HomeMy WebLinkAboutARB202000116 Staff Report 2020-12-09ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT
Project #/Name
ARB-2020-106 and -116: Albemarle Business Campus
Review Type
Initial Site Development Plan and first review of an architectural design
Parcel Identification
07600-00-00-046AO and 07600-00-00-05400 and 07600-00-00-046FO (part)
Location
Rt. 631 at Rt. 780 (See Figure 1.)
Zoned
Residential (R2) / Entrance Corridor (EC)
Owner/Applicant
51 Street Forest LLC / Shimp Engineering (Justin Shimp)
Magisterial District
Samuel Miller
Proposal
To construct a mixed -use development consisting of apartments, retail and office buildings, a hotel and a self -storage
building.
Context
The surrounding area includes the County Office Building at 5 h Street, apartment communities, and the Region Ten
Community Services Board office building, as well as single family detached residences.
Visibility
All the buildings in the portion of the development located east of Old Lynchburg Road, including the storage building,
will be readily visible from the 51 Street Entrance Corridor. The apartment buildings proposed for the portion of the
development west of Old Lynchburg Road are located further from the EC street (over 400' away), with some residences
and wooded area between, but the 3- and 4-story heights will make the apartment buildings visible above and beyond the
smaller scale residences that are closer to 51 Street.
ARB Meeting Date
December 7, 2020
Staff Contact
Margaret Maliszewski
PROJECT HISTORY
The ARB has reviewed no previous proposals for this site. A rezoning (ZMA-2019-03) was approved for this property in October 2020.
ANALYSIS
Gray highlight = means the guideline can't be reviewed at initial site plan stage, but recommendations can be provided for final
Yellow highlight = means the guideline can only be reviewed for location/configuration at the initial plan stage
Regular text = means the guideline can be reviewed at initial plan stage, can be made a condition of initial plan approval, and can be the basis for denial
REF
GUIDELINE I ISSUE I RECOMMENDATION
Pu ose; ConwadbUily with significant historic sues; Comw ilify with the character of the Entrance Corridor; Structure design
I
The goal of the regulation of the design of development within the
The brick and its use at the base of
Revise the storage
designated Entrance Corridors is to insure that new development within the
the building, and the treatments
building design to
corridors reflects the traditional architecture of the area. Therefore, it is the
related to the comer entrance
provide greater
purpose of ARB review and of these Guidelines, that proposed
elements have a basis in traditional
organization and unity
development within the designated Entrance Corridors reflect elements of
architecture, but the overall design
among the various
design characteristic of the significant historical landmarks, buildings, and
does not reflect the traditional
building elements.
structures of the Charlottesville and Albemarle area, and to promote orderly
architecture of the area. The vinyl
and attractive development within these corridors. Applicants should note
film -covered windows, the
that replication of historic structures is neither required nor desired.
placement of CMU panels, the
extensive use of EIFS, the extent of
2
Visitors to the significant historical sites in the Charlottesville and
Albemarle area experience these sites as ensembles of buildings, land, and
the brick bases on the side
vegetation. In order to accomplish the integration of buildings, land, and
elevations, the minimal height
vegetation characteristic of these sites, the Guidelines require attention to
increase of the corner storefront
four primary factors: compatibility with significant historic sites in the area;
elements and the lack of returns at
the character of the Entrance Corridor; site development and layout; and
the tops of those elements are non -
landscaping.
traditional features that outweigh the
traditional components. The number
3
New structures and substantial additions to existing structures should
respect the traditions of the architecture of historically significant buildingi
and variety of elements do not
in the Charlottesville and Albemarle area. Photographs of historic buildingi
contribute to an overall unified
in the area, as well as drawings of architectural features, which provide
appearance.
important examples of this tradition are contained in Appendix A.
4
The examples contained in Appendix A should be used as a guide for
building design: the standard of compatibility with the area's historic
structures is not intended to impose a rigid design solution for new
development. Replication of the design of the important historic sites in the
area is neither intended nor desired. The Guideline's standard of
compatibility can be met through building scale, materials, and forms which
may be embodied in architecture which is contemporary as well as
traditional. The Guidelines allow individuality in design to accommodate
varying tastes as well as special functional requirements.
5
It is also an important objective of the Guidelines to establish a pattern of
compatible architectural characteristics throughout the Entrance Corridor in
order to achieve unity and coherence. Building designs should demonstrate
sensitivity to other nearby structures within the Entrance Corridor. Where a
designated corridor is substantially developed, these Guidelines require
striking a careful balance between harmonizing new development with the
existing character of the corridor and achieving compatibility with the
significant historic sites in the area.
9
Building forms and features, including roofs, windows, doors, materials,
colors and textures should be compatible with the forms and features of the
significant historic buildings in the area, exemplified by (but not limited to)
the buildings described in Appendix A [of the design guidelines]. The
standard of compatibility can be met through scale, materials, and forms
which may be embodied in architecture which is contemporary as well as
traditional. The replication of important historic sites in Albemarle County
is not the objective of these guidelines.
10
Buildings should relate to their site and the surrounding context of
Several buildings are proposed, but
Provide material/color
buildings.
no physical connecting devices are
used. The applicant's narrative
samples for review.
12
Architecture proposed within the Entrance Corridor should use forms,
shapes, scale, and materials to create a cohesive whole.
suggests that all the buildings in the
development will have a coordinated
14
Arcades, colonnades, or other architectural connecting devices should be
used to unify groups of buildings within a development.
appearance. As the first building to
be constructed, the materials, colors
and details of the storage building
will set the tone for the overall
development. Proposed materials
include off-white and beige EIFS,
light and dark grey CMU, and white
and black brick. Samples have not
been provided.
1 I
The overall design of buildings should have human scale. Scale should be
The building measures 230' long and
None.
integral to the building and site design.
90' wide and is approximately 42'
tall. The brick base, awnings, and
storefronts at both ends of the
building help establish an
appropriate scale.
13
Any appearance of "blankness" resulting from building design should be
Much of the wall area is without
None.
relieved using design detail or vegetation, or both.
windows, but blankness doesn't
predominate due to the distribution
of materials and colors, and the
scoring of the EIFS panels.
15
Trademark buildings and related features should be modified to meet the
The building does not appear to be a
None.
requirements of the Guidelines.
trademark design.
16
Window glass in the Entrance Corridors should not be highly tinted or highly
Some of the windows are proposed
Eliminate the film coating
reflective. Window glass in the Entrance Corridors should meet the
with a vinyl film covering to hide the
from the windows.
following criteria: Visible light transmittance (VLT) shall not drop below
storage units. The applicant offers, as
40%. Visible light reflectance (VLR) shall not exceed 30%. Specifications
an alternative, replacing the windows
on the proposed window glass should be submitted with the application for
with additional EIFS panels in a gray
final review.
color. The gray EIFS panels are not a
successful solution. Clear glass
without a film coating is appropriate
for the ECs.
Accessory structures and equipment
17
Accessory structures and equipment should be integrated into the overall
Dumpster locations appear to be
Provide additional
plan of development and shall, to the extent possible, be compatible with
appropriate for the EC. The
information to show that
the building designs used on the site.
architectural drawings show a 3'-tall
parapet to be used for screening
the 3'-tall parapet is
sufficient to screen
18
The following should be located to eliminate visibility from the Entrance
Corridor street. If, after appropriate siting, these features will still have a
rooftop equipment. The equipment is
rooftop equipment.
negative visual impact on the Entrance Corridor street, screening should be
not shown on the drawings;
provided to eliminate visibility. a. Loading areas, b. Service areas, c. Refuse
equipment often exceeds 3' in
areas, d. Storage areas, e. Mechanical equipment, f. Above -ground utilities,
height.
and g. Chain link fence, barbed wire, razor wire, and similar security
fencing devices.
19
Screening devices should be compatible with the design of the buildings
and surrounding natural vegetation and may consist of. a. Walls, b.
Plantings, and c. Fencing.
20
Surface runoff structures and detention ponds should be designed to fit into
Stormwater features are proposed
None.
the natural topography to avoid the need for screening. When visible from the
underground.
Entrance Corridor street, these features must be fully integrated into the
landscape. They should not have the appearance of engineered features.
21
The following note should be added to the site plan and the architectural plan:
The note appears on the site plan, but
Add the standard
"Visibility of all mechanical equipment from the Entrance Corridor shall be
not on the architectural plans.
equipment visibility note
eliminated."
to the architectural plans.
22-
Lighting
Lighting is not included in the initial
None at this time.
31
site plan.
Landscaping
7
The requirements of the Guidelines regarding landscaping are intended to
With near) 800' of frontage on 51
None.
reflect the landscaping characteristic of many of the area's significant
Street, the row of large shade trees
historic sites which is characterized by large shade trees and lawns.
along the EC will help establish a
Landscaping should promote visual order within the Entrance Corridor and
consistent, orderly and harmonious
help to integrate buildings into the existing environment of the corridor.
appearance along the corridor.
8
Continuity within the Entrance Corridor should be obtained by planting
different types of plant materials that share similar characteristics. Such
common elements allow for more flexibility in the design of structures
because common landscape features will help to harmonize the appearance
of development as seen from the street upon which the Corridor is centered.
32
Landscaping along the frontage of Entrance Corridor streets should include
Large shade trees 3.5" caliper at
Consider installing the
the following:
planting are shown spaced 35' on
EC frontage trees with
a. Large shade trees should be planted parallel to the Entrance Corridor
center along the EC frontage.
the first block that is
Street. Such trees should be at least 3% inches caliper (measured 6 inches
Smaller ornamental trees are
constructed.
above the ground) and should be of a plant species common to the area.
irregularly interspersed among the
Such trees should be located at least every 35 feet on center.
shade trees. No conflicting utilities
b. Flowering ornamental trees of a species common to the area should be
are shown along the frontage.
interspersed among the trees required by the preceding paragraph. The
Additional trees are also shown
ornamental trees need not alternate one for one with the large shade trees.
along the parking lot perimeters that
They may be planted among the large shade trees in a less regular spacing
are adjacent to the EC, and a group
pattern.
of trees is added at the southeast
c. In situations where appropriate, a three or four board fence or low stone
comer of the site. Note: the applicant
wall, typical of the area, should align the frontage of the Entrance Corridor
does not plan to install the EC
street.
frontage trees with the Block 5
d. An area of sufficient width to accommodate the foregoing plantings and
development.
fencing should be reserved parallel to the Entrance Corridor street, and
exclusive of road right-of-way and utility easements.
33
Landscaping along interior roads:
No trees are proposed along Old
Provide large trees, 2V2'
a. Large trees should be planted parallel to all interior roads. Such trees
Lynchburg and Mountainwood
caliper at planting, along
should be at least 2'/z inches caliper (measured six inches above the groundA
Roads. Trees at the required spacing
Old Lynchburg, Country
and should be of a plant species common to the area. Such trees should be
are shown along Rt. 875, but they are
Green, and
located at least every 40 feet on center.
on, or very close to, a water line.
Mountainwood Roads,
Trees at the required spacing are
free of utilities and
shown along the internal road in the
easements.
eastern half of the development, but
many of these are too close to storm
pipes.
34
Landscaping along interior pedestrian ways:
Trees are provided along all
Where large shade trees
a. Medium trees should be planted parallel to all interior pedestrian ways.
sidewalks in the eastern half of the
are not already provided
Such trees should be at least 2% inches caliper (measured six inches above
development, except along Old
to meet other
the ground) and should be of a species common to the area. Such tree]
Lynchburg Road (where large shade
requirements, provide
should be located at least every 25 feet on center.
trees are required). In the eastern half
medium trees, 2'/z"
of the development, sidewalks align
caliper at planting, along
the outer perimeters of the parking
lot. Where the sidewalks are located
all paths and sidewalks.
35
Landscaping of parking areas:
Provide large trees, 2 %"
a. Large trees should align the perimeter of parking areas, located 40 feet on
between the parking and an
caliper at planting, 40' on
center. Trees should be planted in the interior of parking areas at the rate of
apartment building, trees are not
center along the perimeter
one tree for every 10 parking spaces provided and should be evenly
provided. Along some sidewalks
of all parking areas.
distributed throughout the interior of the parking area.
(near the club house, for example)
b. Trees required by the preceding paragraph should measure 2% inches
there appears to be sufficient space
caliper (measured six inches above the ground); should be evenly spaced;
for trees, but none are provided.
and should be of a species common to the area. Such trees should be
planted in planters or medians sufficiently large to maintain the health of
In the eastern half of the
the tree and shall be protected by curbing.
development, trees are provided
c. Shrubs should be provided as necessary to minimize the parking area's
along most parking lot perimeters;
impact on Entrance Corridor streets. Shrubs should measure 24 inches in
however, the middle of the northern
height.
perimeter is without trees and the
spacing is too wide at the north end
of the eastern perimeter.
36
Landscaping of buildings and other structures:
Architectural designs have only been
None at this time.
a. Trees or other vegetation should be planted along the front of long
provided for the storage building at
buildings as necessary to soften the appearance of exterior walls. The
this time. The need for landscaping
spacing, size, and type of such trees or vegetation should be determined by
to soften the appearance of exterior
the length, height, and blankness of such walls.
walls of the office, retail, hotel and
b. Shrubs should be used to integrate the site, buildings, and other
apartment buildings will be
structures; dumpsters, accessory buildings and structures; "drive thru"
determined when those designs are
windows; service areas; and signs. Shrubs should measure at least 24 inches
submitted for review. Note, however,
in height.
that there is no planting area
provided on the east side of the
office and storage buildings. A row
of trees is provided along the front of
the storage building.
37
Plant species:
The proposed trees are found on the
None.
a. Plant species required should be as approved by the Staff based upon but
various lists.
not limited to the Generic Landscape Plan Recommended Species List and
Native Plants or Virginia Landscapes (Appendix D .
38
Plant health:
The note appears on the plans.
None.
The following note should be added to the landscape plan: "All site plantings
of trees and shrubs shall be allowed to reach, and be maintained at, mature
height; the topping of trees is prohibited. Shrubs and trees shall be pruned
minimally and only to support the overall health of theplant."
Site Development and layout
Development paftern
6
Site development should be sensitive to the existing natural landscape and
The proposed development is
Note that the retail, office
should contribute to the creation of an organized development plan. This
arranged over multiple parcels of
and hotel buildings will
may be accomplished, to the extent practical, by preserving the trees and
land and is divided by Old
need to have fully
rolling terrain typical of the area; planting new trees along streets and
Lynchburg Road. The site layout in
designed fronts on
pedestrian ways and choosing species that reflect native forest elements;
both parts of the development is
elevations visible from
insuring that any grading will blend into the surrounding topography
generally organized. Buildings
the EC street.
thereby creating a continuous landscape; preserving, to the extent practical,
located along the Entrance Corridor
existing significant river and stream valleys which may be located on the
street are oriented parallel to the
site and integrating these features into the design of surrounding
street. The retail, office and hotel
development; and limiting the building mass and height to a scale that does
buildings will need to have fully
not overpower the natural settings of the site, or the Entrance Corridor.
designed fronts on elevations visible
from the street, even though parking
39
The relationship of buildings and other structures to the Entrance Corridor
street and to other development within the corridor should be as follows:
is to the side and/or rear as viewed
a. An organized pattern of roads, service lanes, bike paths, and pedestrian
from the EC. The site is currently
walks should guide the layout of the site.
wooded; all trees would be removed
b. In general, buildings fronting the Entrance Corridor street should be
from the site to accommodate the
parallel to the street. Building groupings should be arranged to parallel the
proposed development. The rolling
Entrance Corridor street.
terrain will not be preserved, but the
c. Provisions should be made for connections to adjacent pedestrian and
Block 5 building (and possibly
vehicular circulation systems.
others) will take advantage of the
d. Open spaces should be tied into surrounding areas to provide continuity
change in grade to reduce the
within the Entrance Corridor.
perceived scale of the structure.
e. If significant natural features exist on the site (including creek valleys,
Trees are proposed along the EC and
steep slopes, significant trees or rock outcroppings), to the extent practical,
internal streets. Sidewalks are
then such natural features should be reflected in the site layout. If the
proposed within the development
provisions of Section 32.5.2.n of the Albemarle County Zoning Ordinance
and they connect to sidewalks along
apply, then improvements required by that section should be located so as
the nearby streets. A dog park is
to maximize the use of existing features in screening such improvements
proposed at the north end of the
from Entrance Corridor streets.
eastern part of the development;
f. The placement of structures on the site should respect existing views and
there is no adjacent open space
vistas on and around the site.
available for connection.
Site Grading
40
Site grading should maintain the basic relationship of the site to surrounding
Retaining walls are proposed in the
Integrate retaining walls
conditions by limiting the use of retaining walls and by shaping the terrain
eastern half of the development,
with nearby site features.
through the use of smooth, rounded land forms that blend with the existing
including adjacent to the EC street at
terrain. Steep cut or fill sections are generally unacceptable. Proposed contours
the proposed office building and
on the grading plan shall be rounded with a ten foot minimum radius where
park. The topography falls away
they meet the adjacent condition. Final grading should achieve a natural,
from the EC street, so the height of
rather than engineered, appearance. Retaining walls 6 feet in height and taller,
the walls won't be visible, but some
when necessary, shall be ten -aced and planted to blend with the landscape.
of the walls are not integrated with
nearby site elements; for example,
the wall at the southeast comer of the
office building.
41
No grading, trenching, or tunneling should occur within the drip line of any
No trees are proposed to be retained.
None.
trees or other existing features designated for preservation in the final
Certificate of Appropriateness. Adequate tree protection fencing should be
shown on, and coordinated throughout, the grading, landscaping and erosion
and sediment control plans.
42
Areas designated for preservation in the final Certificate of Appropriateness
should be clearly delineated and protected on the site prior to any grading
activity on the site. This protection should remain in place until completion
of the development of the site.
43
Preservation areas should be protected from storage or movement of heavy
equipment within this area.
44
Natural drainage patterns (or to the extent required, new drainage patterns)
The utility plans show new
None.
should be incorporated into the finished site to the extent possible.
stormwater pipes connecting to
existing systems just east and west of
the development.
ATTACHMENTS
A — ABC Initial Site Plan
B — ABC Partial Revised Site Plan
C — ABC Block 5 Storage Building Preliminary Architectural Plan
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion:
1. The overall site layout.
2. EC frontage trees: timing of planting
3. The architectural design of the storage building: proposed building materials, windows and applied film, the techniques used to break up the
length/mass of the building; overall organization.
Staff recommends that the ARB forward the following recommendations to the Agent for the Site Review Committee:
• Regarding requirements to satisfy the design guidelines as per § 18-30.6.4c(2), (3) and (5) and recommended conditions of initial plan approval:
1. Prior to Initial Plan approval the following items shall be resolved to the satisfaction of the ARB: None.
• The ARB recommends approval of the Initial Plan without conditions.
• Regarding recommendations on the plan as it relates to the guidelines:
1. Consider installing the EC frontage trees with the first block that is constructed.
• Regarding conditions to be satisfied prior to issuance of a grading permit: None.
• Regarding the final site plan submittal:
A Certificate of Appropriateness is required prior to final site plan approval. The following items and all items on the ARB Final Site Plan
Checklist must be addressed:
1. Revise the storage building design to provide greater organization and unity among the various building elements.
2. Provide material/color samples for review.
3. Eliminate the film coating from the windows.
4. Provide additional information to show that the 3'-tall parapet is sufficient to screen rooftop equipment.
5. Add the standard equipment visibility note to the architectural plans: Visibility of all mechanical equipment from the Entrance Corridor shall
be eliminated.
6. Consider installing the EC frontage trees with the first block that is constructed.
7. Provide large trees, 2%z" caliper at planting, along Old Lynchburg, Country Green and Mountainwood Roads, free of utilities and easements.
8. Where large shade trees are not already provided to meet other requirements, provide medium trees, 2%" caliper at planting, along all paths
and sidewalks.
9. Provide large trees, 2 %" caliper at planting, 40' on center along the perimeter of all parking areas.
10. Note that the retail, office and hotel buildings will need to have fully designed fronts on elevations visible from the EC street.
11. Integrate retaining walls with nearby site features.
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Figure 1: Project location and surroundings.
10
TABLE A This report is based on the following submittal items:
Sheet #
Drawing Name
Drawing Date/Bevision Date
INITIAL SITE PLAN
Cl
Cover
10-5-2020
C2
Existing Conditions: Overview
C3
Existing Conditions
C4
Existing Conditions
C5
Site Plan
C6
Site Plan
C7
Site Plan
C8
Grading & Utility Plan
C9
Grading & Utility Plan
C10
Landscape Plan
Cl1
Landscape Plan
C12
Landscape Plan
C13
Landscape Details
PARTIAL UPDATED SITE PLAN
Cl OF 2
Revisions to Initial Site Plan Submission 10-8-2020
10-26-2020
C2 OF 2
Revisions to Initial Site Plan Submission 10-8-2020
ARCHITECTURAL PLANS
1
Cover
10-26-2020
2
Narrative
3
Site Plan Block 5
4
Existing Site Conditions vs New Development
5
Exterior Elevations and Finish Materials
6
Exterior Elevations
7
Exterior Elevations — Alternative Option
8
Schematic Floor Plans
I