Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutZMA202100004 Narrative 2021-03-15Zoning Map Amendment Narrative Breezy Hill February 23, 2021 Project Proposal: There is an existing and rapidly growing demand for neighborhood residential low density lots and homes in Albemarle County. While town homes remain in supply, larger single family lots are all but non-existent in the growth area. Incomplete subdivisions in the rural areas are beginning to be built out and unless new lots are made available in the growth areas the rural areas will begin to see new by -right rural subdivision development. To satisfy this demand in an orderly and sustainable way and to take pressure off of the rural areas, new single-family detached lots in the growth area are necessary and desirable. Breezy Hill will provide neighborhood residential low density lots in a part of the growth area that is specifically designated for development of neighborhood residential low density lots. R-1 is the lowest density residential zoning district available. Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan: R-1 is the lowest density residential zoning district in Albemarle's zoning ordinance. This proposal is to rezone growth area land in the Village of Rivanna Master Planned growth area to the lowest residential zoning there is. Chapter 1 of the Village of Rivanna Master Plan states "Albemarle County has a long-standing goal of directing development into designated Development Areas. To further County growth management goals, the current Development Area concept remains a critical planning component. The Land Use Plan of the Comprehensive Plan, including the Neighborhood Model, presents mechanisms that provide the best opportunity for the County to achieve the goals of having compact livable development in designated Development Areas and keeping the Rural Areas rural." This proposed rezoning to R-1 was designed for consistency with the Village of Rivanna Master Plan, with extensive input from the Planning Commission, Board of Supervisors, and nearby neighbors taken into account. This proposal is for rezoning to R-1 (with proffers) carefully follows the principals of The Neighborhood Model, where applicable, including: 1. Pedestrian orientation: Breezy Hill will provide sidewalks on both sides of every street and trails through the pocket parks and wooded conservation areas. It is anticipated that there will be more than three times as many linear feet of sidewalk and trail than road, providing extensive opportunities for pedestrians, either out for a stroll on the tree -lined sidewalks or on a more adventuresome walk/hike through the parks and conservation areas. Neighborhood friendly streets and paths: All streets will be lined with street trees for shade, a six foot wide planting strip for separation of vehicles and pedestrians, and five foot wide sidewalks. Roadways are designed with gentle curves and frequent intersections to encourage neighborhood -appropriate driving speeds. 3. Interconnected streets and transportation networks: The streets in Breezy Hill provide internal interconnections everywhere possible. Where street interconnections are not practical, pedestrian interconnections are provided via trails and park systems. External street interconnections are provided at Route 250 and at Running Deer Drive as called for in the VOR Master Plan, and a future interconnection is provided on the west side of the site where called for in the VOR Master Plan. 4. Parks and open space: Breezy Hill will retain more a significant portion of the property in community open space, most of which will be extensive interconnected wooded conservation area, consistent with the Parks & Green Systems Plan and Map. 5. Neighborhood centers: The neighborhood center in the Village of Rivanna is within the Rivanna Village development, under construction now. The Breezy Hill area is envisioned as low density residential development in the VOR Master Plan. However, a pocket park is proposed around a pond shown in the Breezy Hill plan. That pocket park will serve as a neighborhood gathering place for all of the low density residential land on the east side of the Village of Rivanna. 6. Building and spaces of human scale: The buildings proposed are all residential single family homes. The spaces are proximate to the homes and proportioned appropriately for the scale of the community. 7. Relegated parking: Because there are no concentrated parking areas (parking lots) this principal is largely not -applicable. Worth noting, however, is that where permitted by VDOT, on -street parking will be encouraged so as to add to the neighborhood feel and reduce traffic speeds. 8. Mixture of uses: The Village of Rivanna Master Plan calls for this area to be developed into residential uses, making this principal not -applicable to this proposal. 9. Mixture of housing types and affordability: A homeowners association architectural control board will regulate housing types, mandating a wide mixture of types within one or two architectural styles. Previous feedback from the Planning Commission, Board of Supervisors, and nearby neighbors indicate that a mixture of housing types is not desired in this location and that low density single family residential is the only desired housing type. 10. Redevelopment: This proposal includes redevelopment of land that currently contains four deteriorating houses and 9 outbuildings in various states of disrepair, but beyond that this principal is not applicable. 11. Site planning that respects terrain: Breezy Hill was designed to avoid and protect sensitive environmental areas, including avoidance of steep slopes, creeks, and flood plains to the greatest extent possible. The transportation networks generally follow the upland areas on site, avoiding all sensitive topographic features consistent with the Parks & Green Systems Plan and Map. 12. Clear boundaries with Rural Areas: This proposal follows the guidelines of the Village of Rivanna Master Plan, providing a clear boundary with the rural areas, while also providing the desired step down in density at the edge of this development area. Route 250 is the northern boundary of this project, creating a clear boundary between Breezy Hill and the adjacent Rural Areas to the North. This proposal maintains the rural character of Route 250 by preserving a buffer greater than 50' along the southern frontage of Route 250. Running Deer Drive is the eastern boundary of the Village of Rivanna Master Plan area. This proposal creates a "soft boundary" between the development area and the rural area, maintaining the existing low density character of both sides of Running Deer and adjacent parcels. Except for the road connection to Running Deer Drive, this development will largely not be visible from Running Deer Drive. Impacts on Public Facilities & Public Infrastructure: The development of Breezy Hill will add vehicles from R-1 zoned land to the area's road networks, which is below the threshold for a traffic impact statement per Virginia Code §15.2-2222.1 and 24 VAC 30-155- 40. The Developer has had extensive meetings with the Albemarle County Service Authority. Adequate water and sewer capacity currently exists for the proposed density. Impacts on Environmental Features: Breezy Hill was designed to avoid and protect sensitive environmental areas, including avoidance of steep slopes, creeks, and flood plains to the greatest extent possible. The transportation networks generally follow the ridges on site, avoiding all sensitive topographic features consistent with the Parks & Green Systems Plan and Map.