July 16, 2003
MEMORANDUM
To: Campus Planning Committee
From: Christine Taylor Thompson, Planning Associate, University Planning
Subject: Campus Planning Committee Meeting, July 21, 2003
The next meeting of the Campus Planning Committee will be held on Monday, July 21, 2003 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the EMU Board Room. Re freshments will be served.
NOTE: Please visit the site prior to the meeting.
Agenda: Living Learning Center - Conceptual Site Plan
Attachments:
Web site: additional materials are posted on the web. Start at:
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/ftepfer/LiveLearn/CPC/ to see an expanded electronic version of this document with hyperlinks.
Background: The purpose of this meeting is to review the proposed conceptual site plan for the Living Learning Center Project. Once the project site is selected, a schematic design for the project will be prepared for CPC review. The CPC discussed a previous proposal for the Living Learning Center at its November 12, 2002 meeting. Since that time, University Housing has formed a Design Advisory Group (user group), prepared a project description, hired ZGF Partnership, participated in an expedited planning process to develop three site concepts, and selected a preferred concept.
The Provost, the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Vice President for Administration, and staff from Planning and Housing met recently with ZGF to discuss the results of this process. That group endorsed the core concepts of the proposed site plan, and recommended a variation on the preferred scheme (see attachments). They also enumerated the following principles that should guide development on this site:
Please refer to the attached description and related drawings. Additional materials can be found at http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~ftepfer/LiveLearn/CPC/
Program :
Implement the Living Learning Circle pattern (see LRCDP) by:
- Enhancing the quality of first year undergraduate experience by engaging them in the academic life of the university (extending and enhancing current Freshman Interest Groups, Freshman Seminars, and other programs).
- Engaging the academic side of the university in residence hall life through collaborations that integrate academics with the residential experience.
Increase the capacity of residence beds to accommodate recent growth, and also to provide surge capacity to allow a program of renovation and improvement.
Improve the quality of life in residence halls through more spacious, more pleasant, more manageable facilities.
Develop an overall site open space concept that provides a more collegiate, less institutional feel and supports a plan for future phases of development.
The proposed phase 1 project in the DAG's preferred site concept will provide:
Site Densities: based on the Tennis Court site concept H in Analytical Area 41 preferred by the Design Advisory Group (before modification by the Vice Presidents as described above)
Allowable coverage: .30, or 168,876 s.f.
Current coverage: .255, or 139,971
Allowable additional coverage: 28,905 s.f.
Proposed resulting coverage: .3, or 28,905 additional area
Allowable floor area ratio: .80, or 450,336 gsf
Current floor area ratio: .733, or 412,563 gsf
Allowable additional floor area: 37,772 gsf
Proposed resulting floor area ratio: .975, or 136,248 gsf
These densities are based on the DAG-preferred scheme H, before modification by the Vice Presidents. The densities of this latest version, shown in the attached Concept VP, are not yet known.
Previous action
When the CPC discussed the earlier proposal to site the Living Learning Center on the existing Tennis Courts (Analytical Area 41) at its November 12, 2002 meeting to provide advice to the University Administration on the campus planning consequences, it identified four main campus planning consequences to consider (see web site for full text):
Preserving the pastoral character of the campus is essential to maintain the overall quality and character of the university. Open spaces and the overall pedestrian scale of campus are essential components of its pastoral character.
The proposed increase in density has a substantial impact on all surrounding areas. A thorough analysis of the resulting densities and the possible need to alter densities in other areas to decrease the negative impacts would be required.
Reserving all potential central campus lands for academic uses has become even more important as demand for academic space has increased while options for academic development has decreased. If the academic core must expand outward beyond the ten minute walking circles, the pedestrian character of the campus will deteriorate.
d. Consider Alternatives: A thorough analysis of the project intent and possible alternatives would be required.
The potentially negative consequences of the siting the Living Learning Center on the proposed site are substantial and long lasting. Given the serious negative consequences of the proposed solution, it is necessary to consider all other alternatives and carefully consider the reasons for violating the LRCDP.
Action: The committee is being asked to comment on Conceptual Site Plan, especially as modified in the meeting of the Vice Presidents, to determine if the proposed site is consistent with the Long Range Campus Development Plan, and to formulate a recommendation to the president.
Note: If the CPC recommendation is not consistent with the LRCDP, it shall identify required LRCDP amendments. The CPC recommendation shall be subject to future approval of required amendments.
Please contact this office if you have questions.
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