HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCP200800002 Staff ReportCOUNTY OF ALBEMARLE
STAFF REPORT SUMMARY
Project Name: CCP200800002 Charlottesville
Staff: Scott Clark
Day School
Planning Commission Pre - Application Work
Board of Supervisors Public Hearing:
Session: September 16, 2008
n/a
Owner /s: Wilhelm, Miles or Martha
Applicant: Charlottesville Day School
Acreage: 21.804
Special Use Permit: 10.2.2.5.,Private
schools
TMP: Tax Map 61 Parcel 1
Existing Zoning and By -right use: RA Rural
Location: Hydraulic Road, approximately 1,600
Areas - agricultural, forestal, and fishery uses;
feet north of the intersection with Lambs Road and
residential density (0.5 unitlacre in development
Whitewood Road
lots); EC Entrance Corridor — Overlay to protect
properties of historic, architectural or cultural
significance from visual impacts of development
along routes of tourist access
Magisterial District: Jack Jouett
Conditions or Proffers: n/a
RA (Rural Areas)
Requested # of Dwelling Units: n/a
Proposal: Private preschool and elementary school
Comprehensive Plan Designation: Rural Areas
for 185 to 228 children on 21.8 acres
— preserve and protect agricultural, forestal, open
space, and natural, historic and scenic resources/
density( .5 unit/ acre in development lots)
Character of Property: The property is largely
Use of Surrounding Properties: Residences,
open, with some mixed trees. The current dwelling
churches, and light - industrial uses
was built in 1938.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff requests that the Planning Commission provide guidance to staff and the
applicants on whether this use would be appropriate under the Comprehensive Plan, and identify issues of
concern.
Request
The applicant, Charlottesville Day School, has asked the Planning Commission to provide
preliminary comments on a possible special use permit application for a private school on a 21.8 -
acre parcel that is zoned RA Rural Areas. The Comprehensive Plan designation for this property
is Rural Areas. It is in the Entrance Corridor and is located on Hydraulic Road approximately
1,600 feet north of the intersection with Lambs Road and Whitewood Road.
The proposed school would retain two existing dwellings and add school buildings with facilities
for 185 to 228 preschool and elementary- school students (see Attachment C for the applicant's
conceptual plan for the site.)
Character of the Area
The property is located on the Rural Areas side of the boundary between the Development Area
(Neighborhood 1) and the Rural Areas, which runs along Hydraulic Road. The Development
Area side of the road is characterized by multifamily residential uses (R10 zoning) and some
light - industrial and commercial uses. The nearby Rural Areas properties are largely residential,
but also include public schools, churches, and one area of light - industrial uses in stale LI zoning
within the Rural Areas. See Attachment A for a map of the site and its surroundings, and
Attachment B for a map showing zoning districts and comprehensive -plan boundaries.
The site is located in a Water Supply Protection Area and is in the watershed of the South Fork
Rivanna Reservoir.
Planniny- and Zoning History
• SP 87 -103 Christ Community Church: Proposal for a 5,000- square -foot church with
seating for 250. The Board of Supervisors voted 5:1 to deny the request on February 17,
1988, due to impacts on the reservoir watershed, particularly resulting from any eventual
expansions. The Board then voted to reconsider the application on March 2, 1988. On
March 23, 1988, the Board deferred discussion at the applicant's request. No further
action occurred, and the application is considered withdrawn.
• SP 97 -14 Roslyn Private Catholic School: Proposal for a private school, initially for 65
students in the existing house, with plans to add facilities and expand up to 600 students
within 10 to 15 years. The request was withdrawn by the applicant on May 15, 1997
without action by the Planning Commission or the Board of Supervisors.
Conformity With The Comprehensive Plan
Rural Areas Plan
The land uses supported by the Rural Areas chapter of the Comprehensive Plan (adopted March
2, 2005) include agriculture, forestry, and conservation. The only commercial uses supported by
the Plan are small -scale operations located within historic "crossroads communities" and
designed to serve the needs of existing rural residents, and "alternative uses" for maintaining the
viability of rural land uses. The "Vision" section of the Rural Areas plan includes "[b]oundaries
that show a clear distinction between rural and urban areas, without low- density transition areas"
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as a key aspect of the Rural Areas.
This chapter also focuses on the scale of land uses, preferring to provide rural -area residents with
"community meeting places, a basic level of services, and rural organizations and other cultural
institutions at traditional rural scales." The chapter also states that:
Scale and the intensity of land uses should be carefully considered. Where necessary,
performance standards should be used to ensure that scale and intensity are appropriate
to the rural landscape. Uses that cannot be sufficiently mitigated or that conflict with the
Guiding Principles should not be permitted.
The proposed use is not a small -scale rural use, and would not be scaled or located to serve small
rural communities or existing crossroads communities. Also, in an area where the boundary
between Rural Areas and Development Areas has already been blurred (Hydraulic Road north of
Albemarle High School), this proposal would be located on the only remaining parcel with
significant visible open space.
A review of previous approvals of private schools in the Rural Areas shows that the schools are
typically located a significant distance from the Rural Area — Development Area boundary. Also,
of the schools approved in the last ten year, enrollment sizes ranged from 10 to 120 (the latter
was an amendment of the special use permit of an existing school).
Land -Use Plan
Section 2 of the Neighborhood Model portion of the Land Use Plan describes the County's policy for
development along the boundaries of the Development Areas and Rural Areas:
M
The Neighborhood Model proposes maintaining the existing borders to the Development Areas
and having distinctive boundaries between the Development Areas and the Rural Areas. This
principle increases the incentives to build the Development Areas efficiently while minimizing
threats to the Rural Areas.
[T]ransitional areas rarely possess the physical beauty and natural amenity of the rural areas
they replace, nor do they offer the amenities or sense of community of the adjacent town. Instead
development often takes place in a way that creates neither "town" nor "country" and not a
community.
These are consistent with Rural Areas Plan's statement on boundary areas included above. Both
elements of the plan discourage developments that obscure the boundary between the Development
Areas and Rural Areas. While there are some low- intensity uses that serve Development Areas that may
be appropriate on the rural side of such boundaries (such as outdoor park and recreational uses), a larger
school is more similar to a commercial use, which would be appropriate in the Development Areas.
The Growth Management section of the Comprehensive Plan states that development should be
directed into the Development Areas, so that the natural and cultural features of the Rural Areas
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can be protected.
Conformity with the Facilities Planning goal would depend on whether or not the use required
additional infrastructure, such as public water. More detailed information is needed to assess this
matter.
Natural Resources & Cultural Assets Plan
The Natural Resources Plan identifies surface -water protection as a policy goal. This site drains
to the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, and would need to meet County requirements for
stormwater protection.
The existing dwelling on the site was built in 1938, but has not been surveyed for historic
significance since 1988. A new survey would be need to determine significance and to evaluate
the impacts on historic character of the proposed additional buildings.
Other Issues
Staff has identified the following additional issues to be considered in any further review of this
proposal:
Water and Sewage
The property is designated for water service to existing structures only. Extending service to new
school structures would run counter to the County's policies on public facilities in the Rural
Areas. Therefore staff would not support approval of an AC SA jurisdictional -area extension for
this use.
As part of a special use permit application, the applicants would need to supply an estimate of
water usage and an explanation of how the estimate was derived before staff can assess the
impact. The range of yield for 26 wells within half a mile of the parcel and in the Counties data
base is zero to 100 gallons per minute (gpm) with a median yield of 6.5 gallons per minute.
The parcel is within 2000 feet of 10 Leaking Underground Storage Tanks as identified by the
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Sec. 5 -500 to 5 -503 of the County Code will
require that any well on the parcel be tested for volatiles before a building permit is issued and, if
the water exceeds the maximum contaminant level, that either the water be treated or an alternate
source found before a Certificate of Occupancy will be issued.
Due to the supply concerns and the possibility of contamination, staff would recommend that any
special use permit application include flow information and water - quality testing data from a test
well on the site.
Preliminary information from the Health Department states that the soils in the area are generally
favorable for septic fields. However, the Health Department needs more - specific soil evaluations
from the site and a preliminary system design to verify that the site can support a use of this
scale.
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Traffic
VDOT has reviewed this proposal, and estimates that the traffic generated by the proposed use
would be approximately 150 to 200 vehicle trips in the peak hour, depending on the final number
of students. An analysis needs to be completed for the intersection at Rosyln Heights Road with
Hydraulic Road. This analysis needs to include left and right turn lane warrants and also a signal
warrant analysis. If a more detailed design is prepared for an application, the entrance should be
placed outside of the functional area of the intersection. That design would also need to meet the
requirements of the zoning ordinance for paving and curbing.
Entrance Corridor:
The existing structures on site are not visible from the Entrance Corridor during the summer
months. Visibility may increase during the winter months and elements of the proposal could be
visible from the EC. Limited information has been provided regarding the appearance of the
proposed buildings, but it is anticipated that the buildings can be designed to meet the EC
Guidelines.
Historic Resources
Information in the files of the Department of Historic Resources indicates that the property was
surveyed in 1988. The property included a wood - and -stone dwelling built in 1938, a small stone
building with a conical roof, and various outbuildings. At that time it was informally determined
to be not eligible for listing in the National Register. Twenty years has passed since that survey
was completed. It is recommended that an architectural historian be hired to complete an updated
survey and that the Department of Historic Resources (DHR) be asked to make a new
determination regarding eligibility. If it is determined that the property is eligible, it is
recommended that DHR be asked to make a determination regarding the impact of the proposed
development on eligibility. If the property is determined eligible, it will be recommended that the
development be designed in a way that does not jeopardize its eligibility for listing on the
register.
Before the existing residence can be used for lessons or school administrative purposes, it must
be evaluated for building code acceptability for such uses. Information from the applicants
suggests that this structure would not be used for large -scale school activities, but as a residence
and for music lessons. However, modifications for code compliance could affect the historic
character of the structure.
Stormwater
This property drains to the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, and has the most stringent
requirements for stormwater treatment. Any application would need to include detailed designs
for stormwater management facilities.
Recommendation
Staff requests that the Commission respond to the following and provide guidance regarding this
possible special use permit proposal:
1. Does the Commission believe that a private school on this site could be appropriately
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approved under Comprehensive Plan policies (including those in the Rural Areas plan,
the Land Use Plan, the Natural Resources & Cultural Assets Plan, and the Open Space
Plan)?
Stafffinds that the proposal is not in accord with the Rural Areas plan (due to scale and
character issues) or the Land Use Plan (due to concerns with clear boundaries between
Rural Areas and Development Areas). Surface -water impacts are of concern, but
mitigation would be possible —a more detailed site design is needed. More information is
needed to evaluate impacts on historic resources.
2. If the Commission would consider supporting an application for this use, what issues
should the applicants address in more detail in their application?
In summary, staff has identified the following issues that should be addressed by the
applicants:
• Groundwater supply and safety: Water availability, impacts on adjacent wells, and
potential contamination
• Traffic safety: Traffic impact analysis needed; also signal warrant analysis and
internal circulation design
• Entrance Corridor impacts: Design and visibility of structures and other
improvements
• Historic Resources: More information needed on historic character of existing
dwelling, and potential impacts
• Stormwater management
Attachments
A. Site Map
B. Zoning & Comprehensive Plan Map
C. Conceptual Plan for Private School
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CCP200800002 Charlottesville Day School Proposed §ite
0 340 680 1.360 Feet
► Prepared by Albemarle County Community Development Dept.
Map created by Scott Clark, June 2007. yh '
► Note: The map elements depicted are graphic representations and are not`>
to be construed or used as a legal description. This map is for display purposes only.
► Parcel boundaries reflect most recent available data.
► Aerial photos 2002 Commonwealth of Virginia
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Proposal Site
CriticalSlopes
Streams
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Contours (5 ft)
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Zoning
Rural Areas R15 Residential
R4 Residential Planned Unit Development
R6 Residential Planned Residential Development
R10 Residential Commercial
Light Industry - Commercial Office
QDevelopment Areas
Tax Map 61 Parcel 1
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0 150 300 600
I Attachment B I
Roads Water Body
Streams Q Parcels
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Attachment C
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PROPOSED BUIDLING
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