HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP200400023 Legacy Document 2004-10-04 (2)STAFF PERSON: Rebecca Ragsdale
PLANNING COMMISSION: August 24, 2004
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: October 13, 2004
SP 2004-023 GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH
Applicant's Proposal: The applicant is requesting approval of SP 2004-023 to allow for
a church, parking, and accessory recreation uses. The specifications for the proposed
expansion are as follows:
The footprint of the proposed church building at build -out would be 19,733 square
feet;
Seating capacity of the assembly area of the church at build -out would be 500;
Parking Spaces would total 170;
Outdoor recreational areas: half -court basketball court, tot lot, and playground.
The church is currently meeting at Sutherland Middle School in Hollymead where the
average attendance is 245. No daycare or school uses are proposed with this
application. However, areas for outside play have been set aside. No outdoor lighting
has been proposed with this application.
Petition: Request for special use permit approval, as set forth in Section 18.10.2.2.35 of
the Zoning Ordinance, for a church building to be constructed on a 19.4 acre parcel. A
waiver from the critical slopes requirements, as set forth in Section 18.4.2 of the Zoning
Ordinance, has also been requested. The property, described as Tax Map 21 Parcel 11,
is located in the White Hall Magisterial District on State Route 606 (Dickerson Road),
west of State Route 29, and south of the border with Greene County. The property is
zoned RA Rural Area and the Comprehensive Plan designates this property as Rural
Area 1.
Character of the Area: The area surrounding the church is a mixture of rural
agricultural, residential, wooded areas, and the GE Corporation Facility. The site
proposed for development is wooded, as are properties to the north and east of the site.
There is some scattered residential along Dickerson Road north of the church site.
Adjacent to the site are the Northridge Community Church and across Dickerson Road is
the Grace United Methodist Church.
Site History: The wooded site proposed for the church use is currently vacant and there
is no planning or zoning history on the site. The church purchased the property in 2001.
Comprehensive Plan: The Comprehensive Plan identifies this site and surrounding
area as being located in the Rural Areas. Churches provide a service to rural area
residents and the use is considered to be consistent with the policies within the
Comprehensive Plan
Rural Area: The primary objective of the current Rural Area section of the
Comprehensive Plan is not compromised with this proposed application.
Agricultural and forestall activities and watersheds will not be adversely impacted
by this proposal. Service delivery to the Rural Areas will not be expanded to
accommodate proposed facilities.
Grace Community Church
SP 2004-023
August 11, 2004
Natural Resources and Biodiversity: It is important to note possible adverse
impacts to biodiversity with development of this site and ultimate fragmentation of
habitat. Habitat fragmentation reduces animal's ability to move freely across a
habitat. Forests are a particularly important asset for the County as they provide
habitat for many birds, mammals, reptiles and other species and help improve air
quality and ground water.
Open Space Plan and Mountain Protection Plan: The Open Space Concept Map
does not identify the site as part of a major open space system. Piney Mountain
is an identified mountain resource in the Mountain Protection Plan and is located
behind this site. The proposed site development does not cause substantial
disturbance of the mountain and all proposed site improvements are below the
600' elevation. The applicant has indicated in their application that site
development has been designed to respect terrain, avoiding critical slopes and
steeper portions of the property to minimize clearing and grading.
To address concerns regarding natural resources, the applicant has provided limits of
tree disturbance on the concept plan and has agreed to tree protection measures. Staff
has suggested, that as part of the site plan process, these limits be further defined and
recommends that a tree conservation plan be submitted in accordance with Section
32.7.9.4(b) and would indicate the trees to be saved; limits of clearing; location and type
of protective fencing; grade changes requiring tree wells or walls; and trenching or
tunneling proposed beyond the limits of clearing. In addition, the applicant would sign a
conservation checklist approved by the agent to insure that the specified trees would be
protected during construction and such checklist shall conform to specifications
contained in the Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook, pages III -393 through
111-413, and as hereafter amended.
Staff Comment: Staff will address each provision of Section 31.2.4.1 of the Zoning
Ordinance:
The Board of Supervisors hereby reserves unto itself the right to issue all special
use permits permitted hereunder. Special use permits for uses as provided in this
ordinance may be issued upon a finding by the Board of Supervisors that such
use will not be of substantial detriment to adjacent property.
As the church is a use of greater intensity than residential or agricultural uses within the
RA, greater setbacks are recommended to reduce impacts to adjoining properties. A
comparison of commercial and rural side, front, and rear setbacks is as follows:
Rural Commercial
Front
75 Feet
30 Feet
Side
25 Feet
50 Feet
Rear
35 Feet
50 Feet
The Commercial District side and rear setback standards adjacent to rural areas are the
larger of the two and would further protection of the rural area. A condition of approval
has been offered to require compliance with section 21.7.2 standards for side and rear
setbacks adjacent to rural area districts. As the rural area front yard setbacks are
greater, the RA front setback would remain. These setbacks were also a condition of
approval for the Northside Community Church located adjacent to this site.
that the character of the district will not be changed thereby,
Open space, wooded areas, agricultural uses, and very low density residential uses,
mixed with two existing churches and an industrial/office building to the south
characterize this portion of the rural district. The church land use is not expected to
change the character of the district, although the size of the use and the combined
impact of the other existing church uses in this area may further diminish the rural
character. Although the initial phase of the development would be small, approximately
5,000 square feet, the church feels that this site would meet their needs far into the
future, so they are requesting a maximum sanctuary size of 500 seats and a building
size of 19,733 square feet. The church size is not in keeping with rural character at build
out and will be nearly twice the size of the church to the south. Smaller church sizes, in
terms of number of anticipated attendees, have been viewed to be more in keeping with
Rural Area character. The average size of churches approved in the Rural Area since
1981 has been 185 seats. Smaller congregations create less impact on roads and
neighborhoods, as well as limited demand for services. However, the site proposed for
development in this case is located in a setting unique to the Rural Areas, adjacent to a
development area and two existing churches.
and that such use will be in harmony with the purpose and intent of this ordinance
The Rural Areas zoning district provides for the preservation and protection of
agricultural and forestal lands and activities; provides for water supply protection;
provides an area of limited service delivery; and provides for the conservation of natural,
scenic, and historic resources. Staff has reviewed the purpose and intent as contained
in Chapter 18, Sections 1.4, 1.5, and 1.6 of the Albemarle Zoning Ordinance. In the
opinion of staff, the proposed use would not conflict with the purpose and intent as
described in the Zoning Ordinance.
with the uses permitted by right in the district,
This use would not prevent by -right use of the adjacent properties.
with additional regulations provided in Section 5.0 of this ordinance,
Section 5.0 of the Zoning Ordinance contains no additional regulations governing
churches.
and with the public health, safety and general welfare.
The public health, safety, and general welfare of the community are protected through
the special use permit process, which assures that uses approved by special use permit
are appropriate in the location requested.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has recommended the following:
Recommend a 25' right of way dedication along the frontage for future improvements to
the roadway;
The proposed entrance would require extensive improvements to the existing roadway in
order to meet the minimum sight distance requirements. Therefore the department
recommends the entrance be moved to the south end of the site across from the
Methodist Church entrance;
Route 606 is a non -tolerable gravel road and is currently not in the County's Six Year
Improvement Plan. Therefore the department recommends the applicant improve the
roadway from the end of its current surface to just beyond their recommended or
proposed entrance. These improvements will include grading, placement of additional
base stone and hard surfacing.
The applicant has agreed to VDOT's recommendations and has relocated the entrance
from its original northern location on the concept plan to the current proposed location,
across from the entrance to the Methodist church. (Attachment B) Increased traffic on
Route 606 would likely result in dust and rutting of the road so a more durable surface is
needed on the roadway leading to the church site. The Engineering division has
recommended VDOT's comments be conditions of approval with the special use permit.
These were also conditions of approval for the adjacent Northside Community Church.
Engineering staff has requested that a site plan with an Erosion Control plan and Storm
water Management plan be submitted for Engineering approval; this site plan should
show elevation contours for Route 606 on the site plan. Engineering has reviewed the
concept plan and has indicated that regulated critical slopes are not being disturbed on
the plan as shown and that no critical slope waiver is required at this time.
No concerns with Health Department approval of this request have been identified at this
level of review. The applicant's engineers have identified potential drainfield locations on
the site. Final location will be determined during site plan review.
Summary:
Staff has identified the following factors that are favorable to this request:
1. The Comprehensive Plan suggests that churches are supportive to the rural
areas in the County.
2. Tree preservation, additional landscaping, and additional setbacks would help
mitigate impacts to the Rural Area.
Recommendation: Based on the findings contained in this staff report, staff
recommends approval of SP 2004-023, subject to the following conditions :
1. The church's improvements and the scale and location of the improvements, with the
exception of storm water management facilities and the front setback (The required
front setback shall be 75 feet from the edge of the right-of-way after the 25 foot
dedication referenced in Condition number 11.), shall be developed in general
accord with the concept plan entitled, "Special Use Plan for Grace Community
Church," prepared by Terra Partners, LLC, and dated May 17, 2004, last revised July
27, 2004.
2. If the lawful physical construction of any structure necessary for the use authorized
by this permit is not commenced within 5 years after the permit is issued, the permit
shall be deemed abandoned and the authority granted hereunder shall terminate.
3. The church's sanctuary shall not exceed 500 seats.
4. All exterior light fixtures shall be full cutoff luminaire and fully shielded and arranged
or directed to reflect light away from adjoining properties and away from adjacent
roads.
5. Commercial setback standards, as set forth in Section 21.7.2 of the Albemarle
Zoning Ordinance, shall be maintained along the side and rear property lines.
6. Day care or school uses are prohibited unless approved through a special use permit
amendment.
7. Subject to the approval of the Virginia Department of Transportation, prior to the
issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, the applicant shall surface State Route 606
(Dickerson Road) from just beyond the church entrance southward to the end of the
existing asphalt surface.
8. If phasing of site development is proposed, each phase shall include only the grading
and infrastructure necessary to support the improvements of that phase.
9. As part of the site plan application, a tree conservation plan shall be submitted and
approved to the specifications of Section 32.7.9.4(b) of the Zoning Ordinance.
10. The applicant shall dedicate 25 -foot dedication of right-of-way along the State Route
606 property frontage. Any plats and/or deeds necessary for this dedication shall be
provided by the applicant prior to site plan approval.
11. An additional 25% of landscaping materials, above the minimum landscaping
materials required by Section 32.7.9.7, shall be installed within the parking area, to
offset removal of trees and plant material from the site for construction. The
additional landscaping shall consist of a mixture of evergreen and deciduous plant
materials.
Attachments:
A - Application
B — Concept Plan
C - Location Map & Tax Map
Grace Community Church
SP 2004-023
August 11, 2004