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HomeMy WebLinkAboutARB201700096 Correspondence 2017-10-11 Margaret Maliszewski From: Seth Maughan <smaughan@solunesco.com> Sent: Friday, December 15, 2017 11:02 AM To: Margaret Maliszewski Subject: Re: staff report for your item at next week's ARB meeting Attachments: VA117 Updated Buffer Plan 171215.pdf Hi Margaret, Here is an updated buffer plan, which I would like to present at the meeting. I will bring a digital copy of this plan, along with handouts and one full-size print off. As discussed, it is our intention to support the recommendation, as you have written it. We will also commit to meeting the suggested changes and recommendations outlined in Al and B1. As you have suggested A2 and B2, are not economically feasible for this project but we understand the importance of including them in the ARB's recommendation. Thank you. On Mon, Dec 11, 2017 at 4:40 PM, Margaret Maliszewski <MMaliszewski@albemarle.org> wrote: Dear Applicant, Attached please find the tentative agenda and staff report for your item at next week's ARB meeting. Please share this information with your team members. If you have questions, feel free to contact me. Thanks. Margaret Margaret Maliszewski, Chief of Planning/Resource Management Albemarle County Department of Community Development 401 McIntire Road Charlottesville, VA 22902 434-296-5832 x3276 mmaliszewski@albemarle.org i 111 inésct. Seth Maughan www.solunesco.com Director of Projects OFJic,. (7U3)672-5097 Uir cl. (703)G72-'s637 2 Margaret Maliszewski From: Seth Maughan <smaughan@solunesco.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2017 11:43 AM To: Scott Clark Cc: Margaret Maliszewski Subject: Re: SP 17-18 Rivanna Solar- Plan Revisions before 12/18 ARB Thank you, both. I have just instructed our designer to incorporate this feedback (along with your feedback on the ARB notes, Margaret). For clarity, we are still going to put the shrub layer to the north side of the power line. But we will keep it well south of the VDOT ROW, unlike the current vegetation we are showing. I am also going to confirm that the electric easement is 15 feet, which gives us a couple extra feet, there. I will also be meeting with Stan and Bruce tomorrow, FYI. Thanks, Seth On Mon, Dec 11, 2017 at 4:37 PM, Scott Clark <Sclark@albemarle.org>wrote: Hi, Seth— I just checked in with Margaret, and she confirmed that the most valuable plan change for the ARB to see at their meeting would be the changes to the screening along Route 53 that we discussed. In short, that would would be a 3-tiered approach, with: • No plantings in the 30-foot VDOT right-of-way • Shrub plantings closest to the road(in or behind the utility easement) • Mid-sized (understory) trees behind the shrubs, placed so they won't grow into the utility easement • The tallest (canopy-size) trees at the back, closest to the fence Other plan changes can be dealt with in text form through the ARB's recommendations, and incorporated into the final version of the conceptual plan later. --Scott 1 444610 *too Scott Clark, Senior Planner(Rural Areas) Albemarle County Community Development Dept. 434-296-5832 ext. 3249 ` JflesC Seth Maughan www.solunesco.com Director of Projects 01liec (70 3)072-5097 Direct (703(672-5617 2 Margaret Maliszewski From: Seth Maughan <smaughan@solunesco.com> Sent: Friday, November 03, 2017 2:21 PM To: Margaret Maliszewski Subject: Re:ARB work session November 6 Attachments: Page 1 Dev. Envelope Change.pdf; Page 2 Landscape Buffer Details 110317.pdf; 110317 Cover Letter to ARB.pdf Thanks for your patience. Please see attached. Look forward to seeing you on Monday. Best, Seth On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 1:41 PM, Margaret Maliszewski <MMaliszewski@albemarle.org> wrote: OK. I'll wait a bit. From: Seth Maughan [mailto:smaughan@solunesco.com] Sent: Friday, November 03, 2017 1:41 PM To: Margaret Maliszewski<MMaliszewski@albemarle.org> Subject: Re: ARB work session November 6 Hey Margaret, I am working on a cover letter now, and have a couple of attachments to demonstrate where we are and what changes we are working on. I can have them to you in about an hour if that works. Sorry for the delay -- we had a late night in Orange last night. Best, Seth 1 On Fri,Nov 3, 2017 at 1:37 PM, argaret Maliszewski <MMaliszewski a�emarle.org>wrote: • Hi, Seth. We have 3 work sessions scheduled for the ARB's November 6 meeting and I'm getting ready to forward the board members the new information for those work sessions, so they can have it to review over the weekend. Were you able to get a revised sketch plan together? Margaret From:Seth Maughan [mailto:smaughan@solunesco.com] Sent: Friday, October 27, 2017 3:00 PM To: Margaret Maliszewski<MMaliszewski@albemarle.org> Cc:Scott Clark<Sclark@albemarle.org> Subject: Re: Submission Date Totally. Can do! I'll plan on having something prepared by then. -Seth On Fri, Oct 27, 2017 at 2:58 PM, Margaret Maliszewski <MMaliszewski@albemarle.org> wrote: OK. I will add your item as a work session to the November 6 ARB agenda. By"something to email the board" I recommend some sort of revised sketch plan with a memo describing the revised approach (not a complete revised submittal) so they can have an idea of what to expect. From:Seth Maughan [mailto:smaughan@solunesco.com] Sent: Friday, October 27, 2017 2:55 PM To: Margaret Maliszewski<MMaliszewski@albemarle.org> Subject: Re: Submission Date 2 Great. Perhaps it would make tie most sense to call for a work session so"scan address all at once (given time constraints). When you say "something to email the board" do you mean a presentation of some sort from my end? I am sure I could put something together. FYI, I just got off the phone with our engineer, who has been looking at the vista issues created by topo and considering how best to mitigate. Because of the width that would be required for a berm, we would have to place it behind the power line easement(about 30 feet from the edge of the road easement) given the fall in topography, so don't think it will be very effective. Our updated strategy is to add more vegetation between the road easement and the electrical line easement (as close to the road as possible). Essentially, we are looking to fill out that existing strand of more mature trees, then keep a second layer of buffer on the other side of the line easement. Plus, an added 25-feet setback will leave more space for existing pines to grow in. Anyway, we are finishing up a drawing of this plan, which I plan to present to the board on the 6th. This way, if there are any tweaks they would recommend, we will have a week to update before I submit on the 13th. Thanks so much, Seth Seth Maughan www.solunesco.com Director of Projects Of'(iuc (703)672-5097 Direct (703)672-5637 3 *Nee NINO Seth Maughan www.solunesco.com Director of Projects Odice:(703)672-5097 I)irtct: (703)672-5637 Seth Maughan www.solunesco.com Director of Projects Office. (7ti3)672-5097 Direct (703)672-5637 4 Margaret Maliszewski From: Seth Maughan <smaughan@solunesco.com> Sent: Friday, October 27, 2017 1:05 PM To: Margaret Maliszewski Subject: Re: Submission Date Hi Margaret, I am continuing to work on mitigating the issue of visibility from the entrance corridor and wanted to touch bases with you on it. Per our recent meeting, we are planning on proposing the following in our next submission: 1. Pull the "Development Envelope" back out of the "arm" to the NE, negating the need for any buffer along that entrance corridor frontage 2. Along the other, larger stretch of EC frontage: 1. Increase the setback from 65ft to the fence to 100 feet to the fence 2. Increase the thickness and species variety of the vegetative buffer, per county comments 3. Extend the buffer around the corners, to increase coverage when viewing the site from an angle 4. Consider a fence and/or berm along the particularly sensitive 500 or so feet to cut down on distant views. 3. Now that we have confirmed that Pines were planed on site when it was cleared, do a better job of describing this existing vegetation in the application, and commit to letting it, along with other naturally occurring vegetation, continue to grow in the setbacks between our property and neighboring properties. Particularly with the neighbors along the EC. It occurs to me that ARB approval may be the largest hurdle that this project has to clear in the zoning process. Being as we need to submit an update by the 13th, I recognize that there is not a lot of time for a dialogue, as we have done with the PC and BOS. That said, do you believe that there would be any value in reaching out to Bruce and/or other members to set up a "coffee" meeting before the next submission. Someone also suggested asking for a working session at the Nov. 6 meeting. Would that be possible and would there be any value in me coming down and updating the board on what we are doing? I feel that an open dialogue helps these processes tremendously, and I am trying to figure out how we can be as transparent and collaborative as possible, given our time constraints. Thanks, Seth On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 1:53 PM, Seth Maughan <smaughan@solunesco.com> wrote: I believe so. I'll add that to my calendar. Thank you! -Seth On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 1:24 PM, Margaret Maliszewski <MMaliszewski(a),albemarle.org>wrote: Seth, 1 I'm sorry I missed that question at*Itre end of your earlier email. With a November 13 submittal, I'd put this on the December 18 ARB agenda.Would that work for you? Margaret From:Seth Maughan [mailto:smaughan@solunesco.com] Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2017 12:33 PM To: Margaret Maliszewski<MMaliszewski@albemarle.org> Subject: Re: Submission Date Hey Margaret, I know you were out of the office but wanted to touch bases on ARB dates. What are your thoughts for an ARB date, assuming we can get the material back by the 13th? Thanks, Seth On Fri, Oct 20, 2017 at 10:27 AM, Seth Maughan<smaughan cr solunesco.com>wrote: Hello Scott and Margaret, Thanks again for sitting down with me on Wednesday. It was good to see you both, and I think the discussion was very productive. I finally had a moment to look over the submittal schedule and was pleased to see that submitting on Nov. 13th(instead of Oct 30) only days the "no sooner than" PC date by one week (Jan 30 instead of the 23rd). As I brought up in the meeting, any delays put this project further at risk due to interconnection deadlines. But a one week delay is certainly more palatable than I what I had feared. Can you confirm the "no sooner than" date of Jan 30 for a Nov. 13th submittal? As always, if there is anything that can be done to expedite this, I am all ears! Margaret, assuming that we have a submission ready by Nov 13, what does that look like for ARB? Thanks, 2 wor Margaret Maliszewski From: Margaret Maliszewski Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2017 3:50 PM To: 'Seth Maughan' Subject: RE:your item at the October 16 ARB meeting Seth, The actions I've recommended for the ARB are towards the end of my report.The ARB will need to take an official action, but I've recommended two options. One is for the ARB to request changes/additional information from you, with the changes being reviewed again by the ARB (I think this is your"discuss and resubmit"). The other outlines recommended conditions for the SP. Margaret From:Seth Maughan [mailto:smaughan@solunesco.com] Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2017 12:25 PM To: Margaret Maliszewski<MMaliszewski@albemarle.org> Subject: Re: your item at the October 16 ARB meeting Wonderful. I will be there, then. Given this feedback I have already gotten from Planning and Zoning, we will almost certainly be making amendments to the application and re-submitting. Is the outcome of Monday's meeting going to be a vote from the ARB, or can we discuss and postpone until resubmission? On Wed, Oct 11, 2017 at 10:16 AM, Margaret Maliszewski <MMaliszewski@albemarle.org> wrote: Seth, Yes, absolutely. You should attend the ARB meeting and will have an opportunity to present to the ARB and discuss the project with them.The purpose of the meeting is for the ARB to review the proposal and forward comments to the PC and BOS regarding impacts to the Entrance Corridor.The staff report represents my review of the proposal and my recommendation to the ARB on the action they should take.The PC will consider the ARB's recommendation in formulating their own recommendation to the BOS. If you have other questions,just let me know. Margaret From:Seth Maughan [mailto:smaughanPsolunesco.com] Sent:Wednesday, October 11, 2017 9:59 AM To: Margaret Maliszewski<MMaliszewski@albemarle.org> Subject: Re: your item at the October 16 ARB meeting Thanks so much, Margaret. It seems that the ARB comments largely mirror the planning and zoning comments. Forgive my lack of understanding the process here, but what will occur at the meeting on Monday? Is this a meeting that I am able to attend. If so, is that advisable? i Nioe "IN/ Thanks, Seth On Tue, Oct 10, 2017 at 5:52 PM, Margaret Maliszewski <MMaliszewskinalbemarle.org>wrote: Dear Applicant, Attached are the staff report and tentative agenda for your item at next week's ARB meeting. Please share this information with your team members. If you have questions or need assistance, feel free to contact me. Margaret Seth Maughan www.solunesco.com Director of Projects office (703)672-5097 Oerect (703)672-5637 2