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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZMA202200004 Modification request Planting Strip 2022-05-12SHIMP ENGINEERING, P.C. Design Focused Engineering County of Albemarle Department of Community Development 401 McIntire Road, North Wing Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 RE: ZMA2022000XX 1906 Avon Street Request for Waiver from Section 14-422(D) Public Road "A" and Private Road "A" — Planting Strips To Whom It May Concern, Pursuant to Section 14-422(F), the Albemarle County Planning Commission may vary or except the requirements of sections 14-422(D) of the Subdivision Ordinance. The applicant for the rezoning of tax map parcels 09000-00-00-03300, 09000-00-00-033C, and 09000-00-00-033BO requests a waiver from the requirement that the planting strip must be located between the curb and the sidewalk. The application for 1906 Avon Street seeks a rezoning from R-1 Residential to R-15 Residential. If approved, the property could develop a maximum of 38 units. Hathaway Street, an existing public street that currently ends at the shared property boundary with Avon Park, is proposed to extend through the property and stub -out at the northern property line of tax map parcel 90-33B. Private Road A and B are proposed to connect to Public Road A and provide vehicular access to units in Block 1. We request to a waiver for the planting strip requirement along Public Road A and Private Road A, as sidewalks are only proposed on one side of Public Road A and Private Road A. With regard to the planting strip waiver request, please consider the following analysis from Section 14- 422(Fx2): (i) A request for variation or exception to allow for a rural section has not been granted nor requested. (ii) A sidewalk waiver request is provided with this planting strip request. (iii) Elimination of the planting strip does not contradict goals of the comprehensive plan, the neighborhood model, or the Southern and Western Neighborhoods master plan. The intent of the landscape strip is to achieve a more urban streetscape and to provide pedestrian comfort along sidewalks and walkways. As a sidewalk waiver request has been submitted with this waiver, sidewalks are only proposed on one side of Public Road A and Private Road A. This request seeks to waive the requirement of the planting strip where sidewalks are not proposed, as planting strips cannot be located between the sidewalk and curb in these circumstances. As described in the sidewalk waiver request, allowing for sidewalk on one side of Public Road A and Private Road A, and thus planting strip on one side of the same streets, allows for a redevelopment an R-1 property that maintains pedestrian orientation, a mixture of housing types and affordability, and robust recreational and open space; waiving of the sidewalk and planting strip on one side of the street allows for this area to be utilized towards these neighborhood model principles. SHIMP ENGINEERING, P.C. Design Focused Engineering (iv) Waiving the requirement would enable different principles of the neighborhood model to be more fully achieved. As the property seeks a rezoning to an R-15 district, Public Road A and Private Road A are designed with sidewalk and planting strip on one side of the street, where front doors of the residences are positioned. Planting strips located beside pedestrian walkways provide a more inviting streetscape, through providing pedestrian comfort and safety and adding greenery to impervious surroundings. The intent behind the planting strip requirement of the subdivision ordinance is to encourage pedestrian use and to create a more urban street section. Allowing for sidewalk and planting strip on just one side of the street along Public Road A and Private Road A provides adequate pedestrian connectivity throughout the development while meeting goals of mixed housing types and affordability and robust amenity space. Please see the associated sidewalk waiver for further details.