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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVA200200018 Review Comments 2002-12-03 STAFF PERSON: Amelia McCulley PUBLIC HEARING: December 3, 2002 STAFF REPORT VA 2002-018 - UPDATED OWNER/APPLICANT: R.A. Yancey Lumber Corporation TAX MAP/PARCEL: 55 / 112 ZONING: Heavy Industrial and Entrance Corridor overlay ACREAGE: 12.5 acres LOCATION: On the south side of Route 250 West at Route 825 (Yancey Mill Lane) near 1-64 at Crozet. TECHNICAL REQUEST AND EXPLANATION: The applicant proposes to locate a new rotary log crane on the property. This crane is about 100 feet high with a maximum 155 foot radius reach from the base to the grapple. The rotary log crane allows logs to be stacked higher, as high as 30 feet. About halfway from the base, a cab with a truck assembly is extended from the crane onto a circular track. The height and location of the crane necessitate seven (7) variances. While the first variance relates to the maximum height, the other variances relate to zoning district setbacks and setbacks related to height. Variance Max. height 65 feet Proposed height 100 feet 35 ft Min. setback 50 feet Proposed setback 30 and 50 20 ft from roads from roads ft Min. setback 100 feet Proposed setback 0 feet 100 ft from RA-zoned from RA property property Min. setback 50 + (65 x 2) = Proposed setback 30 and 50 130 & 150 from roads based 50 + 130 = 180 ft from roads ft ft on height Min. setback 100 + (65 x 2) = Proposed setback 0 feet 230 ft from RA-zoned 100 + 130 = 230 from RA property property based ft on height The relevant ordinance sections are as follows: I. 26.6 HEIGHT REGULATIONS Except as otherwise provided in section 4.10, structures may be erected to a height not to exceed sixty-five (65) feet; provided that any structure exceeding thirty-five (35) feet in height shall be set back from any I VA 2002-018 Yancey Lumber Corp. December 3, 2002 Page 2 street right-of-way or single-family residential or agricultural district; in addition to minimum yard requirements,a distance of not less than two(2)feet for each one (1)foot of height in excess of thirty- five(35)feet. (Amended 9-9-92) II. 26.10 MINIMUM YARD REQUIREMENTS 26.10.1 Adjacent to public streets: No portion of any structure, excluding signs, shall be erected closer than fifty (50) feet to any public street right-of-way. No off-street parking or loading space shall be located closer than ten(10) feet to any public street right-of-way. (Amended 7-10-85;7-8-92) 26.10.2 Adjacent to residential districts: No portion of any structure, excluding signs, shall be located closer than fifty (50) feet to any rural areas or residential district and no off-street parking space shall be closer than thirty (30) feet to any rural areas or residential district. For the heavy industry (HI) district, no portion of any structure, excluding signs, shall be located closer than one hundred (100) feet to any rural areas or residential district and no off-street parking shall be closer than thirty (30) feet to any rural areas or residential district. (Amended 7- 10-85;7-8-92) The variances are as follows: 1. Increase the maximum height of a structure from 65 to 100 feet, a variance of 35 feet (Section 26.6); 2. Decrease the setback based on height from Rt. 250, from 180 to 63 feet, a variance of 117 feet (Section 26.6); 3. Decrease the setback based on height from Rt. 825, from 180 to 30 feet, a variance of 150 feet (Section 26.6); 4. Decrease the setback based on height from adjacent Rural Areas-zoned property, from 230 to 0 feet, a variance of 230 feet (Section 26.6); 5. Decrease the setback from Rt. 825, from 50 to 30 feet, a variance of 20 feet (Section 26.10.1); 6. Decrease the setback from adjacent Rural Areas-zoned property, from 100 to 0 feet, a variance of 100 feet. If the variances are approved, Planning Commission approval of a waiver of the minimum distances to nearby dwellings will also be necessary. In addition, approval of a site plan amendment by the Architectural Review Board and the Planning Commission will be necessary prior to erection of the crane. (See ARB comments under "Relevant History." RELEVANT HISTORY: Yancey Lumber Company first operated from this property in 1949, prior to zoning in Albemarle. This variance was initially scheduled for hearing by the Board of Zoning Appeals on September 17, 2002. The applicant requested a deferral to this date to allow time for them to work with and obtain an advisory review from the Architectural Review Board. VA 2002-018 Yancey Lumber Corp. December 3, 2002 Page 3 Staff has received a memo from the Chairman of the Route 250 West Task Force dated September 17, 2002 (Attachment A). The Task Force has reviewed the variance application and does not support any variance to install a rotary log crane on this property. They state that they believe the log crane 100 feet high which would allow logs to be stacked higher than they are is a safety concern and is not consistent with maintaining a scenic corridor. On November 4, 2002, the Architectural Review Board took action to not object to the variance requests and recommend conditions for approval. (See the staff report in Attachment B and the ARB action in Attachment C.) These recommended conditions for approval are incorporated in the report in the event this Board finds cause for the approval of these variance requests. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION AND QUALIFYING CONDITIONS: The subject property is not unusually small or odd-shaped. It consists of 12.5 acres in somewhat of a bow-tie shape. It is currently improved with numerous structures. It has been successfully used for this business for 53 years. Staff is of the opinion that there is no undue hardship particular to this property in terms of excessive or unusual size, shape, topography and the like, which effectively prohibit or unreasonably restrict the use of the property. Granting this variance does not alleviate a clearly demonstrable hardship approaching confiscation. Approval of this variance is not in harmony with the intended spirit and purpose of this ordinance. APPLICANT'S JUSTIFICATION AND STAFF COMMENT: A review of the variance criteria provided by the applicant and comments by staff follows: Hardship Staff comments are written in italics and follow the applicant's comments. The applicant notes that the variance is necessary: • Applicant has been operating a lumber mill on the subject property for several decades. Advancement in technology dictates that Applicant needs this crane in order to continue to be competitive in his business. Staff does not claim to be knowledgeable about this business and what is necessary to be competitive. That said, staff notes that not all lumber companies have rotary log cranes. Furthermore, of those lumber companies that do have log cranes, not all cranes are as large as the one proposed. In staff's opinion, the applicant has purchased a used log crane that is too large for this site. It is a hardship imposed by the applicant and not due to the particular characteristics of this property. VA 2002-018 Yancey Lumber Corp. December 3, 2002 Page 4 1. The applicant has not provided evidence that the strict application of the ordinance would produce undue hardship. Uniqueness of Hardship- The applicant notes: • There are no other lumber mills in the same zoning district and same vicinity that share this hardship. The unusual shape of Applicant's land causes this hardship. Staff notes that this parcel consists of 12.5 acres of a somewhat bow-tie shape. It is surrounded on two side by two roads: Rt. 250 along the front and Rt. 825 along the side. While the road frontage and the narrowed middle portion of the property present some challenges to the location of new structures, there are two relevant considerations that the Board should keep in mind. First, the property is currently significantly developed. This particular parcel may not be able to accommodate much additional development, including the location of a large rotary log crane. Secondly, the proposed rotary log crane is of significant size (height and reach); this size generates the need for significant variances of almost every height and setback requirement applicable. Because staff does not find an undue hardship, staff does not find the hardship to be unique. 2. The applicant has not provided evidence that such hardship is not shared generally by other properties in the same zoning district and the same vicinity. Impact on Character of the Area The applicant offers: • The adjacent property and the character of the area are already affected and have been affected for numerous years by the location of Applicant's business and the crane would not be detrimental to it. Staff does not agree with the applicant's justification for this criterion. It is staff's opinion that the addition of this rotary log crane will be detrimental to adjacent property and to the character of the district. This opinion is based in part on the following: a. This crane will allow logs to be stacked up to 30 feet high, almost twice as high as they are currently stacked. This will visually impact adjacent roadways, including Rt. 250 an entrance corridor. b. The crane will be visible above the tops of the stacked lumber by an additional height of 70 feet (30 feet of logs stacked and a 100 ft log crane). The proposed crane is higher than the maximum structure height in the Heavy Industry district; VA 2002-018 Yancey Lumber(:nrp. December 3, 2002 Page 5 c. The location and size of the proposed crane necessitate seven (7) different variances. In addition to being too high, it is too close to Route 250 and Route 825. Zoning regulations call for an increased setback for higher structures and none of the increased setbacks can be met by this proposal on this property. 3. The applicant has not provided evidence that the authorization of such variance will not be of substantial detriment to adjacent property and that the character of the district will not be changed by the granting of the variance. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Since none of the three criteria for approval have been met, staff recommends denial of this request. Staff suggests that if the Board is inclined towards supporting a rotary log crane on this property that the applicant be asked to consider smaller rotary log cranes which could better fit on this property. In the event that the Board should find cause to approve these variances, staff recommends conditions which incorporate concerns of the A.R.B. (The wording has been slightly changed from their specific recommendation, to better reflect zoning enforcement language. There is an addition to condition #1 shown in italics, to incorporate the current mill operating hours into a condition. Condition #6 is new as proposed by Zoning staff to cover safety concerns about the log stacking adjacent to the roads. It is possible that the proposed landscaping presents a sufficient barrier to achieve this goal. It will need review by the County Engineering Department.) These conditions anticipate action on the applicant's part to submit a plan for approval. 1. No new site lighting associated with the use of the crane shall be installed. The crane equipment itself shall not be lighted prior to 7 a.m. or after 5 p.m. 2. Logs shall not be stacked higher than 30 feet. 3. Logs shall not be stacked any closer than 30 feet to the property line along Route 250. 4. Planning Department approval of a landscape plan which shows a ten-foot strip parallel to Route 250 and along the northwest corner. Provide a continuous mixed informal planting consisting of 2 to 3 different species of screening trees with interspersed shade trees along the full distance of the Route 250 frontage, allowing for necessary ingress/egress. Integrate proposed landscaping with existing trees, showing the existing trees on the plan. Screening trees shall be a minimum of 6-8 feet in height at the time of planting. 5. Provide a plan that clearly shows the access points into the site from Route 250, for proper coordination with the landscape plan. 6. County Engineering Department approval of measures, if any are necessary, to prevent logs from rolling off the stack and into Route 250 or Route 825. VA 2002-018 Yancey Lumber rorp. December 3, 2002 Page 6 LIST OF ATTACHMENTS ATTACHMENT A Memo from Route 250 West Task Force Chairman Mitchell, dated September 17, 2002 - ATTACHMENT B Staff Report for ARB Advisory Review ATTACHMENT C Action Letter of ARB Recommendations dated November 8, 2002 Route 250 West Task Force ATTACHMENT A VA-2002-018 County of Albemarle Department of Planning and Community Development 401 McIntire Road Charlottesville, VA 22902-4596 TO: Amelia McCulley, Director, Albemarle County Department of Building Code and Zoning Inspections cc FROM: Charles B. Mitchell, Chairman, Route 250 West ForceCtc.fc.��+�uti REF: Yancey Lumber Company- Rotary Log Crane DATE: September 17, 2002 The Task Force has reviewed the staff report and variance application for R.A.Yancey Lumber Yard to install a rotary log crane. The Task Force does not support the granting of any variance to permit the installation of the log crane. The Task Force believes that a machine 100 feet high with the ability to stack logs higher than they presently are stacked is clearly a safety concern and is not consistent with maintaining a scenic corridor. The Task Force strongly encourages the Board of Zoning Appeals to reject this request. cc: Board of Supervisors i Al I ALA-WENT B VA-2002-018 ARCHITEC_ JRAL REVIEW BOARD ST. r REPORT Project#: Name ARB-2002-102: Yancey Mills Rotary Crane Application Type Advisory review for a variance request Parcel Identification Tax Map 55, Parcel 112 Location South side of Route 250 West at Yancey Mills Lane (Route 825), east of the I-64 interchange Zoned Entrance Corridor (EC), Heavy Industry (HI) Magisterial District White Hall Proposal Erect a 100' tall rotary log crane ARB Meeting Date September 3, 2002 Staff Contact Margaret Maliszewski HISTORY: A mill operation has existed at this site since 1949. There are no previous ARB reviews on this site. PROJECT DETAILS: The applicant proposes to erect a rotary log crane at the lumber mill.The crane would allow logs to be stacked higher than they are stacked currently. Current stacking height is approximately 20'; future stacking height would be approximately 30'. The crane would rise 100' in height and would extend approximately 155' in length. It would operate in a circular area whose radius is 180'. The center of the crane would be located approximately 200' from the property line along the EC (including a 20' setback). There is approximately 40' from the property line to the edge of pavement of Route 250. Variances requested: 1. Increase height from 65' to 100' (variance of 35'). 2. Decrease setbacks based on height: a) from Route 250 from 180' to 63' (variance of 117'); b) from Route 825 from 180' to 20' (variance of 150'); c) from adjacent Rural Areas property from 230' to 0' (variance of 20'); 3. Decrease setbacks from Route 825 from 50' to 30' (variance of 20'); and from adjacent Rural Areas property from 100' to 0' (variance of 100'). ANALYSIS Site Development,Layout, and Grading: The site is already developed as a lumber mill. Various buildings and equipment are located throughout the site.The crane would be located at the western end of the property. No grading would be required. Visibility: The existing operation is clearly visible from the EC. Structures, equipment, stacked logs, and trucks are visible.The entire rotary crane would be readily visible along the EC in locations along the property. It is anticipated that the upper portions of the crane would be visible from greater distances along the EC in ARB 9/3/2002 Yancey Mills Rotary Crane Advisory Review-Page 1 ,/ / both directions. Context: No other commercial or industrial development is immediately visible from the site. Residential buildings exist nearby. The I-64 interchange is located a short distance to the west. The general character of the surrounding area is rural.The current character of the site is that of a lumber mill,but the appearance does not meet the intent of the ARB guidelines. Although the crane is equipment associated with the mill use, the crane is out of character with the surrounding area. Compatibility with historic sites/structures: Though lumber mills have a long history in this country, the proposed crane has no particular connection to the historic architecture of the area. Scale:The proposed crane is a large structure without human scale.The height and radius of the structure are out of scale with the existing buildings on site. Forms and Features: The primary feature of the crane is expected to be its size. The increased height of the stacked logs will also be a prominent feature. Lighting: The mill operates from 7 AM to 5 PM. Lighting would be used, as necessary, for safe operations during this time period; for example, early morning and late evening in the winter. Appearance and Impact: The anticipated impact of the crane has some similarities to that of a cell tower. Both are fully visible at close range and both are visible at distances above the treetops. However, the crane is much bigger and there is not proposal to screen it from view. The proposed development does not reflect the traditional architecture of the area and it does not promote attractive development within the corridor. SUMMARY: The current character of the site does not meet ARB guidelines and the addition of a 100'-tall rotary crane would further distance the site from attaining a character and appearance that are appropriate for the Entrance Corridor. An increased height for stacked logs is likewise considered inappropriate for the EC. The proximity of the development and the proposed crane to the EC increases the visibility and impact on the EC and eliminates the ability to add screening. RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff cannot support the proposed variances and recommends that the ARB forward the following recommendation to the Board of Zoning Appeals: The ARB cannot support the proposed variances because the installation of the proposed rotary crane would not reflect the traditional architecture of the area and would not promote attractive development within the Entrance Corridor, as specified by the ARB guidelines. Should the ARB choose to recommend support for the proposal, staff recommends the following conditions of approval: 1. No new lighting associated with the use of the crane shall be installed. 2. Logs shall not be stacked higher than 30'. ARB 9/3/2002 Yancey Mills Rotary Crane Advisory Review-Page 2 s ATTACHMENT C VA-2002-018 COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE Department of Planning&Community Development 401 McIntire Road,Room 218 Charlottesville,Virginia 22902-4596 - (434)296-5823 Fax(434)972-4012 November 8, 2002 Richard E. Carter Taylor,Zunka, Milnor and Carter, Ltd. 414 Park Street Charlottesville,VA 22902 RE: ARB-2002-102: Yancey Mills Rotary Log Crane,Tax Map 055, Parcel 112 Dear Mr. Carter: At its meeting on Monday, November 4, 2002, the Albemarle County Architectural Review Board voted 4:1 to forward the following recommendation to the BZA: Based on the existing Heavy Industrial zoning, the ARB has no objection to ARB-2002-102, Yancey Mills Rotary - Crane, request for variances with the following conditions: 1. No new site lighting associated with the use of the crane shall be installed. 2. Logs shall not be stacked higher than 30'. 3. Logs shall not be stacked within 30' of the property line along Route 250. 4. Revise the proposed landscaping plan to show a ten-foot strip parallel to Route 250 and along the northwest corner. Provide a continuous mixed informal planting consisting of 2 to 3 different species of screening trees with interspersed shade trees along the full distance of the Route 250 frontage allowing for necessary ingressiegress. Integrate proposed landscaping with existing trees. Show the existing trees on the plan. Screening trees shall be 6-8' in height at the time of planting. 5. Provide a plan that clearly shows the access points into the site from Route 250 for proper coordination with landscaping. If you have any questions about this action,please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, 7/17aA-,C(/ui/Y Margaret Maliszewski Design Planner Cc: File R.A.Yancey, 1895 Woodberry Road, Charlottesville,VA 2201 VAmelia McCulley J oily 'fir COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE Department of Building Code and Zoning Services 401 McIntire Road,Room 227 Charlottesville,Virginia 22902-4596 FAX(434)972-4126 TELEPHONE(434)296-5832 TTD(434)972-4012 Fax To: Scott Peyton From: Ana D. Kilmer Fax: 540-456-8600 Pages: 4 Phone: Date: September 10,2002 Re: VA-2002-018 CC: ❑ Urgent 0 For Review 0 Please Comment 0 Please Reply 0 Please Recycle • Comments: Attached is a copy of the proposed plan and a list of the Board of Zoning Appeals Members.