HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP200600008 Legacy Document 2007-05-23 (4)COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
AGENDA TITLE:
SP 2006-00008 SOCA South Fork Expansion
SU BJ ECT/PROPOSAL/REQU EST:
Revised request from applicant received after
Planning Commission hearing
STAFF CONTACT(S):
Tucker, Foley, Graham, Benish, Clark
0
AGENDA DATE:
April 11, 2007
ACTION: X INFORMATION:
CONSENT AGENDA:
ACTION: INFORMATION:
ATTACHMENTS: Yes
REVIEWED BY:
BACKGROUND:
On January 23, 2007, the Planning Commission held a hearing on this request for a new soccer -club facility in the
Rural Areas. The facilities would include a 30,000 -square -foot -soccer arena, additional office and support space, and
a lighted outdoor year-round play field on a property adjacent to SOCA's existing South Fork Soccer Park.
The Commission recommended denial of the special use permit request, citing their concerns with the unfavorable
factors raised in the staff report:
1. This request does not conform with the Land Use Plan policy that this "critical" section of the Rural
Areas "is to remain in an open state as a buffer between the Urban Area and the Community of
Hollymead."
2. The soils on the site cannot support septic fields, and the proposed use could only be supported by an
extension of the ACSA jurisdictional area. The "Public Water and Sewer" section of the
Comprehensive Plan states that "Rural Area development will be served by individual water and septic
systems only." The "Alternative Uses" section of the Rural Areas chapter of the Comprehensive Plan
states that such uses should be "viable with no increase in public infrastructure or services, either at
time of approval or later."
3. The proposed use includes approximately 39,220 square feet of new building space for the arena and
its support facilities. This is a large structure for the Rural Areas and is not in keeping with the
Comprehensive Plan intent to maintain this area as a buffer between the Development Areas. Only 15
other buildings greater than 30,000 square feet exist in the Rural Areas, and 14 of those are by -right
uses. With the investment needed for such facilities, they are unlikely to be "reversible" to farming,
forestry, or open -space uses as recommended under "Alternative Uses" in the Rural Areas chapter of
the Comprehensive Plan.
4. The existing dwelling to the east, and other existing or future dwellings on nearby properties, would
potentially be impacted by noise from outdoor activities.
The Commission also stated a concern with the public -safety impacts of increasing traffic through the one -lane
railroad underpass on Polo Grounds Road.
The Commission also denied the applicants' request for a waiver of the requirements of section 4.2.3 of the Zoning
Ordinance regarding critical -slope disturbance.
DISCUSSION:
Following the Planning Commission hearing, the applicant submitted a revised request for the Board's consideration (see
details of the applicant's changes in Attachment A, and their revised conceptual plan in Attachment B). These revisions
include:
Plan Changes:
o The arena building height has been reduced (ridge height is three feet lower; sides facing Polo Grounds
Road have been lowered 4.5 to 9 feet), which reduces visibility
o Vegetated screening of the arena building has been added, as has a berm to the east end of the field
which would screen the field from the adjacent residence.
o A walking-trail connection has been added on the adjacent SOCA property from Polo Grounds Road to
the Rivanna River
o A note regarding lighting design has been added. The applicant does not intend to install lighting for four
to five years, and not until County ordinances have been revised to exempt light poles from the 35-foot
structure-height limit in the RA zoning district. The applicant still proposes to use full-cutoff fixtures.
Use Changes
o The applicant has retracted the request for four non -SOCA events per year. Only SOCA events would
occur on the property.
o The applicant has retracted the request for extending SOCA operating hours four times per year.
o Reduced operating hours for the indoor and outdoor fields, and seasonal limitations on the use of outdoor
lighting (no lighting December 16th through February 14th and April 16th through September 14th)
In summary, these revisions reduce the visual, noise, and traffic impacts of the proposed use on the adjacent properties on
and the surrounding area. The applicant estimates that, as a result of the reduced hours, total vehicle trips would decrease
from 667 to 644 vehicle -trips per day. In response to the Planning Commission's concern with the Polo Grounds Road
railroad underpass, the applicant correctly points out that VDOT has estimated that only 4 percent of the traffic generated
by this use would use that route.
However, the revisions do not address several of the Commission's major concerns with this use. These include the
appropriateness of the use in a location the Comprehensive Plan says should be reserved for open -space uses; the
necessity of extending sewer service for a Rural Areas use, which would be counter to Comprehensive Plan policy; or the
unusually large scale of the structure (still over 39,000 square feet in size) and use in the Rural Areas context. In addition,
the traffic reduction in this revised proposal is fairly minimal.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff believes that the impacts that led to the Commission's recommendation, while somewhat reduced, still exist.
Therefore, staff recommends denial of this special use permit request as recommended by the Planning Commission.
Should the Board desire further commission guidance on the applicant's changes, it has the option of referring this
back to the Planning Commission for further consideration and recommendation.
ATTACHMENT:
Attachment A: Revision letter from applicant, received March 23, 2007
Attachment B: Revised conceptual plan dated March 16, 2007