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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSDP202100065 Correspondence 2021-07-26SHIMP ENGINEERING, P.C. Design Focused Engineering July 26, 2021 Mr. Bart Svoboda, Zoning Administrator County of Albemarle Department of Community Development 401 McIntire Road, North Wing Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 RE: Final SDP Number Pending Albemarle Business Campus — Block 1 Final Site Plan Request for Parking Determination Dear Mr. Svoboda, In accordance with Section 4.12.7 of the County Zoning Ordinance, we are requesting a determination of the minimum number of required parking spaces for a proposed 128-unit multifamily development on TMP 76-46A, which is part of a larger mixed -use development known as "Albemarle Business Campus." The approved initial site plan for Albemarle Business Campus (SDP2020-66) proposes a mixed -use development encompassing the proposed residential development as well as commercial and office uses on TMP 76-46A and 76-46F. As a mixed -use proposal in the Albemarle County Development Areas with an immediate adjacency to the City of Charlottesville, programming, such as transportation demand management (TDM) strategies and improved pedestrian infrastructure, may reduce the parking needs of future residents of Albemarle Business Campus. Of the 128 units, there are 38 one -bedroom units and 90 two -bedroom units proposed, requiring a minimum of 237 spaces. We request 13% of reduction from 237 spaces to allow for 208 spaces proposed on -site. Please consider the following analysis in support of the Applicant's request: Location The residential portion of Albemarle Business Campus is located between Country Green Road, Old Lynchburg Road, and Mountainwood Road. The property is in close proximity to the City of Charlottesville line and is across the street from the County Office Building — 51 Street. Infrastructure & Public Transportation Per the Code of Development of the approved ZMA2019-00003, Albemarle Business Campus is to provide bicycle racks within each block of development to encourage active transportation to and from the site. The multifamily block proposes 32 bicycle parking spaces in accordance with the Code of Development. With the property's location in close proximity to the City/County boundary, residents are connected to Charlottesville on bike, through Old Lynchburg Road and Sunset Avenue Extended. These corridors lead to the southern area of the City, towards Jefferson Park Avenue and Fontaine Avenue. Old Lynchburg Road additionally provides access to an existing ride -share adjacent to Azalea Park, within 0.5-mile from the property. Currently, these connections are accessible on bicycles, as pedestrian infrastructure is not complete; the County's Master Plan has designated these pedestrian connections as high -priority. Similarly, 51 Street Station is a major commercial center located approximately 1-mile from the site that is accessible by bike due to incomplete pedestrian connections. This pedestrian connection has also been identified by the Master Plan as a transportation priority as well. While these major destinations for residents are accessible by bike, residents may also take advantage of the Charlottesville -Albemarle Transit bus that serves this area. The Route 3 route has an existing bus stop located at the intersection of Old Lynchburg Road and 5t1i Street and connects residents directly to 51 Street Station and 912 E. High St. Charlottesville, VA 22902 1434.227.5140 1 shimp-engineering.com Downtown Charlottesville. Transfers to other routes connecting to the greater Charlottesville -Albemarle area may occur at overlapping bus stops or at the main Downtown Transit Station. With the existing bicycle and public transportation connections, residents may sufficiently access their destinations in the local area. To strengthen pedestrian and bicycle connections, Blocks 3 and 4 of the Albemarle Business Campus proposes improvements to the existing bus stop, as well as the construction of a 10' multi -use path along the 51 Street frontage, at the time of each block's development. Analysis of Parking Determination, SDP2018-00008 Vistas at South Pantops As a multifamily development within the Urban Development Area of the County, the minimum parking requirements of Section 4.12.6 establishes a conservative estimate of parking needs; such parking needs will vary due to development location, existing bike -pedestrian infrastructure, and available public transportation. For SDP2018-00008 Vistas at South Pantops, the Applicant provided an internal parking study of Management Services Corporation properties in Albemarle County to provide data of registered vehicles against occupied units and bedrooms. Per the internal parking study, there was an observed average of 1.38 vehicles per unit and 0.77 vehicles per bedroom. The parking study encompassed four multifamily neighborhoods located around Route 29 and Hydraulic Road, two large autocentric corridors; Route 29 especially stands as a barrier to pedestrian and bicycle movement and residents likely need a car or bus to safely maneuver this roadway, whereas the residential development of Albemarle Business Campus is situated around local streets where shared roadways are expected, compared to Route 29. Residents of Albemarle Business Campus would likely feel more comfortable walking and biking in this location, compared to those living adjacent to Hydraulic Road and Route 29. The existing MSC neighborhoods and the proposed ABC development are served by Charlottesville -Albemarle Transit, which alleviates some car dependency. Additionally, the MSC developments and ABC multifamily are adjacent to major destinations that may encourage more active modes of transportation, such as The Shops at Stonefield and Albemarle High School, for the studied MSC properties, and University of Virginia Fontaine Research Park and 51 Street Station, for Albemarle Business Campus. Within Albemarle Business Campus itself, up to 395,000 SF may be developed to non-residential uses, creating future jobs and destinations within a three -minute walk of the proposed 128-unit development. The internal parking study of four MSC properties was provided as part of a request for parking determination for the Vistas at South Pantops. This site plan proposed the development of 44 one -bedroom units and 100 two - bedroom units on South Pantops Drive, adjacent to the Sentara Martha Jefferson Health System. The parking determination for the Vistas at South Pantops established 1.3 parking spaces per unit for one -bedroom units and 1.9 parking spaces per unit for two -bedroom units would be adequate for this proposal for the transportation demand management tools offered, such as bicycle rack facilities and existing public transportation. This determination is suitable for a multifamily development adjacent to Route 250, as Route 250 provides the only connection between the property location and the City of Charlottesville. The CAT bus system does serve this area, however, access is not nearly as convenient as in Albemarle Business Campus, as residents of the Vistas would connect to bus stops at Rivanna Ridge Shopping Center or at Sentara Martha Jefferson. Prior to commercial and office build -out of Albemarle Business Campus, the expected demographic of residents for Albemarle Business Campus are likely University of Virginia employees and students. Due to the expensive and restricted parking available on Grounds, residents will likely limit personal vehicles, instead taking advantage of public transit, biking, and walking or organize ride -shares as needed. Additionally, biking may take place along Old Lynchburg Road and Fifth Street, which experience significantly lower traffic volumes, within smaller street sections, and at lower speeds, relative to Route 250. With the completion of the Fifth Street Corridor Study in January 2021 by Virginia Department of Transportation, further improvements to the Fifth Street Corridor are forthcoming; infrastructure proposals such as sidewalks, separate bicycle facilities, and roundabouts will continue to encourage active transportation throughout the southern Albemarle area and strengthen existing connections to and from the development. Given the surrounding context, existing and proposed infrastructure, target resident demographic, future non- residential development of the Neighborhood Model District and comparable multifamily developments in the County, the 128 multifamily units of Albemarle Business Campus would be adequately served by the provided 208 parking spaces. Thank you for your consideration of this request. Please let us know if any further information is needed to make your determination. I can be reached by email at justin ngshimp-en ing eering com or by phone at 434-227-5140. Best Regards, Justin Shimp, P.E. Shimp Engineering, P.C.