Press Alt + R to read the document text or Alt + P to download or print.
This document contains no pages.
HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP202200032 Narrative 2022-11-21L I N E + G R A D E
CIVIL ENGINEERING
SPECIAL USE PERMIT PREAPP: 202200046
TO: Albemarle County Community Development Staff
Rebecca Ragsdale
FROM: Daniel C. Hyer, PE
Line and Grade Civil Engineering
DATE: November 21, 2022
RE: The Miller School of Albemarle
Special Use Permit Application Narrative
Project Details:
Applicant: The Miller School of Albemarle
Consultant: Line and Grade Civil Engineering I Daniel C. Hyer, PE
Name of Project: MSA Special Use Permit
Short Description: Special Use Permit for Independent Educational Institution
Existing/Proposed Site: 1000 Samuel Miller Loop, Charlottesville, VA 22903
Property Details:
Parcel ID Number:
Short Parcel ID:
Total Acres:
Owner:
Property Address:
Current Occupant:
Magisterial District:
Zoning:
Proffered:
ZMAs Related to Proffers:
Comprehensive Plan Area:
Comprehensive Plan Use:
Land Use:
Surrounding Uses:
Executive Summary
07200-00-00-03200
72-32
1,046.98
The Miller School of Albemarle
1000 Samuel Miller Loop, Charlottesville, VA 22903
The Miller School
Samuel Miller
Rural Area (RA)
No
None
Rural Area
Residential
Independent High School
Residential, to the North, South, East, and West
The Miller School of Albemarle would like to formally request a special use permit (SP) be applied
to their campus in Albemarle County, Virginia. The property is identifiable by the Tax Map Parcel
Number 72-32. The school is located, aptly, within the Samuel Miller Magisterial District along
Miller School Road in Western Albemarle County. The current use is an independent school, and
the proposed use is also an independent school. This SP seeks to bring the existing non -conforming
use of the campus into conformance with the County's zoning code and to prepare the way for the
school's future -- to continue their hands-on approach to teaching combined with rigorous and
supportive academic programs.
LI N E+
GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEERING
113 4- St. NE, STE 100
CHARLOTrESVILLE, VA 22902
LINE-GRADE.COM
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 2
Descriptive Images and Photos
Please note: All maps shown within this SP document are included in Appendix B and are shown at a
larger scale.
Image 1—Aerial Image from Albemarle County GIS showing 1,047 Acre Parcel Boundary
Photograph 1—Aerial Image of the Miller School of Albemarle and surrounding grounds. 537 acres of the
campus have been put into a conservation easement held by the Land Trust of Virginia.
L I N E +
GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 3
Historic Resources
Photograph 3 —Caton Hall. One of three buildings the school has registered with the Virginia Department of
Historic Resources.
L I N E +
GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 4
Part 1: Project Proposal
A. Background
The Miller School of Albemarle (MSA) has been educating students on this campus since it was
founded in 1878 with a bequest from Samuel Miller, who was raised in Batesville, Virginia and
later became a successful businessman. His Last Will and Testament provided for the majority
of his estate to be used for the establishment of a boarding school for girls and boys near his
birthplace. Today, MSA operates as a coeducational and college preparatory school for grades
8-12 and is home to over 230 girls and boys from Albemarle County, around the
Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and around the world (over 13 nationalities
represented).
In due course of MSA's history, the school has continued to honor the vision of Samuel Miller:
to engage the minds, hands, and hearts of the students. The educational curriculum includes
land management and sustainable agriculture courses which incorporate the history of the
school's rich and biologically diverse landscape to engage students on the 1,000+acre campus,
637 acres of which have been given as a Deed of Gift of Conservation Easement to the Land
Trust of Virginia. This conservation easement also establishes 3 building envelopes, show in
Image 2, below.
Similarly, the Miller School has registered three (3) buildings with the National Register of
Historic Places including Old Main (Photograph 2), The Mechanical Arts Building, now known
as Caton Hall (Photograph 3), and the President's House (Head of School, not pictured).
Preserving the historic resources and landscape is a priority for the School's Board of Trustees,
the School's Administration and the School's community of past and present students. Like any
institution, honoring and preserving the historic roots and integrity of the Miller School is
paramount to the continued success of the institution. The school's track record suggests that
they are committed to continuing this stewardship, which also promotes the objectives of the
County's Comprehensive plan.
y f
LEGEND
Image 2 — Map indicating the three (3) building envelopes established by the Conservation
Easement. The campus academic campus is contained within the campus area building
envelope" highlighted in a pink color. Refer to Appendix B for a larger format copy of this plan.
L I N E +
GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 5
B. Proposal+ Future Uses
As the Executive Summary suggests, the Miller School of Albemarle operates as an independent
school under what is referred to as an "existing -and -non -conforming use;' which is to say that
the school has never requested to have a use other than what the zoning ordinance identifies
for this parcel. The parcel is zoned as a Rural Area (RA) and has a land use designation of
residential. However, it is noteworthy to express that the Miller School's location and
operation predate the County's zoning ordinance. The existing campus plan is shown in Figure
1, Page 7.
The Miller School would like to plan for the future of the institution — specifically to sustain
moderate enrollment growth and to work toward implementing their Masterplan. The school's
masterplan is a 2-phase plan:
Phase 1) Expand the school's student population from current enrollment to 300 students
and add programming to include K-7`^ grade students, in supplement to the existing 8-12
grade students. In addition, this phase of the work proposes to renovate and otherwise
improve existing facilities for current and near -term enrollment needs as well as add a
male dormitory building. Refer to Figure 2, Page 7, "Steps 1 and 2".
Phase 2) Grow from 300 students toward 500 students, which will require the school
campus to grow in order to support the student body, specifically adding several new
dormitory buildings and public spaces supporting student life, not to mention adequate
parking. Refer to Figure 2, Page 7, "Steps 3 through 5".
Phase 1: Current Enrollment to 300 Students
Expand the School's Programming
The Trustees of The Miller School have determined that they would like to include an additional
range of student programming on the campus. At first, this looks like a strategic partnership
with Seven Rivers Day School (711), who will occupy the Haden -Hart building on campus. The
current programming plans suggest that 711 will not enroll more than 60 students. However,
over time, as this partnership prospers, that number may increase. For the purposes of this SP
request, the enrollment of 7R is included within any enrollment numbers requested.
Beyond the limits of the Haden -Hart classroom, much of the curriculum of 711 will take place on
the expansive thousand -acre -campus.
Update and Improve Existing Facilities:
It is worth specifically noting The Miller School does not intend to compromise any of their
historic properties, or attributes of these properties. In fad, any future improvements to an
historic property will serve to bring the facility into closer alignment with the intention of the
property.
In terms of updating and improving the existing facilities, the Miller Schools plans for this work L I N E
to unfold sequentially; however, the sequence presented herein is subject to change based on
enrollment, and/or donors who may desire to fund a specific project. GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 6
Identified Campus Improvement Projects
1) Renovate Wayland Hall (Female Dormitory)
2) Strengthen Pedestrian Corridors
3) Clearly Designate Vehicular Corridors and Parking
4) Create an Additional Dormitory for Male Boarding Students
5) Relocate boys from Old Main Basement to New Dorm
Phase 2: Growth from 300 Students to 500 Students
Expand Campus Programming:
Once the school's enrolled population has settled around 300 students, the Board of Trustees
and the school administration will plan to increase the school's capacity to host students by
increasing classroom spaces and dormitory buildings. These projects will also create outdoor
and recreational spaces as well as necessitate additional parking facilities.
The campus will continue to develop along the linear North -South axis in a pattern consistent
with the existing campus. Figure 3, below, suggests the form and scale this campus growth will
take. As will be expounded upon below, all proposed development patterns are consistent and
in conformance with the Conservation Easement that the Miller School established which
guides development potential on the property.
6) Renovate Old Main Basement to Classroom Spaces
7) Create Additional Dormitory Buildings (2, 1 Female and 1 Male)
8) Renovate V Floor of Old Main to Classroom Spaces (Currently unoccupied)
9) Improve and Create Outdoor Recreational Spaces
10) Construct New Gymnasium and Additional Parking
Summary of Proposal and Future Uses
Succinctly put, The Miller School of Albemarle would like to request the right to:
• Grow enrollment to 500 students
• Continue to develop the campus to include up to 3 new dormitory buildings along the
north -south linear axis of campus and within the approved campus area building
envelope as required by the Conservation Easement.
• Establish outdoor and recreational space within the campus supporting student
activities as well as a clearly defined pedestrian corridor within the campus.
• Delineate vehicle corridors and parking independent and segregated from pedestrian
areas.
It is the intent of the Miller School that when this master plan is realized, the student population
will generally correspond with less than 200 boarding students and up to 300 day students.
L I N E +
GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 7
Figure 1—Existing Conditions Key Map
Figure 2 —Step by Step Improvements Supporting Growth to 500 Students
L I N E +
GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 8
Event space/ Cou"ard
Open oir/ouboo, theoke
Student Residences
Recreational athletic
isse Recreational -social
. Acodemlc
. Parklr
PedesMan Spine
PedesMan path
Vehicular circulaXon
see Canfeen
Workshop and storage
Figure 3 —Miller School Master Plan for Student Programming
Please refer to Appendix B for a detailed visual explanation of the campus growth and master
plan, as well as a selection of illustrative renderings to convey design intent.
L I N E +
GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 9
C. Public Need or Benefit
The Miller School not only meets the specific public need of educating students', but it also
provides several specific public benefits, including preservation of historic resources,
conservation of natural resources as well as sharing these resources with the community —
specifically those partaking in the recreational amenities the school has established. As
requested in the SP checklist the Miller School meets public needs and benefits in many ways;
a sampling of these is included here:
Public Need:
• We educate the minds, hands and hearts of 230 students each year (150 of whom are
from Albemarle County and surrounding towns) in accordance with our Mission and
Values.
• Supporting numerous athletic sports and activities, we host competitions and sporting
events on our campus attended by many hundreds of visiting student athletes and
their families each year.
• We are proud to be a small school where dynamic interactions between our teachers
and students flourish into strong mentor-mentee relationships.
• Our minds, hands and hearts model promote key moral codes that foster well-being,
inclusion and values operating a sustainable campus and living models.
• We offer a challenging and structured curriculum through which students not only
learn but love to learn.
• We inspire students through experiences, where what they study comes to life and
what they know can impact the world around them.
• With vibrant diversity, we come together in genuine fellowship. Our culture of respect
inspires and empowers our students to become intelligent, brave, and just citizens.
• We encourage our students to shine as concerned leaders and devoted team players
through civic -minded programs built on cornerstones of Honor and Service.
• We require all students to take and pass a Civics course for graduation.
• We have a robust Student Community Service Program that over the past decade has
been distinguished by partnerships with local non-profit organizations including: the
Jefferson School African -American Heritage Center, the Virginia Foundation for the
Humanities, the Festival of the Book, Live Arts, City of Promise, the Thomas Jefferson
Foundation at Monticello, the Center for the Book, Horses as Healers, Martha
Jefferson House, local elementary schools and the Albemarle Housing Improvement
Program.
We perform morally, ethically, and consciously, and our students' education is
heightened by an awareness and appreciation of the environment and our natural
resources. Our students are taught to be participants in their futures and to take
action in the direction of their journeys as lifelong learners.
'During the Covid pandemic the school's enrollment went up —suggesting that private institutions like
the Miller School were able to meet and sustain a specific public benefit during a time of national crisis.
L I N E +
GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 30
Public Benefit:
• The property has approximately 510 acres of forest cover. The forest cover on the
property acts as a forested riparian buffer to help protect water quality for on -site
drainage features and wetlands, provides cover for wildlife, contributes to the
property's scenic values and is a resource for forestry uses.
• Miller Branch, which is a USGS perennial stream, flows through the property for 1.25
miles. There are also two instances of National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) wetlands
that will be protected by the conservation easement that are classified as Freshwater
Ponds.
• Protection of the open space and agricultural resources afforded by the conservation
easement over this property will maintain this land for its current use as well as many
others.
• The school has registered three (3) buildings on the National Register of Historic
Places. By voluntarily registering these buildings the Miller School has established a
precedent that the value of the property is greater than just classrooms and hallways.
The maintenance and upkeep of historic buildings is greater than contemporary or
modern buildings; yet the Miller School is attentive to preserve and maintain the
integrity of their historic resources.
Part 2: Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan
The adopted 2015 Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) serves as the guide which the Miller School and
the County hold in common to navigate the appropriateness of the Special Use Permit. The Comp
Plan itself is a broad and exhaustive (comprehensive) document and the commentary herein will be
selective based on the most appropriate portions of the Comp Plan as related to this landowner and
their land use.
A. Land Use
The Miller School of Albemarle is located in a Rural Area as defined by the County's Comp Plan.
The Rural Areas of Albemarle County are of strategic importance to the County because these
areas contain the majority of the County s natural, historic, scenic, and cultural resources. In
light of these important values, the Miller School provides an exemplary precedent for how to
honor and care for these resources. It is important to note that while the Miller School
contributes to each of these areas, in a unified holistic manner, the Comprehensive Plan does
not necessarily distinguish between these categories as being of higher or lesser importance.
Which is to say that protecting these attributes of Rural Areas is holistically important.
Natural Resources:
a) Agricultural: Soils +Open Space
The property has approximately 435 acres which have been delineated as Prime
Farmland based on the Virginia Land Conservation Foundations (VLCF)
Conservation Value Review Criteria'. The VLCF has identified the protection of
agricultural farmland as a matter of statewide importance. The soils on the
property are well -suited for a variety of agricultural uses.
' Section A(1)(a)(1) of the VLCF's Conservation Value Review Criteria
L I N E +
GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 11
Forthis reason, these natural assets have been included within the Miller School's
Conservation easement. Protection of the property's significant agricultural
resources (soils and open space) afforded by the conservation easement will
maintain and protect this land in perpetuity.
This specifically supports Objective 1 of the Comp Plan with regard to Rural
Areas.
b) Forestal
The property has approximately 510 acres of forest cover. Most of the forest
cover is eastern hardwood forest. This forested land provides significant
conservation values, as it acts as a forested riparian buffer to help protect water
quality for on -site drainage features and wetlands, provides cover for wildlife,
contributes to the property's scenic values, and is a resource for forestry uses —
specifically didactic learning for the students.
This specifically supports Objective 1 + 2 of the Comp Plan with regard to Rural
Areas.
c) Water Resources
The property includes 1.25 miles of Miller Branch, which is a USGS perennial
stream. The property has three instances of National Wetlands Inventory (NWI)
wetlands that will be protected by the conservation easement. Two areas are
classified as Freshwater Pond, one of which is 0.43 acres, and the other is 11.61
acres (also known as the "Lake"). The third area is 1.22 acres classified as
Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland, and is located adjacent (to the southeast)
of the Lake. The property is in the Mechums, Rivanna, and James River
watersheds, all of which are state -designated scenic rivers. The property is also in
the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
This specifically supports Objective 2 of the Comp Plan with regard to Rural
Areas.
Historic Resources:
Historic Resources are covered explicitly in Part 2B, below.
Scenic Resources:
Scenic Open Space is one of the property's most significant conservation values. The
property has approximately 5,110 feet of road frontage and scenic open space on the
west side of State Route 689 (Pounding Creek Road). The property has approximately
4,130 feet of road frontage and scenic open space on the south side of State Route 637
(Dick Woods Road). The property has approximately 2,755 feet of road frontage and
scenic open space on the east side of State Route 635 (Miller School Road). The
property also has approximately 2,820 feet of road frontage and scenic open space on
LINE
+
both sides of State Route 635 (Miller School Road) as it runs through the property. All
of this road frontage totals approximately 2.Smiles. These scenic open space values are
GRADE
documented with the ground photography in Appendix F of this application.
CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 12
Preservation of the property's open space (via the conservation easement) will yield
significant and substantial public benefit and supports not just local, but also Federal
and State governmental conservation policies and for the scenic enjoyment of the
general public.
This specifically supports Objective 4 of the Comp Plan with regard to Rural Areas.
Cultural Resources:
The cultural resource that the Miller School is to the local community is indisputable
by virtue of the detailed information provided herein with respect to Agricultural,
Forestal, Water, Historic and Scenic resources. The School Community and Board of
Trustees are well informed and understand the positive impact the institution has
based on their stewardship of the land, retaining agricultural and forestal activities,
protecting natural resources and maintaining unfragmented land to protect
biodiversity.
This specifically supports Objective 3 of the Comp Plan with regard to Rural Areas.
B. Historic Resources
Albemarle County has limited measures and incentives by which to encourage landowners to
preserve resources on their property. At this time, preservation efforts are entirely voluntary.
Despite having a specific requirement for properties containing historic resources to follow —
the Miller School has voluntarily and proactively worked to preserve and protect significant
resources on the property.
There are forty-three (43) buildings on the property, totaling nearly 104,000 SF of existing
structural footprint. There are thirteen residences (13), one (1) dorm, three (3) educational
buildings, one (1) barn, twelve (12) sheds/storage buildings, seven (7) buildings associated with
the baseball field, and six (6) other miscellaneous buildings. With the exception of the buildings
associated with the baseball field, it is possible that all the other structures are over 50 years
old. These structures are identified in Plan C1.3 in Appendix B.
Buildings Voluntarily Registered as Historic Places:
The Miller School has proactively registered three (3) buildings with the National Register of
Historic Places, Old Main (Photograph 2), The Mechanical Arts Building (Photograph 3), and
President's House (Head of School). These registrations were done entirely voluntarily, because
protecting these resources is important to the Miller School. The other buildings on the
property are likewise important to the school despite not being on the National Register.
Proposed Additions to Historic Structures:
The Miller School of Albemarle does not propose to make additions to any buildings on the
property, historic or otherwise. Furthermore, as the County's Comp Plan specifically states: "Rehabilitation, restoration and maintenance of historic structures can be costly." Making
additions to historic structures, while not specifically mentioned in the list, is likewise costly. As L I N E
such, the Board of Trustees of the Miller School, at its sole discretion, will make the GRADE
determination if working on existing buildings (restoring, adding on or maintaining) is
financially responsible and feasible. It is for this reason that the Comprehensive Plan
CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 13
acknowledges that these activities are voluntary. The school is aware of the financial incentives
which may be available on a case -by -case basis and will consider these incentives in due course.
New Buildings:
As this SP application indicates the Miller School plans to add several new buildings to the
inventory of the campus, specifically, new dormitories. However, none of these buildings have
been formally designed or developed beyond the conceptual layout shown herein.
Based on the concepts included herein the building size and orientation will be harmonious
with the linear arrangement of the campus. This is to suggest that development of new
buildings will happen along the north -south linear axis of the campus — which promotes a
rhythmic cadence to the precincts that support academic, social, athletic, recreational and
individual life within the campus. New buildings will be constructed of materials that are
compatible with but different than the existing buildings and the proposed buildings.
Part 3: Impacts on Public Facilities, Infrastructure and Environmental Features
A. Environmental Features
Given the robust conservation easement that the Miller School established and the
limited development envelope allowed as a result of that easement, the proposed site
improvements associated with the school programming will be contained within the
Campus Area Building Envelope as defined in Image 2.
This area is an upland location on the site and has already been "developed" in terms of
site disturbance. Any proposed micro -site grading will be de minimis in terms of
disturbance and impact. This development strategy has no known adverse impacts on
environmental features beyond those which are understood to accompany development.
Each future project will satisfy the requirements of stormwater management and
protection of downstream waterways.
B. Public Resources
The Miller School is proposing a moderate increase in enrollment over the next decade.
That said, the presence of the school and the operations of the school could have
perceived or measurable impacts on public resources, though it is fair to say that the
Miller School is in and of itself a public resource. The school hosts numerous events open
to the public and allows the public to enjoy the natural resources conserved and
maintained by the school.
Public Transportation Facilities
Refer to Part 413, below, for detailed information related to impacts on Public
Transportation Facilities.
Public Safety Facilities
There are no public safety facilities in the near vicinity of the school. It is not anticipated
that this school will have an adverse impact on any public safety facilities.
L I N E +
GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 14
Public School Facilities
The Miller School is approximately 3 miles away from Western Albemarle High School,
Henley Middle School and Brownsville Elementary School, the nearest public -school
facilities that educates students of the same age as the Miller School proposes.
Public Parks
The Miller School is located approximately 4 miles from Crozet Park, 5.5 miles from Mint
Springs Park and 5.25 miles from Beaver Creek Reservoir Park. There is no known nor
projected adverse impact the school has on these facilities.
Part 4: Technical Supplements + Documentation
A. Student Enrollment Figures
2023-2025 Growth to 300 Students
Maximum 100 Boarding Students
2025 - _ Growth to 500 Students
Maximum 200 Boarding Students
B. ITE Trip Generation Figures
The Miller School Entrance was updated and improved in 2012 following the approval of
a site plan—SDP201200032. The improvements suggested as a part of this SP propose no
additional improvements to the points of egress. The sight distance triangles from this
SDP are included in Appendix C.
According to VDOT 2020 data, Miller School Road between Dick Woods Road and Plank
Road has an Average Daily Traffic of 1100 vehicles (down from 1300 in 2019, likely
reflecting the COVID pandemic). Which suggests that given the school's current
enrollment most of the traffic on this road is associated with The Miller School.
2023-2025 Growth to 300 Students
Maximum 100 Boarding Students
Average 200 Day Students
Weekday AM Peak Hour (7-9 am)
Average Rate: 160 Total, 98 Entry, 62 Exit
Direction Distribution: 61% Entering, 39% Exiting
Weekday PM Peak Hour (4-6 pm)
Average Rate: 34 Total, 15 Entry, 19 Exit
Direction Distribution: 43% Entering, 57% Exiting
Weekday Total
Average Rate: 496 Total, 248 Entry, 248 Exit
Direction Distribution: 50% Entering, 50% Exiting
L I N E +
GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Miller School of Albemarle
Application for Special Use Permit
November 21, 2022 1 Page 15
2025 + Growth to 500 Students
Maximum 200 Boarding Students
Average 300 Day Students
Weekday AM Peak Hour (7-9 am)
Average Rate: 240 Total, 146 Entry, 94 Exit
Direction Distribution: 61% Entering, 39% Exiting
Weekday PM Peak Hour (4-6 pm)
Average Rate: 51 Total, 22 Entry, 29 Exit
Direction Distribution: 43% Entering, 57% Exiting
Weekday Total
Average Rate: 744 Total, 372 Entry, 372 Exit
Direction Distribution: 50% Entering, 50% Exiting
C. Water and Sewer Demand
The Miller School of Albemarle is served by well and septic systems. The school maintains
current and accurate records for these systems. The growth of the campus as shown
herein will require a Central Sewer Permit. This application will be submitted separately
from this SP document. We will work directly with County Engineering staff for this
permit.
List of Appendices
Appendix A: SP Application and Checklists
Appendix B. Mapping and Concept Plans
Appendix C: Supplementary Technical Documents
Appendix D: Plat(s)
Appendix E: National Register of Historic Places
Appendix F: Scenic Resources Documentation
L I N E +
GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEERING