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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP202000016 Correspondence 2021-05-17 (3)CLAUDIUS CROZET PARK SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION (SP2020-00016) AMENDMENT TO SP-1995-43 NARRATIVE AND CONDITIONS Date: August 17, 2020 Revised: November 16, 2020 Revised: May 17, 2021 Applicant: Claudius Crozet Park, Inc. Prepared By: Collins Engineering CLAUDIUS CROZET PARK - SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROJECT NARRATIVE & CONDITIONS I. PROJECT PROPOSAL The applicant is seeking a special use permit in accordance with Section 10.2.2.(1) and (4) of the Albemarle County Zoning Ordinance for a community center in the Rural Area district and for a swim, golf, tennis or similar athletic facilities in the Rural Area district. The applicant is also seeking a special use permit in accordance with Section 16.2.2.(1) and (4) for a community center in the R-6 Zoning District and for a swim, golf, tennis or similar athletic facilities in the R-6 Zoning district. The proposed Claudius Crozet Park Special Use Permit is an amendment to the previously approved special use permit (SP1995-00043), allowing the use of the property for a pool, parking area, walking trails, and play fields. The previous special use permit classified the proposed uses as a Community Center. This amendment to the existing Special Use permit is to expand the use of the Community Center with a fitness center and pool expansion. Included with the expansion of the pool and new fitness facility will be additional parking areas, walking trails and sidewalk connections, and stormwater management facilities. The Claudius Crozet Park property is primarily Rural Area property (RA) surrounded by residential neighborhoods. The total area of the park is 22.81 acres, with a small portion (0.41 acres) located on R-6 property donated to the park with the development of the Parkside Village Neighborhood. There are (3) parcels in total that make up the Crozet park, as listed below: Crozet Park Parcel Parcel Aerea a Existing Zoning 56A2-1-72 10.731 acres Rural Area (RA) 56A2-1-72A 11.665 acres Rural Area RA 56A2-4-OA4 0.41 acres R-6 Zoning The proposed special use permit that is being requested is for an amendment to the existing special use permit for the property, which currently operates as a community park. The applicant is proposing to construct a Community Recreation Facility, including exercise areas, sport courts, community meeting space, and a pool expansion. Phase II of the project will include an indoor pool facility, connected to the fitness building and adjacent to the existing pool deck. Access to the property is from the existing main entrance on Park Road. There is currently an emergency access road from the property onto Hill Top Street, which is also used during larger festivals and events. The proposed expansion includes improvements to the site for traffic circulation through the park and a 2"d access point onto Indigo Road, as shown on the Development Application Plan. The access connection to Hill Top Street will be removed, and the existing parking area behind the pool will be expanded for additional parking for the Community Park and parking for the proposed fitness facility. Currently, Claudius Crozet Park includes a pool, grass recreation fields, a community center building, basketball courts, tennis courts, a soccer field, and baseball/softball fields. Lights were recently added to the baseball field through a special exception process. Most of the existing infrastructure will remain with the proposed expansion. The Development Application Plan includes the existing conditions of the site, and notes the existing improvements that will be removed for the construction of the proposed fitness facility, parking, and circulation through the site. Crozet Park is located within the central core of the Crozet Development Area. There are multiple roadway connections and existing and proposed pedestrian bicycle trailway connections in all directions providing access to the Park from the surrounding neighborhoods. As shown on sheet 6 of the Development plan, Crozet Park is located within'/2 mile from Downtown Crozet, and within 1 mile from many of the residential neighborhoods in the area. Sheet 7 of the development plan also shows the extensive sidewalk and trailway connections in the area, which allow for pedestrian and bicycle connections to Crozet Park. Much of the pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure in the area has come from the recent development of the adjacent properties and neighborhoods. This network is continuing to evolve as the remaining parcels are developed. These sidewalks and trailways provide additional non -vehicular access connections to Crozet Park The public benefits for the proposed special use permit are to provide a community fitness and recreational facility within Crozet Park to meet the needs for the residents in the Crozet Community. The proposed facility will provide a fitness center for the community, meeting spaces, recreational sport courts, and an indoor pool. The proposed facility will also provide improvements for the existing pool at Crozet Park. The proposed special use permit will not change the overall characteristic of Crozet Park. Currently, the park offers fitness, recreation, and meeting areas on the property, serving the community. The proposed special use permit will enhance these facilities, creating the expansion of the community park to service the Crozet Community. II. Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan The existing Crozet Park and the proposed expansion of the community center and swim, golf, tennis or similar athletic facilities are consistent with the goals of the Comprehensive Plan. The property, which is located within the Crozet growth area, is noted as greenspace. The existing Crozet Park is consistent with the allowable uses in the Greenspace of the Crozet Master Plan. The park, as shown on the Crozet Masterplan, is designed along a Greenspace corridor, providing alternative connections to the community park, other than vehicular connections and access. The expansion of the Crozet Park is consistent with the Community Life goal of the Crozet Master plan. The improvements will help continue to provide an adequate facility in the Crozet community for fairs, festivals, and events. The proposed park expansion is also consistent with the Parks & Green Systems goal of the masterplan by providing north/south and cast/west trailway connections through the park to the adjacent and surrounding neighborhoods. III. Development Impacts on the Public Facilities & Public Infrastructure The Claudius Crozet Park is located within the Albemarle County growth area and within the ACSA jurisdictional area. The park is currently served by public water and public sanitary sewer, and the proposed expansion of the facility will continue to connect to the public infrastructure. With the expansion of the community park, trailways and sidewalks will be constructed within the park, connecting existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities of the adjacent properties within the neighborhoods. The sidewalk and trailway connections to Crozet Park and proposed onsite sidewalk and trail system provide an extensive network for pedestrian and bicycles through the Crozet community. This extensive system also provides alternative, non -vehicular access to the park. VDOT traffic (ITE) manual estimates the following for the increase in traffic from the proposed community fitness and recreation center: Crozet Park ITE Trip Generation ITE Code 492 (Health Fitness Club) P.H. adjacent street P.H. Generator Saturday 1 P.H.G. AM Peak PM Peak JAM Peak JPM Peak ITE Average Rate 1.31 3.451 1.41 3.921 3.1 Existing S.F.(3000's) 17.S36 17.526 17.S16 17.516 17.S1 Proposed SY (1000's) 53.39 53.39 53.39 S3.39 53.3 Existing Trips 23 60 25 W 56 Proposed Trips 70 194 75 1 209 1 170 Trip Increase 47 124 50 1 141 1 114 Note 1: Sq ua•e f000tage was cakcu fated using the pool deck as 'indoor S.F. when the bubble is up in thefaa, winter and spring. The bubble wou Its no longe• be used with the new plan and the indoor pool is used for S.F. Note 2: 6,000 S.F. of sheltered Pavinns are currentty used for exercise lasses due to lack of indoor spce and/ or CONO precautions. The proposed facility would provide indoorspaceforthedasses. The6,ODO SF. is not used in the akulation of the existing SF. Note, the manual also provides for a 10% to 20% reduction in these trips, based on the urban design of the park within the neighborhood and the extensive sidewalk and trailway connections to the park. The existing park, which currently provides fitness and recreation opportunities, has existing trips per day that factor into the proposed traffic estimates, reducing the number of new trips per day to the Community Park. In addition, with the proposed second access connection to the park and the recently completed section of Eastern Avenue, the additional vehicular trips per day to the park are dispersed over the existing road infrastructure in the area to the north, east and west of the park. These roadway connections allow for additional access points to the park from the surrounding neighborhoods and community. The expansion of the park pool and recreational facility is not expected to have an impact on the fire and police departments. The park is located within a mile from the Crozet Fire Department, so the response times are adequate for the proposed infrastructure. In addition, the facility will have a sprinkler system that will aid in the fire suppression for the building. Exterior lighting and an alarm system will be included with the proposed building and parking lot improvements, adding to the safety of the proposed facility. This will help limit of the overall impacts on the police department with the added infrastructure. IV. Development Impacts on the Environmental Features The proposed expansion of the community center and recreation facility within Crozet Park will not impact the existing environmental features on the property. There is a small section of preserved slopes south of the existing pond and limited managed slopes on the property. The improvements will have a minor impact on one of the small managed slope areas within the park and no impacts on the preserved slopes. There is also an existing pond on the property with a water protection ordinance buffer that will be maintained. The proposed development is outside of the buffer area, and the surrounding area of the pond will be enhanced to help treat any stormwater run- off before it drains into the existing pond. The existing pond is not a SWM facility, so all water quality shall be achieved prior to the run-off being released to the pond. Nutrient credits and other water quality control measures may be implemented to achieve the required stormwater management for the building and parking lot expansion. The proposed development will meet the state water quality design criteria and will be considered as development of prior developed land. In addition, the final SWM design shall take into account and provide stormwater quality and quantity controls for the existing SWM facility that is being removed with the proposed development of the parking lot expansion and recreation building. V. SDecial Exception Reauest The existing Special use permit (SP1995-43) for the Crozet Park also included a special exception request for Section 18.5.16(a) of the Albemarle County Zoning Ordinance. This proposed amendment to the Special Use Permit for the park also includes an amendment to the existing special exception request for the improvements and modifications to the pool. The conditions set forth in the approved special exception shall still apply to the project and the proposed expansion of the facility. The outside pool is staying the same. The existing pool facility is 165 feet from the property, as shown on Sheet 3 of the concept plan. The proposed indoor pool is 55 feet from the same property line (which is the closest property line). From this property line, the closest structure is another 130 feet, making the total distance of the indoor pool facility 185 feet from the closest structure and the existing pool 295 feet from the closest structure. In addition, the 55 feet is from the property line to the edge of the building. There is an internal storage room along the northern portion of the pool facility, and the limits of the indoor pool is 80 feet from the property line. A landscaping buffer area is also proposed on the west side of the proposed indoor pool facility to mitigate the building from the adjacent residences. The indoor pool is mitigated by the building and storage room, helping to reduce the sounds from the pool. The existing building will shield the noises from the pool, limiting the impact of the indoor pool on the adjacent residences. Between the landscaping buffer and the building, the sounds from the indoor pool should have limited affect on the adjacent residences. The landscaping will help mitigate any light extending from the windows on the building as well.