HomeMy WebLinkAboutSDP201900067 Correspondence 2020-04-02 (12)SHIMP ENGINEERING, P.C.
Design Focused Engineering
April 2, 2020
Mr. Bart Svoboda, Zoning Administrator / Director of Zoning
County of Albemarle
Department of Community Development
401 McIntire Road, North Wing
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
RE: SDP201900067 (Eco Village Charlottesville — Final)
Request for Exception from Section 14-401- Double frontage lots
Dear Mr. Svoboda,
Pursuant to Section 14-203.1 (B), the agent or the commission may vary or except any requirement of
section 14-400 through 14-441 of the Albemarle County Subdivision Ordinance. The Applicant for the
above referenced site plan does hereby request an exception from the requirement of section 14-401,
which prohibits double frontage lots for single family detached and attached uses.
The Eco Village site plan proposes 39 dwelling units consisting of the following: 27 townhome and
attached units, 11 single-family detached units, and one 3-room guest house. Eight of the townhome lots
(units 9A through 16A) front on two streets. Section 14-203.1(B) (3) provides two findings that could
allow the agent or the commission to approve a request for an exception for these lots:
(i) Because of an unusual situation, including but not limited to, the unusual size, topography,
shape of the site or the location of the site; or
(ii) When strict adherence to the requirements would result in substantial injustice or hardship by,
including but not limited to, resulting in the significant degradation of the site or to adjacent
properties, causing a detriment to the public health, safety or welfare, or by inhibiting the
orderly development of the area or the application of sound engineering practices.
Please consider the following in the evaluation of this request:
The dwelling units within Eco Village are designed to front onto shared open space throughout the
development to establish an active front -porch culture within Eco-Village; each unit is anticipated to have
a porch fronting on a wide pedestrian way. Road `B" is required by the county ordinance to create road
frontage for the lots on the north side of the road (lots 17A through 23A) along with access to Road "C".
By designing the Road `B" as a 20' vegetated pedestrian street with geocell reinforcement; the road also
functions as programmed open space frontage for lots 9A through 16A.
Relocating Road `B" to the north side of lots 17A through 23A would eliminate the double frontage of
lots 9A through 16A; however this relocation would serve no purpose in advancing the public health,
912 E. High St. Charlottesville, VA 22902 1434.227.5140 1 shimp-engineering.com
safety, or welfare. Furthermore, by removing the pedestrian street from the rear of lots 9A through 16A,
the character of the neighborhood is changed to the detriment of the residents by "inhibiting the orderly
development of the area" with dwelling units along pedestrian streets. Please grant this exception to
allow the double frontage lots as shown in the site development plan for Eco Village.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding this request.
Regards,
Keane Rucker, ETT
Shimp Engineering, P.C.