixed-Use or Industrial zone district, the height incentive may not be used on any portion of a building located within seventy-five (75) feet of any property line adjacent to a lot in a residential zone district or a PDZ district that is developed with, or designated for development with, a residential use.
2. Parking: The number of required off-street parking spaces required by Part 7.4.10 (Parking and Loading), may be reduced by an additional ten (10) percent.
D. Incentive Procedure: The Manager shall determine whether an application complies with the requirements of this Section 7.4.202. If the Manager has confirmed that the application complies with the requirements for one (1) or more incentives under this Section, but the underlying application is subject to approval by the of the Planning Commission or City Council, the decision-making body shall consider the application through the applicable decision-making criteria in Article 7.5: Administration and Enforcement assuming that all approved incentives will be constructed, and shall not condition its approval on removing or limiting an earned incentive. (Ord. 23-03)