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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSDP201900028 Request of Modification, Variance, Waiver 2019-10-08Lp r COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE Department of Community Development 401 McIntire Road, North Wing Charlottesville, Virginia 22902-4596 Phone (434) 296-5832 Fax (434) 972-4126 October 8, 2019 Mr. Eric Woolley Woolley Engineering 210 5th Street NE Charlottesville, VA 22902 RE: Parking Determination — SDP201900028 - UVA Research Park: Parking Determination Dear Mr. Woolley: This letter is an official determination of the parking requirements for the UVA Research Park. This determination is made in accordance with Section 18-4.12 of the Albemarle County Code. In making this determination, the Zoning Administrator considered the parking study submitted by the applicant (attached below) with current parking usage data and TDM strategies, the existing parking requirements for the site, and the Institute of Transportation Engineers Parking Generation Data for "General Office Building" (attached below). Using a combination of the resources referenced above, it is my official determination that a parking minimum reduction of 18.8% to 1,146 parking spaces will still provide sufficient parking at the UVA Research Park. The parking requirement for the UVA Research Park will therefore be as it reads on page C4.1 (sheet 11 of 36) of SDP201900028 (pictured below) for each Town Center building. 1. Town Center Build! Statistics Proposed Use: General Office Buildings TOE -der 1 Town Center 2 Town Center 3 Town Center 4 Combined Gross Square Footage: 70,563 83,666 89,814 108,568 352,631 80% of Gross Square Footage: 56,466.4 66,932.8 71,851.2 86,854.4 282,105 Parking Spaces Required: 282.3 334.7 359.3 434.3 1,411 Paririnn Snares Provided: 229 269 If you are aggrieved by this determination, you have a right to appeal it within thirty (30) days of this notice, in accordance with Virginia Code § 15.2-2311. If you do not file a timely appeal, this determination shall be final and unappealable. An appeal may be taken only by filing an appeal application with the Zoning Administrator and the Board of Zoning Appeals, in accordance with Albemarle County Code § 18-34.3, along with a fee of $258. Additionally, a separate fee is required for the cost of providing notice and advertising of the appeal for a public hearing. October 8, 2019 UVA Research Park Parking Determination Page 2 Applications for Appeal of the Zoning Administrator's Determination are available at the Department of Community Development located at 401 McIntire Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 or online at www.albemarle.org/cdapps. This form applies to the appeal of a decision of the zoning administrator or any other administrative officer pertaining to the Zoning Ordinance. Regulations pertaining to the filing of an appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals are located in Chapter 18, Section 34.3 of the Zoning Ordinance. They may be reviewed online at www.albemarle.org/countycodebza. (Please note that our online documents are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format and must be viewed with the Adobe Acrobat Reader or an equivalent. A link to download the free plug-in is available at the bottom of www.albemarle.org/cdapps.) Please contact me if you have questions or require additional information. Sincerely, Kevin McCollum Planner Designee to the Zoning Administrator WOOLLEY ENGINEERING September 23, 2019 MEMORANDUM To: Mr. Cameron Langille, Senior Planner County of Albemarle, Virginia From: Mr. Eric Woolley, PE Woolley Engineering Regarding: SDP 201900028 — UVA Research Park: Town Center 4 Major Site Plan Amendment Parking analysis and request for determination regarding parking minimums This memorandum shall serve as a justification for a request to modify the minimum number of parking spaces required for the property known as the University of Virginia Research Park in its Town Center district. The project is currently in active development of the Town Center Four building, which joins the existing structures which were completed during earlier phases of development. Parking will be shared by all four buildings. The request for a reduction in minimum required parking is based on Transportation Management Demand strategies and related factors in accordance with the parking requirements set forth in Section 4.12.12 of the zoning ordinance. The mission of the University of Virginia Research Park is to provide state-of-the-art facilities that serve as a catalyst for the creation and enhancement of research and business collaboration between the University of Virginia and the public and private sectors, for the economic and societal benefit of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Central Virginia region, and the nation. The Research Park is a fully master -planned, mixed -use development zoned for office, light industry, hotel/conference center, laboratory/medical/pharmaceutical, and retail/support commercial uses and is designed with significant open space, trails and interconnectivity in mind. We have studied the parking strategy to determine the appropriate relationships between parking and land uses within the UVA Research Park Town Center district. The analysis focuses on opportunities within the development for shared parking, a shuttle service which runs between the University and the Research Park, and overall site parking reductions based on both the specific use categories and individual uses within the Town Center.. Further, information regarding actual observed parking demands has been provided by the end -user of the existing Town Center buildings. The County's Zoning Ordinance allows for shared parking and parking reduction strategies which support the UVA Research Park's Code of Development ZMA 95-04, ZMA 98-27 and WOOLLEY ENGINEERING 210 5th Street NE (434) 973-0045 Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 1, f., pv. WOOLLEY ENGINEERING ZMA 2005-0003 from March 1 1, 1999 (Revised: March 2, 2005). The proposed reductions acceptable to the applicant. Relative to the analysis provided in the following, a parking reduction factor of 18.8% has been determined as feasible and has been applied to the entire Town Center District. Factors impacting current parking lot needs The ability to share parking between the UVA Research Park Town Center lots is important from a land use and development perspective. Excess empty parking spaces would add unnecessary impervious surface area and would cause an underutilization of the developable land. The UVA Foundation views the Town Center as a campus within the UVA Research Park. Many tenants occupy office space across multiple buildings within walking distance of one another and do not move their cars throughout the day. The features of the buildings encourage the campus -like feel of the Town Center District. The on -site cafe inside Town Center Three is an attractive retail option for lunches, providing incentive to not move one's car during the workday. The first floor and outdoor areas associated with Town Center Four will function as a gathering space for the tenants and guests. 84% of the first floor will be occupied by common amenities including a meeting center, a fitness center, a catering kitchen, and large lobby with a coffee bar. These shared spaces will put less of a demand on the parking lots because, by nature of the uses, the lots will not be fully occupied throughout the workday. Additionally, it should be noted that the Town Center Three lot was built in 2009 during a time when the UVA Foundation intended to build out a master plan that called for the building of an additional five office buildings in the Town Center, as well as a hotel; however, the actual plans and construction have resulted in a parking lot that is oversized for the actual needs of the Town Center Three tenants. Parking usage A parking count was conducted during business hours on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 and Thursday, March 9, 2019. The counts of occupied spaces are listed in the table below. UVA Research Park Town Center Parking Lot Usage Total Spots Spots occupied 3/5/ 19, 9:30am Spots occupied 3/7/ 19, 2:30pm TC 1 244 95 83 TC2 269 130 163 TC3 316 228 209 Per the zoning ordinance, the total required parking spots for the combined parking area of the development are as follows: Building 1: Offices, business, administrative and professional 2 WOOLLEY ENGINEERING GSF: 70,563 Net SF: 561466 Rate: 1/200 sf Total Required Parking for Building 1 = 282 Building 2: Offices, business, administrative and professional GSF: 831666 Net SF: 66,933 Rate: 1/200 sf Total Required Parking for Building 4 = 335 Building 3: Offices, business, administrative and professional GSF: K814 Net SF: 71,851 Rate: 1/200 sf Total Required Parking for Building 4 = 359 Building 4: Offices, business, administrative and professional GSF: 108,568 Net SF: 865854 Rate: 1/200 sf Total Required Parking for Building 4 = 434 Total Parking Required: Total required parking per Zoning Ordinance = 1,411 spaces Proposed Transportation Demand Management Strategies In accordance with section 4.12.12 of the zoning ordinance, the applicant requests a required parking minimums reduction based on the site improvements listed below. The mix of TDM options for the development include: 1. Bicycle racks and changing facilities: Bicycle racks will be provided adjacent to all of the Town Center buildings. Changing facilities will be located in the Town Center Four building for employees who commute via bicycle. This will encourage and facilitate commuting via bicycle to the Town Center district, reducing the total number of required parking spaces. Improvements related to bicycle commuting would provide for a TDM reduction of 72 parking spaces. 2. HOV parking spaces: 46 reserved HOV parking spaces for carpooling are included in the parking lots for Town Centers One and Four to encourage ride -sharing between commuters. 3. Free Shuttle Service: The UVA Research Park and JAUNT have collaborated to provide a shuttle service for tenants and visitors. The service, which began operating in the summer of 2018, runs between the Research Park and UVA Grounds from 7:22 a.m. to 6:02 p.m., Monday -Friday. Buses arrive every 30 minutes and are free to ride for everyone. The shuttle has three stops within the Research Park and three within UVA Grounds. The two stops with the highest boarding numbers are the UVA Research Park and the UVA Health System at Pinn Hall. Average weekly ridership continues to increase each month. Year-to-date ridership for 2019 is over 1,600 riders (as of 4/ 12/2019). Shuttle service provides for a TDM reduction of 101 parking spaces. 4. Passenger loading spaces: Two dedicated passenger loading spaces will be located at the Town Center Four building. These spaces will accommodate passenger drop-off by a variety of means to include taxi cabs, ride sharing services, or private vehicle. Additional similar spaces already exist within the Town Center. In addition to the TDM strategies proposed above, the existing pedestrian facilities will be augmented by the pedestrian improvements proposed with the development of Town Center 3 WOOLLEY ENGINEERING Four. The project will create and extend the existing sidewalks throughout the development, encouraging pedestrian traffic throughout the campus. Further, while the applicable TDM strategies listed above are site -specific to the Town Center district, it is recognized that mass transit -oriented alternatives may continue to grow in the region, further allowing for reduced parking minimums for the property. Parking Summary Total Parking Demands for Town Centers One -Four: 1;411 spaces HOV Parking TDM Reductions: 92 spaces Bicycle TDM Reductions: 72 spaces Transit TDM Reductions: 101 spaces Total Supportable Parking Reductions: 265 spaces Parking Reduction Factor: (required spaces relative to actual provided spaces) 18.8% Loading Spaces (Town Centers 1 - 4): 12 Based on the demonstration above that the use of TDM strategies reduces the need for parking spaces, the applicant is requesting an 18.8% reduction in the minimum required parking for the UVA Research Park Town Center district. As noted, the Town Center district is a campus designed for interconnectivity and walkability, with many factors contributing to a lessened need for parking. The applicant respectfully requests a determination that the minimized parking as proposed in this memorandum is acceptable as per Section 4.12 of the zoning ordinance. The applicant reserves the right to pursue additional alternatives to providing the minimum required number of parking spaces should the need arise. It is feasible that major variations could occur over time regarding the mix, distribution, phasing and density of land uses. Adjustments to these ratios and final parking allocations at site plan review may require administrative approval by the County. Please do not hesitate to call with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Eric Woolley, PE Cc: Todd Marshall, UVA Foundation 11 General Office Building (71 o) Peak Period Parking Demand vs: 1000 Sq. Ft. GFA On a: Weekday (Monday - Friday) Setting/Location: General Urban/Suburban Peak Period of Parking Demand: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Number of Studies: 148 Avg. 1000 Sq. Ft. GFA.- 145 Peak Period Parking Demand per 1000 Sq. Ft. GFA Average Rate :�;-inge- of Rates 815th P e r-c e n i 95.% Confidence I nte rva I '-*tandard- Deviation, ?,'Cot-f. of Variation) Data Plot and Equation w 20 �Ng M x x x x x x x x �,�. x x x x x .x N( A --I M 4DO X= 1003 Sq. Ft. GFA X Study Site Fitted Curve Fitted Curve Equation: P = 2.15(X) + 34.60 ER 0 Average Rate Rz= 0.86 x I 8CK Parkt,r?g Geneers ratton 5th Edon * Institute cf Tansportalt-jon Eng.me' .. %..