Page 5 - Breckendridge, CO Design Standards

IV. Issue: Density
The amount of density that is perceived to be permitted
exceeds the scale of a reasonable addition to a historic
building. Currently, the design standards provide formulas
to follow for connectors and additions. There are also
precise calculations that staff uses to determine whether a
development proposal fits within the maximum UPA set for the
land use district within which the property falls.

Recommendation
Reduce the above ground UPA that is allowed in the land use
districts that encompass the Historic District. Some Character
Areas allow for up to 12 UPA above ground with negative
points. The modeling done for this study, however, indicates
that 10 UPA is a more acceptable density for the historic
district. A series of models at the end of this memo illustrates a
variety of UPA measurements.

In order to manage density in the Historic District, the first step
is to decrease the allowable UPA (do not distinguish between
density and mass in the calculation). The next step is to change
the way UPA is calculated. Combined, the following changes
will encourage a lower, more compatible UPA for the Historic
District:
• Eliminate massing bonuses for the Historic District.
• Eliminate the ability to go up to 12 UPA with negative points.
• Where a development proposal includes appropriately
preserving the historic building, all below-ground massing
will not be counted in the UPA calculations.
• Incorporate all above-ground structures in UPA calculations
including garages and other secondary structures.
• On large lots (actual size or threshold defining a “large lot” to
be determined), in addition to meeting the reduced allowed
UPA, the new building(s) must not exceed 100% of the square
footage of the historic structure.

5